《My Accidental Husband Is My Revenge Partner》


 Chapter 1: Error At The City Hall

    Reaching the city hall, Anastasia found Michelle standing in front of a staff; it was the same staff that called Anastasia toe retrieve her marriage certificate.


    It turned out they had registered to the same staff.


    Anastasia wanted to turn back and leave to avoid another encounter with Michelle. Unfortunately, luck wasn''t on her side.


    The staff recognized Anastasia and quickly called her.


    "Mrs. Wace, I have your marriage certificate with me. Pleasee and get it," said the staff.


    Instantly, Michelle turned back with a grin on her face when she saw Anastasia.


    "Ana,e and take your marriage certificate," she urged her.


    Anastasia read between the lines. She was mocking her for marrying the ck sheep while she was married to the CEO of the Wace enterprise.


    Anastasia revealed a small smile that didn''t reach her eyes, took the marriage certificate from the staff, and turned, about to leave, but Michelle stopped her.


    "Come on, I want to see it. I want to see the useless man you will start calling your husband for the rest of your life," she urged, her eyes filled with mockery and her tone hushed, so that the staff wouldn''t hear her.


    "We can see itter," Anastasia replied, about to walk out but Michelle grabbed her hand, stopping her.


    "Don''t make me repeat myself," she threatened with a re.


    In a blink of an eye, Michelle''s expression was back to normal, as if she hadn''t just threatened Ana.


    "Anastasia." Ana heard someone call her. She turned back to find Richard marching towards them.


    When they hade to register, he had made it clear to her that he wasn''ting along with her to get the certificates.


    ''What is he doing here?'' She wondered.


    "Hi Michelle," he greeted her, while Michelle tried to hide the disgust in her face as she stared at him. She couldn''t be any more d that she was married to Xavier.


    Turning to Anastasia, he suggested, "Let''s go home and celebrate by having a little fun tonight." He winked at Anastasia with a sly grin on his lips as he chewed a piece of gum. He ced his hand on her waist, making her flinch.


    Anastasia ignored him, pretending she didn''t hear him speak. She gulped down her saliva, inhaled then exhaled, hoping it would calm her nerves.


    "I''m talking to you," Richard nearly yelled at her when she gave him nothing but silence.


    "You are hurting me," she managed to mumble, her eyes lowering, unable to make eye contact with him. His grip on her waist had tightened.


    "Oh, so you can hear me? I thought you went deaf for a second," said Richard, licking his lips lustfully as he sized her up.


    Tears pooled in Anastasia''s eyes while her hands clenched on the envelope, the paper that clearly stated she was finally married to Richard, who was the ck sheep of the Wace family.


    While her younger sister, Michelle was to marry her first son, Xavier, whom she had only seen once when he and his grandma came to their mansion to finalize a few things with her family.


    She knew her whole world had shattered and there was no point in revival. She could have ran away, far away from these people, but she couldn''t. Her father had already threatened her that if she did, he would demolish the NGO she owned.


    The NGO was a ce filled with happy children, a ce she worked hard to build with her savings. The center had been spearheaded by her cousin who lived in constant fear of Anastasia''s father. So, for the children''s happiness, she had to sacrifice her freedom.


    Michelle scoffed when she saw Anastasia tearing up.


    "Richard, I''ve been asking Ana to show me the certificate, but she doesn''t want to show me. But now that you are here, don''t you want to see how handsome you look in it?" She asked him with a bright smile.


    "I want to see how I look in the picture, not that I would be surprised by my looks since I''ve always been handsome. Show it to me, baby," Richard urged her.


    ''Fool,'' Michelle thought to herself.


    Anastasia didn''t want to dy and make things harder for her. Her hands trembled as she ripped open the envelope that contained the marriage certificate. She could feel the weight of their gazes on her as she spread it open, her breath catching in her throat.


    Her eyes fell on the photo attached and the certificate slipped from her grasp, fluttering on the floor. Her heart pounded wildly, her chest tight with a mix of disbelief and fear.


    ''That''s not Richard, that''s Xavier.''

 Chapter 2: She’s the richest member of the Harrison Family

    Michelle gritted her teeth in anger. She went to the staff and showed her the certificates.


    "What sort of joke is this? The man I came here with earlier was Xavier Wace, and you got me married to Richard Wace?!" She barked, veins popping on her neck out of frustration.


    At first, the staff was wondering what Michelle could be whispering to Anastasia. But seeing the mix-up, she felt a cold sweat run down her back.


    "You need to fix this!" Michelle ordered, her anger palpable. She had been daydreaming about how her wedding night with Xavier was going to feel like. But now that she wasn''t married to Xavier as she''d expected, she felt a sudden urge to kill.


    The staff nodded vehemently, rushing from her seat to find out what could have caused the mix-up.


    Michelle turned to Anastasia. "I''m sure you are happy about this. You bribed the staff to swap the IDs, right? I know your ways, Anastasia. Mum and Dad are going to hear about this, and I will make sure they beat the truth out of you," she threatened, her teeth gnashing together while her fists clenched on the certificates.


    Michelle had never imagined getting married to Richard, Xavier''s younger brother. He never took his life seriously and never set a goal for himself. The only reason he seemed important was because he came from the Wace family. She didn''t want to be married to such a person. She deemed it to be an abomination.


    "What are you saying, Michelle? How could I have bribed the staff? We came here at different hours to register, and there are many staff here as well," said Anastasia, hoping Michelle would believe her.


    The staff came back, sweat already glistening on her forehead.


    "I''m s-sorry, Mrs. Wace. There w-was a fault with our system and it ended up swapping y-your IDs," the staff stuttered, afraid of her own life especially since Xavier Wace was involved. She was internally hoping she wouldn''t lose her job.


    "Shut up! This is a city hall for crying out loud and you are telling me there was a fault with your system? Don''t tell me lies. She," Michelle pointed at Anastasia. "She bribed you, didn''t she?"


    The staff nced between Michelle and Anastasia, confused by Michelle''s words. All she could do was shake her head. "No ma''am¡ª"


    The staff didn''t get the chance toplete her sentence when Michelle stormed out of the city hall, dragging Anastasia along with her.


    "Get in the car," she ordered when they reached outside. "We are going home and you are going to exin to Mom and Dad how this mistake happened," Michelle added, getting into the car.


    Anastasia had no choice but to get into the car.


    Michelle drove the car, heading to the Harrison mansion while calling Ana names now and then.


    Thetter kept quiet, awaiting her doom as soon as they got out of the car since Michelle had already texted their parents about the mix-up.


    "You''d better confess now, else Dad is only going to beat you up to a pulp," she threatened nonstop.


    They finally arrived at the mansion. Michelle stepped down from the car and dragged Anastasia inside.


    Reaching the living room, Michelle pulled Anastasia with so much force that thetter fell on the ground¡ªwincing in pain.


    "So, you were so greedy to have what your sister wanted that you went to the extent of bribing the staff members at the city hall to have your photo exchanged with Michelle''s, huh?" Amelia questioned, the intensity of her re scaring the skeletons out of Anastasia. "I''m talking to you, can''t you speak?" She demanded.


    "What else can she say, mum? She has been caught red-handed so she has nothing to say," said Michelle.


    "You are going to get a divorce from Xavier," their father, Robert dered, his expression also holding the same amount of disdain as the other two as he red down at her.


    Anastasia got up from the ground, and gulped down her saliva before she replied, "I don''t want to divorce Xavier." She had no idea where that confidence came from, but she hoped it stayed longer.


    With gritted teeth, Robert threatened, "In that case, I will lock you up. No food and water until you agree to divorce him."


    Michelle grinned when she heard her father.


    Robert dragged Anastasia even though she tried to stop him by pleading, but he didn''t halt for a second. When they got to her room, he threw her in and locked it.


    "Dad, please." Anastasia''s voice could be heard from inside, but they all ignored her.


    All of a sudden, Robert got a phone call. He picked up the call without looking at the caller, anger still evident in his expression.


    "Who is it?" He demanded.


    When he got the news over the phone, his expression went from surprised to sudden rage which made him grip his phone tightly in his hand.


    "Who was that?" Amelia asked when she saw her husband''s expression.


    "It was thewyer. He said the doctor attending to mother and father just contacted him, saying that both of them were dead. He also said that they had transferred all their properties to Anastasia," Robert forced the words out of his mouth.

 Chapter 3: You Killed My Baby

    "You unfilial child!" Robert barked, striking her across the cheek. "I am your father and you have no right to disobey me, do you hear me?" He spat all over her face, grabbing her chin with so much force that she thought he was going to punch her.


    Without waiting for her answer, Robert struck her across the cheek the second time. She fell on the floor as her blood painted her lips, her cheeks bleeding.


    Michelle smiled, hiding her conflicting emotions. She was overjoyed to see Anastasia being treated like a dog, but a flicker of annoyance lingered. It irked her how things seemed to be going so well for Anastasia that day.


    First, she had <i>bribed</i> the staff into swapping their IDs, ensuring she married Xavier, the man she was supposed to be with. And now, their grandparents had died, leaving everything they owned to Anastasia. Michelle was angry at how unfairly things had turned out in Anastasia''s favor.


    Robert pulled Anastasia''s hair and forced her to stand up. "Are you going to sign the property papers?" He questioned her again and she shook her head.


    "No," she mumbled.


    This was the first time after a long time since Ana had disobeyed him. He couldn''t fathom why she was suddenly disobeying at a time like this. His parents have always been richer than him.


    It was their wealth that made their family part of the influential people in their city, Radiantia.


    He had always anticipated the day his parents would pass away, imagining the moment thewyer would call his name, announcing that he had received the majority of their wealth.


    But the reality was far more cruel. He didn''t receive even a percent of their estate; everything was left to his unfilial daughter, Anastasia.


    Without further warning, Robert dropped Ana to the ground. He pulled off his belt and whipped it across her body, eliciting a sharp yelp of pain from her.


    As if that wasn''t enough, he started kicking her all over, intending to inflict unbearable pain on her so that she could choose to sign the papers. But Ana was extremely stubborn at that moment.


    Amelia, with her daughter, didn''t want Robert to be the only one having the fun so they joined. They loved how they kicked Ana as if she was a ser ball.


    "You think you are stubborn, aren''t you? Let''s see how much pain you can endure," Robert said.


    All of a sudden, they saw blood pool under Anastasia''s dress. It was so shocking that they backed away a little.


    "Why is she suddenly bleeding?" Michelle asked no one in particr. She looked at Anastasia who had already passed out.


    "Call the guards, we need to take her to the hospital. She''d better not die yet when she hasn''t signed the property papers."


    Robert''s bodyguards immediately rushed in when they heard their names being called.


    "Take her to the booth of the car, I don''t want her dirty blood staining my fancy car seat. We are taking her to the hospital," he ordered and they immediately did as they were instructed.


    ¡ª


    When they arrived at the hospital, Anastasia was immediately rushed in for treatment. Robert followed closely, his face a mask of cold determination.


    He grabbed the doctor by the arm, his grip firm and unyielding.


    "Listen carefully," he said, his voice low and threatening. "I only need her fingers to be moving. That''s all that matters."


    The doctor looked at him, conflicted but unable to defy the urgent demand. Reluctantly, he nodded, and Robert stepped back, watching as they wheeled Anastasia away, his mind already calcting his next move.


    "When is she going to be awake?" Robert asked as soon as the doctor came out of the hospital room.


    "She should be awake in about two hours," he replied. "But why does her body seem like she got beaten up? Did something happen to her?" He asked, wanting to know more about his patient.


    "She was robbed and that was how we found her, doc," Robert lied. He couldn''t tell the doctor exactly what had happened.


    "I hope my sister will be alright," Michelle said, forcing a tear out of her eyes. Amelia hugged her as they sobbed together.


    "I see. Well, I''m sorry for the loss of your grandchild because unfortunately, the patient had a miscarriage." The doctor dropped the bomb which had the trio nce at each other in bewilderment.


    "I''m sorry but I don''t think I heard that well," said Amelia. "Please can you repeat that?" she requested, waiting for the doctor.


    "The patient was pregnant and she had lost her baby, she had a miscarriage," the doctor repeated.

 Chapter 4: A Trade For My Peace Of Mind

    "I will be the one that kills her, I don''t want you two staining your hands with her blood," he said with a gentle smile on his face. "We will finally be getting rid of Anastasia and she will be out of our lives forever," he promised.


    They waited for Anastasia to wake up. Robert''s assistant had already arrived with the papers he had requested. They were in his hands, anticipating Ana''s awakeness. When the nurse who was in charge of taking care of Anastasia informed them that she was finally awake, they quickly rushed in.


    Inside the hospital room, Anastasia saw the people she once called family. No, she corrected herself. She didn''t want to call them her family again.


    "Monsters," she called them loud and clear for them to hear her.


    The Harrisons were shocked. Anastasia''s defiance and resilience kept catching them off guard. This only made them more determined to get rid of her permanently once they had gotten what they wanted from her.


    They didn''t want to waste time bothering with the name she called them. Robert threw the papers at her bed, pointing at it, he ordered,


    "Sign those papers. Those are the property and divorce papers. Sign them quickly and don''t waste any time ring at me."


    Anastasia red at him one more time before her eyesnded on the papers. It was all because of the papers that she had lost her baby. She was also shocked when the nurse from earlier informed her that she had a miscarriage and needed to take a rest.


    "Where''s Richard?" She questioned, her tone chilly with not an ounce of emotion. This was the first time she was using that tone on them. They would be lying if they said they didn''t feel scared for a moment.


    As if on cue, the door of the hospital room opened and Richard came inside, looking drunk and smelling as if he showered with alcohol.


    "What happened? Why did you suddenly call me here?" Richard asked, his words slurred.


    The more Michelle stared at Richard in disgust, the more she cursed at Ana internally.


    "Anastasia had a miscarriage and I''m guessing the child is yours?" Robert asked, staring intently at Richard as thetter stumbled until he found a chair to seat.


    Anastasia scoffed from the bed. He made her look like a prostitute with his words.


    "He is the father, it''s not a guess because you let him have his way with me whenever he wanted, and you wouldn''t intervene even once," she reminded him, her tone filled with so much anger that she felt her chest squeeze tightly that it became difficult to breathe. "You were supposed to be a father."


    "Don''t you dare sit down there and teach me about my role," Robert remarked.


    The both of them exchanged res, none of them willing to back down.


    "So you mean to tell me that Anastasia was pregnant with my child and she lost the baby?" Richard asked, facing Anastasia. "You lost the baby?" He asked her directly but Anastasia didn''t bother replying to him.


    He was drunk and there was a high chance he wouldn''t even remember what urred the next day.


    "Isn''t that supposed to be good news?" He asked, smiling like a fool as his stench continued to fill the room. "It''s good that you lost the baby because I''m not ready to be a father at all. So that was why you people called me over? Sigh...I''m leaving." He stood up from the chair and found his way out as he wobbled.


    As soon as Richard closed the door behind him, Robert urged Ana.


    "Sign those papers immediately."


    A tear dropped from Ana''s eyes but she wiped it immediately.


    She took the papers. "I will only sign these documents under one condition," she said which surprised them. They hadn''t expected her to give in so quickly.


    "What is it?"


    "It''s a trade. I''m willing to trade the properties for my peace of mind. I''m going to leave forever and I don''t want you looking for me to trouble me ever again," she responded, her seriousness evident in her firm tone despite the pain she felt in her chest.

 Chapter 5: A Hope To Reclaim

    The Harrisons excused her and called in the doctor to give her proper treatment.


    A few days passed, and it was finally the day Anastasia was going to be discharged from the hospital. She waited for Robert until nighttime, the hours dragging by, before he finally arrived.


    It was raining heavily on that day, making the streets slippery and dangerous.


    "Ana," Robert called her. He was sitting beside her in the back seat while his two bodyguards were at the front. "I''m so d we are going home, everyone missed you," he added, a warm smile on his face which made Anastasia ufortable because he''d never spoken to her with warmth before.


    He attempted caressing her cheeks but Anastasia immediately scouted away from him.


    "I''m only going home to take the necessary things I need and I will leave," she corrected him, ring at the hand he dropped by his side.


    Robert sighed, his smile still evident on his face.


    Anastasia saw the car change directions and she immediately became alert.


    "Where are we going?" She questioned. "This is not the way to the mansion."


    "I''m sorry but I can''t let you leave, Ana."


    Before she could react, Robert hit her head hard with the gun he snuck out of his pocket without her noticing, making her go unconscious.


    They stopped the car for a brief second, carrying Anastasia to the boot of the car discreetly. They got back and continued their ride, heading towards their destination, where they nned to bury her.


    Suddenly, the car hit a patch of mud and skidded uncontrobly. The bodyguard who was driving tried to regain control, but the vehicle was very close to the edge of the road.


    Everyone inside was scared for their lives, except Anastasia who had already passed out in the boot of the car and was unaware of what was happening.


    The other cars on the street made their way quickly so they wouldn''t collide together and have an ident ur.


    The car hit the barrier at the edge of the road, causing the trunk to fly open. Anastasia was thrown from the vehicle, rolling off the cliff and tumbling into the thick forest below.


    Robert quickly got out of the car when he was sure that the car was stable and found the booth of the car already opened.


    He gritted his teeth in anger. "We are going to search for Ana in the forest," he instructed and had the bodyguards follow him. They went the other way which led to the thick forest since they didn''t think they would survive it if they jumped over the barrier.


    The search for Anastasia began. But unfortunately, after an hour of searching for her under the heavy rainfall, they grew tired.


    "Boss, there''s a possibility that she has already been eaten by the wild animals," one of the two bodyguards said, his eyes darting from one tree to another in fear that a wild animal would jump on them and use them as their dinner.


    "I agree. Even before shends in the thick forest, I''m sure the branches have already stabbed her. She won''t be able to survive it, boss," the other one immediately agreed, hoping that their boss would just let them leave the creepy forest.


    Robert contemted for a while before he replied, "I guess you are right. She won''t be able to survive it. She''s dead." He dered. They turned their backs, deciding to leave.


    **


    Deep in the forest, a man d in a suit with an umbre above his head, held by one of his men which protected him from getting drenched in rain ordered,


    "Make sure you leave no evidence behind." It was Xavier, talking to his men.


    The men, also d in ck suits, responded in unison. "Yes, boss!" They covered the body, a human trafficker who they had recently caught but refused to give them intel about his organization with sand, burying him deep in the ground.


    Xavier threw away the cigarette he was smoking in the forest, the rainfall quenching it immediately as he supervised his men.


    When he was sure that they didn''t leave any evidence behind, he turned to leave but another one of his men screamed, grabbing his attention and the attention of others as well.


    "What is it?" Xavier questioned, annoyance evident in his tone. Even though the forest was thick and people rarely visited it, they still needed to be careful.


    "Boss, there''s something over there," the man said, pointing to one side of the forest which was pitch ck.


    A shlight beam cut through the darkness, illuminating the area and giving them a clear view of the scene.


    Xavier walked towards the <i>object </i>with cautious steps but when he got closer, he realized it was a human being and not an object.


    Xavier pushed the body over to see the face. His eyes widened in shock and disbelief as he recognized the person lying before him.


    "Anastasia?"

 Chapter 6: Adrenaline Rush

    In less than 5 seconds, the thumb of the criminal was no longer attached to his hand anymore. He waspletely digitless in one hand.


    The criminal screamed in pain, his cries piercing the ears of the two men standing behind Xavier. Unfazed by the yelling, Xavier calmly took a napkin and wiped the scalpel clean, preparing it for another cut.


    Noticing a light sh near him, Xavier took his phone he''d silenced because he didn''t like getting interrupted when he was doing his favorite thing. When he saw Mark''s name sh on his screen, he quickly answered it.


    "What is it?" He questioned, his deep voice took on a sharp edge, each word cutting through the air with irritation.


    **


    Ana''s eyes fluttered open with a gasp. She stared at the white ceiling while trying to control her breathing from having just woken up from the scariest nightmare. Her blue eyes scanned around the room, trying to identify where she was.


    A needle had been punctured into her arm, linking her to an IV drip. Scars littered her skin, but she couldn''t recall where she got them from.


    Ana scanned the room once more. When she didn''t see anyone around, she pulled the needle out of her wrist with force which led to blood dripping out of her arm uncontrobly.


    She pushed herself from the bed, falling down while ignoring the pain. She didn''t know what she was doing but something kept ringing in her ears.


    <i>Run.</i>


    Feeling all kinds of emotions starting to weigh on her chest, Ana closed her eyes to endure the pain, but she wanted to get out of there.


    "He killed my baby," Ana mumbled to herself as tears escaped from her eyes, while she crawled towards the door, her blood staining the ground. "I will make him pay," she promised.


    Suddenly, the door to the hospital room opened and a young man stared at her, his eyes wide, disbelief etched on his face.


    "You''re awake," he said.


    However, the word only caused Ana to panic. She reached for the door but was easily stopped by the man. He gently held her back, and Ana kicked against him.


    "Let me go!" Ana cried out. "They killed my baby. I need to leave before they kill me too!"


    "Calm down," the doctor said. "I assure you, no one is going to kill you." He forced her still, leading her back to her bed. "You''re safe here."


    For some reason, this young man''s smile was oddlyforting. She stared at him, trying to find a hole in his act, only to find none. She hadn''t seen him before, causing Ana to wonder about the possibility of him working for her father.


    If he was, she doubted she would still be alive. Hence, Ana decided to trust him. Just a little.


    "I''m Mark Thompson," the man introduced once he saw that she had calmed down. "Your doctor."


    "What happened?" Ana finally croaked out the question.


    "I am not sure," Mark confessed. "A man brought you here. I was told to treat you."


    ''A man?'' Ana wondered.


    She took another look around, noting the high-end decorations. It may be a hospital room, but the interior design screamed of luxury. She was sure it was nothing short of a VIP room at a very expensive private hospital, indicating that her rescuer was someone of significant importance.


    Before she could ask more, the door swung open, revealing a man who stood at least at 6''8. His ck hair caught her attention immediately¡ªlong, reaching his shoulders, and as dark as the night.


    Her blue eyes met his that were as ck as midnight. They were already staring back at her. She recognized that face, it was the face of her idental husband.

 Chapter 7: I Will Help You With Your Revenge

    Ana watched as Xavier''s eyes darkened at her question.


    "Because you are my wife," he answered. The cocky yet nonchnt tone of his voice only grew Anastasia''s confusion. "Is that enough reason?"


    "Aren''t we divorced?" she asked. "I signed the papers but it was dyed because you were on a business trip. Shouldn''t you be married to Michelle by now?"


    "I didn''t sign the divorce papers," he responded.


    Anastasia''s eyes widened in shock.


    "But why?" she asked, curiosityced in her tone.


    Since he didn''t sign the divorce papers, it only meant they were still husband and wife. That reality made her feel ufortable since she didn''t want to be connected to either the Wace or the Harrison family.


    "Because I want you as my wife," Xavier replied, frowning. Since he walked into the room, she had already rained question after question on him.


    He continued, "Your family said you were traveling. If I wasn''t the one that sent you to the hospital, I might''ve actually believed them."


    "And they let you?" Ana asked. She found that hard to believe, considering how eager Michelle was to have Xavier as her husband.


    "What can I say?" Xavier said, leaning back. "I am a busy man. They''ll simply have to make an appointment based on my schedule."


    Anastasia couldn''t help but scoff.


    "I don''t want you as my husband, Mr Xavier Wace. I don''t want to be connected to either you or the Harrison family. I just want a peaceful life from you people," she pleaded.


    She believed all her problems would vanish the moment they were out of her sight. Unfortunately for her, Xavier doesn''t n to divorce now or anytime soon.


    "Regrettably, once something is mine, I never let it go," Xavier smoothly said, which only caused Ana to further furrow her eyebrows.


    "I will help you," he suddenly dered, catching her off guard.


    "Help me with what?" she asked, clearly confused.


    "Revenge, Anastasia," he said. "I know you want it."


    The way her name so easily rolled off his tongue caused shivers to run down her spine, her skin tingling as though someone had gently blown at it. "Continue to be my wife and I will help you get your revenge."


    Anastasia''s eyes widened as she watched Xavier stand from his seat. He made his way over to her, leaning down and closing the distance between them. He was so close that Anastasia momentarily forgot to breathe, her breath clogging in her throat as she stared at him, wide-eyed.


    She always knew Xavier Wace was a handsome man, but up close, he looked like an angel of death, promising her vengeance against those who had wronged her.


    "I will provide you with all the resources you need," he continued. "All you need to do it tell me everything that happened to you. And of course, continue our marriage."


    Ana had just escaped death at the hands of her father. Trusting another man, even her rescuer, was unthinkable.


    But...


    Her hand trailed down to her belly, which was now t. She didn''t have an obvious bump back then, but there was once a life there. Now, it felt empty; there was no more life growing inside her. Her child was gone, and the killers were none other than her own family. The pain of that realization cut deeper than any wound.


    "Why would you want to help me in the first ce?" she questioned, wary.


    Xavier finally pulled back. "That''s for me to know and for you to find out," he said. "Do we have a deal?"


    Ana bit her lip in contemtion. This was as good as signing a deal with the devil. She couldn''t decipher Xavier''s intentions. What could he possibly gain by helping her? However, she was desperate.


    Her fingers fiddled with a loose thread on her gown, her mind made.


    Her father, Michelle, everyone. They were all going to pay. She would make sure these murderers died in cold blood even if this was thest thing she did.


    Tears brimmed in the corners of her eyes as she met Xavier''s gaze.


    She said, "In that case, it''s nice to officially meet you, Xavier Wace. I am Anastasia, your new wife."

 Chapter 8: New Trouble

    Anastasia sighed heavily. She wasn''t sure if she could fully trust this man, but there was nothing more she had to lose. She had already nearly died once. This was a risk she was going to take.


    "My family has always favored my younger sister, Michelle, more..." she started.


    No detail was spared when she recalled her treatment at home, spilling every memory she could remember. When she got to the topic of Richard, however, Anastasia paused.


    This was Xavier''s younger brother. Even if she shared the horrid things he had done to her, she wasn''t sure if Xavier would believe her. Hence, she licked her lips, choosing to leave out the part where Richard had used her body relentlessly for his own pleasures just because they were engaged to be wed.


    Even so, knowing how the Harrisons had treated Ana was enough for Xavier to clench his fists in anger. His eyes darkened as he listened, each detail only further increasing the storm in his eyes.


    "They promised my freedom if I gave everything up and signed the divorce papers," Ana said. "I should''ve known that the only sort of freedom they were going to give me was death."


    She looked at Xavier, surprised to see the fury on his face. However, the moment their eyes met, his gaze softened. He was still enraged but it was clear to see that it was directed by the unjust way she was treated. Knowing that at least one person sympathized with her, Ana felt her heart warm just the slightest.


    "I know that Richard is still your brother, but he''s part of the people who have ruined my life," she reminded gently. "So, if you''re willing to assist me with my revenge, you must be ready to watch me ruin your brother''s life along with the rest of them."


    "I''m aware of that," Xavier said. He reached to her and gently ran his thumb under her eye, wiping away a stray tear that she didn''t even realize had fallen.


    Unbeknownst to Ana, Xavier wasn''t a fan of his deadbeat brother. For years, he had been hoping Richard would grow some sense, but since thetter had dug his own grave, he ought to be prepared to be buried in it.


    "You can deal with him however you like."


    **


    Anastasia was discharged from the hospital after a few more weeks of rest. Unfortunately, he wasn''t avable to personally pick her up, but a car had been arranged to fetch her to Xavier''s home.


    "Ma''am, we are here," the driver, Jake, announced once they arrived at their destination.


    Ana fluttered her eyes open and wiped her face with her hands. She then stuck her head out the window to see where they were.


    As her eyesnded on the mansion, a surge of anxiety shot through her.


    "Is this Xavier''s mansion?" She questioned as she took in the enormous house. Beautiful trees with different colors of flowers grew around the mansion, making it look enchanted.


    There was arge fountain in the center with smaller fountains surrounding it while swans swam in them, making it look even more enchanted.


    "Yes, Ma''am," the driver responded, leading her inside.


    Ana thought she''d seen it all when she was outside, but when she walked inside the house, she didn''t want to leave anymore.


    The interior was so vast that she initially mistook it for an event center, with its fancy furniture adding an elegant, masculine touch. The walls were painted a sleek gray, and the TV was enormous, rivaling the screens at the cinemas.


    "Mr Wace said he will be backter tonight. He mentioned to have dinner first without him," Jake said before bidding her goodbye.


    At the dining table, Ana sat alone as she waited for dinner to be served.


    Two maids came out from the kitchen and served her. Ana mumbled a thank you as she stared at the delicious meal in front of her.


    She started scooping some food in her mouth but at the first bite, she coughed hard and instinctively grabbed the cup of water beside her and gulped it down.


    "I''m sorry miss, was the food a little too spicy for you?" one of the two maids that came out asked her. Her voice wasced with concern but her expression didn''t show it at all.


    The maid had her brown hair tied into a neat bun, and ck eyes while her thin lips were stretched into a mocking smile as her eyes red at her.


    Ana stared at her for a few seconds before it darted to look at the other maid beside her.


    She had brown eyes and ck hair tied into a bun.


    Mark had specifically reminded both Xavier and Ana that she needed to be on a nder diet for the next few weeks for her recovery. She highly doubted Xavier would forget, considering how often Mark repeated it.


    That would mean that these maids most likely intentionally added extra spice to the food. Judging by how they both stared at her disgustingly as if she was some trash that wasn''t supposed to be there, she was confident in her guess.


    "Why don''t you have a taste and let me know?" Ana suggested.


    The two maids nced at each other as they scoffed.


    The one with the brown hair spoke, dropping the act, "Miss, honestly, I think you lost your way here. Don''t you see this house? Do you know the owner? It''s Xavier Wace, one of the richest men in this city. Oh wait...." She paused, covering her mouth as she gasped dramatically.


    "You must be his new toy, but what makes you think you are worthy enough to stand beside him? What can you offer him that we don''t have?" She questioned Ana.


    Anastasia stared in shock at the maid who had just spat in her face. Her eyes darted between the maid and the other in the room. Then, with a decisive motion, she pushed her chair back and stood up.


    "What did you just say?"


    The two maids nced at each other first, slightly taken aback by her change in tone before the brown-haired one continued.


    "I''m telling you to leave this house. Who are you even? Do you think that Xavier won''t get tired of you, you wretched who¡ª"


    The brown-haired maid didn''t get the chance to finish her sentence before a hard pnded on her cheek, leaving it numb.

 Chapter 9: Handled

    Suddenly, a deep voice questioned them, breaking the tense silence. Startled, their heads snapped toward the source in unison, eyes wide with surprise.


    Xavier red at the scene before him. Anastasia stood there, covered in food, her expression a mix of shock and humiliation. He didn¡¯t need to ask who was responsible; it was clear she was being bullied. The sight fueled his anger, and he stepped forward, ready to confront the situation head-on.


    "S-sir, t-the thing I-is¡ª-I-i s-saw," the brown-haired maid stuttered, unable to find words. She stared at the food sttered on both the table and Anastasia. Fear gripped her.


    She had assumed Xavier would return veryte at night, giving Anastasia enough time to clean up and erase any evidence of the food incident. But now, caught red-handed, she had no idea how to escape the me. The panic in her eyes was unmistakable as she fumbled for an excuse.


    Xavier walked toward Anastasia and gently lifted her chin, making her look him in the eyes. He expected to see tears, but instead, her eyes burned with anger. His gaze shifted to her clenched fists, recognizing her desire to retaliate.


    "S-sir, she told us that our food wasn¡¯t good and that we cooked nonsense. She picked it up and threw it at us, but Ste caught it quickly and threw it back at her, but we didn¡¯t know that it would pour all over her body," the ck-haired maid said since Ste was still trying to find words to exin her actions.


    The dining room grew silent. The silence stretched on until it became ufortable for both the maids. They weren¡¯t sure if Xavier had heard all that they said which was why they twisted their story before Anastasia would talk, so that it would seem she was lying.


    Xavier released Anastasia¡¯s chin and turned to face the maids. His eyes were as cold as ever, like shards of ice piercing through the room. The two maids swallowed nervously, their fear palpable in the tense silence.


    Ste, still reeling from her earlier impulse, felt her heart hammering in her chest. Her fellow maid shifted uneasily beside her, ncing anxiously at Xavier¡¯s stern expression.


    The weight of his gaze seemed to pin them in ce as they couldn¡¯t move anymore.


    "So, you mean to tell me that you poured food on my wife because she found the food too spicy?" He questioned them, his eyes daring them to answer.


    The two maids nced at each other, shock written all over their faces.


    ¡¯When did he get married?¡¯<i></i>They couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    "Answer me!!" Xavier yelled, making them flinch, including Ana.


    "W-well, t-thing is w-well I-i umm..." Ste stuttered, almost peeing her pants.


    She never imagined Ana would be the wife of the man she loved. Ste loved Xavier, and when Jake, the driver, came and told her, as the head chef, to prepare a delicious and healthy dinner for the Miss in the guest room, she felt a pang of jealousy.


    Her initial impulse was to poison the meal, but she quickly dismissed the idea, knowing she would be caught immediately. Instead, she decided that spicing it up excessively would be a subtler way to vent her frustration.


    "The both of you, pack your bags and leave this ce. I¡¯m cklisting you so you will never find a job elsewhere," said Xavier, dismissing them.


    The two maids immediately started pleading for forgiveness even though they doubted they would be forgiven.


    "Sir, we never meant to do that. Miss, please forgive us. We are very sorry for what we did."


    Anastasia stared at them, a little shocked that Xavier was going to cklist them. She wanted to stop him, but her eyes fell on the food on her body, her anger surged.


    "You both got what you deserve, now leave this house immediately before I call security and embarrass you even more. I¡¯m only giving you 30 minutes."


    Ste bit her lips before she hastily pulled her fellow maid away from the dining table. She had acted impulsively, not thinking through the consequences of her actions. She should have waited, taking a moment to reconsider her move.


    Now, regret was written all over her face.


    The dining room became silent.


    "I will go take a shower," said Anastasia, breaking the silence.


    Xavier nodded. She climbed the stairs and headed towards her room while Xavier¡¯s eyes burned in her back.


    He had thought that Anastasia would be safe in his house, but it seemed there were dogs he needed to warn first. He realized the threats were closer than he had anticipated, and he would have to take measures to protect her.

 Chapter 10: Revenge Dress

    "I¡¯ve thought of a way you can make your appearance for the first time to your family," he suddenly said. He watched as her eyes sparkled with intrigue.


    Xavier cleared his throat before he replied, "My grandmother is celebrating her 84th birthday in two weeks. Naturally, the Harrison family is invited since Michelle is still their daughter-inw."


    For the past few months since Xavier had refused to sign the divorce papers, Michelle had be even furious and had requested a divorce from Richard, but thetter only turned deaf ears.


    ¡¯That means I have to go with him,¡¯ she thought.


    "And no, we won¡¯t be going together," Xavier said as if reading her thoughts. "You will be going with a new identity."


    Xavier dug his hands into his pockets, retrieved the new ID card he had made for her, and handed it over to Anastasia.


    Curious, she took it and examined the card. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw her picture on it but with a different name. The realization hit her like a wave, and she looked up at Xavier, searching for an exnation.


    "It¡¯s your new identity," Xavier said calmly. "For your safety. Your old life is too dangerous now. This will help you start over, free from the threats of your past."


    Anastasia nodded in understanding. "I will be Selene Jones," she said.


    Xavier nodded, grabbed a ss of water, and sipped from it. "You are Selene Jones, a newbie actress who came back from Nexus City to fulfill her dreams of being an actress."


    Xavier filled her in on everything she needed to know about her new identity, speaking with calm precision. Anastasia responded by nodding from time to time, sinking every detail into her brain.


    All of a sudden, the doorbell rang and a maid went to open it while another cleared the dishes.


    Anastasia requested a mango juice and it was immediately handed over to her. She sipped from the ss as she waited for the person to enter.


    Mark popped his head through the door, a huge smile on his lips with a fruit basket in his hand.


    "Anastasia," he called her.


    "Hi Mark," said Ana, her gaze on the fruit basket. When her eyesnded on a pair of oranges, her nose slightly tingled.


    "I decided to pay a visit and see how my wonderful patient has been doing so far," he said. "And I also brought some healthy fruits for you," he added.


    Ana gave him an appreciative smile as she watched the maid take the fruit basket from him, keeping it on the dining table as she took the fruits out.


    "Did I suddenly go invisible?" Xavier questioned his friend who responded with a sheepish smile.


    "We see each other almost every day, and I haven¡¯t seen my sister-inw since she left the hospital," he said, walking towards Xavier as they exchanged a friendly handshake.


    A slight frown formed on Anastasia¡¯s forehead.


    ¡¯What did Mark mean by they see every day? Does Xavier visit the hospital every day or does Mark visit the Wace enterprise every day?¡¯ She wondered.


    But that thought vanished out of her mind when she heard what Mark called her.


    <i>Sister-inw?</i>


    She didn¡¯t know how to reply to that, so she simply kept quiet. It was obvious that the two were good friends.


    Mark stayed over until it was dinner time. He ate dinner with them and left close to midnight.


    The next few days passed, and Xavier brought a fashion designer to have Anastasia¡¯s gown tailored perfectly.


    Thetter had refused, iming he¡¯d already gotten her many dresses but Xavier refused also. Even though they weren¡¯t going to the party together, she was still his wife and he wanted to spoil her.


    The fashion designer didn¡¯t waste any time on the dress at all. She got it ready a day before the birthday party Anastasia was attending.


    Anastasia got the dress. She couldn¡¯t hide the smile that pulled on her lips when she saw it.


    "You like it?" Xavier asked her. She couldn¡¯t help but nod vehemently.


    "I love it," she replied. "This dress is perfect for myeback and I can¡¯t wait to see their reaction when they see my face again," she added, an evil grin recing the smile.

 Chapter 11: New Identity Revealed

    Since they wouldn¡¯t be going together, they had to go in different cars.


    Anastasia got into the car while Xavier got into his and zoomed off.


    "Good evening ma¡¯am," Jake greeted from the front seat.


    "Good evening," Anastasia returned the greeting.


    Jake ignited the engines of the car and they zoomed off as well.


    As they neared their destination, Anastasia¡¯s heart raced. The silence in the car was so profound that she feared Jake might hear the frantic beating.


    **


    When they finally reached the event center, the first thing that caught Anastasia¡¯s eye was the swarm of paparazzi. They rushed at the people stepping out of their cars like a pack of hungry animals, bombarding them with a barrage of questions.


    "There are so many people," she mumbled.


    Anastasia heaved a sigh, closing her eyes for a few seconds before opening them, a smile on her lips. "I am Selene Jones."


    The car at the front drove away, giving the paparazzi the chance to station their cameras on the car she was seated in.


    Anastasia stepped out of the car, and immediately, camera shes surrounded her, capturing pictures from every angle.


    The paparazzi didn¡¯t recognize the woman at all and curiosity was evident in their eyes as both men and women ogled at her dress.


    However, since this mysterious woman had been invited to the eldest member of the Wace family¡¯s birthday celebration, no one dared to disrespect her.


    Whispers of curiosity were shared among the reporters, but they made sure to maintain a polite distance. The Wace family was known for their exclusivity, and being invited to such an event signaled importance and influence. The reporters understood that anyone who had received such an invitation must be someone of a high status.


    On the other hand, Anastasia had to cover her eyes due to the amount of cameras that shed in her face. They were so bright that if she dared look at them directly, she would go blind. But she couldn¡¯t help but be d they didn¡¯t ask her questions.


    As she made her way inside, she was surprised no reporters dared to block her way. They just took as many pictures as they could before she finally disappeared inside the huge hall.


    The hall was brightly lit, though not as intensely as the camera shes outside. Anastasia lowered her hand from her face and took in the sight of the party guests mingling around her.


    Just as she¡¯d thought, there were only well-known influential people who came to the party, wearing shy dresses and suits, intending to outshine one person or the other.


    When Anastasia looked up, she saw the Wace family seated beside Old Wace, exactly as Xavier had described.


    Anastasia inhaled deeply and then exhaled, trying to find herfort. With each step she took, her posture straightened and her stride grew more assured, her confidence building with every moment.


    Unbeknownst to Anastasia, she was grabbing so much attention that people couldn¡¯t help but stop to look at her. She shone as bright as the diamonds on her dress. The female guests felt a pang of jealousy when they saw how elegant she looked. While the male guests couldn¡¯t help but drool.


    From upstairs, Xavier gritted his teeth as he watched the men ogle at his wife.


    If not for one thing, he would¡¯ve been walking beside her.


    The elderly woman, who was surrounded by people, had a huge smile on her face. Despite her old age, she looked healthy and happy and seemed to be full of energy too. She joked with the people surrounding her and theyughed out loud.


    Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but admire the woman. When she had visited Harrison¡¯s mansion the first time, she had been worried that Anastasia was going to marry her deadbeat grandson, Richard. But Anastasia had to lie to her, saying that was what she wanted.


    Anastasia made eye contact with Xavier. She immediately looked away because they were not supposed to know each other.


    All of a sudden, she felt a piercing gaze from the side. Looking at the side, but not directly at the person, from the corners of her eyes, Anastasia spotted Michelle with Richard.


    A faint smirk pulled on Anastasia¡¯s lips as she walked towards Old Wace. She could feel the weight of people¡¯s gazes burning behind her back, not only Michelle¡¯s but simply Ana ignored it.


    She took Old Wace¡¯s hand and kissed the back of it. "Happy birthday, Mrs. Wace, I¡¯m Selene Jones."

 Chapter 12: Reaction

    Facing Old Wace, she said, "I got this for you." She handed over a box to her.


    Opening it, Grandma Wace gasped in astonishment as she stared at the beautiful emerald ne that matched the color of her eyes.


    Remembering that Grandma Wace had vivid green eyes, Anastasia was confident that the ne would be a perfect gift for her.


    "It looks so beautiful," Grandma Wace said with delight, her hands caressing the beautiful ne. Anastasia watched the grandma close the box and put it in her purse, keeping it safe.


    Xavier watched the interaction, revealing a faint smile.


    Suddenly, he felt someone nudge his shoulders. His eyesnded on Kace, his youngest brother and his mood soured instantly.


    Kace was a young man, the same age as Anastasia, 24, and he was the only brother Xavier had that he could tolerate.


    "Say, doesn¡¯t Selene Jones look a lot like Anastasia Harrison, the daughter of the Harrison¡¯s?" Kace whispered so no one would hear their conversation.


    "She is," Xavier responded without hesitating.


    "What?!" Kace eximed but immediately closed his mouth.


    Xavier hissed in annoyance. "I will exin it to youter. But I have a mission for you." He said and Kace¡¯s eyes sparkled in anticipation.


    Whenever Xavier would say something like that, he would always grow excited because Xavier always paid him well, despite how little the mission was.


    He served as Xavier¡¯s right-hand man in Xavier¡¯s organization known as X, relishing every moment in that coveted position.


    Xavier walked away, and Kace, without needing to be told, fell into step behind him. They kept a few paces distance from the rest of the family, but despite the distance, his gaze remained fixed on Anastasia.


    "You will be Selene¡¯s bodyguard from now on," Xavier said to Kace.


    Xavier watched as his shoulders slumped, a palpable sense of disappointment settling over him.


    "I got excited all for nothing," Kace mumbled before sipping from his drink. "But why does she need a bodyguard though? Is someone going to kill her or kidnap her?" He asked, growing confused.


    Xavier exined everything to Kace, leaving the part where Anastasia had a miscarriage. He felt that would be her story to tell.


    Kace¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    "You are worried that sister-inw would get killed by those scumbags? Don¡¯t worry, I will protect her, but you will have to pay double the price this time around since I will have to spend my entire time protecting her when you are not around," Kace said, bargaining his price.


    "2 million," Xavier said.


    "That¡¯s too small! What is 2 million going to do for me? You are a billionaire, raise it," Kace urged with a huge grin on his lips.


    Xavier red at him but he ended up giving in to his little brother. "5 million, take it or leave it."


    "Now, you¡¯re speaking mynguage," said Kace, his grin widening on his lips which only irked Xavier even more. He needed Kace around who could protect Anastasia when he wasn¡¯t around.


    Xavier¡¯s eyes caught a group of people amid the party guests downstairs.


    "Your job has begun," he said.


    Kace followed his line of sight and he gritted his teeth.


    "Those bastards. I¡¯ve never liked those people. I¡¯ve always known they weren¡¯t nice like they portrayed themselves to be," he spat out.


    They walked back to the family group, where Old Wace seemed to be regaling Anastasia with a story, and she listened attentively, hanging on every word.


    Amelia walked with her arms linked with Robert¡¯s. Her smile was so wide that it exposed her gums as they walked towards old Wace while their son, Jack walked behind them.


    Anastasia was busy listening to Old Wace who had abandoned her fellow old people she was chatting with before she arrived.


    When Anastasia made eye contact with both Amelia and Robert, she saw their eyes widen in surprise, and their mouths dropped open slightly. It was evident that they were beyond shocked to see her standing there, alive and well, after everything that had happened.


    "G-g-ghost!!!" Amelia screamed out loud while pointing at Anastasia.

 Chapter 13: Awful Reaction

    Amelia intended to run towards Anastasia to hug her, but Old Wace quickly intervened, extending her walking stick to block her path and gently urging her to step back.


    <i>Selene</i> was still a guest at the party, though she wasn¡¯t entirely sure whether she was Selene or Anastasia. Despite her uncertainty, she didn¡¯t want to make anyone feel ufortable.


    "She said she¡¯s Selene Jones," said Old Wace. "So let¡¯s not make this ufortable for my guest now," she added.


    Amelia backed off, her eyes meeting Michelle¡¯s in silent understanding. They exchanged a nod, conveying a silent message, before they politely excused themselves from the gathering along with Robert and Jack. Richard stayed behind, ogling at <i>Selene. </i>


    A man d in a gray suit came over and said, "The party is going to start in a few minutes."


    Old Wace felt a pang of sadness as she reluctantly parted ways with the girl she had just met. However, she needed to attend to her guests and couldn¡¯t linger any longer.


    Anastasia left old Wace¡¯s side and went downstairs, where the other party guests were.


    A birthday song was sung by the old woman who seemed extremely happy about her day. She cut the cake happily but was immediately restricted by her daughter-inw to take any bite.


    A microphone was handed to her so that she could make her speech.


    "Good evening people of Radiatia, I¡¯m d that all of you could make it to this old woman¡¯s birthday. Thank you," she started and a round of apuse echoed in the hall.


    "Surprisingly today, I met a sweet girl who reminded me of someone. Her name is Selene Jones."


    All of a sudden, the spotlight was on Selene. She maintained a sweet smile as people murmured around her.


    "She looks like Anastasia from the Harrison family."


    "I know right? But she suddenly disappeared."


    "Maybe she fought with her younger sister, Michelle. Remember, she¡¯s Michelle¡¯s assistant."


    "I agree, but she looks so beautiful."


    Anastasia kept quiet. As long as they weren¡¯t talking bad about her, she was willing to keep quiet.


    "She might be the one to win Xavier¡¯s heart. Now, all of you who want to get your daughters married into my family can go ahead and bury that thought because it¡¯s never going to happen," she added as if reading their thoughts. The party guestsughed it off as if it was nothing.


    Many other influential families had met her to discuss a marriage proposal, to either Kace or Xavier since Richard was a deadbeat but she immediately refused.


    She wanted them to pick their wives. She had wanted Anastasia to be her daughter-inw but thetter already <i>chose </i>Richard. She was very much aware of the mix-up, but Xavier had been silent ever since so she decided to keep quiet about it too.


    Anastasia was surprised with what old Wace had just announced to everyone in the hall. She spoke as if she already knew she was Anastasia and was just pretending.


    ¡¯No one matches their grandson with anydy they just met. She doesn¡¯t even know who invited me to her party,¡¯ Anastasia thought to herself.


    From the corners of her eyes, Anastasia saw Robert, Michelle with Ameliaing out from the back where there was a door that led outside. It seemed they were scared that someone would overhear their discussions.


    "An¡ªSelene," Amelia called with a big smile on her face, which only made Anastasia wonder if her cheeks didn¡¯t hurt with how forced the smile was. "I¡¯m truly sorry for calling you a ghost earlier. The thing is you look a lot like my daughter," Amelia said. "She suddenly disappeared and we haven¡¯t heard anything from her as of the moment, so I mistook you for her."


    The person that stood in front of her looked a lot like Anastasia. Robert had told her what happened that night and she also didn¡¯t believe she could survive that fall.


    Even though she wasn¡¯t sure if <i>Selene</i> was Anastasia, the aura exuding from <i>Selene </i>made her feel slightly ufortable as if she was getting choked up.


    Michelle added, "She has been gone for a few months now. I just wish she woulde back to us."


    ¡¯Such good actresses,¡¯ Anastasia thought to herself.


    "Oh," said Anastasia with a smile, turning towards Amelia. "I can see that you missed your daughter so much. I mean, with the way you rushed toe try to hug me, it just shows you shared a really good rtionship with your daughter," Anastasia added. She didn¡¯t fail to notice when Amelia¡¯s lips twitched.

 Chapter 14: Shameless

    Anastasia was keenly aware of how much Michelle loved praise, and from the contented expression on her face, it was evident that she was thoroughly enjoying thepliments Anastasia was showering upon her.


    Tears brimmed in Michelle¡¯s eyes before she replied, "Is that so? Now I feel even more guilty for what happened earlier." Wiping her tears, she offered, "You know what, let¡¯s hang out tomorrow, at the Harrison mansion so that my mother can apologize better."


    When she and her parents had stepped outside to discuss, they were perplexed by Selene¡¯s unexpected appearance just a few months after Anastasia¡¯s death, finding it rather suspicious.


    Uncertain of Selene¡¯s true identity, they felt it necessary to bring her closer into their circle to uncover the truth. Michelle offered to befriend Selene to gain her trust and learn more about her.


    If Michelle could befriend Selene, they nned to keep a close watch on her to determine whether she was truly someone new or if she might still be the same Anastasia they had failed to get rid of.


    Unbeknownst to them, <i>Selene </i>also wanted the same thing, to get closer to them until she had achieved her revenge.


    "I see," Anastasia said. She had always known that Michelle was cunny and thetter never seemed to disappoint. "That¡¯s not a bad idea at all. It would be so cool to hang out with my favorite actress of all time." Anastasia¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement as she stared at Michelle.


    Michelle looked at <i>Selene </i>with a grin on her lips. She couldn¡¯t wait for the next day to arrive so that she could put her on the tests she had arranged for her. Her father had already made arrangements on how to get rid of her if she turned out to be Anastasia.


    On the other hand, Anastasia was waiting for the next day to arrive as well. Since she was getting invited to their house, she will be one step closer to getting her properties back from them. It was a long process but every step was extremely important.


    "Alright then, I cane pick you up?"


    "Don¡¯t bother, I wille there myself," Anastasia objected to the idea. She wouldn¡¯t want any one of them to know where she lived and figure out her identity.


    Anastasia had once gotten curious why she¡¯d never seen Xavier¡¯s family members at his house and he replied, <i>he¡¯d forbidden them froming.</i> Which only meant he didn¡¯t want them to see her.


    Even though Xavier¡¯s house was heavily guarded with CCTVs, she didn¡¯t want to take the risk of bringing one of those snakes into her home.


    Michelle didn¡¯t insist. She didn¡¯t want to make her intentions known since this was the first time she was meeting <i>Selene.</i>


    She still didn¡¯t know how her attitude was, her weakness and strength but she believed she would find that outter.


    Richard came to meet them since Xavier didn¡¯t give him the chance to talk to him. As always, Xavier ignored him and didn¡¯t pay him any attention. The both of them never did get along. Xavier wanted to better the life of Richard but thetter loved the way he was living. He didn¡¯t want to work for his own money since he came from a wealthy family.


    So he could have whatever he wants without lifting a finger.


    He stared at <i>Selene</i>, and couldn¡¯t help but gulp down his saliva, not out of love, but out of lust. His eyes ogled her body structure and he couldn¡¯t help but stick out his tongue and licked his lips out of lust.


    Since he was behind Anastasia, she didn¡¯t see his actions. But Michelle saw him and she couldn¡¯t help but shiver in disgust. She still hated Richard and having him breathe near her disgusted her even more.


    Michelle had wanted a divorce from Richard but her mother had objected, saying they needed to be rted to the Wace family so that they could get more benefits from them.


    "Ms. Jones," he called. "This is the first time I¡¯m seeing you around here. Are you from this city?"


    Anastasia turned to look at Richard. He has a disgusting grin on his lips. "No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m from Nexus City," she replied, trying to keep her voice as polite as possible.


    "Nexus city," he repeated her words and ogled her body, opening this time. "I must say, you are very sexy," he added.

 Chapter 15: A Commotion At The Party

    Ana took a drink from a waiter who was walking by and gulped it down. She felt the alcohol mixed with ice burn her throat slightly.


    "What am I going to do here now that I¡¯m all alone?" Anastasia wondered out loud. Most of the guests were talking about several things she didn¡¯t understand.


    All of a sudden, her eyes caught Michelle and Richard talking about something since she saw their mouths moving, she was probably reprimanding him.


    "I wonder whether she¡¯s able to tame that rapist. Hmm," she hummed, her eyes narrowing. "I don¡¯t think he¡¯s treating her the way he treated me before. I think it¡¯s Michelle who bullies him," she mumbled as her eyes red hard at them.


    The intensity of her re seemed to have been too hard since Michelle looked around until their eyes met.


    Michelle smiled at her, and Anastasia feltpelled to return it. As Michelle continued talking with Richard, Ana noticed someone sitting in the seat opposite her.


    She looked at the person and sighed, already tired. The people sitting in her seat were no more than the people she was meant to call her mother, father, and brother. Her parents were seated, while her brother, Jack was standing, his hands in his pocket.


    Anastasia didn¡¯t need to look up at him to know he was ring at her. She could already feel the intensity of the re.


    "Selene, I hope Michelle was able to convince you to forgive us," Anastasia heard Amelia speak.


    Ana sighed loudly, unable to hide her reaction to the terrible acting.


    "Mrs. Harrison, you are apologizing too much. I already told you, I forgive you but if you continue this, people will simply think I annoyed you with that kind of pitiful expression on your face," said Anastasia, clearly annoyed with the way they kept on bothering her, with the excuse that they were simply apologizing.


    She suddenly felt tired after speaking with both Michelle and Richard and now, the three people in front of her hade to exhaust her remaining strength.


    Amelia widened her eyes at her while Ana tilted her head to look at the woman. Now that she¡¯d thought of it, she doesn¡¯t look like any of her parents. Michelle was a carbon copy of their mother, but she had their father¡¯s eye color.


    On the other hand, Jack looked more like their father while having their mother¡¯s hair color.


    "You are Anastasia, my sister. You can¡¯t fool me. I know you well, you are my little sister. You just disappeared and now you are pretending you don¡¯t know either of us. You need toe back home with us, Ana," Jack suddenly dered.


    Ana suddenlyughed out loud. She didn¡¯t know exactly what triggered herughter but she knew it had to do with one of the things that Jack had just spewed from his mouth.


    Ana continued tough, making the three people feel embarrassed since a few party guests were starting to nce at them from time to time.


    "Stopughing!" Jack ordered, mming his fist on the table in a fit of rage.


    "And what gave you the right to raise your voice like that at my guest?" Xavier questioned from behind him, raising his voice even louder, drawing a bigger attention.


    Jack felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end, as though a lion had just roared behind him. The voice was unmistakably Xavier¡¯s, deep andmanding. Fear rooted Jack in ce; he was too scared to turn around and meet Xavier¡¯s piercing re.


    On the other hand, Ana was beyond surprised when she heard Xavier¡¯s voice. She didn¡¯t want him toe make a bigger scene or make a mistake by calling her by her real name.


    "Why would Jack harass a guest like that? With the way he mmed his fist on the table, it seemed he wanted to hit her in the face instead."


    "I wonder. Yes, she looks a lot like their daughter but is this the way they treat their daughter? The parents didn¡¯t even bother to stop him knowing he was speaking to a guest of Old Wace."


    "Maybe they think since they are inws with the Wace family, they can do whatever they want and get away with it."


    The party guests whispered amongst each other, curious to see what would soon disy.


    "I¡¯m talking to you," said Xavier.


    Anastasia stood up from her seat and went to him.


    "Xavier, you need to calm down, people are watching. Let¡¯s not bring attention to ourselves," she tried to calm him down.


    Xavier ignored her words and grabbed her wrist, looking into her ocean-blue eyes with concern.


    "Did he hurt you?" He questioned, the intensity his eyes held wasn¡¯t soothing. She wasn¡¯t hurt but she also couldn¡¯t voice out her answer.


    Before she could finally open her mouth to speak, Xavier had already left her side and punched Jack across the face.

 Chapter 16: Sacrificial Lamb

    Both his parents didn¡¯t bother to intervene which annoyed him. Who knew that they would use their son as a sacrificialmb?


    Without wasting any more seconds with the Harrison family, Xavier pulled Anastasia along with him as they walked away from the scene.


    "The Harrison family have crossed their boundaries this time around."


    "Xavier should have beaten him up even more."


    The guests continued to mumble among themselves with looks of distaste in their eyes.


    They were no different from the Harrison family, who were gloating because they had the Wace family as their backup. What annoyed them the most was that none of their daughters could still get married into that family. Out of jealousy, they spoke against them.


    Jack gritted his teeth as anger surged all over his body. His fist was clenched tightly as he tried to contain his anger. He¡¯d never been humiliated so badly by someone in his entire life, so the embarrassment he felt at that moment was beyond description.


    Michelle and Richard had witnessed the whole thing but they also did what Mr. and Mrs. Harrison had done as well. They didn¡¯t want to get involved and have a taste of Xavier¡¯s rage also.


    But when they saw Xavier taking <i>Selene</i> away, their suspicion grew even more.


    "Jack, why would you go meet Selene and talk to her like that? And worst of all, you had the nerve to yell at her and hit your fist on the table. Don¡¯t you have any manners anymore? If Selene hadn¡¯t intervened, Xavier would still be here, beating you up," she said, also in rage.


    She had fabricated a lie for Selene, hoping to win her friendship. Things were off to a good start until Jack swooped in and ruined everything. Now, she was unsure if Selene would stille over the next day as they had nned.


    "And so what?" Jack questioned back, finding his voice only after Xavier had left.


    Earlier, he had felt so intimidated by the intensity of Xavier¡¯s voice that he thought he might pee his pants. At that moment, he had no idea what to do, but one thing was certain: he was terrified of Xavier. His face was covered with his blood and he didn¡¯t need to be told that it was a warning.


    "We all know that¡¯s Anastasia, so why are we calling her Selene?" He added.


    Michelle hissed in annoyance before she grabbed Jack and pulled him outside. They were starting to draw attention to themselves again.


    "Let me go!" Jack yanked his wrist right off Michelle¡¯s hand.


    Robert followed behind them, leaving Amelia.


    "Jack, will you get a hold of yourself? This is a party for goodness sake. Why are you acting like you are drunk?" Robert questioned Jack, also irritated with his actions earlier.


    Robert had been trying to get Xavier to sign the divorce papers Anastasia signed months back but thetter always ignored him.


    Even though they were inws, he still couldn¡¯t help but be afraid of Xavier.


    "I¡¯m furious, Dad. I¡¯m extremely furious," Jack replied which had both Michelle and Robert furrow their eyebrows in confusion. "Anastasia is ying with us. I¡¯m sure this is some kind of game to her and we are the pawns," he added.


    Robert sighed, resisting the urge to facepalm himself.


    "Listen," Michelle said. "We are not exactly sure if the bitch in there is Anastasia. Dad said that she fell off a cliff, remember? There¡¯s a 50% chance that the person in there could be who she said she is," she added.


    "But what about the other 50% chance that she¡¯s Anastasia? What about the other 50% chance that Dad couldn¡¯t find her body after she fell off a cliff? Are you people not even getting it? Why are you so calm about this?!" Jack yelled out of frustration, his veins popping on the sides of his neck.


    "If the person in there is Anastasia, we are done for. She has the Wace family by her side, and if she spews anything to them, we are going to vanish like thin air," he added, hoping the two people in front would understand how frustrated he was about the situation.


    When he had seen Anastasia earlier when they wanted to wish old Wace a happy birthday, he didn¡¯t know what to make of that situation, but instantly, he knew she was Anastasia. He couldn¡¯t believe he was trying to make Michelle and their father believe him. They made him look like a madman at this point.


    Michelle and Robert shared a look before they both sighed in unison. They couldn¡¯t deny that if the person inside, iming to be Selene, was Anastasia, the same Anastasia they had tried to kill, they were indeed done for.


    Robert turned to Michelle and asked, "Were you able to invite Selene to our house?"


    Michelle nodded. "Yes, but after what happened, I don¡¯t know if she would stille."


    "She has to, else we will never know the truth," said Robert as he clenched his fist in anger.


    Unbeknownst to them, Kace had been listening to their conversation. He snorted his disgust.


    <i>Bastards. </i>

 Chapter 17: It’s A Trap

    "These are tears of joy I guess."


    Xavier¡¯s confusion deepened even more.


    <i>Women, you can never understand them. </i>


    "Please, can you not do anything further to Jack?" She requested. Seeing how he¡¯d beaten Jack up, Anastasia sensed that there was more where that came from.


    "Who¡¯s Jack?" Xavier asked, his eyebrows curling up in confusion.


    "The one whom you¡¯d just beaten up," she replied. Now, she was the confused one.


    "Don¡¯t tell me you still care about those people. I thought you were willing to hurt them just as much as they¡¯d hurt you."


    "Believe me when I say if I didn¡¯t need anything from them, I would have tied every one of them to a chair and cut out each of the body parts every day until they died. But I need Jack for something," she replied. Xavier gave her a questionable look. "Michelle invited me to the Harrison¡¯s mansion tomorrow."


    "And what do you n on doing once you get there?" He asked, curiosityced in his tone.


    Ana strode towards the edge of the terrace as she watched the paparazzi patiently wait for some tea. If only they had been allowed in the party, the fight that had just urred would have been on the news immediately. But she was sure that some of the party guests recorded it.


    "I will snoop around the house, and see if I can find the property papers that I signed months ago. I¡¯m sure they have already shared my properties among themselves. There should be something in their house that can help me with my revenge. I¡¯m sure of it," she said with assuranceced in her tone.


    Xavier could sense her determination and knew he couldn¡¯t stop her. He was certain that Michelle inviting Ana over to their house was part of a n. Since they weren¡¯t sure if she was Ana or Selene, their actions wouldn¡¯t be overtly harmful, but he still didn¡¯t trust them. He was confident Ana had already considered this as well.


    "You need to be careful," He said. "I¡¯ve already told Kace to be your bodyguard. He¡¯s going to go with you everywhere," he added, leaving no room for any disagreement.


    "Wait, does he know¡ª"


    "Yes! Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s the only brother I know I can trust and so can you," he assured her.


    Ana nodded, biting the bottom of her lips slightly and Xavier couldn¡¯t help but stare at it.


    Ana looked up at him and he moved his eyes away, not wanting to be caught.


    "We need to go back to the party," she said. "I¡¯m sure now that they are starting to talk about how we know each other," she sighed.


    ¡ª


    "Selene." Ana heard someone call her <i>name. </i>She scanned the crowd before her eyes fell on Mark.


    "Mark!"


    Both of them shared a hug, while he and Xavier shared a handshake afterward with Xavier ring hard at Mark.


    "Will you rx? I¡¯m gay," Mark whispered in his ears with a teasing smile on his lips. "Looks like you are already getting attracted to her," he added ever so softly so that Ana wouldn¡¯t hear him.


    "Watch your mouth, Mark," said Xavier.


    Mark raised his hands in surrender before he climbed up the stairs to wish the owner of the party a <i>Happy Birthday. </i>


    The both of them found a seat and sat down together. Xavier didn¡¯t care anymore about needing to pretend not to know her. He¡¯d taken his eyes off her only for a few minutes and she was harassed. He wasn¡¯t going to leave her alone again.


    Other influential guests who wanted to talk with him were immediately turned down.


    The guests were starting to get curious about their rtionship.


    Out of nowhere, Kace settled on the seat opposite theirs, his face etched with worry.


    "Where did you two go? I¡¯ve been looking all over for you. We have a big problem at hand at the moment," Kace said, the words rushing out of his mouth without control.


    "Will you calm down? What¡¯s wrong?" Xavier questioned him.


    Kace took a deep breath before he opened his mouth to speak.


    Kace turned to Anastasia and said, "Michelle invited you to their house right?" He didn¡¯t wait for her to reply before he continued. "Well, it¡¯s a trap. I was eavesdropping on their conversation earlier and they¡¯ve set something up to find out if you are Anastasia or Selene," he responded, looking at Ana whose heart was starting to beat rapidly in her chest.

 Chapter 18: Arriving At The House

    She exchanged a few words with the woman until it was time for her to finally leave.


    When Anastasia was about to exit the hall, she was instantly stopped by Michelle, who lifted her dress as she hurried towards her.


    "Selene," she called, trying to catch her breath. "I¡¯m super sorry for what my brother did earlier. It seemed he was drunk because that¡¯s not the way he usually behaves. We have truly offended you today, haven¡¯t we? Please don¡¯t get mad," she mumbled thest part as her eyes lowered, looking pitiful as if Anastasia had said something wrong to her.


    A smile crept on Ana¡¯s lips as she replied, "You don¡¯t need to worry about that. I understand," she lied.


    Even a stranger wouldn¡¯t understand Jack¡¯s reaction earlier but she had to y along.


    Michelle raised her head while her eyes sparkled. "You do? Thank God! But, will you stille over to the Harrison mansion for the hangout tomorrow? My brother will be there and I will make sure he apologizes to you personally," she assured. "And so will my parents. They are also deeply sorry for how he behaved earlier," she added, internally hoping that Anastasia would agree.


    Anastasia¡¯s smile widened even more. "Sure, let¡¯s exchange numbers?" She suggested.


    A triumphant smile yed on Michelle¡¯s lips, convinced she had already secured her victory. They exchanged phone numbers with swift efficiency. After offering Michelle a courteous <i>goodnight,</i> Anastasia turned and made her way home.


    Meanwhile, Michelle toyed with the phone in her hand, an evil grin spreading across her lips as she watched Selene¡¯s car speed away.


    "In a few more hours, Selene, and we will finally know if you are Anastasia," she spat out.


    **


    "Sister-inw, when they try to do anything to you, the first thing you do is tap on your wristwatch and I will get a call on my phone. Although I will be watching over you with the binocrs. Just in case something happens, do that and also, spray them in the eyes with the pepper spray I gave you," Kace instructed Anastasia and she immediately nodded in understanding.


    They were both in the car, heading towards the Harrisons mansion, the only ce she once called home. But was it ever a home?


    "Is the pepper spray strong enough to blind someone?" Anastasia suddenly asked, which had Kace nce at her from the corners of his eyes.


    "If you spray it at your target¡¯s eyes for a very long time, it should be," he replied. "Don¡¯t tell me you want to blind them," he added, giving her a side eye.


    Anastasia smiled. "I don¡¯t n to, honestly. At least not now," she responded.


    They continued their drive towards the mansion, the car winding through the quiet streets until they finally arrived. At the gate, the security guards waved them through without hesitation, indicating that Michelle had already informed them about the expected guest.


    The gates swung open smoothly, and the car rolled up the long, tree-lined driveway,ing to a stop in front of the grand entrance.


    "Good luck, sister-inw. Remember what I told you," said Kace, cheering her on.


    Ana nodded and stepped down from the car. She darted her eyes around the mansion.


    <i>¡¯Nothing has changed,¡¯</i> she thought to herself.


    Anastasia spotted some of the maids cleaning up the ce as always, but she ignored them and walked towards the entrance of the mansion.


    No one stopped her since they thought she was Anastasia who disappeared suddenly but hase back to spend some time with her family.


    At the entrance, Michelle with the rest of the Harrison family were waiting for her. They had no idea it was Kace who dropped her off since the windows were heavily tinted.


    "Good day Mr. and Mrs. Harrison, we meet again," she greeted her <i>parents </i>with the most charming smile on her lips which left them stunned.


    Anastasia wasn¡¯t wearing much makeup this time around as she did at the party. She wanted the face to haunt them and their expressions just proved to her that her n worked.


    Their mouths were hung open as their eyes widened in shock. Amelia seemed to be using herst control to not call her what she called her the previous day.


    <i>Ghost.</i>


    "Selene!" Michelle eximed while rushing to hug <i>Selene. </i>She could also see the difference between Selene¡¯s facial features fromst night, and their parents were too stunned to acknowledge her greeting. So she took it upon herself to act fast.


    Anastasia had to hug her back to not make things look awkward.


    Both she and Jack exchanged nces and thetter simply wore a solemn expression with his ring injuries he received from Xavier.


    Her gaze shifted to Richard, who was staring at her with undisguised lust. He made no effort to hide his desire, brazenly licking his lips like a starved madman.


    "You still look sexy, Selene," he said in front of everyone.

 Chapter 19: An Orange Trap

    ¡¯Ahh...I get it now. She wants to see some kind of reaction from me,¡¯ Anastasia thought to herself.


    "This is Anastasia¡¯s room."


    The both of them walked inside the room which had only the bed, closet, and a mirror with a in color.


    ¡¯I¡¯m surprised they haven¡¯t used it for a store room yet,¡¯ she added to her thoughts.


    "I do miss my sister so much so I make sure the servants clean up this ce every single day, just in case shees back," said Michelle, tears pooling in her eyes already with those few words.


    Anastasia¡¯s eyes caught pecks of dust that covered the mirror, which could only mean she had the maid clean it today but they didn¡¯t bother to do their best either. They knew Michelle didn¡¯t care at all if the room was covered with dust.


    "She must love simple things," Anastasiamented.


    Michelle turned towards her. "Do you also like simple things?" She asked.


    "I do love simple things, but in this case, I would call the room in. Too in in fact, itcks color and I don¡¯t like it," she responded.


    Michelle monitored her expression, hoping to catch on something that might seem off with <i>Selene </i>but thetter only kept a slight smile on her lips. She wanted to wipe that smile off her face.


    "I just want her toe back," said Michelle. "Anyway, let¡¯s go back to my room and look at photo albums," she suggested, and Anastasia immediately stopped her.


    <i>More torture. </i>


    "I thought we came here to hang out, and y games, or maybe, you could give me some tips on how to be a good actress like you," said Anastasia. "You are an A-list celebrity, Michelle. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t have anything you want to do."


    Michelle parted and closed her lips instantly. She had forgotten to take into consideration that the person in front of her might not be Anastasia. She frowned, seeming to remember something.


    "Let¡¯s go shopping," she replied.


    "Now, that¡¯s something fun to do."


    The both of them left the mansion and headed towards the biggest mall in Radiatia.


    In a situation like this, Anastasia couldn¡¯t be d enough that Xavier had wired some money into her new ount. He¡¯d offered her a ck card, but she quickly rejected it.


    <i>No newbie actress earns enough to have a ck card.</i>


    But she took the money under the condition that she owed him.


    Michelle bought heaven and earth, carrying bags in both her hands while her fans asked for either an autograph or a photo and she made sure she pleased them before they left.


    Kace had already texted Anastasia that she was behind their car so she didn¡¯t worry that Michelle would take her away which eased Anastasia.


    The both of them returned to the Harrison mansion, and immediately, Anastasia requested to go to the bathroom while a servant showed her the way.


    Downstairs, the other family members immediately bombarded Michelle with questions.


    "What have you noticed about her? Does she have any simrities with Anastasia...?"


    "So far, none. It¡¯s either she¡¯s a good actress or she¡¯s Selene Jones," said Michelle.


    Meanwhile, instead of going to the bathroom, Anastasia headed toward Robert¡¯s study room which was not far from the guest bathroom.


    Luckily for her, she didn¡¯t see anyone on the way. But when she tried to pull it open, she noticed it was locked.


    "Shit!" She cursed in frustration. She was so close he had to lock his study room.


    Anastasia didn¡¯t have time to think so she decided to go back to the living room.


    "Dinner is ready Selene. I hope you will be eating dinner with us," said Amelia as she served dinner along with the help of the servants who couldn¡¯t help but wonder why their big madam was calling her <i>Selene. </i>


    "I¡¯m sorry, but I think I really should get going now, it¡¯s alreadyte," Anastasia replied, ncing at the wristwatch in her hand, citing that it was already 6 am.


    "No, not now. You have to eat with us," Michelle insisted and so did the others. Anastasia was left with no choice but to agree. She walked towards the dining table.


    "We are still very sorry for what happened at the party yesterday and also for what Jack did," said Robert. This was the first time he was talking to her.


    "It¡¯s no problem," Anastasia smiled.


    "Well, isn¡¯t that good? I brought you orange juice," said Michelle, with a ss of orange juice in her hands.


    When Anastasia saw the orange juice, she immediately tapped on her wristwatch, sending Kace a signal.

 Chapter 20: She’s Allergic To Oranges

    He also wanted to find out if the person who looked like Anastasia was her or someone else. But he was also nning the things he would do to Anastasia as soon as she got a reaction from the juice.


    He missed having sex with Anastasia and Michelle never let him get close to her. They don¡¯t even sleep on the same bed back at the Wace mansion. She wouldfortably sleep on the bed while he slept on the couch.


    "Go ahead, Selene? Aren¡¯t you going to sip from your juice?" Michelle asked, an evil grin on her lips and Anastasia didn¡¯t fail to notice it either.


    <i>She was trapped</i>.


    Anastasia continued to tap on the wristwatch secretly without anyone noticing. She couldn¡¯t take her phone out to text Kace because Richard was sitting so close to her and he would be able to read the text. If she dyed any longer, she was going to get caught and all her ns would be destroyed.


    Hesitantly, Anastasia reached for the ss of orange juice and sipped from it. She could feel her hands threatening to shake due to her reactions but she tried to mask it in.


    "It¡¯s very delicious like you said," said Anastasia and the smile on each of the family members immediately faltered.


    They knew that her allergic reactions didn¡¯t take more than thirty seconds before they started acting up. Michelle checked the time on her phone and a whole minute had already passed.


    She exchanged looks with her parents before their smiles grew back on their lips.


    Michelle turned back to <i>Selene </i>and replied, "I told you, didn¡¯t I? Have some more and eat too."


    Even though their eyes were already eased since she didn¡¯t get any reaction, they still hoped she would but unfortunately for them, Anastasia disappointed them terribly.


    "I¡¯m on a diet," said Anastasia, forcing the words out of her mouth.


    "Come on, you can just have a lit¡ª"


    Michelle was immediately interrupted by the opening of their front door as Xavier walked in, his aura intimidating as ever.


    "Xavier, we didn¡¯t know you wereing over. Do you want to have dinner with us?" Robert suggested, but Xavier didn¡¯t pay him any mind.


    On the other hand, as soon as Anastasia saw Xavier, instinctively, she ran towards him and hugged him tightly.


    Everyone in the room was surprised by her actions, including Xavier because this was the second time they were having physical contact and she was the one who initiated it.


    "P-please t-take m-me away f-from here," she whispered so that only him would hear, while she struggled to breathe. Xavier had no idea what was wrong with her but he didn¡¯t waste any time to wonder either.


    He grabbed her bag that was on the dining table and together, they left without Xavier acknowledging the Harrison family.


    As if they were in a trance, the Harrison family didn¡¯t dare to stop them either so they left the mansion and headed towards Xavier¡¯s car.


    Xavier opened the car for Anastasia and helped her in. Her face was already red and puffy, one of her reactions and the second was being out of breath.


    "Kace, drive!" Xavier ordered Kace who was already in the car. Xavier brought out his phone and called Mark immediately. When thetter picked up, he yelled through the phone, "I want you toe to my house immediately, Anastasia is sick!"


    "What? What kinds of symptoms is she showing?" Mark asked him, already packing his things and getting ready to go. It was evident from Xavier¡¯s tone that it was a serious matter.


    Xavier stared at Anastasia whose eyes were already closed while her face continued to swell, her head resting on his chest. Xavier exined what was happening immediately.


    "She¡¯s having an allergic reaction, I will be there right now," Mark cut off the call and dashed out of the hospital.


    Xavier ced his fingers on Anastasia¡¯s nose and he could barely feel her hot breath on his fingers. He gritted his teeth in anger as he ordered Kace from the front seat. "Drive faster!"


    Kace immediately stepped on the gas.


    Looking back at Anastasia, Xavier mumbled, "You¡¯d better not die on me like this."

 Chapter 21: She’s Not Anastasia

    Mark came in and checked Anastasia¡¯s pulse.


    He turned to Xavier. "She¡¯s doing perfectly normal, you just had to scare the hell out of me earlier," Mark yelled at Xavier but Xavier didn¡¯t pay him any attention.


    He walked towards Anastasia and sat beside the bed.


    "Close the door when you leave," said Xavier, his eyes still on Anastasia, who felt somewhat ufortable under his gaze.


    Mark clenched his fist as he bit his tongue before he walked out, but he made sure to close the door quietly.


    "Why did youe to the Harrison mansion earlier?" Anastasia asked.


    She had been surprised when she saw Xavier suddenly barge into the living room earlier but was d that he¡¯de. Because if he didn¡¯t, she could have died.


    The Harrison family probably won¡¯t need to finish her off since the sip of orange she took was more than enough to kill her. But she survived because he came.


    "Kace called me earlier. You tapped on your wrist watch and he knew you were in trouble. So, I rushed over quickly," Xavier replied.


    Earlier, he had feared he was going to lose Anastasia forever, especially when her breaths had be shallow andbored. Desperation had seized him as she clung to him, her grip weak but determined. He held her just as tightly, silently pleading for her to hold on a little longer. To his immense relief, she did.


    "I see," Anastasia mumbled, biting the bottom of her lips.


    Xavier gazed at her lips, gulping down his saliva as if he were thirty.


    <i>He wanted to kiss her. </i>


    "Now that I¡¯ve survived their trap, I don¡¯t think they are going to continue testing me," said Anastasia, her words pushing Xavier out of his thoughts. He tore his eyes away from her lips to look at her eyes.


    "But you put yourself in danger all in the name of passing their test, Ana. Aren¡¯t you taking too much risk? You almost lost your life today," said Xavier.


    "This isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯m almost getting killed, Xavier. But I won¡¯t let them sit there and enjoy their lives after what they have done to me. Those people deserve to be buried alive but I won¡¯t give them an easy death without teaching them a lesson first."


    Xavier sighed. He knew that arguing with Anastasia wasn¡¯t the best way to solve the issue. She¡¯d already risked her life by getting closer to the people who once tried to kill her and he didn¡¯t want her to do that again. But she was determined about her revenge.


    "I understand you," he said. "But you need to be careful with those people," he added.


    Anastasia nodded in understanding. Even though she was hellbent on her revenge, she didn¡¯t want to die just yet without achieving anything.


    Xavier excused himself to bring her dinner.


    Downstairs, Xavier put on his apron as he opened the fridge to take out ingredients he was going to use to cook for Anastasia.


    Both Kace and Mark saw him since they hadn¡¯t gone home yet.


    "Will you look at that? The great Xavier Wace, a business tycoon, is going to prepare dinner for his dear wife. Now, isn¡¯t that sweet?" Mark teased.


    "What can I say? Love does change people," Kace added.


    At the mention of <i>love,</i> Xavier scowled at them.


    "Isn¡¯t it high time you too went back to your homes? Get out!"


    "Aiyah...you are always so serious, Xavier. No one can joke with you," said Mark. He turned to leave.


    "We are not entirely joking though, Xavier. You might be in love with Anastasia," Kace added before following behind Mark as they left the mansion.


    ¡¯Might,¡¯ Xavier thought to himself.


    In Xavier¡¯s room, Anastasia scrolled through her phone, ignoring Michelle¡¯s messages asking her when they should hang out again.


    "Seems I was wrong. They are still going to set traps for me," Anastasia thought out loud.


    Her thumb paused when she saw a notification banner appear on the screen of her phone.


    Instantly, she tapped on it and read through the article.


    A smile crept on Anastasia¡¯s lips when she was done reading the article.


    "Bingo."

 Chapter 22: Offended

    Anastasia parted her lips to reply to him but stopped when she saw Michelle walking into the audition hall with ady who was dressed professionally, carrying a bottle of water and an umbre as she trailed behind Michelle.


    Anastasia didn¡¯t need to think too much to realize that the person was probably Michelle¡¯s new assistant after she <i>left. </i>The crowd started to murmur as they admired Michelle.


    Anastasia tried to make herself invisible in the crowd of many people. She didn¡¯t want to be seen by Michelle because thetter would act all sweet towards her as if she didn¡¯t just try to kill her close to two weeks ago.


    Unfortunately for Anastasia, Michelle found her in the crowd quite easily.


    "Selene!!" Michelle called out to Selene, jolting thetter. Kace¡¯s eyes narrowed at Michelle. "Selene, it¡¯s been so long. Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were also auditioning for a role for <i>the sinner?" </i>Michelle asked Selene with excitement in her eyes while Selene tried to keep up with her.


    The name of the movie was <i>the sinner.</i>


    "I didn¡¯t know you were going to audition as well, Michelle. Well now that you are here, it¡¯s that good?" Selene asked Michelle with a smile on her lips.


    Michelle noticed Kace standing beside Selene and couldn¡¯t help but wonder how close she was to the Wace family. First, it was Xavier and now, it was Kace.


    Her mind went back to a few days ago when Xavier picked Selene from her house. How they hugged so intimately made her want to strangle Selene who was smiling back at her.


    "Hi Kace," she greeted, stretching her hand out for a handshake. But Kace ignored her as if she was invisible.


    "When will your auditions begin?" He asked Selene, already feeling sick with Michelle around.


    Selene darted her eyes towards them. It wasn¡¯t a surprise that Kace would probably dislike Michelle since thetter had always been cunny.


    "It should start soon," Selene replied.


    Turning to Michelle who was still bbergasted by his actions, Selene added, "What role are you going for?"


    Michelle redrew her hand back to her side. She could hear the crowd whispering amongst each other. Kace had just humiliated her in front of everyone. She gritted her teeth in silent anger.


    "I¡¯m going for the female lead role," she puffed up her chest arrogantly, knowing she would get the role even if she didn¡¯t have to audition. Usually, top actresses and actors don¡¯t need to audition since their past work can be their alibi or sometimes, they give private auditions, where people won¡¯t see them.


    But director Jeunes had stated clearly in the article that all celebrities must audition if they were interested, be it A-list or B-list celebrities.


    Michelle could have chosen to go to the private audition but she wanted to show off her skill. Seeing Selene around, she wanted to unt even more.


    "I wish you good luck," Selene wished her. Her gaze went to the assistant who had been quiet since Michelle came to her and found the assistant ring at her.


    Selene stared at the woman¡¯s face until she found her slightly familiar. She recognized her as being one of her father¡¯s secretaries back in his office who would gossip about her with Michelle as they shared false rumors around the office, making her look like a whore.


    "You too," Michelle wished her. She didn¡¯t bother to ask Selene about the role she was going to audition for since she found it insignificant.


    "Just look at her and walk away like the green snake she is," Kace spat as he red at Michelle¡¯s back. "Such an eyesore," he tore his eyes away from her.


    The auditions started and Michelle headed inside first, since she was the most influential actress from the crowd. She puffed her chest up with her head held high.


    Closing the door behind her, Michelle faced the judges who were seated behind arge desk, with papers and pen in their hands.


    There were about five judges and Michelle didn¡¯t fail to recognize director Jeunes immediately. She smiled at the man but he kept a stoic expression.


    "Please introduce yourself," director Jeunes ordered, which had Michelle frown deeply. She was a renowned actress and the director was asking her for an introduction.


    "But you know me, director Jeunes. In fact, everyone knows my name," Michelle remarked, still confused by his question.


    Director choked his eyebrow while questioning, "Who are you?"

 Chapter 23: That Bitch!

    "So Selene, after you are done auditioning, let¡¯s hang out?" She offered.


    The smile that was on thetter¡¯s lips immediately faltered but she immediatelyposed herself.


    "I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯m going to be busy practicing my lines. I¡¯m sure all you need to do is just look at the scripts and you are good to go but I need to practice, Michelle," she politely declined the invitation, adding a bit ofpliment to make Michelle gloat.


    "Come on, I¡¯m not that good. But alright, let¡¯s hang out another time and you practice your lines. Give your best and make sure you get epted," Michelle wished her while Selene smiled at her.


    All of a sudden, ady tapped Michelle on the shoulder, grabbing her attention.


    "Yes?"


    Thedy held a script in her hand which meant she was also part of the people who were auditioning for a role. She was shaking with her head lowered.


    "P-please can I take a-a picture with you?" She requested.


    Michelle smiled at her. "Of course, darling."


    Michelle took a pic with her and other people took the chance to request a picture from Michelle until Mia thought it was enough.


    Michelle waved Selene a <i>goodbye</i> as she exited the hall and Selene returned it.


    "Now I¡¯m curious, why is she acting like the both of you are besties? I mean, you too just met," Kace wondered out loud.


    "It¡¯s definitely part of their n," Selene replied.


    When it was finally Selene¡¯s turn to audition, she excused herself while Kace wished her luck.


    Selene entered the room and her eyesnded on the judges, she immediately bowed respectfully. The aura in the room was so intense that her palms only sweated even more.


    The judges were quite surprised with her good manners. When Michelle had walked in, she didn¡¯t even bother to greet them.


    She had apanied Michelle to many auditions in the past when she was still her assistant, and she knew a few things to do when you want to audition. <i>Always be polite, it gives extra credit. </i>


    But since this was the first time she was auditioning for a role, she was pressured.


    "Good day, may we know your name please?" A judge asked, the only overweight one among them.


    "I¡¯m Selene Jones," she replied respectfully with a bow.


    "Selene Jones? A rookie actress?" Another one asked and she nodded.


    "Yes, sir."


    "In that case, what do you have to show us today?"


    Selene brought out her script before she replied, "I will be ying the part where Queen Jammiah catches King Ardine on the bed with his concubine," she replied.


    The judges shared a look. Director Jeunes¡¯ eyes narrowed at Selene Jones.


    She was only a rookie and she was already aiming for the female lead role.


    ¡¯You have to be kidding me,¡¯ he thought to himself.


    "The stage is all yours."


    Selene nodded.


    She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. When she opened them, her entire demeanor had transformed, embodying the essence of Queen Jammiah. Disbelief and sadness were etched into her expression, her eyes turning red with a seething rage. Tears naturally pooled in her eyes,pleting her metamorphosis into the tormented queen.


    "So you have been cheating on me with this good-for-nothing whore you brought to this pce?" She asked. "You yed me like a fool. You told me you loved me but you still cheated on me?"


    Selene didn¡¯t get the chance to say her other lines when she heard someone pping from the judge¡¯s table.


    Her eyesnded on Director Jeunes, who was pping with a broad smile on his face. The other judges followed suit, their apuse filling the room. Anastasia¡¯s heart swelled with a mix of relief and triumph as she took in their approving expressions.


    "Marvelous, Ms. Jones, that was simply marvelous," said director Jeunes. "


    Selene bowed happily as she exited the room. She resisted the urge to hop towards Kace when she found him waiting for her.


    "So you got in?" He asked her.


    "I¡¯m not sure, but director Jeunes pped for me. I will just wait for the list toe out first," she replied.


    **


    Michelle was at the Wace garden. She was seated with her legs crossed as she sipped from her ss of juice. It¡¯s been two days since the day of the audition and none of the judges had called her yet.


    She decided to go to the website where the list of people who passed the auditions will be posted.


    Michelle¡¯s eyes lit up with a smile when she saw the role she had auditioned for. However, when her gazended on the name listed beneath it, her expression darkened. Her grip tightened involuntarily, shattering the ss cup in her hands.


    <i>Queen Jammiah</i>


    <i>Selene Jones</i>


    "That bitch!"

 Chapter 24: She’s Better Than You

    Taking a deep breath, Michelle decided to calm herself down before she picked up the call.


    "Hi, Selene. How are you doing?" She asked with the sweetest voice ever.


    If someone had seen the way she acted, they would have concluded that she had two personalities.


    Selene grimaced when she heard Michelle¡¯s voice over the phone, goosebumps popping on her skin.


    "Hi Michelle, I¡¯m doing fine. How are you too?" She asked back. Of course, she knew that Michelle wasn¡¯t doing well. She could hear thetter breathing heavily in rage from the other side even though she tried her best to conceal it.


    ¡¯Looks like someone is breaking their character,¡¯ Selene thought to herself as a grin graced her lips.


    "I¡¯m doing fine as well," Michelle replied.


    "That¡¯s good. I was calling to ask you if you¡¯ve seen the list of the roles we auditioned for. I got the female lead role, Queen Jammiah," said Selene, sounding so excited about the news that she wished Michelle would have nightmares about itter.


    Michelle clenched her fist in anger as she gritted her teeth. She internally wished she could punch Selene across the face, over the phone.


    She took another deep breath, trying to quench the rage that was flooding her system, but was unable to. She could only try her best to mask it but that option was failing her too.


    "Really? Why didn¡¯t you tell me you auditioned for the female lead role, Selene? I was also auditioning for that role as well?" She asked, curious to know Selene¡¯s reply.


    "You never asked, Michelle. I was waiting for you to ask but you didn¡¯t seem to be interested in what role I was auditioning for," Selene replied without holding back. There was nothing Michelle could do to her other than curse at her. "I¡¯m sorry you didn¡¯t get the role you wanted though, but hope isn¡¯t entirely lost. You got the role of the concubine, La Gunta," Selene added, her grin widening on her lips.


    Now she wished she could see Michelle¡¯s expressions at the moment.


    Michelle frowned at first. She didn¡¯t bother to check if she got a substitute role due to her rage. But still, she had wanted the role which Selene had stolen from her.


    She was an A-list celebrity, an actress, and a model who was known all over Radiantia and was starting to get internationally famous too. She couldn¡¯t believe Selene, who was a rookie and hadn¡¯t acted in her movie yet had stolen her role right under her nose if she didn¡¯t do something behind her back.


    ¡¯She must have slept with one of the judges for benefits,¡¯ Michelle concluded in her thoughts.


    Since director Jeunes was the one in charge of the production of the movie, she believed that it was director Jeunes, Selene who must have slept with.


    "Michelle, are you still there?" Selene asked when she noticed that the other side of the line was too quiet.


    Michelle came out of her thoughts and replied immediately, "Hmm, yes, I saw."


    "Great then! It¡¯s a good thing they decided to add you in the movie still. Alright then, I will be going back to my script reading. Take care of yourself, Michelle," Selene smooched over the phone before she hung up the call.


    When she heard the beeping sound, she jumped up again in excitement as she screamed out loudly, loving every moment she used to y with Michelle.


    "YAHOOOOOO!"


    On the other side, Michelle kicked her chair away, not caring if any of the Wace members saw her actions.


    "That bitch!!" She cursed, walking back to her room.


    Richard was in the room, ying with his video games as usual when he saw Michelle storm into the room like a bull chasing a red g.


    "Why do you look so upset? Who annoyed you this time around?" He asked her, his attention still on his screen as he continued to y his game.


    Selene snorted before she replied, "Can you believe that the role I went to audition for two days ago, I lost it? And guess who got the role?"


    Richard frowned, suddenly regretting asking her what was the cause of her soured mood.


    "Who was it?"


    "It was Selene."


    Richard immediately paused his game as he turned to look at her.


    "Which Selene?" He asked her, eyes widened in shock.


    Michelle gritted her teeth in anger since it seemed that Richard intended to add fuel to her anger.


    "How many Selene do you know? I¡¯m talking about Selene Jones, you deadbeat. Selene Jones, who looks like Anastasia!" She barked at him.


    A smile graced Richard¡¯s lips as he asked, "Wow! If she got the role instead of you, that could only mean that she¡¯s better than you, doesn¡¯t it?"

 Chapter 25: The Bitter Truth

    He instantly regretted asking her what was wrong with her. She kept fuming like a child whose lollipop was snatched from her.


    ¡¯I should have just minded my own damn business,¡¯ Richard thought to himself.


    "Honestly Michelle, I don¡¯t care anymore. Just do whatever you want. I¡¯m going out to get some fresh air," he said. Without waiting for her answer, he left the room.


    Michelle burned a hole in his back. "Deadbeat."


    Suddenly, she felt her hand slippery. When she looked at it, she found blood on her hands. Frowning, she wondered where the blood came from until she remembered she had broken the ss cup with anger earlier.


    "Shit!" She cursed and went to clean it up.


    **


    <i>A weekter,</i>


    Selene and Kace went to the location where the acting will be held. Many people had already arrived at the location. Most of them were the people who passed their audition while others were the crew.


    "You see? Out of the hundred people we saw at the audition hall, about forty got epted," said Kace.


    "I guess that¡¯s something about acting. Be ready to be rejected," she replied.


    The both of them headed inside while everyone nced at them from time to time. Everyone recognized Kace as thest son of the Wace family and seeing him in person, the girls wanted to rush towards him and envelope him in a hug, but they held themselves.


    When their eyesnded on Selene, they instantly recognized her to be thedy who Michelle was speaking to on the day of their audition. Now, they couldn¡¯t help but wonder why she had Kace, a member of the Wace family following her everywhere.


    Even Kace felt bad for himself, but when he remembered that he was protecting his sister-inw, he puffed up his chest and red at the actors that were ogling at Selene.


    ¡¯That¡¯s my brother¡¯s wife you bastards,¡¯ he sent out the message. Sadly, they couldn¡¯t read his mind but they averted their eyes immediately when they saw his re.


    Selene had no idea where she should head to first. The ce was huge and she didn¡¯t need to ask anyone to know they would be using the site as the pce.


    "Selene!" She suddenly heard someone call her name. It wasn¡¯t a female¡¯s voice so she was sure it wasn¡¯t Michelle. Thetter hadn¡¯t called her since the day the list came out, and neither had she texted her about hanging out again. Perhaps, she¡¯s still mourning for her lost role.


    Selene turned back and saw Director Jeunes walking towards her with another man who looked younger by his side. The younger one seemed to be part of the crew as he asked director Jeunes about how things should be done to his liking.


    "Just get the cameras, lights, and speakers ready for now," said director Jeunes.


    He faced Selene.


    "Selene, how are you doing?" He asked her with a smile on his face.


    Selene was slightly stunned when she heard Director Jeunes¡¯ question.


    "I¡¯m doing fine, Director Jeunes," she replied with a slight bow.


    The director nodded. When his eyesnded on Kace, he stretched out his hand for a handshake. "Kace, you are here too?"


    Kace epted the director¡¯s handshake as she shook his head. "I¡¯m not here for acting, Mr Jeunes. I¡¯m here to support my friend here," he gestured to Selene.


    "Ahh... I see. In case you want to go back to the caring industry, all you need to do is to give me a call and I will have a role ready for you," said the director.


    Kace nodded in understanding.


    A few years ago, Kace used to be an actor and he instantly gained poprity. But after a few films, he quit his job as an actor and decided to help Xavier with his underground business. He was also good in making devices so he decided to focus on that instead.


    "So Selene, let¡¯s go inside so that you can meet your colleagues," said the director.


    Both Selene and Kace followed director Jeunes inside.


    "Was director Jeunes the one who directed all the movies you¡¯ve acted in the past?" Selene asked Kace with a hushed tone.


    Kace shook his head, "Not all of them."


    All of a sudden, Selene felt a piercing re from her side. Her eyes scanned a few people who were already inside the huge pce until theynded on a particr figure, Michelle.


    As if caught in her actions, Michelle quickly brought a soft smile to her lips. "Selene," she called.

 Chapter 26: Who’s King Ardine?

    A few more people came and introduced themselves,pletely ignoring Michelle as if she were a shadow behind Selene¡¯s back.


    Most of the actors and actresses were already popr and Selene only recognized a few who were extras from a movie. But there was one important character she needed to meet, King Ardine. She needed to know if he was a good person or someone who would give her a hard time so that she would know how to handle him.


    Tapping Michelle who was ring at the ground, Selene asked, "Do you know who got the role of King Ardine?" Shepletely ignored the suffocating aura that was floating around Michelle. She couldn¡¯t hurt her in a ce filled with people.


    Michelle frowned, realizing she also didn¡¯t know who would be ying King Ardine. The director didn¡¯t say anything either.


    "I have no idea," Michelle shrugged.


    "He might be keeping his identity a secret until it¡¯s time for his scene," said Kace.


    Unbeknownst to them, a man had been watching them. His eyes narrowed at Selene who was still asking Michelle a few more questions while thetter replied through a forced smile.


    Director Jeunes arrived about an hourter and announced, "The first scene will start in an hour. An assistant has been assigned to all actors and actresses and your make-up room is also ready. Please go get ready."


    Without needing to be told twice, Selene waved Kace goodbye and wished Michelle good luck before the both of them entered their respective makeup rooms.


    Selene met a girl, who seemed to be younger than her. She had a soft smile on her lips as she weed Selene.


    "Hi, Ms. Jones, I am Allison and I will be in charge of your makeup," she introduced herself. "This is Natalie, your stylist," Allison introduced the otherdy who was beside her. They both looked so beautiful that Selene wondered if they were models.


    Allison had silver hair that was long and straightened but they were tied into a ponytail, with bangs hanging over her forehead.


    She had blue eyes that reminded Selene of a character in anime but that character was a male.


    On the other hand, Natalie had brown hair with caramel eyes.


    "Please have a seat ma¡¯am, we don¡¯t have much time," said Allison.


    Selene nodded, as if in a trance by their beauty, and sat down on the chair. Immediately, Allison started the makeup while Natalie picked out the gown she would be wearing.


    It was a royal gown since she would be acting as a queen.


    "This looks so beautiful," said Selene as she stared at herself in the mirror. She didn¡¯t bother to wear any makeup whileing to the shooting site since it would only waste time. The makeup artist would have to wipe her face clean before putting makeup on her face again.


    She stared at the mirror, mesmerized by the way she looked.


    "You are so good at this, Allison," sheplimented the makeup artist who couldn¡¯t help but blush at her words.


    "Thank you, ma¡¯am."


    "Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s time to get dressed," said Nathalie.


    Selene turned, ready to see the gown. She sighed loudly without realizing it when her eyesnded on the gown.


    The gown was in emerald green, and had a few diamonds attached to it with a few gold colors making it look royal. Since the movie was set in the Victorian era, she needed to wear these types of dresses.


    Both Natalie and Allison helped Selene to get dressed. Just as the gown was beautiful, it weighed so much that Selene thought she was going to fall off.


    Three days ago, the director had given her the phone number of the crew in charge of their costumes which was why the gown had fitted her properly while being tight in some ces.


    Nathalie helped Selene to wear her crown on her hair which was already done by Allison.


    Selene stared at herself onest time in the mirror, smiling at her appearance before she stepped out of the makeup room.


    As soon as her feet stepped out of the makeup room, the whispers and murmurs that were created by the other casts and crew immediately came to a halt when they saw her.


    Selene became conscious of why their eyes were on her.


    "Marvelous," director Jeunesmented when he saw Selenee out of her make-up room. "You are just perfect to be queen Jammiah, Selene. Everything about you is just perfect," he added.


    Selene sighed in relief. For a moment there, she thought they were going to startughing at her.


    "Queen Jammiah is ready. Now, where is King Ardine?" Director Jeunes asked.


    "I¡¯m here," a deep voice replied.

 Chapter 27: That Was Not Part Of The Scene

    A camera shutter cut her from her thoughts as she tore her eyes from Liam to stare at Kace who had just taken a picture of her.


    "You look like a mannequin in that dress," Kace teased her as he stared at the picture disyed on his phone¡¯s screen.


    "You..." Selene bit her tongue before she would curse at Kace at that moment. "You¡¯d better delete that picture," she added.


    Turning back to Liam whose eyes were still on her,pletely unreadable, she sighed.


    "Let¡¯s go," she said and walked away while Liam followed behind her.


    <i>The Sinner </i>was an Eastern historical movie about a kingdom called the Evergreen Kingdom, due to its riches in soil and agricultural products. Other kingdoms had tried to overthrow the Evergreen kingdom since it was warm and theirnds provided them with everything they would ever need. It had seasons like spring, autumn, summer, and winter which not all other kingdoms had.


    Some kingdoms were either too cold or too hot or theyckednd that had rich soil to grow their crops.


    Everything was perfect for the Evergreen kingdom with their king ruling them nicely. Until the day he decided to bring in a concubine. It was the day Evergreen met their doom. Queen Jammiah caught King Ardine, on the bed with Concubine La and her heart shattered. With her heart tight with so much anger and betrayal, she cursed the Evergreen kingdom to never see the sun and never see peace until she was satisfied.


    The location of the first scene was in the bedroom, where Queen Jammiah catches King Ardine on the bed with concubine La Gunta.


    "Action!" Director Jeunes screamed loudly over the microphone in his hand that it hurt the ears of the people who were standing beside him, as he was seated in his director¡¯s seat.


    Queen Jammiah looked around the rooms as she searched for her husband, King Ardine.


    She found a maid who carried a tray in her hands, and quickly asked her, "Have you seen the king?"


    The maid lowered her head respectfully as she replied with a 90 degree bow, "Your majesty, I¡¯m sorry but I haven¡¯t seen His Highness a-anyway."


    The maid tried to keep her voice stable but it betrayed her at the end of her sentence.


    Queen Jammiah¡¯s eyes narrowed at the maid, knowing fully well that the maid was lying to her.


    "Raise your head and look at her," she ordered, her tone holding so muchmand that the maid instinctively did as she was told to, else she would have her head rolling. "Where is my husband?" Queen Jammiah questioned the maid again, her eyes ring at the maid.


    "His Highness is in the concubine¡¯s room, your Majesty," the maid replied as streams of tears poured from her eyes. She waited for the queen to give her punishment for lying to her the first time.


    Luckily for her, the queen didn¡¯t have her time at that moment.


    Queen Jammiah didn¡¯tpletely lose her cool as she headed to La Gunta¡¯s room. The king had promised her he had thrown her out of the pce but she was still around.


    Once Queen Jammiah¡¯s feet graced the room of the concubine, her heart shattered. Her eyes caught King Ardine lying on top of La. A single tear dropped from her eyes but she immediately wiped it away.


    Kind Ardine sensed his queen¡¯s presence in the chamber and with a bat of an eysh, he was already on the ground pleading for her to forgive him.


    He was more than shocked to find her in the concubine¡¯s chamber.


    "Please, my queen. I promise to never do it again," King Ardine pleaded as he tried to cover his nakedness while he still kneeled on the ground, begging for forgiveness.


    La Gunta covered her body with the quilt as she red at the queen who hadn¡¯t said a word yet.


    "Excuse me, your majesty. But as the daughter of a royal family, and the queen of this kingdom, did your parents perhaps forget to teach you some manners? For example, to never interrupt the king when he is making love to me," La Gunta questioned the queen as she red at her. In return, the king red at the concubine he was regretting sleeping with, only because he was caught in the act.


    Queen Jammiah maintained her cool as she took steps towards the concubine.


    Lifting her hands, without warning, the queen struck La Gunta across the cheek.


    "CUT!!!"

 Chapter 28: Messed Up

    Selene noticed Michelle ring hard at her back. If only stares could kill, she was sure she would be six feet under already.


    Not minding Michelle¡¯s re, Selene went to change her clothes. She wasn¡¯t going to be part of the next scene and she needed to feel lighter.


    She was sure that the dress weighed at least half her weight.


    The p she had justnded hard on Michelle¡¯s cheeks wasn¡¯t nned but her hands had been itching to p her in the face. And she grabbed the opportunity immediately.


    After changing her clothes, Michelle was already acting in her second scene where she pleaded with King Ardine not to send her out of the pce, so she lies that she is pregnant.


    Michelle seemed to be in a trance since she made a few mistakes with her line a few times, messing the whole thing up.


    "I think the p has loosened her screws even more," Selene whispered to Kace and thetter snickered.


    The director became quite annoyed with Michelle making the mistakes repeatedly. He was starting to run out of patience.


    "Michelle!" He screamed over the microphone. Instantly, the people near him covered their ears. "When he pushes you down, you need to fall hard. This is the fifth take already, Michelle, what is wrong with you?" He questioned her, his eyes ring at her.


    Michelle hissed under her breath. This was the first time she was getting humiliated and the director was only making the whole thing worse by yelling at her. She tried to fall as hard as possible, but the director wasn¡¯t satisfied.


    "Michelle!!" Director Jeunes warned.


    Michelle¡¯s eyesnded on Selene who was surprisingly giving her an encouraging smile. But in the eyes of Michelle, Selene was simply mocking her.


    Michelle stood up. Both she and Liam repeated the scene onest time, and she fell the way the director wanted her to. But she ended up getting her elbow bruised.


    "And that¡¯s a wrap for today¡¯s shoot," the director yelled over the microphone, again, nearly deafening the people near him.


    Selene walked towards Michelle. Thetter was cing an ice pack on her bleeding elbow, she felt she was being mistreated in the set.


    "Michelle," Selene called with a smile on her lips. Mia saw Selene and instantly hissed.


    "Anastasia, Michelle is not in the mood to see you right now. Can you just leave?" Mia red at Selene which shocked thetter, her eyes went to Michelle with a questioning eyebrow.


    Michelle facepalmed herself when she heard Mia speak. Thetter was going to spoil her ns.


    "You haven¡¯t told your assistant that I¡¯m not your sister, Anastasia?" Selene asked.


    Michelle gritted her teeth as she cursed Mia under her breath.


    "You suddenly disappeared then reappeared with a new name and you think everyone won¡¯t know that you are Anastasia. You need to¡ª"


    "I would advise you to watch your tongue as you talk with Selene," Kace warned from behind Selene as he red at Mia who suddenly felt like she couldn¡¯t breathe anymore. "She doesn¡¯t have to prove anything to you and if you don¡¯t believe she is who she says she is, the least you can do is zip your mouth," he added.


    Instinctively, Mia mped her mouth shut as she lowered her eyes to avoid eye contact with Kace.


    Kace always looked like someone everyone could get along with. But when he wasn¡¯t smiling anymore, he looked like a predator.


    "Mia, get out," Michelle ordered her assistant. Thetter opened and closed her mouth to protest before she left when no words came out.


    Turning to Selene, Michelle apologized to her, "I¡¯m sorry for what my assistant said to you earlier. I don¡¯t know why she doesn¡¯t want to believe that you are not Anastasia. I¡¯ve told her multiple times."


    "Honestly, Michelle. In my opinion, your assistant is only saying what you are feeding her," said Kace, his smile on his lips again but it didn¡¯t reach his eyes as he continued to speak to Michelle. "If she doesn¡¯t believe that Selene isn¡¯t Anastasia, it only means that you don¡¯t believe she isn¡¯t Anastasia and you two must have been talking bad about her."


    Now, it was Michelle¡¯s turn to re at Kace.


    "Selene is my friend, I would never talk bad about her," Michelle tried to defend herself.


    "Keep saying it until you believe it," Kace replied.


    Michelle red at Kace, "And what¡¯s that supposed to mean?"

 Chapter 29: Bring Me Back Some Toys

    **


    At the highest building of the Wacepany, in the CEO¡¯s office, Xavier was getting through with his paperwork when he received a text on his phone.


    He reached to take a look at it. He opened the text, finding out it was Kace and when his eyesnded on the image, a faint smile crept on his lips.


    He checked the caption.


    <i>Sister-inw is ready for her first shoot.</i>


    The smile on Xavier¡¯s face faltered when he realized he was smiling unknowingly.


    He nced around his office as if someone was watching him. His eyes went back to the picture again as he continued to admire it. His eyes suddenly went cold when he noticed another hand on Selene¡¯s. From howrge the hand was, it was obvious it was a man¡¯s hand.


    Suddenly, a phone call came through, interrupting him from finding out who was shaking the hand of his wife. When Xavier saw the name of the caller, he picked it up without wasting a second.


    "Yes?"


    "Xavier, we have located the hideout where the kidnappers had kept the girls. Should we attack tonight?" The voice asked Xavier.


    "We have to, else they might find out and decide to relocate," Xavier replied through gritted teeth. "I¡¯m on my way to our hideout," he added before hanging up on the call.


    Quickly, Xavier carried his briefcase and his suit jacket before he left the office. He saw his secretary outside the office and ordered, "Cancel all my meetings."


    The secretary immediately nodded, "Yes boss," surprised to see her boss leaving the office early. It was just noon.


    Xavier entered his car and drove towards the location of his hideout, a ce he and his men had been working illegally without the approval of the government since they had decided not to help. So he was left with no choice but to take matters into his own hands.


    Xavier drove for about two hours before he arrived at the hideout which was deep into the jungle. But there was a safe path cleared for cars to drive in and out without getting noticed unless it was already on the main road.


    Xavier got out of his car and went into his two-storey building hideout. Huge bulky men with guns in theirrge hands greeted Xavier as he walked inside the hideout as they followed behind him.


    "Have you heard anything from the men at their hideout, Maxwell?" Xavier questioned the man, Maxwell, who had called him back when he was in his office, informing him about the location of the hideout of the kidnappers.


    Maxwell, a man in histe 20s with ck hair and ck eyes, with sses holding on the bridges of his nose nodded his head, dropping the gun he was checking out.


    "They said the kidnappers are still there. So far, they haven¡¯t sensed the presence of our men there," Maxwell replied, intending to pick another gun.


    "And any report regarding the conditions of the girls?" He asked.


    Maxwell sighed before he replied, "So far, they said a young girl was dragged into a room with them but they didn¡¯t hear her scream anymore."


    Xavier gritted his teeth in anger as he ordered, "Everyone, suit up. We are going to rescue the girls tonight. I¡¯m giving you half an hour before we leave!"


    "Yes sir!!" The men answered in unison.


    Without wasting any time, Xavier changed his business suit into a battle suit. He wore a bulletproof vest with guns attached to his battle suits.


    He looked different from the usual business tycoon.


    The men loaded their cars with all the weapons they would need for their mission.


    At exactly thirty minutes, the men were ready.


    Xavier was about to leave when his hand was grabbed by a girl. She looked at him with wide eyes as she asked, "Savior, where are you going? Are you going to leave me here alone?"


    "Amanda," Xavier called. "We are going to catch some bad guys and we will be back soon," he added as he patted her head.


    Amanda¡¯s eyes lit up in excitement.


    "You are going to bring me some toys to y with? Yay!!" She rejoiced happily.


    "That¡¯s right, we are going to bring some toys for you to y with once we are back," Xavier replied.


    "Yay!! The toy you gave mest week is so weak, he died after only a few tortures. Alright, I won¡¯t hold you back. Go and bring me some toys savior," said Amanda.


    Xavier patted her head onest time before he got into the van and zoomed off.

 Chapter 30: Who The Fuck Are You?

    Whenever people went missing, nobody would care about their disappearance unless they had family members or friends who cared. Currently, the police only look into the matter a few months before they dere the missing person dead. And just like that, the case is closed.


    Unless the missing persons¡¯ rtive insists on continuing the search, that¡¯s only when the police would continue their job.


    The girls have gone missing for three months straight. The police looked into the matter for just a few months and are possibly going to dere the girls dead without even finding their bodies.


    "We need to save them tonight before they make their move," Xavier said and the other men nodded.


    Together, they matched towards the hideout.


    Xavier frowned deeply when he saw the hideout. The house waspletely in shambles, the woods, and bricks doing their best to hold it in one piece.


    The hideout looked like the wind tried to blow it away but it tried its best to stand firmly on the ground. The total number of men Xavier had brought with him was 10, so he split them ordingly.


    The two men from earlier had already informed the divisions of the house, including where the girls were ced and where some of the men were, drinking their lives away while others secured their hideout until their next journey began. Including the number of kidnappers, which was a total of 18 men.


    Xavier was left with two other men behind him, Maxwell being included.


    They sneaked through the gate, entering the yard of the hideout but they didn¡¯t see any of the kidnappers around.


    One of the men who had been assigned to watch over the hideout earlier was with Xavier as he led them towards where the girls were kept.


    When they entered the shambled house, they tried to keep their steps as quiet as they could because the woods were already starting to creak.


    On the stairs, they encountered a man who was zipping up his jeans, his eyes closed as if he was reminiscing about a sweet moment that had just happened with a cigarette in his mouth.


    When he opened his eyes, he sighted three strange men in front of him.


    Instinctively, he took his gun and was about to shoot but wasn¡¯t given the chance to.


    Xavier gave him a headshot immediately and he fell t on the ground, dead.


    Naturally, the sound of the gunshot echoed around the shambled house so everyone started panicking.


    The kidnappers were on high alert so quickly, they took their guns and started firing all over, wasting their bullets without even shooting an actual enemy.


    "What the fuck was that?!" One of the kidnappers questioned as he stood up from his seat. His skin was bby while the hair on his head and chin had both turned white. Beside him were two other men who were also on high alert due to the gunshot that seemed to be in close range with them.


    "Stay here, I will go and check," said another. He had a bald head with long beards. His ck beards were so long one would think he shaved all the hair on his head and glued them to his chin.


    The bearded man didn¡¯t take more than ten steps before a bullet pierced through his head as well.


    The children jolted in fear. Their eyes closed as they started to hope they were being saved.


    The white-haired man quickly grabbed a girl as a form of protection.


    "Take any step and I will blow her brains out!" The white-haired man threatened, his salivanding on the strands of the girl¡¯s hair.


    Her eyes were closed, her mouth was taped and her hands were tied behind her. Tears streamed down her eyes as she epted her fate.


    Xavier red at the man, his gun pointed at the white-haired man. He and his men took a threatening step towards the two kidnappers who were using the girls as shields.


    "If youe any closer, I swear to God, I will fucking blow her brains out. Don¡¯t you fucking y with me man," the white-haired man added. He was also afraid since he didn¡¯t know who was standing in front of him. But one thing was for sure, he was an enemy since he killed his men.


    "Step away from the girl," Xavier ordered, his eyes ring at the white-haired man.


    He was in a tight spot at the moment. If he shot the bullet, the kidnappers might kill the girls. But if he¡¯s able to give another headshot, he can take care of the white-haired man while one of his men takes care of the other one.


    The white-haired man frowned as he questioned, "Who the fuck are you?"

 Chapter 31: Keep Some Toys Alive

    The one who seemed to be the oldest was around fifteen. She was the only one who wasn¡¯t crying but her eyes were red as she tried to restrain herself from shedding tears. The youngest looked to be either eight or nine years old.


    Their clothes were dirty and they all looked skinny.


    ¡¯Are they even given food?¡¯ He wondered as his eyes softened when he stared at them.


    As soon as they were all untied, they immediately crawled towards the fifteen-year-old girl. She had brown that was so dark he wondered if those were its actual colors or they were dirt. Her eyes were as dark as night as she stared at Xavier warily.


    "You don¡¯t have to be scared of me, I¡¯m here to save you," said Xavier as she stretched out his hand to hold one of the girls who hugged the fifteen-year-old, but she immediately flinched in fear.


    "W-who are you?" The fifteen-year-old girl asked.


    "I¡¯m Xavier. These are my men," he pointed at Maxwell and the other who was keeping an eye out. "Me and my other men who are outside fighting with the kidnappers came to rescue you guys. We are not bad people," he added, hoping he could win her trust since she seems to have been protecting the girls as if she were their mother.


    He stared at her, noticing that her clothes looked dirtier than the other children¡¯s. It also had holes in it. He also didn¡¯t fail to notice the bruises on her face and arm. She had been manhandled and he didn¡¯t need to ask her if they touched her because, from the bruises on her skin and torn clothes, in addition with the bloodstains on her shirt, they did.


    Xavier sighed. He med himself for beingte.


    There had been different cases of kidnapping of children across the world and he was trying his best to rescue as many as he could. He had extended his organization to other cities and countries, but one man couldn¡¯t save everyone.


    "Will you hurt us?" The girl asked, tears pooling in her eyes before they streamed down but she didn¡¯t make any sound. Her lips trembled, but she tried to keep herself frompletely tearing up.


    Xavier nodded vehemently as he smiled at her, d that he would be able to get them out of the hideout.


    "I promise, I will save you and the other girls." His eyesnded on the other girls.


    "Alright, we wille with you," she added.


    Without wasting a moment, Xavier led them. He and Maxwell were in front while the other one was behind, in case any kidnapper popped up out of nowhere.


    It was already dark outside, and the moonlight cascaded upon them. Dead bodiesid scattered on the floor. When Xavier didn¡¯t recognize any of his men to be part of the dead bodies, he internally sighed in relief. He counted the bodies, there were seven thaty on the ground.


    ¡¯There are seven more criminals around,¡¯ Xavier thought to himself. He heard more gunshots from behind the house.


    Quickly, he ordered Maxwell and the other one to lead the girls to the van and they immediately did as they were told.


    The girls tried to run as fast as they could as fear tried to hold them back. It wasn¡¯t the first time they were seeing a dead body, but they were still scared to look at a lifeless body.


    When Xavier was sure the girls would be taken care of, he went to the back.


    He saw his men hiding by the side of the house as they tried to not get shot by the remaining kidnappers.


    When a kidnapper stuck out his head to fire a few shots, he was immediately killed by Xavier before he hid in the same spot as his men.


    "Boss, are the girls safe?" One of his men asked. His face was covered with blood which had Xavier give him a questionable look. "Don¡¯t worry boss, it¡¯s not my blood," he added.


    "The girls are safe and they are headed towards the van," Xavier replied. He could hear the silence that reigned for a second before a huge explosion deafened them.


    The ground shook due to the explosion.


    "The remaining three men are in the area where the bomb had just exploded," one of the armed men who were hiding beside the house informed. "T-they a-are dead," he stuttered.


    Xavier gritted his teeth.


    He took out a grenade from his bulletproof vest and threw it at the enemies.


    He had strictly instructed his men not to use the grenade until the girls were safe and because of that, he had lost three of his men.


    The bomb exploded, the debris giving them the opportunity to attack.


    "Keep three kidnappers alive, I promised Amanda to bring some toys for her when I get back," said Xavier.

 Chapter 32: Almost Kissed

    Due to his busy schedule, he rarely saw her.


    "Yes please, if it¡¯s not too much trouble," he replied with a faint smile on his lips.


    Food was thest thing on his mind since he and his men had gone to rescue the kidnapped girls. The girls were safe but he hasn¡¯t contacted their rtives yet. But he lost three of his men on the mission.


    But since everything was settled, he was starting to get hungry.


    Anastasia stared at him for a few seconds, her eyes running up and down his figure, before she mumbled, "You look tired."


    Xavier¡¯s eyes widened a bit, surprised she could sense how tired he was.


    "I will quickly go and fix something up for you," she added.


    Without waiting for him to reply to her statement, he dashed towards the kitchen. The smile on Xavier¡¯s lips broadened even more before he went to his room to take a shower.


    When he was done, he came back downstairs and found the dining table garnished with a bowl of noodles while Anastasia stood by the side with her head lowered, refusing to make eye contact with him.


    "I forgot I can¡¯t cook," she mumbled, raising her head a little before looking back down in shame.


    Xavier pulled the chair and sat down. "It¡¯s okay, I can teach you how to cook if you want me to," he responded, which had Anastasia stare at him in shock.


    "Ahh...N-no, it¡¯s too much trouble," Anastasia immediately refused. She felt her body move to grab a chair and sit on it.


    ¡¯Can he even cook? He might just teach me rubbish,¡¯ Anastasia wondered. If only she knew the meal she ate after her allergies cleared up was made by Xavier.


    "I can cook pretty well," said Xavier, as if reading her thoughts. "I¡¯m the second best cook in my family," he added, taking a full spoon of noodles. It looked delicious and he was too hungry to care if it tasted good or not.


    "And who¡¯s the first?" Anastasia asked, quite shocked that he could cook.


    "My father," Xavier replied before he stuffed his mouth with the spoon filled with noodles.


    ¡¯His father? I¡¯ve only spoken to his father once, at the party,¡¯ Anastasia thought to herself before she heard Xavier make a sound as he chewed the noodles.


    His eyes were closed as his muscles flexed, trying to keep himself from throwing up.


    When he swallowed, he thought he¡¯d survived a world war where salt was used as a weapon.


    "Is it good?" She asked him.


    Xavier stared at her cute expression for a second, sad that he was going to hit her with the truth.


    "You added too much salt," he replied.


    Anastasia¡¯s shoulder dropped in disappointment as she rested her back on the seat. "I should have just woken up one of the maids instead," she mumbled before standing up. "I will go wake one of them up toe prepare something for you to eat," she added, getting up to take the bowl away but Xavier stopped her.


    "Wait, I will eat it," he said.


    "You just said there¡¯s too much salt, you can¡¯t eat it," she reminded, about to take the bowl again but Xavier held her hand.


    "I said I will eat it so I will eat it," he argued.


    "But it¡¯s not healthy to eat something that has too much salt in it."


    Anastasia was about to pull her hand away from Xavier¡¯s grip, but thetter surprised her by pulling her onto hisp.


    The both of them froze stiffly as they stared at each other in the eyes,pletely baffled by their position.


    "I said I will eat it," Xavier repeated his words from earlier. His face was so close to hers that she gulped down her saliva in fear as her heart raced in her chest.


    Anastasia blinked at him with her mouth slightly open. She stuck out her tongue, swiftly wetting her lips, anticipating what she wasn¡¯t sure she wanted.


    Xavier¡¯s eyes quickly caught her action.


    Silence reigned, none of them spoke a word.


    Xavier inched closer to her lips, his hands tightening around her waist as he pulled her closer.


    Anastasia closed her eyes, awaiting the kiss. She ced her hands on his shoulders and Xavier winced in pain.


    She immediately opened her eyes and stared at him with worry etched on her face.


    "What happened?"

 Chapter 33: Second Failure

    "Where¡¯s it?" She asked.


    Xavier pointed at his closet where the first aid kit was. She fetched it out and quickly started opening it, picking out the items she needed before she took a seat as well.


    When she was done, she looked up at Xavier, ready to take out the bloody drenched bandage but immediately gasped in shock when she saw him half naked.


    She quickly shut her eyes as she gave him her back.


    "Where¡¯s your shirt?" She questioned, a rosy hue spreading on her cheeks and ears.


    "I needed to take off my shirt so that you can apply the treatments," Xavier simply replied as if Anastasia had just asked a stupid question. "If I don¡¯t take it off, you won¡¯t be able to put the treatment on," he repeated, unable to contain the smile that spread on his lips as he stared at her back.


    "Can you at least cover yourself with something?" She asked, refusing to look back at him while he was stark half naked.


    "Ana, are you shy?"


    Anastasia¡¯s face turned even a deeper shade of red at his question.


    "I¡¯m not," she lied. "I-it¡¯s all a-about cmon decency," she stuttered.


    "Hmm, I see," a low voice rumbled in his throat.


    Xavier took his shirt and covered his body with it, leaving only his broad shoulders bare.


    He could tell she was shy but he didn¡¯t want to make her any more ufortable than she already was. He still wanted to spend some more time with her before she went to bed. And if he declined her request, she might change her mind about helping him dress his wound.


    "I¡¯m no longer half naked," he informed.


    It took Anastasia a few seconds before she turned around, sighing in relief when she saw that he had already covered himself up.


    "I will start by removing this one," she went back to business, her cheeks still red. She nearly admired his body but quickly snapped out of it.


    Xavier didn¡¯t say anything, he simply let her do what she wanted.


    But the silence was too loud for both of them. They could almost hear their heart beating in their chests. Ana wanted to forget what had happened earlier at the dining table, but the image lived rent-free in her mind.


    On the other hand, Xavier wanted to ask her how her day was. He wanted to start a conversation that would loosen the tension between them.


    ¡¯How am I supposed to start this?¡¯ He wondered, making a mental note to ask Kace for help. But then he remembered his youngest brother was only going to tease him, using him of <i>falling in love </i>with Anastasia.


    "How was the shoot today?" He asked her when his mind finally found words he could say.


    Ana¡¯s hands paused for a second before they resumed putting on a new bandage.


    "I pped Michelle."


    A smirk appeared on Xavier¡¯s lips.


    "The p wasn¡¯t part of the script from the movie but I still gave her one. Thankfully, director Jeunes found it iconic and approved of it," she added, pressing the bandage down slightly before she got off the bed.


    "You did a good job," he responded.


    Anastasia nodded. "I¡¯m done," she said, about to head back to the closet to drop the first aid kit, where she found it. But Xavier grabbed her arm, making her halt.


    "Ana," he called.


    Anastasia faced him with a smile on her lips. "I won¡¯t forget to tell a maid to make you something to eatter," she said. Her eyes lowered to her hand that he held protectively, his big palm covering her slender onespletely.


    She was starting to getfortable around Xavier but in a situation like this, she didn¡¯t know if she wished it happened or not.


    Xavier was her husband, the man who saved her when her family wanted to get rid of her permanently. She wasn¡¯t sure if the feelings that brewed in her heart were because he saved her or something more. Either way, she was still thankful to him.


    Xavier cupped her cheeks, leaning in to kiss her but was interrupted by the sound of his ringtone.


    Xavier nearly snapped. This was the second time in one day he tried to kiss her but something always interrupted.


    Anastasia immediately took the chance to bolt from his room, wishing him a <i>good night. </i>

 Chapter 34: An Itchy Plan

    Xavier sighed. He had always known that Amanda didn¡¯t like her patience being tested when she was questioning her toys. They were just fresh toys and she¡¯d already killed one. Now he considered bringing more back the next time he went on a mission.


    "Update me when you reveal some information," said Xavier.


    "Got it," said Kace. "Xavier," he called.


    Xavier paused his thumb that was about to hang up on the phone call. "What is it?"


    "What were you doing earlier, before I called you?" Kace asked him, a teasing smile on his lips, and somehow, Xavier knew he was smiling.


    "It¡¯s none of your business," Xavier snapped before he hung up on the phone call.


    He knew that Kace had called him because he needed to tell him something important. But still, he wished thetter hadn¡¯t called in the first ce. He had interrupted his move.


    Xavier sighed, confused by his actions as well. He couldn¡¯t help but remember someone from his past whenever Anastasia was around.


    "Get yourself back together, Xavier," he said to himself.


    **


    It was the second day of shooting another scene of <i>The Sinner</i>, and Selene was excited to go to work again.


    Selene greeted her colleagues while Kace was trailing behind her, his face etched with confusion.


    "Selene, did you and Xavier fight?" He suddenly asked, catching her off guard.


    She halted her steps before shaking her head vehemently.


    "Why do you ask?"


    "Well, when I came to pick you up, you seemed to be avoiding Xavier. He offered you breakfast but you declined, knowing fully well that you have to eat before wee here else you will be too tired to do anything," Kace responded.


    Selene¡¯s face turned slightly red when she remembered what had urred between her and Xavier the previous night. But she wasn¡¯t going to tell him that.


    "You are thinking too much about it. I wasn¡¯t hungry so I didn¡¯t eat breakfast," she lied.


    She had been surprised when she saw Xavier in the morning. Usually, he would have already left for work so seeing him made her rememberst night.


    Kace stared at her for a few seconds without saying anything.


    "What? Why would I be avoiding Xavier in the first ce? He didn¡¯t do anything wrong to me," she added, feeling pressured under Kace¡¯s gaze before sheughed.


    "Do you like my brother Xavier?" Kace suddenly asked.


    He had seen some changes in Xavier¡¯s attitude. Usually, Xavier wouldn¡¯t waste time cooking for a woman. He rarely cooked for himself even and when he and Mark saw him making food for Anastasia a few weeks ago, he knew his brother had changed or love had changed him.


    Thetter didn¡¯t seem to know he was in love with Selene.


    "W-what?" Selene asked, shock written all over her face.


    She didn¡¯t get the chance to say anything else when she saw Michelle walking towards them.


    "Selene, how are you doing?" She asked her, a huge smile on her lips which had the two confused.


    Selene had expected Michelle to still be fretting over the p but with the smile on her face, she seemed to have gotten over it.


    Selene¡¯s ears narrowed at Michelle slightly.


    ¡¯Impossible, she should be up to something,¡¯ Selene thought to herself.


    She wasn¡¯t sure of that but one thing was for sure, she needed to be careful with Michelle around.


    "I¡¯m doing fine, Michelle," Selene replied.


    "Alright then, I will be going inside," said Michelle. Selene¡¯s eyes were on Michelle¡¯s back as she retreated.


    "She has something nned for you," said Kace.


    Selene turned to him before she shrugged. Director Jeunes came and announced for the cast to go get ready for the next scene.


    Selene went to her makeup room. She found Allison and Natalie already waiting for her.


    Immediately, they began.


    Allison got Selene¡¯s makeup kit ready while Natalie readied the dress she would be wearing.


    Allison put some powder at the back of her hand, took the makeup brush, and was about to apply it on Selene¡¯s face when she noticed her hand bing itchy all of a sudden.


    "Excuse me, ma¡¯am," said Allison, dropping the brush back before she could apply the powder on Selene¡¯s face. She scratched the back of her palm before intending to take the brush back but the itch came again. "Why did my hand suddenly be itchy," she mumbled under her breath.

 Chapter 35: It Was Michelle

    He sighed, wishing he would get the chance to speak to her more properly.


    Martha nudged Liam on the hand, grabbing his attention. "What are you looking at?" She asked him, looking in the direction where his view was and itnded on Selene. "She looks beautiful doesn¡¯t she?" Martha asked.


    She and Liam have been friends for a long time since both of them started their careers from scratch. They were best friends who strived together until they achieved their dreams. Now, they were both one of the most famous actors in Radiantia.


    "I don¡¯t know," Liam responded. Without giving her the chance to say anything else, he added, "I will be going ahead."


    He left while Martha stared at his retreating back with a faint smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes. She sighed before she left as well.


    When director Jeunes arrived, everyone immediately got into position.


    "ACTION!!" He screamed through the microphone. Unfortunately for him, the people near him had anticipated that word so they closed their ears in advance.


    Selene walked out of the pce, intending to leave and go back to her father¡¯s kingdom before she got married to King Ardine.


    King Ardine had the bodyguards try to stop her but they didn¡¯t dare to since the queen was ring at them, daring them to touch her.


    She was still the queen and she could have them punished if they dared touch her.


    King Ardine continued to plead for her forgiveness but she didn¡¯t pay any attention to him.


    As Selene was about to take one more step, she felt her shoes break, turning her ankle at an odd angle as she yelped in pain.


    Michelle smirked from where she stood, staring at Selene.


    Immediately, everyone came to Selene¡¯s help. Since Liam was the closest to her, he helped her stand up but she couldn¡¯t walk so he had to carry her.


    Selene¡¯s eyes widened in shock when she found her feet lifting away from the ground. But the shock wasn¡¯t enough to suppress the pain she felt in her right ankle.


    Everyone was amazed when they saw Liam lift Selene off the ground. The girls blushed, wondering how strong he was. They covered their mouths as they murmured between themselves, wishing they were in Selene¡¯s position.


    Liam gently settled Selene on the chair that was arranged by the crew.


    "What happened?" Director Jeunes asked, his face and everyone¡¯s face etched with confusion


    At first, she was acting without any problem before she suddenly yelped in pain.


    "My shoe broke," said Selene, wincing in pain as she tried to bnce her feet on the ground, but she couldn¡¯t. The pain was burning too much. "And my ankle bent," she added, closing her eyes to try to suppress the pain.


    Everyone¡¯s eyesnded on a piece of the shoe that was where she fell then looked at her left, where her ankles were bent.


    "How did your shoes break?! Didn¡¯t the stylist check everything before she gave you the shoes?!" Director Jeunes barked, obviously annoyed with the turn of events. His lead actress had been injured due to the carelessness of one of his crew members. "Where¡¯s the stylist?" He questioned out loud.


    Natalie rushed out when she heard her name being called by other people.


    When she saw Selene¡¯s ankle which didn¡¯t look normal, she gasped.


    "Ms. Selene, what happened to you?" She asked, worry etched on her face. But Selene was in too much pain to open her mouth to speak.


    Kace went to her to try to rub her feet but she wouldn¡¯t let him near it.


    "Selene¡¯s shoes broke while she was acting, how on earth did that happen?" Director Jeunes questioned the young girl, whose heart was already beating loudly in her chest.


    "What?" She gasped, her eyes alsonding on the parts of the shoes that were in different locations. "I promise you, director, I always check the clothes and shoes that Ms. Selene wears. I don¡¯t know how this happened," the girl panicked.


    In a situation like this, a lot of people might think she had done something like that to sabotage Selene and the movie. It had been a regr urrence in the movie industry.


    Tears flowed out of her eyes. Director Jeunes was a serious man who didn¡¯t like any mistakes in his movies and she believed she had messed up.


    "Well, how do you exin how the shoes broke?" Director Jeunes questioned, his eyes ring at her, expecting an exnation that she didn¡¯t have.


    "I might have an idea who was behind this," Kace suddenly spoke and everyone¡¯s attention went to him. "It was Michelle."

 Chapter 36: It Was An Act

    Michelle¡¯s eyes opened wide in shock. She had never expected Kace to analyze everything so well and end at thest bus stop. Michelle felt as if her cupboard had just been opened, and all her secrets had been let out.


    She thought she had done everything so well that nobody would pin any kind of me on her. But she should have expected Kace to always be around her and open up her closet filled with secrets.


    Michelle stared around her and found all the crew and cast looking at her with confusion as they waited for her to defend herself or say something at least.


    All that Kace had said made sense and she hadn¡¯t imagined that he woulde to Selene¡¯s rescue, else she would have already practiced earlier on how she was going to reply to his usation.


    "I didn¡¯t do anything," she said, her voice barely audible since it was muffled by her silent cries. "Yesterday, Selene came to me and apologized for the p and I forgave her immediately. I¡¯m not the kind of person to hold a grudge against people," she added, tears streaming down her eyes as she hoped they would believe her, especially director Jeunes.


    If he doesn¡¯t believe her, then that would be the end of her participation in the movie. People are going to tweet about what she did and her fans are going to hate her for it. So she internally prayed that Director Jeunes would believe her.


    "Michelle is not the one behind this," Selene suddenly spoke and everyone¡¯s eyes were on her. "We are friends and friends can¡¯t possibly do such a thing to another friend," she added.


    Kace stared at her, wondering why she would say such a thing. He could see through Michelle¡¯s lies and fake cries but he couldn¡¯t understand what was going on in Selene¡¯s mind.


    "And Natalie is not the one at fault either. It was just a simple mistake. The shoes do look old and the wood probably gave up holding my weight so it broke," she continued.


    She stared at director Jeunes.


    "No one was at fault here, it was just the bad condition of the wood the shoes were made with."


    Everyone was shocked but no one was more shocked than Michelle.


    ¡¯Has she always been this stupid?¡¯ Michelle wondered.


    But she was also d that Selene was able to cover up for her. If any second had been wasted, she was sure director Jeunes would have fired her from participating in the movie.


    "What a beautiful friendship they have," said one person.


    "Even though she was in pain, she managed to bite through it so that she could save her friend."


    People started murmuring around them, admiring how their rtionship was.


    "I see," director Jeunes suddenly spoke. "If that¡¯s the case then I think I should be yelling at whoever made these shoes. He¡¯s so ipetent," he added.


    His eyes went to Natalie who was crying her eyes out, and apologized.


    "I¡¯m sorry for yelling at you earlier, Natalie."


    Director Jeunes might be a renowned man but he knew when to apologize whenever he was wrong.


    "It¡¯s no problem, sir," she nodded in understanding, wiping her tears. "But I think we should call a doctor immediately for Ms. Selene," she added.


    "No it¡¯s okay," said Selene. "It still hurts but I think I only need to put ice on it in case it swells."


    "Please take care of yourself, Selene. You can have the rest of the day to recover," said director Jeunes.


    After that, Kace helped Selene up and took her to the car. Michelle was about to follow them but was immediately stopped by Kace.


    As soon as they entered the car, Selene stared at Kace as she asked with a grin stretched on her lips, "So, how was my acting?"

 Chapter 37: An Invitation

    "You could have punished her by letting director Jeunes kick her out of the movie. I¡¯m sure that would have been the best thing to happen to her," said Kace. He was hoping that Michelle would be kicked out of the movie since she was so wicked, she nearly broke someone¡¯s ankle all in the name of jealousy.


    "Remember, I have to be in a good rtionship with her. So far, she hasn¡¯t invited me to the Harrison mansion again. And there¡¯s no way I can get into the Harrisonpany building without an invite. Maybe I need to get closer to Mr Harrison," she mumbled thest word.


    A faint smile pulled on her lips before she added, "I¡¯m still busy with Michelle at the moment and I will wait for her to invite me again. But if nothing happens after a few weeks, I will have to change my target."


    Kace frowned. "What do you mean by changing your target?" Kace asked, confusion written all over his face.


    "Jack," she mentioned. "Jack will be my new target."


    Kace didn¡¯t quite understand what she meant by calling her brother¡¯s name. From her expression, she didn¡¯t seem to want to continue the conversation so he decided to drop it.


    "It¡¯s a good thing Director Jeunes gave you the rest of the day off," he said, igniting the engines of the car before they zoomed off from the shooting site.


    Selene got home and found the house empty as usual at that time. Except for the faint noises the maids made from the back.


    Kace didn¡¯t stay to keep Selenepany. He still needed to see the condition of the criminal Amanda hadn¡¯t killed yet. She was ying with his skin by pressing a hot iron on it before he left the hideout. He could only hope she hadn¡¯t killed him yet.


    Since there was nothing for Selene to do, she decided to go take a nap. It was just afternoon.


    A few hourster, she woke up to the sound of her phone ringing.


    Frowning, she mumbled, "Who could be calling me now?"


    She checked the caller, a smirk pulling on her lips when she saw that it was Michelle.


    "The green snake is calling."


    She picked it up and Michelle¡¯s soft and gentle tone nearly made her puke.


    "Selene, I¡¯ve been trying to call you for the past hour but you weren¡¯t picking up. I also texted you but you didn¡¯t reply to any of my texts. I was worried that something worse might have happened to you, are you okay over there?" Michelle asked. She made sure her tone seemed like that of a person who cared about another.


    Selene copied her tone too, sounding weak and gentle as she replied, "I was asleep and I just saw the call right now."


    "How is your leg? Should Ie over to your house? I want to take care of you," said Michelle. She had just realized that she didn¡¯t know Selene¡¯s address or much about her yet. Except her name and that she wasn¡¯t Anastasia.


    On the other hand, Selene had to cover the speaker of her phone before she pretended to barf.


    "How does she not get irritated with her voice? Can she not hear herself?" Selene wondered before she released the speaker.


    "I¡¯m not at home," she lied. She couldn¡¯t afford to have Michellee to Xavier¡¯s mansion and see her there. "I went directly to a friend¡¯s ce. She helped me with my leg," she added.


    "I see," Michelle hummed from over the phone, her expression disgusted with what she was going to say next. "How about I pick you up from your friend¡¯s ce and we will go to the Wace mansion?" She suggested.


    When Michelle had first met Selene, she only wanted to be closer to her so that she could find out if she was Anastasia or not. But now that she knows that Selene isn¡¯t Anastasia, she needs to still be on good terms with her so that Selene won¡¯t start suspecting her of sabotaging her shoes earlier.


    ¡¯Wace mansion,¡¯ Selene thought.


    "Would it be alright if we went there?" She wondered. She had not spoken with or heard from any of the Wace family after old Wace¡¯s birthday party. And she couldn¡¯t help but feel pressured when she heard their names. They were still her iws after all.


    "Of course, there¡¯s no problem at all. I¡¯m their daughter-inw after all and you are my friend. I¡¯m sure they would love to see you again," Michelle responded.


    Selene gave it some thought, wondering if she should inform Xavier about it but then remembered she was ignoring him. Instead, she decided to text Kace about it after the call.


    "Sure, I would love to see them again," Selene replied.

 Chapter 38: Task Seems Difficult

    Xavier noticed his expression and stared at the phone, his face pulling into a frown as well.


    "Michelle invited her to the Wace household?"


    **


    Selene took a seat on a bench she found on the street as she waited for Michelle.


    She didn¡¯t have any friends that she went to see as she lied to Michelle. So to avoid her asking about such a friend, she left the estate where Xavier¡¯s mansion was built. And moved even a few blocks further down so Michelle wouldn¡¯t suspect anything.


    She had sent Michelle an address and thetter had texted back she was already there but Selene hadn¡¯t seen her yet.


    Not quite long after, Selene found Michelle¡¯s car driving towards her.


    Michelle got out of the car and immediately rushed to go hug Selene while thetter tried her best to hug her back.


    "Why are you sitting down here? What about your friend?" Michelle asked like a caring friend she was.


    "She had to rush off somewhere so I decided to wait here for you," Selene replied.


    Michelle nodded in understanding. "Well, let¡¯s go." She helped Selene get into the car even though thetter seemed to have a hang of it.


    Selene didn¡¯t work perfectly normally but she did make herself look injured by the shoe by limping a bit.


    Michelle drove towards the Wace mansion.


    When Selene¡¯s eyesnded on the Wace mansion, her eyes immediately went wide in surprise. She thought Xavier¡¯s mansion was big, but the Wace mansion looked bigger.


    The gates were bigger, the mansion was bigger and the fountain was bigger too with many beautiful flowers nted around the house.


    Michelle got out of the car and helped Selene get down.


    "I told old Wace that you wereing over and she was very ecstatic to see you," Michelle informed even though she felt very bitter.


    Old Wace had never been that happy whenever she was around her. But when she had just told the woman that Selene wasing over, she immediately rejoiced and instructed the servants to get started with dinner.


    "Oh really, that¡¯s nice," Selene replied. She wasn¡¯t meant to be too excited about that information so she kept her reply neutral.


    The both of them walked inside with the maids greeting Michelle while giving Selene a side-eye.


    Selene¡¯s eyes caught old Wace, Xavier¡¯s mom, and Dad sitting on the couch as they enjoyed a very good entertainment.


    Selene nced at the huge TV and found a wrestling match disyed on it while old Wace had a very excited look on her face.


    A small smile crept on Selene¡¯s face.


    "Grandma, Selene is here," Michelle called, gaining their attention.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes turned towards the door where Michelle and Selene were.


    "Anastasia!!" Old Wace called.


    Selene nced at Michelle and thetter smiled at her.


    "Endure it for now."


    It seemed the old Wace still didn¡¯t want to start calling her Selene yet.


    "Anastasia,e give me a hug," said old Wace.


    Selene limped towards Old Wace with Michelle¡¯s help until she reached the old woman.


    "What happened to your leg, darling?" Old Wace asked, concern evident in her tone.


    "There was a little ident at the shooting site today, but I¡¯m fine," Selene replied.


    Old Wace enveloped her in a hug while Selene bowed respectfully to Mr. and Mrs Wace. They acknowledged her with a slight nod.


    "That reminds me, Xavier said he would being over for dinner tonight," old Wace suddenly announced.


    Michelle immediately smiled happily. Xavier didn¡¯t usuallye home but whenever he did, it was to see old Wace and have a talk with his father.


    Michelle had tried talking to him several times but he would always ignore her as if she was mere air. But she never gave up.


    ¡¯Xavier ising here?¡¯ Anastasia asked herself. She had nned to ignore him the whole day but it seemed that task would be impossible.


    "I¡¯m here," they heard Xavier¡¯s voice from the entrance of the mansion.

 Chapter 39: What If I’m In Love With You

    She walked towards him and tapped him on the shoulder, making his jolt.


    Richard stared at Michelle, shock evident on his face since he hadn¡¯t heard here in.


    "What do you want this time?" He asked her.


    "Why would you dirty our room like this? Sometimes I feel like I¡¯m living with an animal instead of a human," Michelle spat out of anger.


    Richardbed his messy hair with his hand, sighing.


    "Xavier is downstairs," she informed. Richard sprang out from his gaming seat as soon as he heard Xavier¡¯s name.


    "What is Xavier doing downstairs?" Richard asked her.


    Michelle frowned deeply. "How would I know?" She questioned him. "You¡¯d better behave around him, he might consider giving you a job at the Wacepany so behave," she added, picking out some clothes from the closet before moving to the bathroom.


    Richard slumped on his gaming seat, sighing again.


    "Why does he keeping to this house?" Richard asked himself.


    Richard was extremely scared of Xavier. He was his elder brother after all and thetter had always been harsh on him, only being lenient towards Kace.


    Whenever he was around Xavier, he felt like he couldn¡¯t breathe anymore.


    Sighing again, he stood up from the chair and headed downstairs.


    His eyes nearly popped when he saw <i>Anastasia </i>also, sitting beside his grandma.


    Old Wace had pulled Selene to sit beside her which had Xavier scowl a little.


    He didn¡¯t need to ask her to know she was ignoring him and he was aware it was because of what happened the previous night.


    Richard continued to ogle at Selene. He felt one part of his body growing as he kicked his lips out of lust toward Selene.


    ¡¯What a sexy woman,¡¯ he thought to himself.


    "Xavier," Richard called. "Long time no see," he added, taking a seat beside Xavier.


    "Don¡¯t sit beside me," Xavier said, his tone firm andmanding.


    Richard¡¯s butt which was about to sit on the couch, immediately paused. He didn¡¯t need to be told twice so he quickly moved to another seat.


    Selene could feel Richard¡¯s gaze from the corners of her eyes as he stared at her. It made her feel disgusted and ufortable, especially after all that Richard had done to her in the past.


    Xavier noticed the difort etched on Selene¡¯s face as she tried to maintain a smile for old Wace.


    "Please forgive me for always calling you Anastasia. It¡¯s just that she was a very sweet girl and you remind me of her so much," said old Wace. She ced her hand on Selene¡¯s before she blurted out the next question, "Are you married dear?"


    "W-what? No, of course not grandma. I¡¯m not married," she replied.


    "That¡¯s good because I was hoping you would get married to Xavier," old Wace blurted out again.


    Xavier nearly spat out the water he was drinking. He dropped the ss of water before he stood up.


    "Selene, may I speak with you?" Xavier requested.


    Old Wace¡¯s eyes immediately sparkled in excitement as she stared at her grumpy grandson, thinking he was going to make a move towards Selene.


    Selene excused herself as she followed behind Xavier. She tried to keep up with Xavier¡¯s long stride as he led her outside of the mansion, towards the beautiful garden.


    "Wow," she gasped when she saw the garden. "The garden looks so beautiful."


    Xavier stared at the garden before staring back at her, trying to understand what she was saying.


    "It¡¯s just flowers," he said.


    Selene opened her mouth, trying to find words but immediately closed it back before she would say the wrong thing.


    "What did you want to talk to me about?" She asked instead.


    Xavier¡¯s eyes narrowed at her. "You don¡¯t have to ignore me all day."


    Selene¡¯s cheeks turned warm, blood rushing towards her ears before she looked away.


    "And who says I was ignoring you?"


    "We both know you are, Selene," said Xavier.


    He wasn¡¯t sure what got into him the previous night but he was sure of one thing. He wanted to taste those lips.


    "I don¡¯t know what you are talking about Xavier."


    Selene limped towards the garden so that she could take a better look at it.


    Xavier already knows about what happened at the shoot since Kace had already informed him about it. He followed behind her.


    Xavier nced around, feeling a gaze at his back. Someone was watching him and he had a good idea who it could be.


    He parted his mouth to ask, "Selene, what if I¡¯m in love with you?"

 Chapter 40: We Don’t Need To Be Friends

    Each day that passed by, Michelle could feel her patience wearing off with Richard. She only wanted to be married to Xavier but thetter didn¡¯t seem to want to give her what she wanted.


    "I¡¯m never going to get married to you, Michelle. So you should forget about that marriage," Xavier spat in her face, immediately hurting her ego.


    Michelle felt herself shrink back at Xavier¡¯s words.


    "In case you don¡¯t understand the message I¡¯ve been passing across to you, let me say it out loud then," said Xavier turning to face her as he continued. "You and I are never going to get married, today, tomorrow, or in the future. If you want to divorce Richard, you can go ahead and do as you please. But I won¡¯t repeat myself, Michelle. We are never getting married." After saying what he wanted to say, he walked back inside the mansion.


    Michelle stood frozen. She gripped her chest as if it was going to burst with how fast her heart was beating.


    Tears streamed down her face uncontrobly as Xavier¡¯s words repeated in her mind even though he was no longer there.


    "This is not possible," she mumbled to herself.


    Months ago, after they found out that Xavier was back from his business trip, they tried to make him sign the divorce papers that <i>Anastasia </i>had already signed, but he would always make excuses.


    If only they knew that he was just waiting for <i>Anastasia </i>to wake up so that she could tell him how shended in the deep forest.


    Michelle¡¯s expression suddenly changed to that of someone who wanted to shed blood.


    Selene¡¯s image suddenly appeared in her mind.


    "It¡¯s all because of that woman, that slut," Michelle said.


    She had already gotten rid of <i>Anastasia </i>but Selene had toe out of nowhere and seduce Xavier.


    "She¡¯s gonna get it," she forced through gritted teeth.


    Wiping her tears away, Michelle made sure there wasn¡¯t any kind of sign that showed she had just cried. When she confirmed it, she went back inside.


    Dinner was ready.


    Everyone took a seat while Xavier sat down beside Selene when he saw Richard walking towards the empty seat beside her.


    Richard had to go sit down beside his wife who was still fuming internally.


    The dining table was filled with happy talks while old Wace tried to persuade Selene to consider marrying Xavier.


    ¡¯If only she knew that I was already married to Xavier and I¡¯m her granddaughter-inw,¡¯ Selene thought to herself as she kept her facial expression neutral.


    Old Wace kept talking nonstop until her daughter-inw, Xavier¡¯s mother told her to stop else her blood pressure was going to shoot up.


    The old woman obeyed her daughter-inw and only spoke a few times until they finished dinner.


    Selene didn¡¯t have to look to know that Michelle was ring at her which only made her wonder if Michelle didn¡¯t know she was being so obvious.


    "Is there a problem, Michelle?" Selene suddenly called her out.


    "It¡¯s nothing. I was just wondering if you would be going back to the shoot tomorrow, is your leg all better?" Michelle asked to cover up.


    "I will be," Selene replied.


    After they finished dinner, old Wace was taken away by Xavier¡¯s mother so that she could take her medicines and sleep.


    Xavier had to discuss something with his dad real quick. Michelle went upstairs, saying she needed to have something done, which left Selene to be alone with Richard.


    Selene resisted the urge to puke when she made eye contact with Richard. Thetter stared at her as if she was some meal he wanted to eat even though he just had dinner.


    "So Selene, I heard that you are acting in the same movie as Michelle, are you two friends now?" Richard suddenly asked which had Selene frown slightly.


    ¡¯Why would he be asking me such a question?¡¯ Selene wondered.


    "We are friends," she replied, getting up to move to another couch but Richard stood up as well and followed behind her.


    He was so close to her that she thought he was going to glue himself to her any moment.


    "So that means we can be friends right?" He asked, a smirk on his lips. "You are already friends with my wife and I don¡¯t see anything wrong if we be friends as well," he winked at her, licking his lips again.


    "Mr Wace, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any reason we would need to be friends," said Selene, wary of Richard.

 Chapter 41: Why Is He Here?

    She suddenly remembered her old self, how her father woulde into her roomte at night, her brother next, and then Richard. They would use her body however they pleased before leaving.


    Selene sighed loudly, trying to get those thoughts out of her mind. She might have changed her name but the memories of her past were still imprinted in her mind and she couldn¡¯t forget them no matter how much she tried.


    "Excuse me but it seemed you might have forgotten, Mr Wace. I¡¯m Selene, Selene Jones and it¡¯s inappropriate for you to be talking to me like that," she reminded, her tone harsh. "If youe closer to me ever again, I will report you to your brother Xavier," she added.


    Richard¡¯s expression darkened again. He gritted his teeth before he left the living room.


    Selene sighed when she saw Richard leave the room.


    "Animal," she mumbled under her breath.


    Xavier came down with his dad. He noticed the sweat glistening on Selene¡¯s forehead and asked, "Why are you sweating?"


    Selene touched her forehead, only just realizing she was sweating. "Ahh...it¡¯s nothing," she replied.


    Xavier gave her a look, not believing a word she said.


    "I will take you home," he said.


    "No need, Michelle said she would be taking me home. She was the one who brought me here," she said.


    Xavier gave her a questioning look and she read through it perfectly.


    <i>Would you rather let Michelle take you home in the middle of the night or let me do it?</i>


    "I will wait for her toe down so that I can tell her I will be going home with you instead."


    "There¡¯s no need. When shees down and doesn¡¯t see you around, I¡¯m sure she can figure it out," Xavier responded.


    "Take care, Xavier," said his father. "And you too Selene," he added, looking at her.


    The middle-aged man didn¡¯t need sses to see what was happening.


    Xavier didn¡¯t care about women but the care he showed towards Selene only meant one thing.


    Both Selene and Xavier walked out of the mansion. They got into the car and zoomed off.


    The ride was silent, without a word being said.


    "So will you tell me why you were sweating earlier?" Xavier brought back the topic.


    Selene kept mute. She didn¡¯t want to involve Xavier in everything. She had threatened Richard away and believed that was enough and he wouldn¡¯t try anything again.


    "I just got a little anxious earlier, but I¡¯m fine now," she replied.


    Xavier hummed, dropping the topic. He wanted to ask her another question but decided against it.


    They arrived at the mansion and Selene rushed in as always so that she could get away from Xavier. Since she already had dinner, all she needed to do was practice her lines until it was time to go to bed.


    **


    "CUT!!" Director Jeunes screamed over the microphone, hurting the eardrums of everyone else except his.


    "Michelle, you are supposed to show how angry you are when you are talking back at him," he reminded. Michelle didn¡¯t seem ready to shoot her lines. She had been making mistakes nonstop. "I¡¯ve told you several times, don¡¯t cry, just show how angry you are and say your lines correctly," he added, pping his forehead, clearly exasperated. "How on earth did she be an A-list celebrity when she can¡¯t even get one scene right in one take?" Director wondered, shaking his head slightly.


    On the other hand, Michelle wanted to leave the set. They repeated the same scene about seven times. She was all sweaty and sticky from being under the sun for several hours. No matter what she did, or how she did it, director Jeunes would always find fault somewhere.


    She was acting with Liam and thetter was also clearly annoyed with her acting. He was also tired of standing under the scorching hot sun just so that she would get her lines right and show the right expression.


    Selene was behind director Jeunes, trying to hold back herughter.


    "She looks so pitiful," Kace mumbled from beside her as he tried to hold back hisughter as well.


    "Alright alright, let¡¯s take an hour break. Maybe that would help you get your lines right," said director Jeunes.


    Everyone dispersed. They were also tired of standing and waiting for Michelle to get her lines right.


    Kace excused himself to use the toilet.


    "Selene."


    Selene heard her name being called by someone. Her eyesnded on Liam.


    "We have never really spoken to each other much even though we are the main leads of the movie. I just wanted topliment you on your acting. You look like a pro even though you are just a newbie."


    Selene revealed a smile before she responded, "Thank you so much. I can also say the same to you too."


    Selene had only shared a few words with Liam since thetter always looked like he was offended by someone all the time.


    Selene¡¯s eyes caught a figure and her eyes widened in shock.


    ¡¯What is Xavier doing here?¡¯

 Chapter 42: Is She On Drugs?

    Xavier sized Liam but didn¡¯t say anything.


    "His name is Liam," Selene added, her eyebrows furrowed, wondering why Xavier was ring at Liam in such a way.


    Liam stretched out his hand for a friendly handshake, but Xavier left him hanging for a while before he shook his hand tightly, ring at him with a warning Liam immediately understood even though Xavier didn¡¯t say a word.


    Selene suddenly felt like she was caught cheating by her husband. Both she and Xavier never really lived life like a married couple, so the situation she was in was new.


    Kace sighted Xavier and tapped him on the shoulder.


    "So this was why you were asking me for the location of the shoot," said Kace and Selene gave him a look.


    Kace could feel the tension surrounding them so he pulled Xavier to a private ce to talk with him.


    "I don¡¯t like that Liam guy," Xavier immediately blurted out as soon as Kace took him to a private corner.


    "What do you mean?" Kace questioned with furrowed eyebrows.


    "I saw the way he was looking at Selene earlier, and I don¡¯t like it. I don¡¯t want her to be around such a guy," Xavier responded, ring at Liam who had resumed his talk with Selene. He noticed them exchanging numbers and he couldn¡¯t help but grit his teeth in anger.


    "Will you chill? You said you don¡¯t love Selene right? Then why are you bothered with who she bes friends with?" Kace asked, hands on his waist as he waited for Xavier to answer his question.


    Xavier red at Kace, remembering he wasn¡¯t supposed to feel the way he was feeling towards Selene.


    "Or perhaps, you love Selene, don¡¯t you?" Kace added.


    "I don¡¯t love her," Xavier immediately objected. "I¡¯m just worried for her. She shouldn¡¯t be trusting people, especially after everything she went through," he added.


    "Selene didn¡¯t say she was trusting him. And besides, Liam hasn¡¯t made any kind of move towards Selene since she started the movie. I can assure you of that. But I will tell you this, Xavier. If you love Selene, you¡¯d better tell her immediately else what you are internally scared of wille to pass," he teased, patting Xavier on the shoulder one more time.


    Xavier frowned. "Just keep an eye on him, I¡¯m leaving," Xavier said, intending to leave. He would have stayed longer but he had to get back to his work.


    "Why did you evene here in the first ce?" Kace asked.


    "I came to bring her lunch," he replied, already departing.


    Kace sighed. He already knows that Xavier was lying but he didn¡¯t bother to ask him any more questions.


    Michelle witnessed everything that had urred. Without wasting any time, she dashed after Xavier.


    "Xavier," she called. "What kind of rtionship do you share with Selene?" She asked, her fist clenched by her side. "You just met her and you are bringing her food at the set?"


    "And when did we get close enough for you to start questioning me about my personal life?" Xavier questioned coldly. "Because thest time I checked, Michelle, we barely knew each other," he added.


    Michelle felt hurt by his words because it was indeed the truth. She didn¡¯t know much about Xavier or anything about his personal life. She just met him for the first time and immediately fell in love with him.


    Tears brimmed in her eyes.


    "Please tell me you don¡¯t love Selene," she pleaded.


    Xavier stared at Michelle, clearly annoyed with her request.


    ¡¯Is she on drugs?¡¯ He wondered.


    "You know I love you so much, right Xavier? It would break my heart if you were in love with Selene. I mean, you just met her," she added, her tears already streaming down her face.


    Xavier stared down at her.


    "Like is said earlier, you have no right to ask me questions about my personal life? Don¡¯t you feel disgusted by this question when you are a married woman?" He questioned, eyes narrowed at her.


    Michelle went into a trance while Xavier entered his car and zoomed away.


    ¡¯She has finally seeded in warming up his bed. I won¡¯t let this pass. Selene was the one who first stole from me and I will make her pay for it. She will have to pay,¡¯ Michelle said to herself.


    Even though Xavier didn¡¯t answer any of her questions, it meant he was indeed in love with Selene.


    If only she knew thetter didn¡¯t know about that either.

 Chapter 43: Bulldozer Boots

    ¡ª


    "Please, excuse me," Kace called out to ady who had white long hair that was tied into a ponytail. "You are Selene¡¯s makeup artist, right? I would like to talk to you please," he added.


    Allison turned to re at the person who was calling her. Kace was baffled by her re but he continued.


    "Can I speak to you privately please?" He requested.


    Allison nced around before she nodded. A scene was still going on and she wasn¡¯t needed until she heard the director saying <strong><i>CUT</i></strong> through his speaker.


    Both she and Kace went outside where there were little to no people who were around to hear their conversation.


    "So what do you want to talk about?" Allison immediately questioned when they stopped walking, her blue eyes waiting impatiently for him to speak while a slight hint of irritation was stered on her expression.


    Once again, Kace was baffled by her expression.


    She looked like he had angered her or something because that was not the same way she looked or spoke to Selene.


    He had noticed her a few times since her white hair stood out the most in the crowd filled with actors and crew.


    "I want to request that you thoroughly check the things that Selene uses while she¡¯s still in the set?" He said which earned him a much deeper frown from her.


    ¡¯Did I offend her or something?¡¯ Kace wondered.


    "Why do I need to do that?" Allison asked.


    Kace sighed. "It¡¯s a long story but there might be someone out there who might hurt Selene if care isn¡¯t taken," he responded which ended up confusing Allison.


    "Who¡¯s out to get her? Shouldn¡¯t we inform Director Jeunes about this if it¡¯s that serious?" She asked but Kace shook his head.


    "We can¡¯t."


    He didn¡¯t have an idea of how to tell her that Michelle was the one who was going to try to hurt Selene.


    Xavier had informed him of what he told Michelle two weeks ago and he had been waiting for her to do something stupid. The other day, Selene had a wardrobe malfunction but it was handled immediately by Natalie.


    It might have looked like a small issue but he was suspicious that Michelle was behind the wardrobe malfunction. Plus, Michelle has been too quiettely. She continued to hang out with Selene but maintained a certain distance which got him confused because she should be doing everything in her power to try to get Selene fired from the movie.


    "What do you mean by we can¡¯t?" Allison asked him, her blue eyes holding confusion in them.


    Kace stared into her eyes before he looked away.


    "Please, can you do what I asked of you? You can also inform your friend, the stylist in charge of Selene¡¯s clothes about what I told you. Please, it¡¯s very important. The person hasn¡¯t made any move yet and I don¡¯t know when they will strike," said Kace. He wouldn¡¯t want to get a makeup artist involved in the drama that Michelle was going to create soon in the future.


    Allison immediately understood. She nodded her head before turning to leave, but Kace stopped her.


    "If I may ask, did I offend you in any way?" He asked.


    Allison halted her steps and turned to look at Kace, shooting an eyebrow.


    "Don¡¯t you remember how you stepped on my foot without even apologizing?" She questioned him. Her question felt like lightning he¡¯d never expected. "I understand that you may be a spoiled brat born from a rich family but I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t lose an arm if you say sorry for what you did."


    Kace stared at her with mouth wide open.


    "Eh?" That was the only sound that coulde out of his mouth.


    Allison gritted her teeth in annoyance before she retreated but Kace grabbed her arm to stop her.


    When he realized what he did, he immediately apologized, "I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to do that but I¡¯m quite confused. When did I step on your foot?"


    ¡¯He can¡¯t even remember.¡¯


    "It was when Ms. Selene broke her ankle two weeks ago. When you rushed towards her with your bulldozer you call boots, you stepped on me and my sandals got spoiled," she reminded.


    "Eh? Bulldozer?" Kace was speechless as he stared at her as she called his ck leather boots bulldozers.

 Chapter 44: He’s Thirty Three!!

    "I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need for that. Your apology is more than enough," she replied, her smile widening even more on her lips which had Kace be amazed by it.


    He immediately shook his head as if there was a bee flying in circles around it.


    "Alright, if you say so."


    More days passed with Xavier sending a food truck to the set to serve food to Selene.


    Michelle bore witness to everything just like the other colleagues and her jealousy was about to fire bullets at Selene if they could.


    "Selene is so lucky, she had Xavier Wace bring her lunch to the set every day for almost a month now. Are they dating?" One of the actresses asked another who was seated beside her as she scooped a spoon filled with ice cream and ate it.


    "Isn¡¯t it obvious? I mean he always brought food trucks to the set every single day. And when he¡¯s able to make it here himself, he will bring flowers along," the other one replied.


    "But how do you think they met? I mean, Selene is a newbie actress who hasn¡¯t gained much poprity yet but she has already caught a big fish like Xavier Wace."


    "Didn¡¯t you see her at the birthday party of old Wace? She was there. That was where I first saw her and perhaps, that was where they met," said another.


    "Oh really? Wow, she¡¯s so lucky."


    "I bet she warmed his bed," said one who had just taken a seat beside the two who were chatting among themselves.


    "I don¡¯t think so."


    The bitter one chuckled slightly. "Isn¡¯t it obvious? A newbie actress debuted barely a month ago and she already had Xavier Wace sending food for her everyday. She¡¯s warming his bed for him every night."


    The two actresses who were first discussing earlier nced at each other before shrugging their shoulders nonchntly. They didn¡¯t know exactly the kind of rtionship they shared since Xavier had not revealed anything about their rtionship. And when they tried getting the truth out of Selene, she simply said they were just friends.


    Unbeknownst to them, Michelle had been listening to their conversation from start to finish. An evil smirk appeared on her lips, a nasty idea being born in her mind.


    "Mia," Michelle called her assistant. "I have something I want you to do for me."


    Michelle brought out her phone and took a picture of Selene who was eating an ice cream.


    "I¡¯m sending you this picture and I want you to release something when it¡¯s nighttime with a different ount," she ordered.


    Mia who was behind her nodded, with a simr evil smirk on her lips, already having an idea of what Michelle was going to instruct her to do.


    Back where Selene and Kace were seated, Selene scooped a spoon of her ice cream as her thoughts wandered.


    "Why do you think Xavier is doing this?" She suddenly asked, shocking Kace who thought she already caught the hint Xavier was trying to pass to her.


    ¡¯Are their EQs equally low?¡¯ Kace couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    "I mean, you know your brother way better than I do, so why do you think he¡¯s acting this way?" Selene added, staring at Kace for an answer.


    Kace had always been beside her and he was already turning into her bestie, since they would talk about random things and make each otherugh until she was entirelyfortable around Kace. She believed she could share her thoughts with him.


    She also noticed how different he was from his other two brothers. While Richard was the deadbeat and Xavier was the workaholic and always being the most serious one, Kace waspletely different. She didn¡¯t know exactly what he did for a living but his jovial personality made her to be able to associate with people even more.


    "It¡¯s either my brother is doing this because he loves you or because he hates you," he blurted out whatever came to his mind without minding.


    "Huh?! What¡¯s that supposed to mean?" She questioned, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I asked you a simple question and you replied with such a riddle."


    Kace resisted the urge to facepalm his forehead at the moment.


    He simply sighed.


    "You asked me a question and I¡¯ve replied to you, Selene. You can go ahead and pick whichever answer you want from the options I¡¯ve given to you."


    Selene frowned, before sighing as well.


    "By the way, how old is Xavier?" She suddenly asked.


    "He¡¯s thirty-three," Kace replied.


    The ice cream cup that was in Selene¡¯s hands dropped.


    "He¡¯s thirty-three? He¡¯s nearly a decade older than me. He¡¯s nine years older than me," she nearly screamed.


    "Will you calm down? It¡¯s just a small age gap."


    "He¡¯s nine years older than me," she repeated, as if in a trance.

 Chapter 45: A Week Hiatus

    When she was finally able to control herughter, Selene rushed down towards thement section before sheughed out again.


    "Why are some people so stupid?" She wondered out loud.


    "She slept with the two Wace brothers? So shameless!"


    "I was shocked that a noob like her got the lead role while Michelle didn¡¯t when she also auditioned for it. Now I know why she got it, she slept with the director."


    "She looks so pretty and modest but seeking benefits from men by warming their beds is just disgusting."


    Selene read thements and continued to snicker. "People are really funny," she said to herself before sighing. "So this is how Michelle ns on ruining my career, by spreading fake rumors about me."


    When Selene was done scrolling through her phone, she kept it aside andy t on the bed as she stared at the ceiling of the room.


    "Now the movie is put on hold because of this. That¡¯s good, it gives me time to focus on Robert Harrison."


    Selene got ready and headed downstairs for breakfast. She had to peek to be sure Xavier wasn¡¯t around. When she saw the dining table empty, she sighed in relief.


    She didn¡¯t find the maid around and the dining table was squeaky clean with no te of food in sight. She frowned and headed inside the kitchen where she found Xavier, with an apron tied around his narrow waist.


    He was wearing a normal shirt that exposed his tattoos entirely. Selene had always known he had tattoos since the ink on his hand peeked out from his long suits and sweaters.


    The second time she saw it was when she was helping him with the injury on his shoulder but she didn¡¯t focus on it much so that she wouldn¡¯t be too distracted from what she was doing.


    Seeing the tattoos so up close, she drooled without realizing it. When she finally realized what she was doing, she turned around quietly to escape.


    "Good morning," Xavier greeted, making her halt.


    Selene gulped down her saliva before she replied, "Good morning."


    She stared into the bowl Xavier was mixing something in then the pans.


    ¡¯He¡¯s making pancakes?¡¯


    "Where are the maids?" She asked, curious why Xavier was all alone in the huge kitchen making pancakes when he could just have the maids do it for him.


    "I gave them a holiday," he replied, flipping the pancakes.


    Selene didn¡¯t know how to respond so she hummed before trying to leave again.


    "Because I want to spend some time with you," he blurted out.


    He stopped mixing the ingredients of the pancakes so that he could focus more on her reaction.


    On the other hand, Selene was speechless.


    Silence reigned in the kitchen, none of them making a sound. Selene turned to look at him before a smile graced her lips.


    "You are not going to work today?" She asked him.


    Xavier stared at her for a few seconds, understanding what she did there.


    ¡¯She changed the subject,¡¯ he thought.


    "I¡¯m not going to work today," he replied.


    "I see... a rumor was released and the director has put the movie on one week of hiatus," she informed and Xavier nodded.


    "I know, I was the one who told him to do so," he responded. Selene was baffled but Xavier continued. "I¡¯ve already contacted orders for the tweet to be taken down. I¡¯m sure you already have an idea who was the one that tweeted that."


    "Ahh... thank you and I¡¯m sorry you got involved in this. It was all Michelle¡¯s doing I¡¯m sure of it."


    Xavier flipped another pancake and settled it aside. The aroma in the kitchen was salivating and Selene was trying her best not to jump on those fluffy-looking banana pancakes that Xavier was making.


    "I¡¯ve sent her father a warning about what she has done," Xavier replied.


    Selene hummed again.


    Standing in the kitchen while Xavier made breakfast all by himself made her feel awkward, so she decided to help.


    "Let me assist you," she offered.


    Xavier¡¯s mouth twitched, knowing she couldn¡¯t cook but he nodded nevertheless.


    "Has Michelle contacted you today?" Xavier asked.


    Selene shook her head.


    As if on cue, Selene felt her phone vibrate from inside her pocket. She wiped her hands clean and picked it up.


    "Speak of the devil," she mumbled when she saw Michelle¡¯s name written as the caller.

 Chapter 46: Who Is Jeffery Clark?

    "Alright, I wille with," he replied which earned him a frown from Selene. "I will be in the car but I will have one of my bodyguards follow you in," he added.


    **


    In the van, Selene stared at herself in the mirror. She wore a janitor¡¯s uniform which Kace was able to bring for her from thepany.


    She had asked him how he was able to get it and he lied that one of the janitors was kind enough to lend it to him.


    Meanwhile, Kace clenched the fist he used in knocking out the janitor. He wasn¡¯t able to find a female janitor soon and only grabbed the male one, so Selene was dressed in a male janitor¡¯s uniform. A big mole on her left cheek while she wore a short man wig. She did her makeup so that she could look like a man


    Spectacles hung on the bridges of her nose with brown eye lenses to cover the real colors of her eyes. A fake beard stered on her chin which she loathed at the moment since it made her chin itch. She checked the picture of the man Kace had <i>borrowed </i>the janitor uniform, feeling a sense of satisfaction when she saw she looked like him.


    She wore the extremely tiny earpiece in her ear so that she couldmunicate with them if she needed to.


    "How do I look?" She asked.


    "You look like you need food," Kace teased but immediately regretted it when he got a smack from Xavier.


    "Don¡¯t mind him, you look like a real man," said Xavier.


    "A real skinny one," Kace teased again after recovering from Xavier¡¯s head smack but immediately regretted it when he saw their res directed towards him.


    "Real funny," Selene mumbled, checking herself out in the mirror again. "I¡¯m going in," she said, getting down from the van while the man whom Xavier had assigned to keep a watch out followed behind her at a good distance.


    The security guards didn¡¯t bother to stop her since she was wearing thepany¡¯s janitor uniform. Selene¡¯s directly went to the janitor section to get some cleaning materials so that her wandering about wouldn¡¯t be questioned.


    Luckily for her, she didn¡¯t find the other janitors around who would ask her questions. So, she quickly grabbed what she needed and dashed away, heading towards the lift, and went to her father¡¯s office.


    The elevator opened and Selene saw the rows of secretaries¡¯ desks that lined up with a few people seated and working. She checked the time, then realized it was already lunch break and some of them had gone out for lunch.


    ¡¯This is just perfect,¡¯ she thought to herself before heading inside.


    Selene walked inside without being stopped by any of the secretaries.


    ¡¯Seems like this good janitor has a neutral rtionship with these people,¡¯ she thought.


    As soon as she was in front of the door, she knocked, hoping that Robert had not returned yet. When she didn¡¯t hear any answer from inside, she opened the door and walked in. The office was indeed empty.


    Selene nced around the huge office, her supposed office. She was supposed to be the one sitting in the chair of the CEO but her father had snatched everything from her.


    "Are you in?" She heard Xavier¡¯s voice through the earpiece.


    "I¡¯m in," she replied.


    "Be careful," he reminded.


    Selene hummed, and dropped the cleaning materials she had brought along with her before she started her search. She walked towards the shelf where he always kept his important documents but didn¡¯t find anything.


    Hissing in annoyance, she went to his desk and searched the files that were piled there. There was a high chance the file wouldn¡¯t be on the desk but she hoped she could find it easily.


    As she searched, she made sure she arranged everything and didn¡¯t leave anything out of ce.


    But the result was the same.


    "Shit!" She cursed under her breath.


    She checked the drawers again in case she had missed something. When she was about to close the drawer, she noticed a document that had <i>Property Papers</i> written on it. She immediately picked it up when she heard, "Selene, you need to get out of there." Xavier¡¯s urgent voice came through the earpiece again.


    "What?"


    "Robert is on his way there, you need to get out of there," Xavier repeated.


    Selene¡¯s heart raced. She nced between the door and the door before she opened the document.


    A frown settled on her face when she saw the name written on the property papers. It was Jeffery rk.


    "Who is Jeffery rk?"

 Chapter 47: Let’s Watch A Movie

    "This only means that the property papers are at the Harrison mansion," Kace concluded. "You are going to have to go there again," he added.


    Selene cleaned off her makeup before she replied, "I guess so. When I tried looking into his study room, he had locked it. I can only hope he doesn¡¯t lock it again when I¡¯m able to convince Michelle we hang out at the Harrison mansion instead."


    Selene went to the building with high hopes that she would find the property papers she had signed. She needed those papers to prove in court or to awyer that she had signed her property away and wasn¡¯t trying to steal someone¡¯s property. The weight of disappointment pressed on her shoulders but she didn¡¯t want to give up yet.


    "Are you alright? Were you hurt somewhere?" She heard Xavier ask.


    She stared at him for a few seconds before looking away, shaking her head.


    "I¡¯m fine."


    Kace nced between Xavier and Selene before he said, "Ito, let¡¯s have a drink shall we?"


    Ito, the man who had followed Selene inside thepany nodded his head. "Sure, why not?" He understood that Kace wanted to give his boss and the unknown woman some privacy so he readily agreed.


    Kace and Ito stepped down from the van. "The both of you can go right ahead. I willeter," said Kace.


    "Don¡¯t bother, I need you to go to the office and check if any bad flowers are growing there," Xavier ordered.


    Kace read between the lines in the message and sighed heavily.


    <i>Go to the hideout and track down more kidnappers.</i>


    "More work," Kace mumbled under his breath before he closed the door to the van.


    It was only Selene and Xavier who were in the van now.


    "I suddenly remember when my dad took both me and Michelle to the beach to have some fun. It was summer so everywhere was hot," she said, looking at the people who were walking on the street.


    "Neither Michelle nor I could swim very well so we weren¡¯t allowed to go deep into the beach. But Michelle wanted to try if she could swim that far. I followed her because I didn¡¯t want anything bad to happen to her. At the end of the day, we ended up drowning," she added.


    Tears pooled in her eyes, but she immediately wiped them before they would drop.


    "Michelle and I screamed for help. Michelle was a few feet behind me and I was the closest to the shore but I couldn¡¯t swim back before my legs couldn¡¯t touch the ground. We both screamed for help and our parents came rushing. They rushed past me to help Michelle out of the water. It was the lifeguard who saved me that day.


    "Not once did they ask if I was alright, the only one they cared about was Michelle. She was their favored daughter. Instead of asking if I was alright, they reprimanded me for letting Michelle go that far into the water."


    The hot tears she was trying to hold back streamed down her face.


    "I¡¯m sorry," she suddenly apologized. "I know this is not important. My chest felt tight for a moment."


    Xavier ced his on hers, wiped her tears, and stroked her cheeks.


    "You don¡¯t need to apologize for anything. I¡¯m d you shared this with me," he said.


    ¡¯Now I know how I will kill Robert Harrison after Selene is through with him,¡¯ he thought to himself.


    "Let¡¯s go out?" He suddenly suggested.


    "What?"


    Xavier thought he might have said the wrong thing so he looked away, avoiding eye contact.


    "Let¡¯s go out?" He repeated, ready for her rejection.


    Selene blinked at him.


    "Or is there something fun you might want to do? Maybe watch a movie or go somewhere?"


    "Let¡¯s watch a movie at your house" she blurted out. "Going out now would be dangerous since I have some haters now due to the rumor," she added.


    Selene was lucky she didn¡¯t have any official ount where haters could barge into her DM and start threatening her.


    Xavier smiled at her.


    ¡¯If only she knew I¡¯ve already sued those people talking bad about her,¡¯ he thought to himself, ignited the engines of the van, and drove towards the mansion.


    Xavier got some popcorn ready while Selene went upstairs to change.


    Upstairs, Selene was nervous and also excited about the fact she was going to be spending some time with Xavier.


    She changed intofortable clothes which consisted of baggy shirts and baggy pants. She checked herself out in the mirror to be sure there weren¡¯t any ck spots on her face.


    "I think this is good enough," she said as she turned around in the mirror. When she realized what she was doing, she paused.


    "This isn¡¯t right, I¡¯ve gone mad," she squealed.

 Chapter 48: Good Entertainment

    "I see."


    Selene drank from the bottled water, letting the chilled liquid soothe her dry throat. Standing under the sun, acting with the heavy dresses tired her out.


    Some of the actresses passed them by, ring at Selene before they whispered amongst themselves.


    "Seems like the director and the two Wace brothers didn¡¯t satisfy her enough. Now, she¡¯s after Liam. Can¡¯t she at least have some shame?"


    "I don¡¯t think shame is in her vocabry," the other whispered back.


    Selene heard them loud and clear. Even though the rumor had been rified, some of her jealous colleagues still wouldn¡¯t let her be. Selene had never bothered to talk back at them, but it seemed they had taken her for granted.


    "Don¡¯t listen to what they are saying," said Liam.


    Selene sighed, finally finding some source of entertainment. She had been bored since she came to the set. Michelle hadn¡¯t done anything stupid yet and now she had seen some scapegoats, she wasn¡¯t going to let them go scot-free.


    "Excuse me, if you have something to say about me, how about you say it to my face?" Selene asked, standing up from her seat and walking to stand in front of them.


    The two B-list actresses stared at each other before theyughed out loud.


    "Are you talking to us?" One of them asked Selene, looking around, trying to see if possibly Selene was talking to someone else.


    "Weren¡¯t you talking about me earlier?" Selene questioned, keeping her voice low so that she wouldn¡¯t attract much attention, but she doubted that was possible. "Come on, repeat what you said, Miranda!"


    Miranda was a blonde-haired ck-eyed girl crush who was a singer, actor, and model all at the same time. Many scandals about her sleeping with rich politicians were the talk on social media every time. She wears skimpy clothes toe to the set and the only time she got to wear decent clothes was when she had to change into the costumes.


    She wasn¡¯t exactly from a wealthy family, but her family didn¡¯t have a good background, just like her. She had a brother who was in jail and a younger sister who was following in her footsteps.


    "You are just a newbie who climbed her way to the top by sleeping with rich men every day. Who knows, it must be why you decided to be part of this movie. So that you can catch the attraction of the handsome men here," said Miranda raising her voice slightly higher so that people cane watch as she disgraces Selene while pouting as if pitting her.


    "You mean like how you wear your rags you call clothes in here but still fail in seducing anyone? What a shame," Selene backfired.


    Miranda was immediately hurt by Selene¡¯sment.


    The other actress who was with Miranda pulled her friend as if to protect her as she red at Selene.


    She was Edna, another famous B-list celebrity with brown hair and ck eyes who came from a rich family. She was a spoiled brat who enjoyed everyone dancing to her tunes and she loved degrading people just because she was born rich.


    Edna had caused a fewmotions at the set and it was with the crew. The director always leaves her off with a warning but it was obvious his patience with her was wearing off.


    There had been a few scandals about her being a drug dealer. With the way she behaved like a mad woman, many people concluded she was under drugs since no person in their normal state of mind would act in such a way.


    "Who do you think you are to talk to my friend like that?" She questioned Selene. "Just because you are in the same movie with us, that does not mean you can talk to us however you like. We are still your seniors."


    "So what do you expect me to do? Go down and lick your foot with my tongue? I think I will pass," Selene waved her hands away as if waving an annoying fly away. "You know, instead of you two birds that flock together minding my own business, how about you mind yours instead? I mean you have a lot more on your te than I do," she added, reminding them of their scandals.


    The two friends nced at each other with gritted teeth. Selene had always portrayed herself as a quiet and reserved person, but never in their wildest thoughts did they think she had such a sharp tongue.

 Chapter 49: Stalked By Her Worst Nightmare

    "No one is stopping you, go ahead."


    Edna¡¯s ego was immediately hurt again. She clenched her fist in anger. She had been ready for Selene to bow down and immediately start pleading but instead, she got the opposite reaction.


    "You are going to get it, Selene. I won¡¯t forget what you did here today," Edna threatened before she pulled Miranda with her and they both walked away.


    Selene rolled their eyes before she went back to where she was sitting earlier.


    Liam stared at her as she grabbed her bottled water and sipped from it, quenching her dry throat.


    "What are you looking at me for?" Selene asked him.


    "I never knew you had such a savage side in you," said Liam.


    "Well, what can I say? Sometimes you just need to remind people you are not as weak as they already presumed you to be," she mumbled, making contact with Michelle for a second before thetter looked away.


    "You might have to be careful around them though, I don¡¯t think that threat was for nothing," said Liam, worry etched on his face.


    Martha came over, sitting beside them as they decided to forget about what had happened.


    When their break had finished, they continued their scenes. A scene needed to be shot at night so everyone waspletely exhausted when they finished.


    Xavier had told her he would be the one to pick her up. When she texted him, he replied he was on his way. A smile crept on Selene¡¯s face when she read his text.


    "Aren¡¯t you going home yet?" Liam asked her, peeking at her phone¡¯s screen but didn¡¯t get the chance to see whom she was texting because she quickly brought the phone to her chest.


    "Someone ising to pick me up," she replied.


    "Should I wait?" He offered but Selene shook her head vehemently. Liam wished her goodnight before he got into his car and left. Most of the crews were still around, arranging the cameras and setting things aside.


    Selene decided to stroll out of the set.


    Selene walked out of the gates of the set, she was on the streets. The moonlight cascaded a soft glow and the night breeze became chilly.


    It was close to midnight. She hadn¡¯t expected them to stay sote.


    Selene sighed, rubbing her hands together to make them warm before she nted it on her face. She was wearing a sleeveless shirt with a thin jacket that couldn¡¯t do anything to save her from the chilly night.


    Selene walked a few distance into the street when she realized she had walked quite far from the set.


    She sighed again, continuing her journey when she heard a sound from behind her.


    Instinctively, her head turned to the source of the sound but she didn¡¯t see anything.


    The street lights weren¡¯t so good so she had to fetch her cellphone and turn on the light before pointing it back at the direction the sound came from. She met with the same result, nothing.


    Selene turned off her shlight and shrugged.


    She took a few more steps before she heard another step. The steps weren¡¯t hers, they wereing from behind her.


    Selene became cautious.


    Without having to look back, she immediately started tapping on the wristwatch Kace gave her months ago when she was going to the Harrison family for the first time after she made an appearance with a different identity.


    Inside his car, Xavier got a phone call from the phone Kace gave to him, in case Selene got into trouble and needed to tap on the wristwatch.


    His heart jumped, fear gripping him as he stepped on the gas.


    Selene wanted to ignore the sound of the footsteps that were following behind her but it was getting clearer as the unknown person neared her.


    Taking a deep breath, she decided to turn and have a look at the person who was following her in the middle of the night.


    Her eyes went wide in shock when theynded on the person stalking her.


    "Richard," she called, fear evident in her face as her eyes trembled.


    "Oh, hi Selene! I saw that you were all by yourself and wanted to help you get home safely. You know it wouldn¡¯t be nice for a good-lookingdy like you to be wandering alone at night? What if something bad happened to you?" He asked her, his eyes sizing her up as a grin stretched on his lips.

 Chapter 50: Attempted Rape

    She could hear Richard¡¯s heavy breathing from behind her with his steps that got closer and closer to her.


    Tears streamed down from Selene¡¯s eyes without her realizing it. She had thought she was able to escape from her past by making an appearance with a new identity so they wouldn¡¯t disturb her anymore. But it seemed she was wrong. Richard still wanted to rape her and beat her up like he usually did.


    Selene¡¯s heart pounded hard in her chest as she ran. She didn¡¯t know where to head, so she kept running straight. When she thought she couldn¡¯t hear Richard¡¯s steps anymore, she suddenly felt herself being pulled back.


    "And where do you think you are going huh?" Richard questioned her, dragging her to an abandoned upleted building.


    Selene tried to fight for an escape but Richard held her still.


    "HELP!!" She screamed out loud with tears streaming down her face.


    Richard threw her to the hard wall, the impact making her back hurt badly but she ignored it and tried to crawl back but then, she received a hard p on her cheeks that had her blood paint her lips.


    "You are not going anywhere until I¡¯m done with you," Richard spat, fetching his phone and setting it at a near distance away from them.


    Selene¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    He was going to videotape everything.


    She red at Richard who was unbuckling his jeans while wiping the blood that was on her lips.


    "You will only get to rape me upon my dead body," she said before trying to escape again.


    Richard pulled her by the hair, making her yelp in pain.


    "Anastasia also struggled like this the first time I raped her, but after a few times, she gave up," he said, taking off her thin jacket with so much force it ended up tearing apart. "Which is why I¡¯m taking a video of everything that I¡¯m going to do to you today Selene. So that I can use the video to ckmail you into letting me sleep with you whenever I want," he added.


    He reached for her shirt, intending to tear it but she fought back. Selene aimed to kick him in between his legs but his legs had pressed hers together. She could barely move her lower body.


    "Please," she pleaded, more tears streaming down her face. Her lips trembled in fear as she tried to keep up with Richard, but he was stronger and bigger than her. In no time, he tore open her clothes and her ck bra came into view.


    "Now that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about," he whispered, licking his lips.


    A few meters away from the abandoned house, Xavier tried calling Selene¡¯s phone a few times but she wasn¡¯t picking up. He had already gone to the set but she wasn¡¯t there. The crew informed him that they saw her leaving on foot.


    Xavier gritted her teeth as he continued to call her while looking around in case he caught a glimpse of her.


    Xavier tried calling her again. He heard a faint ringtone a few feet away from him. He ran towards it and found a handbag with a phone screen lit up now and then. He recognized it to be Selene¡¯s bag. He picked it up before looking around again.


    Suddenly, he heard someone scream. Without waiting a second, he ran towards the direction the sound came from.


    He found an abandoned building and ran into it. He couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing.


    Richard seemed to have sensed his presence and turned to look at who had intruded on his fun while he was trying to pull Selene¡¯s jeans off her legs.


    But he didn¡¯t get to see the person¡¯s face when he received a hard punch on his face, which led him to spit out one of his teeth.


    "What the hell?" Richard cursed as he tried to get up but he was shaking, unable to stand since the punch hadn¡¯t worn off.


    Xavier saw Selene lying on the ground, half naked with blood on her face with swollen cheeks.


    He balled his fist beforending another punch on Richard which led thetter to pass out.

 Chapter 51: Trauma From The Past

    Sighing, Xavier walked towards his closet and bought out one of his shirts before cing it on the bed.


    He stared at her sleeping state, walked towards her, and reached for the jacket he used to cover her up. For the first time in his life, Xavier was being shy at the wrong time.


    A rosy hue painted his cheeks as he ced the jacket away. He looked away, taking off her clothes before wearing the shirt on her.


    He didn¡¯t bother about the jeans since he would be going too far with them.


    A few minutes passed and Xavier got a text on his phone. He saw it was Mark, and he replied immediately. Less than a minuteter, Mark barged into Xavier¡¯s room and found thetter standing beside the bed where Selene was sleeping.


    He frowned, "What happened to her?" He asked.


    Xavier narrated everything that happened less than an hour ago to Mark.


    "That brother of yours has gone too far with this one," said Mark before he started checking on Selene.


    "He¡¯s going to pay for what he did," Xavier promised, balling his fist together with the urge to pound it on something.


    Mark cleaned up Selene¡¯s wounds when his eyes took notice of the shirt Selene was wearing.


    "You changed her clothes?" Mark asked teasingly. "Don¡¯t tell me you looked at her body," he added.


    "Shut up, Mark!" Xavier snapped which had thetter immediately zip his lips. "How is she?"


    "I¡¯m guessing she passed out because she was tired. But no worries, she doesn¡¯t have any deep wounds," he replied.


    "When will she wake up?"


    "About three hours."


    "That¡¯s good, I have someone to take care of," Xavier grunted before leaving the room.


    "Where are you going?" Mark questioned but Xavier left his question hanging in the air. He sighed, looking at Selene. "That husband of yours has such a temper."


    **


    Xavier reached the abandoned upleted house where he found Richard almost about to rape Selene. He found Richard sprawled on the ground, blood from his nose pooling beneath him.


    Without wasting a second, he pulled Richard up as if he were a sack of potatoes and dragged him out of the upleted house. The movement woke Richard up.


    He stared around, trying to identify where he was when he remembered what had happened a few minutes ago.


    "Who the hell are you?" He questioned the person who was dragging him out of the house.


    Xavier got to the car and threw Richard in.


    Richard¡¯s eyes widened in shock when he saw Xavier.


    "Xavier."


    Xavier didn¡¯t give him a chance to spill out any more words when he knocked him out again.


    **


    <i>It waste at night at the Harrison mansion. Anastasia slummed on her bed,pletely tired. She had just finished cleaning up after her 13th birthday. </i>


    <i>"Now, I¡¯m officially a teenager," young Anastasia said, her smile stretched on her lips. </i>


    <i>She sighed, closing her eyes and ready to sleep. </i>


    <i>A few hours deep into her slumber, the door to her room creaked open, alerting her. She opened her eyes slightly, curious to know who was sneaking into her room. </i>


    <i>She saw the figure of her father, Robert, closing the door behind him as he sneaked towards her bed, his eyes on her figure. </i>


    <i>Young Anastasia had a bad feeling about the situation. So she opened her nket, to let him know she was awake which shocked Robert. </i>


    <i>"Dad, what are you doing here? Do you need something?" She asked, trying to sound natural. </i>


    <i>She had heard stories of how fathers would sneak into their daughters¡¯ rooms and do bad things to them. She had already been taught about sex education and this was the first time her father was sneaking into her room. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest. </i>


    <i>"Sweetie, you know you are all grown up now. There is something I want to tell you," said Robert as he climbed her bed, getting closer to her. </i>


    <i>Young Anastasia immediately felt ufortable and scouted over but was pinned on the bed by him. </i>


    <i>"Since you are all grown up now, I guess I shouldn¡¯t wait any longer," he said before he tore her clothes from her body. Anastasia¡¯s scream filled the house but no one came to her rescue. </i>


    <i>**</i>


    "Please stop!" Anastasia screamed out loud before she opened her eyes, finding herself in another room.

 Chapter 52: First Kiss

    "You are safe. No one is going to hurt you," he whispered in her ears, trying to calm her down.


    He continued to whisper soothing words into her ear, his voice a gentle murmur in the stillness of the room. Gradually, Selene¡¯s trembling lessened, her breathing bing steadier. After a while, exhaustion overcame her, and she began to calm down, slowly returning to her senses.


    Selene sobbed, her tears staining Xavier¡¯s shirt but Xavier continued to hug. Surprisingly, she hugged him back so tight as if she was holding on to her dear life.


    "They are so wicked for doing that to me," she sobbed.


    She continued to sob until she had no more tears left to shed.


    Xavier released her so that he could look at her face which was as red as a tomato.


    "I¡¯m sorry," she suddenly apologized which earned her a frown from Xavier. "I¡¯m sorry for ruining your shirt," she exined.


    "That¡¯s okay, you can ruin as many shirts as you want," he said. Wiping her tears. Selene¡¯s head was lowered as she tried to avoid eye contact with him. She knew she looked miserable but she felt if she stared at him for even a second, she was going to cry again.


    "Thank you for saving me," she said.


    "You don¡¯t need to thank me for that. You are my wife and I must protect you."


    Selene raised her head to look at him for a brief second before she lowered her head back. She bit her lips, finding words to reply to his.


    Sometimes she felt she needed to be reminded she was already a married woman.


    Xavier stared down at her pink lips, his breath hitching as desire surged within him. He sighed, fighting with his urge, knowing this wasn¡¯t the right moment for intimacy. Yet, the way Selene bit her lip, her teeth grazing the soft flesh, made it almost impossible to resist.


    He ced his hand under her chin, lifting her head so that he could look into her eyes which were already pooled with tears.


    "I will punish anyone who hurts you. That I promise you," he added.


    Selene blinked at him, feeling her heart skip a beat at his words.


    "Xavier," she whispered. She didn¡¯t get the chance to say anything else when he captured her lips.


    Selene¡¯s eyes widened in shock, her heart racing wildly in her chest. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to push him away¡ªshe didn¡¯t want to push him away. Instead, she closed her eyes, surrendering to the moment and savoring the warmth of his kiss.


    Xavier nibbled on her lower lip, the taste of her salty tears mingling with the kiss. He sucked on her lips like a starved man, drawing a soft moan from her. Encouraged, he deepened the kiss, his tongue exploring her mouth. Selene stiffened momentarily, then rxed, matching his rhythm as she gave in to the moment.


    Xavier searched for her tongue and imed dominance as he continued to kiss her.


    Subconsciously, Selene¡¯s hand found his shoulders and his found her waist as they pulled each other closer, diving deeper into the kiss.


    Selene tapped his chest, already running out of breath and he released her. Silence reigned and no one could say a word.


    Selene stood up, ready to leave when she noticed the shirt she was wearing. Shock was written all over her face when she stared at Xavier.


    "I didn¡¯t see anything," he said even before she could ask him any question. But from the look in Selene¡¯s eyes, she didn¡¯t believe him. She was about to stomp out of the room when Xavier grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to him. "I mean it, I didn¡¯t look at anything," he tried to convince her. He didn¡¯t want her to think the wrong way.


    "Okay," Selene mumbled.


    "You don¡¯t need to go back to your room. I want you to stay here with me," he said.


    "I can¡¯t do that."


    Xavier sighed, not surprised that was her answer. "Please Ana," he pleaded. "I want to take care of you."


    "You don¡¯t need to, I can take care of myself," Selene replied, her tone suddenly cold. "You don¡¯t need to worry, I won¡¯t try to kill myself."


    Xavier frowned at her words. She tried to yank her wrist free from his grip but he only tightened it.


    "Xavier, let me go."


    "Did they do something else you haven¡¯t told me about?" He asked her.


    Immediately, her body stiffened. She could feel tears threatening to pool again in her eyes but she blinked them back before she turned to look at Xavier.


    "I¡¯ve told you everything that you needed to know," she replied.


    "Are you hiding something from me, Selene?"


    Selene ignored his question. "Let go of me Xavier." She tried to yank her hand back from his but failed. Instead of letting her go, Xavier pulled her towards his chest.


    "Like I said earlier, Ana. I will punish anyone who hurts you. You don¡¯t need to be scared. You are mine and I will protect you no matter what."

 Chapter 53: Another Invitation

    Xavier sighed.


    ¡¯How many times do I have to remind her to stop telling me <i>thank you</i>?¡¯ He wondered, pinching the bridge of his nose before nodding.


    "Alright, you can have a shower while I get your food ready," he said. He waited to get a response from her. When she nodded, he left to go to the kitchen.


    When Selene heard the door close shut, she closed her eyes, trying to forget what had happened in the room. Especially the kiss.


    Subconsciously, she moved her fingers to her lips, still feeling the softness of his lips pressed on hers as he ravaged her.


    "He¡¯s such a good kisser," she mumbled. When she heard what she¡¯d said, she quickly pped herself on the forehead. "What are you thinking, Ana? Is the kiss a mistake? He¡¯s still my husband after all," she wondered.


    When she realized she wasn¡¯t going to get her question answered since there was no one else there apart from her, she sighed before heading to the bathroom.


    When she saw his bathroom, she instantly mistook it to be another bedroom.


    "His wealthy lifestyle never fails to surprise me," she mumbled. Quickly, she took a shower. Surprisingly, he already had a spare of everything. From a toothbrush to a towel to a loofah and then soap. He seemed he already knew she was going to agree to stay the night in his room.


    After taking a shower, Selene realized she had forgotten to take clothes from her room first. Sighing, she decided to open Xavier¡¯s closet to pick out a shirt.


    ¡¯Since he gave me his shirt earlier, I don¡¯t think he will mind if I take another,¡¯ she thought before picking out a ck shirt. After wearing it, she seemed to have disappeared.


    Xavier came back with a tray of food.


    When he saw her wearing his clothes, a smile stretched on his lips. Together, they atete dinner/early breakfast.


    When it was finally time to go to bed, Selene didn¡¯t know if she was going to sleep on the couch or the bed.


    Xavier insisted she slept on the bed with a promise he wasn¡¯t going to touch her.


    Xaviery on the bed, his eyes on her while Selene¡¯s eyes were roaming about.


    "Ana," Xavier called her by her real name, gaining her attention. "When you are ready to tell me about everything, I¡¯m right here to lend ears to listen and a shoulder to cry on."


    "Nothing happened. I¡¯ve already told you everything you needed to know," she responded.


    Xavier could sense it was a sensitive topic so he decided to drop it and wait for her to open up to him instead.


    He waited until Selene slept before he slept as well.


    **


    The next day, Selene woke up to find herself in an unfamiliar room. When she was about to get up, she felt a strong hand wrapped around her waist. That was when she remembered she was in Xavier¡¯s room and it was his hand that was wrapped around her waist.


    Selene was about to sneak away when she heard a deep voice from behind her.


    "Good morning."


    She thought her soul had left her body at that moment because she didn¡¯t feel anything else, except how his chest which she was pressed to vibrated.


    She blushed, biting her lips before she replied, "Good morning."


    "How was your night?" He asked, staring at her face that looked flushed. "Did you sleep well?"


    Selene nodded because it was the truth. It had been a while since she had a peaceful sleep without having a nightmare.


    "I did."


    Xavier pulled her closer to him, even though there was no more space she could upy. Selene¡¯s heart skipped a beat, caught off guard by his actions.


    Xavier opened his mouth, about to say something but Selene¡¯s phone ringing interrupted him.


    Selene reached for her phone quickly, thinking it was the director but the caller was Michelle.


    She shared a look with Xavier before picking up the call.


    The both of them exchanged a few words. Michelle said something over the phone which had Selene widen her eyes slightly as a smirk pulled on her lips.


    Hanging up on the call, she turned to Xavier and said, "She¡¯s inviting me to the Harrison mansion again."

 Chapter 54: Caught At The Worst Time

    Michelle hung on Selene¡¯s hand, before she said, "It¡¯s been a while since west hung out. We have been so busy with the movie that we barely have time for each other."


    She looked disheartened by theirck of time to spend and catch up on things but deep down, only she knew how much her blood boiled.


    She had invited Selene for a hang-out with the hope that she would be turned down, which only meant that Richard had done what she¡¯d asked him to do. To rape her and take a video of it so that she wouldn¡¯t dare report it to the police.


    Michelle had been watching Selene closely at the set. She would smile at her phone whenever she received a text. She didn¡¯t need to ask Selene personally to know that she and Xavier had something deep going on. It was evident in his actions of bringing flowers and food for her at the set.


    Not only did that make her blood boil, but she felt the urge to skin Selene alive. Running her so-called reputation as a good actress so that she could get the spotlight again and have Xavier all to herself.


    But when Selene agreed to meet, she knew instantly that Richard had failed in the mission she had given him. She wasn¡¯t willing to hire a rapist who could threaten herter to extort more money when she had a rapist as a husband.


    Sincest night, she hasn¡¯t seen Richard around. She didn¡¯t know where he went to and he didn¡¯t bother to inform her if he¡¯d done the work or not.


    Now, from the look of things, he failed. Michelle bit her tongue as she tried to control how angry she was.


    On the other hand, Selene had no idea about what Michelle was thinking about. All her mind was on was whether she would be able to find the papers she was looking for when she would finally get the chance to go look for them.


    "You are right! We have been really busy," Selene replied.


    Selene didn¡¯t wonder too much why Richard wasn¡¯t around. She already concluded he was too scared to show his face to her after Xavier had beat him up the previous night.


    "So, what should we do first?" Michelle asked. She wasn¡¯t expecting Selene toe, she didn¡¯t prepare for anything.


    "I have no idea. Maybe, you can give me tips on how to act so well on set," Selene suggested.


    Michelle felt anger surge through her body. The director was never satisfied with her acting no matter what. He always yelled at her. Hearing Selene ask for some tips from her made her feel insulted. But she forced a smile on her lips.


    "I guess I¡¯m a natural, but you are doing so well. Director Jeunes loves your acting so well, I bet you are his favorite," Michelle replied.


    Selene chuckled lightly.


    "I¡¯m pretty sure you are," she responded. "Is your father around? I haven¡¯t seen him since I arrived," she added.


    Michelle shook her head. "He¡¯s still at work," she replied.


    ¡¯Perfect.¡¯


    Michelle pulled Selene to her room so that they both would have some girly chat. Selene wasn¡¯t interested in any of that but she still yed along and formed a few lies about her life. About her life as a teenager and the death of her parents which meant she was an orphan. Then the boys she dated. Everything was a lie, but Michelle bought them without batting an eysh.


    After spending an hour chatting with Michelle while thetter showed off some of her designer clothes on her phone, she excused herself to go to the bathroom.


    Keeping her steps as light as possible, she went in the direction of Robert¡¯s study room.


    She nced around, not finding anyone in sight. She twisted the doorknob, and the door opened. She sighed in relief before going inside.


    Immediately, she started her search around the study room. It was stacked with more files than the shelves in his office.


    Selene hissed in annoyance when she couldn¡¯t find the files. She was already wasting a lot of time and Michelle would start looking for her soon.


    All of a sudden, Selene found a blue file. She opened the file, and read through what was written inside before a smile graced her lips.


    Immediately, she hid it in her bag and headed out of the study room when she found Jack ring at her.


    "What are you doing here?" He questioned her.

 Chapter 55: Finally Found It

    "I will choose to believe you for now, but I will keep an eye on you," he said.


    Selene internally sighed in relief but frowned due to Jack¡¯s statement.


    "Keep an eye on me, why?" She asked, confusionced in her tone.


    "Because I still don¡¯t trust you. Your entire presence is suspicious," said Jack before going inside the study room.


    Selene stood, more confusion etched on her expression but she shrugged it off. She already got what she wanted.


    She went back to Michelle¡¯s room, where thetter had been waiting for her.


    "What took you so long?" Michelle questioned when she saw Selene walking back into her room.


    "Sorry, bad stomach," she replied. "I think I need to go now," Selene added.


    "What? But it¡¯s only been an hour since you came here."


    "I know but I need to practice my script, and rest for a little. Remember, I didn¡¯te to set today because I was sick," said Selene.


    Michelle nodded, standing up so that she could hug Selene.


    After hugging, Selene turned to leave.


    Michelle bit her lips, contemting with her thoughts if she should ask Selene the question.


    Before Selene could leave the room, Michelle stopped her.


    "Selene, did you perhaps see Richard at the set yesterday?" She asked.


    Instantly, Selene halted her steps, an unbelievable look on her face.


    ¡¯So she was the one who sent Richard to rape me yesterday?¡¯ Selene thought to herself.


    Anger surged through her body, wanting to strangle Michelle to death. But she had a smile on her face when she turned to face her.


    "I didn¡¯t, why do you ask?"


    Michelle bit her tongue.


    ¡¯So he didn¡¯t even show up at the set,¡¯ she thought to herself.


    "It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that he sent me a text saying that he wasing to pick me up. But I left before he came," Michelle replied.


    Selene frowned slightly.


    "I see," said Selene, wondering why Michelle didn¡¯t just ask Richard herself. They live in the same house.


    After sharing a smile, Selene left the mansion.


    Kace wasn¡¯t around, so Xavier was the one bro who drove her to the Harrison mansion. Due to his car¡¯s heavily tinted windows, they couldn¡¯t see him.


    Selene got into the car.


    "I found it," she said, staring at Xavier with a smile on her lips.


    ¡ª


    "You finally found the property papers you were looking for?" Kace screamed as he jumped in joy, bing even more excited than Selene herself. He read through the words written inside, "It¡¯s the one," he added.


    Selene stared at Kace, surprised by his reaction.


    They had just arrived a few minutes ago when they saw Kace already in the mansion.


    He looked tired with bags under his eyes.


    Internally, Kace was cursing at Xavier for making him work so much. Another group of kidnappers had captured a few girls, but unfortunately for them, they were toote. The girls had been taken to the main hideout where they would be kept until they were sold.


    They couldn¡¯t find the girls since that areacked awork and was untraceable. So for the past two days, he had been trying his best to find the location where they would be trafficked to pedophiles. But so far, nothing good hase out of it.


    "Does this mean you can now have your property back?" Kace asked.


    "Yes," said Xavier. "I will have mywyer look into this. After that, he will get new property documents ready for you and when Robert Harrison signs them, you will have all your properties back," he added.


    Tears brimmed in Selene¡¯s eyes, she couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. Everything suddenly felt easy for her.


    Remembering something, she parted her lips to speak, "When I went to my dad¡¯s office this week while searching for the files, I saw something."


    "What did you see?" Kace asked, curiosityced in his tone.


    "It was another property paper, but this one had the name <i>Jeffery rk</i> written on it. I found it in his drawer," she replied.


    Instantly, she noticed the change in expression on Kace and Xavier¡¯s faces. Their expressions shifted to ones of clear distaste, brows furrowing and lips curling slightly as they nced at her.


    "Who is Jeffery rk?" She asked.

 Chapter 56: Mortal Enemies

    She wanted to know if she could trust Liam, but since he didn¡¯t give out any bad vibes, she still stayed friends with him.


    After thest shoot, which ended earlier than expected since Michelle didn¡¯t make any mistakes, Director Jeunes announced, "After today¡¯s shoot, we are almost done with the movie. To thank you all for your cooperation and hard work, I will be sponsoring a three-day vacation for everyone at a vi. Anyone interested cane and rx. The crew is also invited to join."


    Everyone was very excited because of the vacation. The only time they got to rest was during the hiatus. They didn¡¯t even get the weekend off so they were looking forward to rxing at the vi director Jeunes was going to take them to.


    Selene was also excited, she was also going on a vacation.


    "Are you going?" Kace asked from behind her.


    "I should, it¡¯s for everyone," she replied, looking forward to it as well.


    Kace smirked, a grin stretching on his lips. If Selene was going, that meant he had to follow her as well. But the only way he would be able to follow her was if Xavier didn¡¯t give him any more work. He prayed that Xavier would let him, he also needed a vacation.


    From the corners of his eyes, he saw Allison. As always, her white hair stood out from the crowd.


    As if sensing his gaze, Allison made eye contact with her. She smiled at him before tearing her gaze from him.


    Leaving Selene¡¯s side, he walked towards her.


    "Hi," he said, waving his hands in front of her.


    "Hello."


    "I¡¯m still sorry about the misunderstanding we had earlier."


    "It¡¯s okay," she responded.


    "So, are you also going on vacation?" He asked her?" He asked, curious to know what her response would be.


    Her blue eyes settled on him and he thought he was looking into the ocean. It wanted to drown him in and he didn¡¯t mind if he drowned.


    "I¡¯m not going," she replied.


    Kace felt a ss shatter above his head. It was his hope that had just shattered. Because for some reason, he wanted her toe along as well. She always kept a smile on her lips whenever she was talking to people. And he knew better that people who always smiled had something going on in their life and he was curious to know what was going on in her life.


    "And why is that?" He asked.


    Selene had been talking to herself without realizing it. When she noticed that Kace had been quiet for too long, she turned but didn¡¯t see Kace around.


    She darted her eyes around, searching for him when she found him talking with her makeup artist.


    "What is he doing there?" She wondered, her eyes narrowed with a faint smile on her lips.


    <i>Back at where Allison and Kace were,</i>


    Allison replied, "I have college and I don¡¯t have time to go on vacation. I still have plenty of things to do."


    ¡¯So she¡¯s a college student,¡¯ Kace thought to himself.


    "I see," he hummed, not sure of what to say next. "Which college do you go to?" He asked.


    Instantly, Allison¡¯s eyes narrowed at him on suspicion. They only started talking recently and she wasn¡¯t going to reveal personal rtionships about herself to just anyone.


    "You don¡¯t need to know which one," she said. Kace immediately realized what he¡¯d done.


    He was asking her questions as if he was some sort of detective.


    "I¡¯m truly sorry," he immediately apologized.


    Allison smiled at him but didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡¯I can just trace which college she goes to,¡¯ Kace thought to himself with a smirk on his lips.


    The both of them exchanged a few more words before Kace and Selene went home.


    Kace informed Xavier about the vacation. Shockingly, Xavier allowed him to go with her. Immediately, he went back to the Wace mansion to pack his bags.


    Michelle saw him and questioned, "Don¡¯t tell me you are going with Selene to the vi?"


    "And what if I am? What are you going to do about it?" Kace questioned back. Michelle red hard at him. "Stop ring at me like that, you look like an owl," he added, turning to leave.


    "Do you know where Richard is?" She asked, stopping him.


    A smirk pulled on Kace¡¯s lips.


    "Don¡¯t tell me you have lost your husband," he said.


    Michelle became annoyed. "Do you know where he is or not? I¡¯ve tried calling him but he isn¡¯t picking up his call."


    "Well, that¡¯s none of my business, you know. He¡¯s your husband after all. You are supposed to keep an eye on him or perhaps, did he leave you? Shouldn¡¯t you be d he did?" He questioned her.


    He knew where Richard was and he wasn¡¯t going to tell her anything.


    "Maybe you should start keeping your husband on a leash," he added and left.

 Chapter 57: Caught By Who

    Director Jeunes had already informed them that they could rest for the night and tomorrow morning, for there would be a partyter at night.


    Just as Selene was about to close her eyes, she heard her phone ring. "Who could be calling me?" She wondered, annoyance etched on her face.


    When she saw the caller, her face immediately lit up.


    "It¡¯s Xavier." Without wasting a single time, she quickly called and put the phone on her ear.


    "Have you arrived?" He asked her, his deep voice ringing in her ears as she blushed.


    "We just did," she replied, biting her lips, remembering the kiss again. When she realized where her thoughts were going, she pinched herself. "I was just about to take a nap," she added.


    For some reason, she already missed him and Xavier felt the same.


    Xavier could already imagine how quiet the mansion was going to be without her around.


    They exchanged a few more words before hanging up, wishing each other a good night.


    As soon as the call got disconnected, Selene buried herself in the pillow, giggling like a high school girl who was falling in love.


    "What is wrong with me? Am I falling in love with him?" She questioned herself.


    ¡ª


    In the opposite room, Michelle kept dialing a particr phone number, but she kept on hearing <i>switched off. </i>


    Gritting her teeth in anger, she threw her phone on the bed.


    "Where the hell is Richard?" She wondered, her blood boiling as she clenched her fist in her. "It would be a great idea if he came here and raped her in front of this many people, he wouldn¡¯t even need to take a video of it," she added.


    Michelle had to ask Mr Wace about Richard¡¯s whereabouts but thetter didn¡¯t know where he was either. Kace didn¡¯t bother to give her a direct answer to her question earlier. She felt lost.


    "If only he would just text back so we could make another n, then I wouldn¡¯t be worrying like this. Did he bail on me?" She wondered.


    Reaching towards her phone, she picked it up and dialed her father¡¯s phone number.


    "Dad, Richard hasn¡¯te back home since I sent him to rape Selene. He¡¯s not picking up my calls or replying to any of my texts," she informed Robert as soon as the phone call got connected.


    Robert frowned deeply. Michelle had always informed her of what was going on the set. The way Xavier would bring Selene lunch and how they would look at each other lovingly. If things went out of hand, he could lose Xavier and never get the chance to have him married to Michelle as nned from the start.


    He had tried convincing old Wace into forcing Xavier to marry Michelle but the olddy had already given up on the matter. She has tried convincing Xavier but thetter didn¡¯t adhere to his grandmother¡¯s words so she gave up.


    If he didn¡¯t do anything to stop Selene from getting closer to Xavier, he feared he might do what old Wace wanted the moment her eyes settled on Selene, to have her married to Xavier and make her the daughter-inw of the Wace family. Which was why he agreed to Michelle¡¯s n of having Richard rape Selene to taint her image.


    "I¡¯ve tried calling him as well. I wanted to know how things went, but he didn¡¯t pick up any of my calls either," he replied, worry etched on his face.


    "What if he changed his mind at thest minute and decided to leave without telling us anything," Michelle thought out loud. Her father ended up hearing her.


    "Richard is a stupid person, but he isn¡¯tpletely stupid. That man would chase anything under a skirt and he always had his eyes on Selene the moment he saw her. I don¡¯t think he would have dared to change his mind at thest minute," said Robert.


    Knowing Richard¡¯s reputation, Robert had to threaten him after Michelle moved to the Wace mansion. He didn¡¯t mind the way Richard treated <i>Anastasia </i>but he was willing to shed blood if Richard dared touch Michelle without her consent.


    But Richard didn¡¯t mind at all. He never felt any kind of attraction towards Michelle, so he wasn¡¯t interested in touching her one bit.


    Robert gave it some thought.


    "What if he was caught?" He asked.


    "I thought about that too, Dad. But caught by who?" She wondered, pinching her nose bridge in frustration.

 Chapter 58: I’m Your Brother!

    "Michelle, Richard was caught before he raped Selene. That¡¯s the only thing that makes sense right now. If he was caught, that can only mean that the person who caught him saved Selene. What if it was Xavier?"


    Michelle felt her heart skip a beat in fear at her father¡¯s words.


    Xavier was thest person she wanted to capture Richard if he was caught.


    "If it was Xavier, we are done for," she said, finding a couch to sit on since her legs suddenly went weak.


    Robert could hear how scared his precious daughter was from the phone call, so he immediately started to calm her down.


    "Rx! I¡¯m not sure yet. There¡¯s just a 50% chance he¡¯s the one. If he was the one, I¡¯m sure I wouldn¡¯t be in my office by now, talking to you. And you wouldn¡¯t be at the vi, having a vacation. If he was the one that caught Richard and his feelings for Selene were true, I¡¯m sure we would have been wiped off from earth by now," he said.


    Michelle released a sigh of release, feeling slightly better after making sense of her father¡¯s words.


    "That means he wasn¡¯t the one then?"


    "I¡¯m not sure, Michelle. But keep a lookout and take care of yourself. Keep on trying Richard¡¯s phone and hopefully, he will respond," he responded.


    After that, they shared a goodbye before Michelle hung up on the call.


    "He¡¯s not the one that caught Richard," she repeated, closing herself to pray and hope that it wasn¡¯t Xavier who caught Richard.


    "Selene was able to escape without a scratch. Next time, I will make sure she isn¡¯t able to escape," she said to herself, her eyes still closed as she wished for both toe to pass.


    **


    In a dimly lit room, a man was seated in an electrical wire chair. His hands were bound behind him, his white shirt was stained with blood that flowed from his own body.


    A ck cloth was around his eyes, blindfolding him, so he couldn¡¯t see the two men and a youngdy who were standing in front of him.


    "Are you going to kill him?" Maxwell asked Xavier, his eyes on Richard who was seated on the chair, with open wounds on his skin which tore due to the torture he had been receiving since Xavier brought him to the hideout in a fit of rage.


    "I¡¯m not sure about that. But I am sure about one thing, he¡¯s not leaving here any time soon," Xavier responded.


    Amanda could hear their conversation quite clearly since they weren¡¯t whispering amongst each other.


    She stared at them, curiosity evident in her eyes as she asked, "Is he another toy you bought for me, savior?"


    Xavier shook his head immediately.


    Amanda had been wanting to <i>y </i>with Richard since Xavier brought him to the torture room. But he doubted Richard would be able to survive the night if it was Amanda who tortured him.


    Since it was only bad people that Xavier brought for her to <i>y </i>with, Amanda had already presumed that Richard was a bad person too.


    "He¡¯s not for you, go y with your toy," Xavier responded which had Amanda pout her lips a little.


    The only man left out of Amanda¡¯s toys had been so weakened to the extent he couldn¡¯t speak anymore. He couldn¡¯t give them the information they needed from him either.


    "What did he do anyway? I mean, for you to have your brother down here, torturing him to this extent..." Maxwell drawled, trying to find words toplete his sentence since was confused.


    "He nearly raped someone," Xavier replied, his tone curt.


    Maxwell nced at him, wondering whom Richard could have nearly raped.


    Maxwell doesn¡¯t show himself to the Wace family, but he is familiar with all the members, especially Richard, he knows thetter¡¯s behavior very well. And from the look of things, it seemed the person whom Richard had messed with was someone close to Xavier. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder who.


    Richard moved on his chair but immediately winced in pain.


    "Xavier! Get me outta here you psycho! I¡¯m your fucking brother you fucker! Why are you doing this to me?!" Richard questioned, raising his voice as loud as he could, not knowing the person he was yelling out to was close by.


    "You seem to love this a little too much, Richard," said Xavier. Upon hearing his cold voice, Richard shrank back a little.


    Xavier picked up the scalpel he had arranged for when Richard woke up and cut off his index finger.


    Richard screamed in pain, thrashing on the chair like a mad man.


    "Now, that¡¯s more like it."

 Chapter 59: Part Of The Plan

    "And what are you smiling all about?" Selene asked him, noticing him smiling at the table. She stared at the table, checking if she would find something amusing on it. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t.


    Kace immediately changed his expression.


    "I just remembered something funny," he responded.


    Selene shrugged and pulled a seat for herself, settling beside them.


    Martha joined a bitter that day. As always, she didn¡¯t say much. She only opened her mouth to speak when she was asked a question, or when she felt she needed to add something to the frivolous conversation they were having to while away the time until it was time for the party.


    At the poolside, both Edna and Miranda gave Selene a fierce re, remembering how she¡¯d humiliated them.


    "Just look at that bitch, having so much fun after she insulted us the other day. She didn¡¯t evene to apologize," said Miranda, blinking the wet fakeshes that made her look like a cat after getting wet. "How dare she?" Turning to her friend, Edna, she asked, "Is the n ready?"


    Edna was also ring at Selene just the way Miranda was ring at her, anger written on her face as she replied, "Of course, I have it ready. You think I will let that bitch go after what she did to us?"


    Nodding at each other, the both of them got out of the pool and took their towels before heading towards their room. Since they were best friends, they ended up sharing a room.


    Closing the door behind them, Edna took her phone and made a phone call.


    Immediately, the call was connected as if the person from the other line had been anticipating the phone call.


    "Remember the n," Edna said to the person from the other line. "You are going toe here with your men. I¡¯ve already sent you the picture of thedy you are going to rape. Make sure to take a video of it. After taking the video, you send it to me and you will delete it from your phone," she added.


    When she heard the affirmative reply from the other person, she hung up the call with a smile on their lips.


    Edna had left the call on loudspeaker mode so that Miranda would also hear.


    However, someone behind the door was also listening to the conversation.


    All of a sudden, they heard a knocke from the door. It was so unexpected that their hearts jumped in fear.


    Both Edna and Miranda shared a look amongst themselves before Miranda strode to open the door.


    She frowned slightly when she saw the person at the door.


    "Michelle?" Edna called, walking towards the door. "What are you doing here?" She questioned, hoping that Michelle had not heard their conversation.


    Michelle had a bright smile on her face as she looked at the twodies who were going to help her with her ns.


    "Can Ie in?" She requested.


    Edna and Miranda shared another look, growing suspicious of Michelle. They didn¡¯t interact much with Michelle which left them feeling neutral towards her. She wasn¡¯t their enemy, neither was she their friend.


    The two women gave her space to enter the room.


    "What are you doing here, Michelle?" Edna repeated her question from earlier. Michelle took a seat, rxing on the couch, feeling so much excitement she didn¡¯t know how to express it.


    "I heard everything the two of you were just saying to that person over the phone," said Michelle.


    Instantly, Edna and Miranda became alert. If Michelle blurted out what she heard to director Jeunes, he would fire them without batting an eysh.


    "You two don¡¯t need to worry about me reporting you to director Jeunes," Michelle added as if reading their thoughts.


    "And why is that?" Miranda asked Michelle, confusion etched on her expression¡ªshe found Michelle¡¯s words suspicious.


    "Well," Michelle stood up from the couch, crossing her arm around her chest elegantly with a smile on her face. "That¡¯s because I want to be part of the n," she responded.


    Both Edna¡¯s and Miranda¡¯s eyebrows furrowed deeply in confusion.


    "What do you mean?" Edna questioned.


    With the smile still on her lips, Michelle replied, "I want to see Selene get ruined. I want her kicked out of the entertainment industry."

 Chapter 60: Where Is She?

    They gave it some thought.


    "Alright, Michelle. It seems that Selene has angered you, which is why you are involving yourself in something like this," said Miranda, stretching out her hand to seal their partnership in their evil n towards Selene.


    Michelle shook her hands.


    "Indeed she has," Michelle replied. She also shook Edna¡¯s hands before they settled on the couch to discuss more on the n.


    **


    A few hourster, everyone was all dressed up for the party. Even when it wasn¡¯t a huge party, everyone still dressed elegantly as if they were going to a g.


    Selene gazed at her reflection in the mirror, admiring the elegant white dress that graced her figure. It wasn¡¯t too long or too short, ending just below her knees and perfectly highlighting her long legs.


    She paired it with white heels that made her two inches taller.


    Satisfied with how she looked in the mirror, Selene stepped out of her room and headed towards where the party was held.


    When she reached, she found her colleagues already starting to have fun. But not everyone had arrived, the ce wasn¡¯t filled yet.


    Selene went to where Kace and co were. She ordered some drinks and gulped everything down in one go.


    "Maybe you should take it easy on the drink," Liammented when he saw how fast she was drinking.


    "I¡¯m on vacation okay, I¡¯m supposed to have fun," she replied, gulping down another drink.


    Liam nced at Kace and thetter could only sigh.


    ¡¯Your husband had bettere here quickly and take care of you himself,¡¯ Kace thought to himself before he snatched the third ss from Selene¡¯s hand.


    "You do know you are not supposed to be drinking that much, right?" He asked her, keeping the ss aside.


    "Of course," said Selene. Selene¡¯s eyes scanned the room until theynded on Michelle, who stood beside Edna and Miranda. She instantly recognized the two girls as the ones she had overheard gossiping about her on set the other day.


    ¡¯What is she doing with them?¡¯ She wondered, her brows furrowing.


    Kace followed her gaze, and it alsonded on Michelle with the two girls.


    Selene had already informed him about the argument they had, so he recognized them immediately.


    Both Kace and Selene shared a look but Selene shrugged her shoulders, as if ready for whatever they were nning against her.


    Director Jeunes came and made another announcement regarding the party. Since it was a vacation party, they were allowed to drink as much as they wanted. They still had two more days to recover from the hangover, so he didn¡¯t bother to stop them from wasting their lives a little that evening.


    Selene fetched her phone from her purse, anxiously checking for any messages from Xavier. There was still nothing. He hadn¡¯t contacted her since that morning, and now it was already evening.


    Her shoulder dropped in disappointment.


    ¡¯What was I thinking? He¡¯s not in love with me,¡¯ she thought to herself, putting the phone back into her pocket. She took the ss of drink Kace had snatched from her and gulped it down.


    Selene searched for Martha, but didn¡¯t find her around.


    "Where¡¯s Martha?" She asked Liam.


    "She said she was sick so she couldn¡¯t attend the party," he replied while Selene nodded in understanding.


    ¡ª


    A man, more than six feet tall walked through the hallway, his elegance attracting so much attention towards him from the vi staff and other celebrities who were around. But he didn¡¯t pay any attention to them.


    As soon as the staff recognized him to be their boss, they immediately looked away and focused more on their work.


    Xavier continued to walk, then stopped when he got to a particr door.


    He brought out a spare key he took from a staff member and opened the door. He stepped in, but was greeted with darkness and a familiar weird scent.


    He inhaled it a few times, before he recognized the scent. It was an aphrodisiac scent. It is used to turn people on for intimacy.


    He frowned deeply, covering his nose so that he wouldn¡¯t perceive any more of the sweet scent.


    He searched for the light switch. He turned it on. He found the room empty with not a single soul inside. He searched the bathroom as well but couldn¡¯t find her either.


    Xavier left the room to make a phone call and search for Selene at the same time.


    Unfortunately, Selene didn¡¯t pick up his call. Xavier gritted his teeth. He tried her number a few more times but it resulted in the same thing.


    "Where is she?" He growled.

 Chapter 61: There’s A Snake!

    Selene stared at Michelle, cing her hand on her shoulder. "It¡¯s okay, it was just an ident," said Selene, already feeling a little dizzy due to how much she twirled while dancing. Plus, the alcohol was starting to kick in as well.


    "I just ruined your dress. It¡¯s not okay," said Michelle.


    Deep down, Michelle was jubnt. This was the first step in their n to lure Selene back to her room, where they had spread an aphrodisiac scent. Edna had already informed her that the men were in Selene¡¯s room, ready to carry out the deed.


    Her heart tingled, anticipating the humiliation Selene was going to face in the next hour.


    "You need to change," Michelle added, intending to help Selene out of the room, but Selene objected immediately.


    She might be drunk, but she still recognized Michelle as her enemy and she wasn¡¯t going to ept any kind of help from her enemy.


    She found Michelle¡¯s action suspicious, because how blind was she not to see her and spill a drink on her?


    "No, it¡¯s okay. I can take care of it," said Selene.


    "Alright, take care. If you need help, just call me," said Michelle without insisting any further. She walked back to the room and continued to party.


    "Are you sure you don¡¯t need any help?" Liam asked from behind her.


    She shook her head. "It¡¯s just a drink. I can¡¯t clean it off so I will just wear another dress. I will be right back," she replied to him, sharing a look with Kace before she left the party to go back to her room to change.


    As soon as she left, Kace got a phone call.


    He picked up the call. Before he could say a word, he heard the person from the other line question, "Where¡¯s Selene?"


    Kace was a little speechless at first. There was urgency in Xavier¡¯s tone which confused him a little.


    "She just left the party. She¡¯s on her way to her room to change because for some reason¡ª"


    Kace didn¡¯t get the chance toplete his sentence when he heard the beeping sound of the call, indicating that Xavier had already hung up.


    Kace ced the phone by his side, sighing, "Bastard," he cursed.


    **


    Selene red at the red stain on her white dress. It was ringly obvious, drawing the attention of everyone she passed. People couldn¡¯t help but give her curious or sympathetic nces as she walked by.


    "It¡¯s just a red champagne stain, my gosh," she said under her breath.


    Selene sighed when she sighted the door of her room. Before she could open it, she felt arge hand grab hers and pull her away from the door, making her gasp.


    <i>At the party,</i>


    Michelle raised her wristwatch to check the time so often that Edna had to tap her on the shoulder


    "Girl, will you calm down? It¡¯s just been ten minutes since she left the party," said Edna.


    Michelle sighed, dropping her hand.


    "Are you sure the n is going to work? Did you spray enough aphrodisiac scent all around the room? And what if the staff reports us since she was the one who gave us the spare key to Selene¡¯s room?" Michelle asked all at once, anxiety gripping her.


    Richard had already failed her in the first mission. This was the second one with two actresses she didn¡¯t quite trust. The only reason she was talking to them was because they hated Selene, just the way she did. Plus, they wanted to harm her.


    ¡¯If the n fails, I¡¯m going to lose it,¡¯ Michelle thought to herself, grabbing her drink before gulping it down, hoping it would reduce her anxiety.


    Miranda spoke, "Girl, we hired three bodybuilder men. They are so strong that I bet she would be able to survive just one man¡¯s dick in her hole, talk more of three."


    "That¡¯s right," Edna seconded.


    A few minutes passed before Edna said, "It¡¯s time. Remember what we nned?" She asked Michelle and thetter nodded.


    Both Edna and Miranda stood up, leaving the party. Unbeknownst to them, Kace had been keeping an eye on them since Michelle left. But they were so far away he couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying.


    Michelle waited for a little while, waiting for the time to pass. Once it was fifteen minutes since both the besties left, she raised an rm, "There¡¯s a snake in Selene¡¯s room!"

 Chapter 62: Plan Failed

    Once everyone had arrived in front of Selene¡¯s room, Michelle pulled open the door.


    "Selene, calm down, we will get some¡ª" Michelle halted when she saw the scene in front of her.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes widened in shock. They couldn¡¯t help but gasp when they saw what was happening inside Selene¡¯s room.


    But no one was more shocked than Michelle who was already inside the room.


    Edna and Miranda moaned loudly as they continued to get fucked by the three bodybuilder men. Their faces were filled with delight as they closed their eyes, enjoying the moment.


    Even when they saw the people in front of them, they didn¡¯t stop their moaning. Instead, they moaned even louder.


    "What nonsense is this?" Director Jeunes questioned, disgust evident in his eyes as he red at the scene.


    A few of the cast and crew brought out their phones and took pictures secretly. If director Jeunes saw them, they would have to delete the pictures immediately.


    "Where¡¯s Selene?" Michelle questioned, shock still evident in her face as she stared at Edna and Miranda.


    The n was that Edna and Miranda were supposed to go check up on Selene and the men to see if the action had already started. Then, they would send Michelle a text, asking her to raise an rm that would force everyone toe to Selene¡¯s room and witness what was happening to her.


    But they did mention while they were nning that they might get too engrossed and forget to text her. All Michelle needed to do at that moment was wait for fifteen minutes before she raised a fake rm.


    So, when Michelle didn¡¯t receive a text from either Edna or Miranda after fifteen minutes had passed, she quickly raised a fake rm and brought everyone to Selene¡¯s room.


    Unfortunately for her, the person she was hoping to be in the two bestie¡¯s position was nowhere to be found.


    "Michelle," Edna moaned Michelle¡¯s name. "Help me," she added, still moaning.


    Kace arrived at the scene, disbelief written all over his face.


    He had to call Selene and when she picked up, he immediately questioned her about the snake situation Michelle had mentioned before zooming out of the party.


    Turned out that Selene was with Xavier and she didn¡¯t get the chance to go into her room so she wasn¡¯t sure if there was a snake in her room.


    Kace was curious to know what Michelle was nning. But the scene before him had turned him speechless.


    "You need to stop tthis," said Director Jeunes.


    Immediately, some of the men went to separate the mating humans; the females covered them with nkets, even though there was nothing more for them to hide anymore.


    Everything was recorded on their phones.


    Selene arrived at the scene also, and when she saw what was happening in her room, she gasped.


    "What the hell?!"


    **


    Some time passed and the besties were back to their senses.


    They gripped the nkets given to them to cover up their shame tightly, as tears streamed down from their eyes.


    "Do you two care to exin what happened there?" Director Jeunes questioned.


    He didn¡¯t mind if they wanted to fuck during their vacation, but the fact that they had to do it in someone else¡¯s room, was simply disgusting. Not only did they embarrass themselves, but they also drew unwanted attention towards them, or so he thought.


    They wanted the attention. Just that they weren¡¯t meant to be the people being watched and judged by them.


    "We are sorry," said Miranda, tears streaming down her face. She already knew she was fired from the movie since the shame would be too much for director Jeunes to bear if he starred her in the movie any longer, especially after what happened.


    "We are not asking for apologies, you two. We want to know, why were both of you having sex in my room?" Selene questioned, eyes narrowing at them.


    Edna gritted her teeth in frustration. She had no idea how Selene managed to evade the borate trap they had set for her. Seeing Selene unscathed made her blood boil.


    "You are the one who was supposed to be in that room getting raped by those three men. It was a trap we set for you and you were saved!" Edna revealed and everyone gasped in shock.


    Miranda immediately became alert. She stared at her friend in shock, not expecting her to lose her temper and reveal their ns to everyone who was watching them.


    "Edna, what are you talking about?" She asked, hoping that Edna wouldn¡¯t spill anything anymore.


    "You know very much what I¡¯m talking about. You had a hand in this, remember? But somehow, this bitch here managed to escape and we fell into our own traps," Edna barked.

 Chapter 63: Too Late To Repent

    "Is that so?"


    Suddenly, they heard a deep voice in the room. Immediately, their attention went to that person. Their eyes widened in shock when they saw Xavier walk into the room, hands in pockets, his hairbed back, leaving a few strands to settle on his forehead.


    As always, everyone was amazed when they saw it. Everything about him drew attention to him and they did their job well by admiring him. Even though they found him so handsome, they wouldn¡¯t dare to go close to him, that was how strong his aura was.


    When he walked inside the room they were having a conversation, everyone held their breath, as if they were being suffocated.


    Everyone at the set didn¡¯t know how much Xavier cared for Selene, but the way he always brought food and flowers for her showed enough.


    Edna felt as if water was sshed on her as she broke out in cold sweat, and so did her friend, Miranda, and Michelle who tried to make herself as invisible as possible.


    If Xavier got involved in what had happened, they knew for sure things weren¡¯t going to work out well for them.


    "X-Xavier," director Jeunes called. He went to Xavier, hoping the matter wouldn¡¯t escte more than it already did. Xavier was a huge sponsor to the movie and he couldn¡¯t afford to lose him when two of his cast tried to frame his <i>girlfriend. </i>


    "Repeat what you said earlier," Xavier ordered, his downturned eyes on Edna, and thetter didn¡¯t know if she should breathe through her nose or mouth. His aura was too suffocating, she felt cold under the nket so she pulled it towards her even more.


    Edna didn¡¯t dare to repeat what she said. Instead, she gritted her teeth.


    "Your girlfriend is a slut!" She yelled out.


    Now, everyone feared for Edna. She dide from a rich family, but there was no way her family¡¯s power would be able to save her from Xavier.


    Michelle cursed under her breath, silently hoping that Edna would just shut up her mouth and stop making the matter worse.


    "She slept with director Jeunes just so that she could get the lead role in the movie!" Edna added.


    Now, Miranda scooted away from Edna, no longer wanting to be associated with her. Edna had let her temper get the better of her, and Miranda could see that she was on the path to dragging both of them down into ruin.


    Director Jeunes red at Edna, shocked by what she dared to say.


    He had cleared up the rumor, making sure that no one would release such fake news anymore. He couldn¡¯t help but suspect Edna to be the one who released the fake rumor that circted the inte a few weeks ago.


    "How dare you say such things about Selene?" Xavier questioned, anger evident in his tone.


    Earlier, he had been worried that something bad had already happened to Selene when he went to her room. But was d when he saw her unscathed.


    Xavier walked closer to Edna, a fierce re in his eyes directed at Edna.


    It was at that moment that Edna seemed to havee back to her senses.


    Xavier¡¯s imposing aura was too much for her to handle. Tears streamed down her eyes as she pleaded, "I¡¯m sorry for what I said, Xavier. This is a mistake and I promise I won¡¯t do it again."


    She had thought that saying disgusting things about Selene in front of her <i>boyfriend </i>would make him despise her at that moment. Unfortunately for her, her n had failed. But she had spoken too much for her to be forgiven.


    Selene couldn¡¯t help but scoff at how Edna had just dug her own grave. But she was overjoyed seeing that their ns had failed and she only had one person to thank for that, Xavier.


    "You won¡¯t get the chance to make such a mistake ever again," said Xavier. "Because from now on, I¡¯m cklisting the both of you from the entertainment industries. And you can say goodbye to your father¡¯spany because I¡¯m making it go bankrupt in the next hour."

 Chapter 64: Lost Her Cool

    "Michelle?" Selene called, her voice sounding like a heartbroken person. Everyone saw the both of them as besties so she needed to y that part well.


    Selene wasn¡¯t the least bit surprised that Michelle was part of the scheme. After seeing her hanging out with Edna and Miranda a few times, Selene had already predicted that they were plotting something.


    "Were you part of their n?" Selene asked, tears pooling in her eyes.


    Kace saw Selene, and he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle lightly so that no one would hear him.


    ¡¯She¡¯s such a good actress,¡¯ he thought to himself.


    Michelle immediately shook her head as she looked at everyone one at a time, but they were already giving her the judging look she wanted to avoid, which was why she hid. She still wanted to maintain her image of an innocent person.


    "I didn¡¯t do anything, she¡¯s lying against me. I wouldn¡¯t do that to Selene, she¡¯s my friend," she lied, trying to defend herself.


    Michelle had always portrayed herself as a pure angel who wouldn¡¯t hurt a fly. She had a clean reputation with no scandal all the years of her career, which led a few people to find it impossible to believe that she was part of the n.


    "I didn¡¯t do it. That¡¯s such a disgusting thing they had nned against Selene, and I wouldn¡¯t dare be a part of it, I swear," she continued to defend herself, tears already dropping from her eyes to make herself look pitiful.


    Edna gritted her teeth, her anger surging through her body. She immediately regretted not recording their conversation with Michelle when she was spilling out the things Selene had done to her, and the reason she wanted to take her revenge. Now that Michelle was denying the usation, she didn¡¯t know what to do to bring her down along with her.


    "Then what about the snake you were talking about earlier?" Liam asked her.


    He had been quietly watching the show and hadn¡¯t said a word.


    "You screamed out earlier at the party that Selene sent you a text about a snake being in her room, so we all rushed there," he added.


    "What?" Those were the only things Michelle could say, feeling the hair at her back stand on their ends while a dark storm hovered above her head.


    "If you are not part of them, show us the text Selene sent you saying there was a snake in her room?" Liam requested, his expression calm.


    Her heart skipped a beat at the realization that there was no way she was going to be able to defend herself anymore.


    She had faked everything. There was no text and there was no snake.


    She heard murmurs around her and she couldn¡¯t help but grit her teeth in anger.


    Not only was Selene able to evade their traps, but she wouldn¡¯t be able to defend herself from the usation Edna was pinning on her.


    She nced at Edna, noticing the smirk that had pulled up on thetter¡¯s lips.


    "Michelle, I thought we were friends. How could you do such a thing to me?" Selene asked, an unbelievable look on her face.


    Everyone started feeling pity for Selene. She thought that Michelle was her friend but was betrayed.


    The ones who also thought that Michelle didn¡¯t have a hand in what happened red at her.


    "And so what? Did you think that I was your friend? You disgust me, Selene! You are a thief! You stole my role and stole Xavier from me, that¡¯s why I hate you so much. You were supposed to have been raped by those men, but somehow, you managed to escape it," Michelle spouted uncontrobly, the same thing that Edna was regretting at the moment.


    "Michelle!!" Xavier yelled. For the first time in his life, he had the sudden urge to hit a woman, but he restrained himself.


    Michelle felt her heart skip a beat in fear but she didn¡¯t think that Xavier would cklist her like he did with Edna and Miranda. She believed she was safe.


    "Watch your tongue," Xavier warned.


    Everyone has been surprised by Michelle¡¯s outburst. She didn¡¯t expect her tosh out like that, revealing her inner hatred towards Selene. They had always thought Michelle was a humble woman, but after her attitude, they didn¡¯t know what to think of her anymore.


    "Michelle, how could you?" Selene asked, her eyes red from crying too much.


    Even Xavier was amazed at how much Selene was tearing up effortlessly.


    "We were never friends! And do you know who revealed those rumors about you? I was," Michelle revealed without batting an eysh.

 Chapter 65: This Isn’t Over

    She had expected Selene to fall to her knees, begging and tearing up, demanding to know why Michelle would do such a thing. But instead, she was met with a hard p on the cheek, and Selene¡¯s stinging words only added salt to the wound.


    Michelle was pissed off.


    Michelle was about to speak but Xavier interrupted her. "That¡¯s enough!"


    Her eyesnded on Xavier. Despite knowing there was little to no chance of it happening, she still clung to a glimmer of hope that he might defend her, even just a little. After all, she was his sister-inw. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she anxiously waited for what Xavier would say next.


    "What you have done today is disgusting. But I¡¯m not a bit surprised that you are the one who started the rumor. Don¡¯t think just because you are married into my family, I won¡¯t punish you for what you did to Selene today," he added.


    "Xavier," Selene called, walking towards him. She linked her arm with his which shocked thetter a little. Selene was also surprised by her actions. But since everyone thought they were dating, she might as well make it look real. "I don¡¯t want you to cklist Michelle," she said which got not only Xavier, but everyone else around confused.


    "I understand that what she did was out of pure jealousy, but please don¡¯t cklist her. I want her to continue ying a role in <i>The Sinner</i> and carry on with her career. This may sound stupid, but I forgive her."


    "Selene, are you sure about that? Michelle might try to do something to you since it seems she doesn¡¯t regret what she¡¯d done," said director Jeunes. He wasn¡¯t surprised about Michelle¡¯s outburst earlier. He was an experienced middle-aged man who had witnessed things in his life. And he knew that Michelle¡¯s character was just a fake.


    Selene looked at Michelle who was ring at her, a smile on her lips before she replied, "She wouldn¡¯t do anything to me, I¡¯m sure of it. When she cools off, I¡¯m sure she will be back to her senses and apologize to me." Turning to Xavier, she added, "So please Xavier, don¡¯t cklist her."


    Everyone admired Selene¡¯s kindness. She had just been betrayed in one of the worst ways by her so-called friend, yet she immediately forgave her. She even went as far as to beg her boyfriend, who had the power to cklist Michelle from the entertainment industry for life, to let her go.


    Witnessing Selene¡¯s mature andpassionate handling of the situation, they couldn¡¯t help but develop a soft spot for her.


    If only they knew Selene was simply giving Michelle a taste of her own medicine.


    Xavier stared at Selene, sensing that she had something nned. This moment was perfect for her to exact revenge on Michelle, but she chose to dy it. He concluded there was only one exnation for her actions¡ªshe wanted to toy with Michelle a little while longer, savoring the anticipation of her eventual retribution.


    "If you say so, baby. I won¡¯t cklist her," Xavier replied.


    Shock was written on everyone¡¯s faces when they heard Xavierply with Selene¡¯s requests. While Selene was caught off guard when Xavier called her baby.


    She tried to keep her demeanor together and not break character. She acknowledged his response by smiling at him, while she tried to stop the blush that wanted to appear on her cheeks.


    ¡¯Just look at those two,¡¯ Kace thought to himself with a smile on his lips.


    "Alright everyone, the party is over. Go back to your rooms and rest," said director Jeunes, dispersing everyone. It was already nighttime so director Jeunes couldn¡¯t send both Edna and Miranda back home. But he made a mental note to send them back home as soon as the sun rose in the morning, so that they wouldn¡¯t cause any more trouble.


    As for Michelle, he could only hope that she behaves herself. If it was up to him, he wouldn¡¯t have agreed to have Michelle continue to y a role in the movie.


    Michelle stormed out of the room, and headed towards hers while she red at Selene all the way. She didn¡¯t appreciate the fact that Selene had just saved her from Xavier¡¯s wrath.


    No matter how she saw it, Selene was a bad person and she needed to get rid of her. Her ns have failed, but she didn¡¯t want to give up just yet.


    "This isn¡¯t over, Selene," she mumbled under her breath.

 Chapter 66: Very Grateful

    "Just sleep already!" He muttered under his breath as he red at his member, while stroking it without stopping. He released another load of cum. When he noticed his member going limp, he sighed in relief.


    He quickly cleaned up before he left the bathroom.


    He had a towel wrapped around his waist with another for wiping his wet hair.


    He sighted Selene already asleep while the TV disyed some things he didn¡¯t pay attention to. He stared at her, a smile on his lips.


    "So cute," he mumbled to himself. He leaned towards her, not sure of what he was about to do. A few drops of water from his wet hairnded on Selene¡¯s face, waking her up.


    She opened her eyes and found Xavier so close to her face. Her eyes widened but her body remained stiff. Her heart jumped because the only time his face was so close to her, he had kissed her.


    They continued to stare at each other, their heart beating in sync without anyone saying a word to break the silence.


    Selene couldn¡¯t help but admire his longshes.


    ¡¯He¡¯s a man, what does he need longshes for?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    "How are you doing?" She heard him ask her.


    She felt her heart skip a beat when she heard his voice. No matter how many times she had heard him speak, she still couldn¡¯t get used to how deep andmanding it was. It was as if she had no choice but to respond to him.


    "I¡¯m doing good," she managed to respond.


    Everything that had happened that day was unexpected. Even though she had anticipated an evil trap by the trio, she didn¡¯t expect them to go that far.


    She stared at Xavier in the eyes, the same way he was staring at her. His ck eyes looked like a ck hole and she couldn¡¯t help but feel herself being pulled into it.


    Meanwhile, Xavier felt himself getting drowned in her ocean-blue eyes.


    "Thank you," she suddenly said.


    "What have I said about you thanking me?" He questioned her.


    Selene sighed. "I still need to thank you. You have saved me so many times and I don¡¯t know how to repay you," she said.


    Each time she remembered how many times she could have died or been raped by her enemies, she would always remember Xavier, her savior and protector. She suddenly felt warmth spread across her heart.


    When she noticed a smile pull on his lips, her breath hitched.


    Xavier leaned closer to her face and Selene¡¯s heart skipped a beat. When Xavier was about to capture her lips, he suddenly felt himself being pushed away. Before he could register what had just happened, Selene had already slipped from under him and rushed towards the bathroom.


    He stared at the bathroom, stunned by what had just happened. He smiled before he went to look for his clothes.


    When Selene finished showering, she peeked out of the bathroom, silently hoping that Xavier had already gone to bed. Unfortunately for her, Xavier was still wide awake. He had already switched the channel to a football channel.


    Her lips pulled up in amusement.


    ¡¯I thought all CEOs watched the business news, but I guess my husband is different,¡¯ she thought to herself. When she realized the term she had used to address Xavier, a rosy hue spread on her cheeks.


    Sighing, she stepped out of the bathroom, took her clothes, and rushed back inside to wear them.


    When she was done, she walked towards the bed, got under the covers, and hoped that Xavier wasn¡¯t going to continue what he wanted to do earlier.


    Xavier turned off the TV and followed suit by getting under the covers as well.


    He wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her towards him. At first, Selene was shocked, but she didn¡¯tin.


    "Goodnight," he wished her, pecking her forehead which only spread more warmth to her heart.


    "Goodnight," he wished back. They closed their eyes to sleep.


    When Xavier was sure that Selene was deep in slumber, he opened his eyes, sneaked towards the bathroom, and mumbled some words in dissatisfaction.


    "Just go to sleep, fuck!" He cursed at his hardening member.

 Chapter 67: We Need To Talk

    Xavier pulled her towards her, her head resting on the pillow as he pushed her chin up so that she could look back at him.


    Xavier couldn¡¯t be any more d when his member finally slept before he slipped under the coversst night. But now, he was craving for her lips. Their first kiss was unexpected but he didn¡¯t regret it at all.


    He leaned in before he captured her lips. Selene¡¯s eyes widened slightly before she gave in.


    Xavier kissed her hard, like a hungry man. Selene was out of breath before he released her.


    Her cheeks were flushed while her entire face was as red as a tomato. Her heartbeat raced. She intended to slip from under him like she did the previous night, but it seemed Xavier had already predicted her moves.


    He stopped right before she could slip away.


    "Ana," he called her by her real name and Selene felt her heart skip a beat. "I¡ª"


    "Xavier," she immediately interrupted him. "I think I should go," she added.


    Xavier stared at her, confusion etched on her lips. His lips formed a thin line before he nodded hesitantly.


    Selene didn¡¯t waste any time. She immediately sprang up and headed towards the bathroom.


    Xavier could only stare at her retreating with a sigh. He was also confused, not knowing what he wanted to say to her either.


    He ran his hand through his hair in frustration before he sighed again.


    "I will tell her thatter," he said to himself.


    **


    Selene walked out of the room without Xavier. He¡¯d already told her he would be right behind her once he was through with a few things.


    Selene silently prayed that he didn¡¯t. She couldn¡¯t look him in the eyes without blushing, and that alone was embarrassing to her.


    Just like the previous day, Selene walked towards where Kace was seated with Liam and Martha.


    As soon as Liam saw her, he scanned around, looking for her <i>boyfriend </i>but couldn¡¯t find him anywhere.


    Selene asked Martha how she was since she didn¡¯t attend the party. Thetter replied saying she caught a fever. Selene wished her well and she started eating breakfast.


    Xavier had offered to have breakfast in the room, but Selene immediately objected. She wanted to avoid him for some time.


    Liam asked Selene a few questions about her night and thetter kept it simple.


    Martha noticed the way Liam cared so much about Selene and couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of jealousy.


    Both she and Liam have known each other for long and she knew he cared about her, but having him care about another woman made her feel ufortable, even though they were not dating.


    Martha sighed and looked away when her eyesnded on Michelle who was seated on her own, having her drink while ring into her phone as if she wanted it to explode.


    "Hey," Martha tapped Selene. "Isn¡¯t that your so-called friend Michelle sitting there?" She asked.


    Even though Martha wasn¡¯t present at the scene yesterday, it wasn¡¯t difficult for her to find out what was happening since some people¡¯s mouths refuse to keep shut.


    Selene with the other two men nced at Michelle.


    "I wonder what she¡¯s ring at her phone for," she mumbled to herself.


    Martha stared at Selene with a perplexed look.


    "You haven¡¯t seen the fire burning on the inte today?" She questioned Selene.


    Selene frowned deeply. "What fire?"


    Martha pulled out her phone and went to Mestagram where videos of what happened the previous day had been uploaded.


    Selene stared with wide eyes, trying to hide the smirk that was threatening to pull on her lips.


    "Michelle¡¯s fans have turned against her," said Martha, opening thement section. "Well, most of her fans. Some foolish ones are still defending her," she added.


    Selene immediately pulled out her mobile phone to check thements as well. Someizens were indeed still defending Michelle after what she did.


    She scrolled through thement section and noticed someizens defending her while some med her for what happened, and why she stole Michelle¡¯s main role in the movie by sleeping with the director.


    Selene couldn¡¯t help but sigh. She ced her phone back inside her pocket and continued to eat breakfast.


    "Some people¡¯s fingers sometimes need to be cut off so that they can¡¯t use it on the inte anymore by typing rubbish," Selene muttered to herself.


    Kace¡¯ mouth twitched.


    Suddenly, she felt someone¡¯s presence behind her. She noticed Kace re at the figure. Curious, she turned, only to find Michelle standing behind her.


    "We need to talk," said Michelle.

 Chapter 68: Is She Dense?

    ¡¯What is she nning on talking about now?¡¯ Selene thought to herself.


    The both of them stopped when they reached a quieter ce at the back of the vi. Not many people passed that side, but Selene released a sigh of relief when she saw the CCTV cameras nted on the walls.


    "What do you want to talk about, Michelle? If you want to apologize for what happened the previous day, then you don¡¯t have to. I forgive you," Selene said with a bright smile on her lips.


    "SHUT UP!!" Michelle snapped, shocking Selene. She had to take a few steps back in case Michellepletely lost her senses and tried to attack her. "You are the sole reason all of this is happening. Since the day you showed yourself at old Wace¡¯s birthday, you have made my life a living hell!"


    ¡¯I haven¡¯t even started,¡¯ Selene thought to herself as she continued to maintain a pitiful shocked expression.


    "You stole Xavier from me."


    "How did I do that? You are already married to Richard, aren¡¯t you?" Selene asked with an oblivious look. The way she continued to act dense frustrated Michelle.


    "I was supposed to marry Xavier! He was solely mine. Anastasia tried to take him away from her but I got rid of her, and now you?!"


    "What do you mean you got rid of Anastasia?" Selene asked, slightly surprised that Michelle would spill such information. It could only mean she was furious beyond her control.


    Michelle mped her mouth shut, also surprised she had said such a thing.


    "You said your sister, Anastasia suddenly disappeared and she hasn¡¯t contacted you since then," Selene tried to dig further with curiosityced in her tone.


    "Yes, she disappeared. I threatened her and she ran away and promised to never show her face again," Michelle spat out so fast one would think she was rapping. When in fact, she was trying to convince Selene not to push the matter.


    Meanwhile, Selene couldn¡¯t help but be amazed at how Michelle had covered her slip-up so quickly. It was so believable that if she hadn¡¯t been the <i>Anastasia </i>they were talking about, she would have believed her immediately.


    "But that¡¯s not the main point. You still stole Xavier from me, he was meant to be mine but I identally got married to Richard. When it came to the movie, you slept with either director Jeunes or Xavier to get a role. As if you weren¡¯t satisfied, you are going after Liam as well?" Michelle barked, more veins popping on her forehead due to how angry she was.


    Selene stared at her with a small smile on her lips, trying to contain her anger that was evolving.


    "We both know that¡¯s a lie, Michelle. Has Xavier ever acknowledged you before?" She questioned Michelle, adding more salt to her wounds. "You say he¡¯s yours, but I don¡¯t hear him mention your name anytime when we make love," she added.


    Michelle was immediately vexed by Selene¡¯s response. Xavier had never once acknowledged and that was the bitter truth Selene had just pped her with. Remembering the p she had received from Selene the previous day, her anger surged.


    Michelle raised her arm in the air, ready to strike Selene across the face but Selene was fast enough to grab her wrist before she seeded.


    "Just because I¡¯m quiet and listening to your rubbish, it doesn¡¯t mean I will stand here and let you hit me, Michelle," said Selene with a fierce re directed toward Michelle. "Don¡¯t take my humble response for foolishness."


    Michelle stared at Selene, eyes widened in shock. She had never expected to change her demeanor so suddenly, it baffled her. And for a second, she felt cold sweat run down her back. She was terrified.


    Twisting her wrist free from Selene¡¯s grip, she threatened, "You think you can scare me? You don¡¯t know who I am, Selene. Don¡¯t mess with me else you are going to get hurt."


    Selene narrowed her eyes. "And what are you going to do? Will you send people to try to rape me like you did yesterday?" Selene questioned Michelle.

 Chapter 69: Klerene Contract

    Kace gave her a questioning look, knowing fully well that she was lying. If Michelle ever apologized for what she did, there would be an apocalypse.


    "She did?" Liam asked, also finding it hard to believe that. They didn¡¯t see Michellee back so they had no idea.


    Selene nodded. "I told you she was going to apologize and she did. All is good," she smiled brightly.


    This was the best way she could deal with Michelle. Michelle usually acted like the victim, now it was Selene¡¯s turn to act like the victim. Everyone was already starting to have second thoughts about Michelle, but Selene wanted them to only have hatred for her, so she was willing to take her time with Michelle. It would be fun messing with thetter at her own game.


    A faint smirk pulled on her lips.


    ¡¯Oh Michelle, you are going to regret everything you¡¯ve done to me,¡¯ Selene thought to herself.


    Since her breakfast was already cold, she didn¡¯t bother to eat it anymore. Instead, she ordered a chilled drink to survive the scorching heat.


    Staring at the pool, Selene contemted if she should go swimming, but that would require her to wear a revealing bikini, but she wasn¡¯tfortable showing off her body inappropriately. She shook her head at that thought and decided to manage the chilled drink instead.


    A few minutester, Xavier came out and found her having a chatting moment with his brother, the Liam guy he didn¡¯t like to see around Selene with another woman he wasn¡¯t familiar with.


    Without sharing a word with them, he kidnapped Selene and they went to a more private suite. Selene could still see everyone at the pool but being next to Xavier made her feel as if she was indeed kidnapped.


    He sat across from her while the waiter came in with the menu.


    "Have you eaten yet?" He asked her.


    Selene immediately nodded. She rubbed her hands, trying to warm them up. She had just beenining about the hot weather, but being around Xavier suddenly made her feel chilly.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Xavier asked when he saw her rubbing her hands under that table.


    "N-nothing," she lied. She tried to control her breathing until she calmed down. "I¡¯m hungry," she added.


    Xavier gave her a confusing look before asking, "What would you like to have?"


    He handed her the menu so that she could pick whatever she wanted. The both of them ate, then yed some games until it was nighttime. Their vacation would be over the next day and they would have to return home.


    Xavier wanted to stay longer, but they both had responsibilities. He made a mental note to clear his schedule soon for another vacation, just the both of them in one of his beach houses.


    They returned to the mansion and found it clean as always.


    ¡¯The maids are serious with their jobs,¡¯ Selene thought to herself.


    Selene went directly to her room to clean up. She had showered before they returned but she felt dirty nheless.


    After showering, she decided to watch a movie on her phone instead of going to the living room. She had a strong feeling she was going to fall asleep if she didn¡¯t, but she didn¡¯t want to fall asleep in the living room.


    Before choosing the movie, Selene checked her emails first. She paused when she noticed an email from a popr brand. It was Klerene, one of the biggest brands in Radiantia and across other countries.


    Selene frowned deeply, hesitating to open the email. Taking a deep breath, she opened the email, and read through it thoroughly.


    "Impossible," she mumbled, sitting up on her bed as she read through the email again. "They want me to be their global ambassador?"


    A smirk pulled on Selene¡¯s lips, recing the frown.


    Selene sent Kace a screenshot of the email and thetter immediately congratted her.


    She was going to be the global ambassador of the same brand Michelle was. Selene couldn¡¯t help but recall years ago when Klerene had offered a contract. She had just turned twenty back then. But as always, she was forced to decline the contract.


    "Now, isn¡¯t this wonderful? Michelle doesn¡¯t want anything to do with me but the universe keeps bringing the both of us together," said Selene as she continued to stare at the email.


    She jumped on top of her bed in joy. When she grew tired, she sat back down to reread the email.


    When her eyesnded on thest paragraph of the email she seemed to have missed, her heart skipped a beat.


    "They want us to have a meeting tomorrow to know if I¡¯m interested?"

 Chapter 70: Meeting At Klerene

    "This ce is too amazing," she mumbled to herself again.


    All of a sudden, she heard someone call her name, "Ms. Selene."


    She turned towards the direction of the sound. She found a woman who seemed to be in herte forties walking towards her. She was dressed in a ck female business suit with a few essories adorned on her wrist and neck.


    Selene¡¯s jaw dropped when she recognized the woman. It was Klerene Miller, the CEO of Klerene. She named her brand after her.


    When Ms. Klerene arrived in front of Selene, she immediately embraced her. Selene reciprocated the gesture, wrapping her arms around Ms. Klerene with a warm smile.


    "How are you? I¡¯m so d you were able to make it today," said the woman. She might be slightly old, but her age didn¡¯t show on her face at all.


    This was the first time Selene was meeting the woman face to face and she couldn¡¯t help but admire how beautiful Klerene looked. Her sense of fashion plus her makeup, everything looked perfect on her. She kept on admiring to the extent she forgot to reply to the woman¡¯s question.


    "Ms. Selene?" Klerene tapped her on the shoulder.


    Selene immediately got back from her thoughts before she maintained herposure. She pulled a genuine smile on her lips as she replied, "I¡¯m fine, thank you. I¡¯ve always been a big fan of your brand."


    Klerene couldn¡¯t help but chuckle lightly at Selene¡¯s response. She nodded in understanding before she said, "In that case. Let¡¯s go to the meeting room. Everyone is waiting for us already."


    ¡¯Everyone?¡¯ Selene wondered. She concluded that it must be her co-partners. When choosing a person to be a global ambassador, so many decisions had to be made.


    Klerene led Selene towards the elevator until they arrived at the meeting room.


    Selene noticed the people seated around the people but didn¡¯t find any of them familiar, until when her eyesnded on a familiar figure.


    ¡¯What is Michelle doing here?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t help but wonder. She hasn¡¯t seen Michelle since after theirst talk at the vi.


    Kleren offered Selene a seat while she took the head seat. Everyone¡¯s gaze was on Selene as they smiled at her. They have heard about Selene Jones from the rumors and the video that has been circting over the inte for the past few days.


    Seeing her in person now, they couldn¡¯t help but admire her beauty.


    A man seated beside Selene introduced himself as Xavier¡¯swyer who would also be herwyer. Xavier had already informed her in advance that he was going to send her awyer who would help her with the contract signing and exin anything she didn¡¯t understand.


    Selene could feel Michelle¡¯s re on her but paid her no mind.


    "Well, shall we begin?" Klerene started.


    A man d in a nice tailored gray suit passed a file to Selene¡¯swyer.


    "As stated in that document, we want Selene Jones to sign a contract with Klerene to be its global ambassador. Judging from her presence in this meeting, it¡¯s obvious she is interested."


    "We all are aware of the video circting the inte for the past few days. Our main global ambassador, Michelle Wace, was recorded in the video admitting to a vulgar trap she nned for Selene Jones out of spite."


    Selene frowned slightly, already foreseeing where the conversation was leading.


    She nced at Michelle and could see the worried expression stered on thetter¡¯s face.


    "Because of Michelle Wace¡¯s scandal, Klerene has lost a few potential buyers which is bad for the business."


    Michelle clenched her fists together as she waited for Klerene¡¯swyer to spout out the rest of his words.


    "Klerene Miller, with the rest of her board members, have decided to terminate Michelle¡¯s contract with Klerene and rece her with Selene Jones," thewyer concluded before taking his seat.


    Michelle¡¯s eyes red in anger as she red at Selene who stared at her with a rather expressionless look.


    Another man d in blue suit, who was seated beside Michelle stood up and said, "You are nning to terminate my client¡¯s contract with Klerene and hire Selene Jones because of the scandal. I understand you are worried about your business, but if I remember correctly, Selene Jones was involved in a much bigger scandal. She was rumored to have had affairs with Mr Jeunes, the director of <i>The Sinner</i> just to get a role. Am I right Ms. Selene?" He asked her.


    Without waiting for her to reply, Michelle¡¯swyer questioned Klerene whose back rested on her chair, "Don¡¯t you think Klerene will fall even more if you hire Ms. Selene Jones as your global ambassador?"

 Chapter 71: Where’s Richard?

    Michelle¡¯swyer could only stare at Klerene in cold sweat.


    "You could see Michelle admitting to what she did to Selene with the other twodies. Are you trying to tell me that Selene bribed them against Michelle? Then what about the confession she made?" She added.


    Michelle¡¯swyer immediately regretted opening his mouth to speak in the first ce. Both he and Michelle shared a look, he shook his head at her before taking back his seat.


    "Since there¡¯s nothing more that¡¯s left to say," said Klerene before she turned to Selene, "I appreciate you considering our offer," she added.


    Selene could only smile at the woman. This was a big leap for her. She had nned to rece Michelle in every role she had in every brand and movie, and she was seeding.


    Selene could feel Michelle¡¯s fierce re on her, but like what she did before, she still didn¡¯t pay her any mind at all.


    Selene¡¯swyer read through the document. When he didn¡¯t find anything shady about the proposal, he said, "Thank you for giving my client the best benefit she could have while being your global ambassador."


    They shook hands and so did Selene with Klerene.


    Michelle witnessed everything through gritted teeth. She had just been fired from her job because of the incriminating video. Despite knowing she was at fault, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to see anything wrong with her actions. The unfairness of it all, in her mind, only fueled her resentment as she watched Selene with a mix of bitterness and frustration.


    Both Michelle and herwyer were excused from the meeting room since they didn¡¯t have a purpose anymore for still sitting there while they discussed legal matters.


    Michelle stepped out without waiting for Klerene to repeat her words.


    Staring at Selene only made her rage fuel.


    When they were done, Selene signed the contract. She would be their global ambassador for a few years, and even after the contract expired, they could still prolong it if both parties were interested in doing so.


    "I¡¯m so d that is over and done with," said Selene as she stepped out of the meeting room.


    Selene had wondered why she and thewyer didn¡¯t juste together to <i>Klerene</i> but it turned out that thewyer was handling a case close by and they would meet in the meeting room.


    "Excuse me, I would like to use the restroom," Selene excused herself and thewyer nodded and waited for her outside, beside his car.


    Since Selene didn¡¯t know where the restroom was, she asked for directions from the staff. After getting the direction, Selene rushed towards the restroom.


    Getting to the restroom, Selene saw Michelle who was washing her hands.


    As soon as the both of them made eye contact, Michelle turned off the faucet and red at Selene.


    Meanwhile, Selene cursed under her breath. She desperately needed to use the restroom but seeing Michelle before her, she didn¡¯t need anyone to tell her that thetter was going to start up an argument, which was thest thing she needed at that moment.


    "Oh, look who it is. Isn¡¯t it the shameless slut Selene Jones? You know what, I can¡¯t help but wonder how you convinced Klerene to offer you a contract here. Maybe you used other sources, hmm? Perhaps, you asked Xavier to request one for you by warming his bed again," Michelle spatted.


    Sleek could only sigh. She ignored Michelle and headed to one of the empty cubicles, but Michelle pulled her by the hair, making her yelp in pain. It was an attack she didn¡¯t seeing at all.


    "I¡¯m talking to you," Michelle spat through gritted teeth. She was beyond vexed by what had been happening to her for the past few days. She just wanted to see to it that Selene never appeared again.


    Selene gritted her teeth, grabbed Michelle¡¯s hand that was pulling her hair, and twisted it behind thetter.


    "Just what is your problem?" Selene questioned.


    She pushed Michelle away. She could already feel an oing headache due to how hard Michelle pulled her head.


    "Where¡¯s Richard?" Michelle questioned Selene, catching thetter off guard with her question. "I have not seen him since the day I sent him to rape you. Where did you keep him?" She added without holding back as she red at Selene.

 Chapter 72: Fired From Her Work

    "Why should I tell you that?" Selene questioned back.


    All that she could remember was Xaviering to her aid that night. But if Michelle hasn¡¯t seen Richard ever since, it could only mean two things.


    Either Richard ran away because of the fear he had for his brother, or Xavier did something to Richard.


    Selene went with the former since she couldn¡¯t think of anything Xavier could have done to Richard. He was his brother after all.


    Michelle clenched her fist tightly in rage. She could see that Selene was trying to mess with her. But what she didn¡¯t know was that Selene also wasn¡¯t exactly sure what happened to Richard after that night.


    "You¡¯d better bring back Richard wherever you kept him or else..."


    "Or else what?" Selene cut her off.


    Taking a threatening step toward Michelle, Selene towered over her¡ªshe was taller than Michelle after all.


    "You are in no position to make demands Michelle, not at all, especially after what you have done. You don¡¯t even know if I¡¯m recording this conversation or not. If another scandal about you gets released, your career will go poof."


    Selene made a gesture with her hand and waved it in the air as if flinging something away.


    She stared at Michelle with a bright smile on her lips.


    "You shouldn¡¯t mess with me, Michelle. Also, I would advise you not to n anything against me for now, because you are a hot topic on the inte. If something bad happens to me, you would be the first suspect," Selene added.


    She watched as Michelle struggled for aeback but her brain refused to cooperate with her.


    "See you at the set tomorrow," Selene winked at her.


    Without waiting for Michelle to struggle any harder, Selene strode toward one of the empty cubicles while Michelle¡¯s re burned in her back.


    "That bitch!" Michelle yelled out. She was already starting to sweat profusely even though there was an air con in the restroom.


    One of the staff walked in to use the restroom but when she saw the angry expression on Michelle, she hesitated a little.


    "Get out!" Michelle ordered.


    With her head lowered a little out of respect, the staff replied, "But ma¡¯am, you don¡¯t have the right to tell me that. You don¡¯t work here anymore."


    Michelle red at the staff before grabbing her purse and stomped away.


    After using the restroom, Selene shrugged her shoulders when she didn¡¯t find Michelle there anymore. She went to meet thewyer who exined everything to Selene and she was content with it. Her dream of being Klerene¡¯s global ambassador had finallye true.


    Selene didn¡¯t need to go to the set that day because she didn¡¯t have any scenes to shoot. She would have gone if she wanted to but she decided to stay home instead. Wearing those heavy royal gowns stressed her.


    "Oh my, I already have a headache because of that bitch Michelle," Selene mumbled to herself.


    The house was empty as always, but the maid¡¯s faint voices could still be heard. Either they were discussing frivolous things or gossiping behind her back, Selene didn¡¯t care.


    She marched towards her room, took a shower, and went to Xavier¡¯s room.


    Selene sneaked in even though there was no one in there. This was the first time she was going to his room in his absence. If she didn¡¯t need the painkillers, she wouldn¡¯t have stepped foot into his room.


    "Where is the first aid kit? I remember seeing painkillers in there," Selene mumbled to herself.


    She searched the closet where she took the painkillers from the day she held Xavier¡¯s bandage up his bleeding shoulders, but she didn¡¯t see it there.


    She searched thoroughly, hoping she didn¡¯t miss it but it resulted in the same thing.


    Frowning, she went to his walk-in closet to search. She could have waited to admire his suits but her head was banging.


    "Where is it?"


    Searching at a corner, she moved a piece of clothing aside and she found the first aid kit she was looking for.


    "Finally."


    When she was about to take the box, her gazended on something else.


    Picking up the object, her eyes widened in shock.

 Chapter 73: She Decides His Fate

    Mr Wace didn¡¯t favor Richard at all. Thetter had always tried to disgrace his family name in the eyes of the other influential families, but those families dared not to say anything out in the open. At the end of the day, he couldn¡¯t reject his son and he was worried after not seeing him at the mansion for almost a week.


    "They didn¡¯t," Xavier replied. Mr Wace gave him a confused expression. "I was the one who held Richard hostage for something he did," he added, shocking his father.


    "What do you mean?" He questioned.


    Xavier exined everything to his father, starting from where he found Richard attempting to rape Selene to where he took him to the hideout and punished him severely.


    Mr. Wace kept quiet afterward. He was aware of the underground job Xavier was involved in, he was the one who trained him after all, before he retired. Mr Wace was aware of how much of a deadbeat and useless his son was, but he couldn¡¯t digest the fact that Richard tried to rape a woman.


    He had mixed emotions, one of anger and disbelief.


    "Now, do you think I will let Richard go after what he did?" Xavier questioned his father.


    "I think you won¡¯t," Mr Wace replied honestly. He sighed. "Are you going to kill Richard?" He asked.


    He knew Xavier well and there was one thing Xavier hated the most. It was rapists and pedophiles. Since his brother fell into one of those two things he despised, he wondered how Xavier was going to handle it.


    "If I wanted to, I would have killed him long ago," Xavier replied coldly. "But his fate isn¡¯t in my own hands," he added, pushing a few of hispleted paperwork aside and moving the upleted ones in front of him. "Selene will be the one to decide what she wants to do with him. And before you ask, yes, I n to tell her about my other work. I don¡¯t want to keep any secrets from her."


    "What kind of rtionship do you have with that woman?" Mr Wace questioned.


    Xavier cared too much about a woman he had only met a few months ago; it was suspicious to him. He couldn¡¯t understand why he felt so deeply for her in such a short amount of time.


    A faint smirk pulled on Xavier¡¯s lips. He raised his head and stared at his father.


    "I love her," he dered.


    Even though he still couldn¡¯t pinpoint whom Selene reminded him of exactly, he still found himself falling from her. From the first time he met her at the Harrison mansion till the current day. He found himself falling deeper in love with her.


    Now it was Mr Wace who smirked, not surprised. He had predicted that would be Xavier¡¯s reply.


    "What if Selene is an enemy and she tells her people about you, that you are X, and what if she decides to have Richard killed? Will you let a woman whom you just knew a few months ago decide the fate of your brother? You just met her for crying out loud, you can¡¯t trust her," He questioned Xavier through gritted teeth.


    "I can trust Selene, father. You are thest person who should be lecturing me about trust." Xavier dropped the paperwork out of annoyance. "And yes, she will be the one who decides Richard¡¯s fate."


    Xavier could have told his father the real identity of Selene, but he doubted his father would keep his mouth shut. Mr Wace still shared a sort of a good rtionship with Robert Harrison. Telling him Selene¡¯s real identity could put her in danger and he wouldn¡¯t want to risk that.


    "I can see you are thinking with your dick instead of your head, Xavier, but you¡¯d better not do something stupid that would jeopardize our family and our business," Mr Wace warned, getting up from his seat. "I¡¯m going to the hideout to see Richard," he added and left.


    **


    Later in the evening, Xavier arrived home. He went directly to his room to take a shower.


    When he was done, he went to his walk-in closet but noticed something off with the arrangement of his clothes.


    The servants were allowed to clean his room but nevere near his clothes, he had his reason.


    Frowning, Xavier searched for what he¡¯d kept in that corner of his closet. When he ced his hand on the fabric, he didn¡¯t feel anything.


    "Shit!" He cursed under his breath.


    He turned, about to leave but halted when he saw Selene standing in front of him.


    "Were you looking for this?" She asked him, showing him the gun in her hands.

 Chapter 74: Wash My Feet

    "How did you get a gun?" She questioned him. She had so many questions about the metal object and she wanted every one of them answered tonight.


    When she had seen the gun earlier, she didn¡¯t know what to do with it at first, so she took it to her room and waited for Xavier to arrive.


    "Selene, you need to calm down," said Xavier, patting her back ever so gently.


    Selene wiped another stream of tears that poured out of her eyes.


    Xavier led her towards the couch so that she would have a seat.


    "So, why do you have a gun?" She repeated her question.


    Xavier sighed, searching for better words to use to not scare her off. Just like he had told his father about revealing his other work to Selene, he was going to do it.


    He didn¡¯t want to lie about the gun.


    "That gun is for protection and from where I got the gun from, I have someone who supplies armed weapons to me because I need it for my missions," he exined. He watched as Selene¡¯s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.


    "What mission?" She questioned.


    Xavier took a deep breath before he parted his lips to speak.


    Selene made sure to listen to him attentively because she felt what he was telling her was very confidential information, and if he was willing to tell her that, it simply meant he trusted her.


    Selene¡¯s heart skipped a beat at that thought.


    When Xavier finished, he waited for a reaction from Selene, but she stared at him frozen stiff from shock.


    "Selene," he called her.


    "So you mean to tell me that you run an organization called X where you go on missions to rescue girls who were trafficked to pedophiles and rapists across the country?" She summarized everything he exined to her in one sentence while Xavier nodded.


    "That¡¯s right," he replied, waiting for her reaction but was shocked when more tears started pouring from her eyes.


    "That¡¯s so cool. You are like a savior," sheplimented, feeling proud of his actions.


    She had never expected Xavier to have such an underground career, and she felt her heart warm up realizing he trusted her with such information.


    Xavier wiped away her tears before he dropped a bomb, "Richard is at the hideout."


    Selene stared at him, shock written all over her face. She had nned to ask Xavier about the whereabouts of Richard in case he had an idea.


    "What¡¯s he doing at the hideout?" She asked him. Xavier didn¡¯t reply to her question. He let her figure it out herself. "Can I see him tomorrow?" She requested and Xavier nodded.


    After a few more questions, Selene was ready to go to sleep. Xavier had requested her to sleep over in his room, but she turned off that offer. She didn¡¯t want to grow a habit of wanting to sleep in his room all the time. Besides, their rtionship was still nameless even though they were husband and wife.


    **


    "This is going to take time," director Jeunes mumbled to himself when he saw Michelle dilly-dallying her scene.


    As usual, Michelle couldn¡¯t get a scene right without having to take a second take. Everyone red at her for wasting so much time.


    "The task is so simple. All she needed to do was bring a bowl of water to Selene. It can¡¯t be that difficult, can it?" murmured a crew member.


    "It is simple indeed, but I bet she doesn¡¯t want to stoop so low to serve the person she was badmouthing a few days ago even though it¡¯s just a movie," murmured another.


    "I think so too. I mean, after what she had said behind Selene¡¯s back, she must be regretting it now. She doesn¡¯t even have any shame at all. Even though Xavier Wace didn¡¯t cklist her, she should have quit this movie."


    "Well, what do you expect? She doesn¡¯t have any shame."


    The more Michelle continued to hear the words of the people gossiping behind her, the more she couldn¡¯t concentrate on her line since anger surged through her body. She had been spilling water nonstop. When she finally reached the throne Selene was seated on, she bowed and settled the bowl of water before her.


    She felt a cramp as she had used most of her muscle power to bow hesitantly.


    With a smirk on her lips, Selene pushed the bowl of water towards Michelle.


    "Wash my feet and drink the water," she ordered.

 Chapter 75: He Looks Microwaved

    Michelle red at Selene as she brought the bowl of water to her face. The bowl was filled up, and by any chance, a bit of the water would pour on her.


    Michelle tried her best to be careful. She brought the water to her face while ring at Selene who still had a smirk on her lips, as she waited for the director to scream out the word through the speaker.


    "CUT!!"


    Michelle dropped the bowl of water and walked away, not waiting to hear what the director had to say. She felt embarrassed with what she had just done.


    Fortunately for her, no one paid her any mind at all.


    Everyone cheered because the movie would being to an end soon. Selene went back to her makeup room and found Allison and Natalie there. Even though Selene had been seeing them for quite some time already, she couldn¡¯t help but still be amazed at how beautiful the young girls were, especially Allison.


    Kace wasn¡¯t around that day but Xavier had informed her he would pick her up. Her scene ended before evening and it was the day he was going to take her to Richard as she had requested.


    Selene quickly changed into her casual clothes and waited for a text from Xavier. When she received one saying he was outside waiting for her, she waved everyone goodbye and jumped.


    Both Liam and Xavier exchanged a look, so many things were being said with just that single nce at each other.


    Xavier ignited the engines of the car and zoomed off.


    Xavier asked Selene how her shoot was today and she replied excitedly, giving him a full detail on how she had made things difficult for Michelle.


    After a few hours of driving, they arrived at the hideout. It was so deep into the forest that Selene thought Xavier might have taken her to the wrong ce.


    "We are here," Xavier said, getting out of the car.


    Selene did too. She stared at the house before her before her heart skipped a beat.


    ¡¯So this is where Richard is,¡¯ she thought to herself.


    Xavier slipped his hand with Selene¡¯s, making her jolt for a second.


    "Let¡¯s go in?" He asked.


    She stared at their linked hands and felt her heart racing for a second there. They had already kissed, but holding hands felt even more intimate than she thought.


    Selene gulped down her saliva before she nodded.


    She had already seen the two bulky men with weapons in their arms, but when she stepped in, she felt she was being kidnapped for a second.


    Everyone inside was armed and there was a gun rack hanging on the wall with just a few guns ced on it.


    This waspletely different from the hideout Selene had in mind. She thought it was one from those movies where the dangerous men would be chilling with drinks while the hideout would probably be an elegant beach house by the shore. When the men turned to look at them, she felt her heart jump. She wanted to bolt out of there immediately.


    Xavier¡¯s hand tightened on hers as if reading her thoughts.


    "They are my men, don¡¯t worry. They won¡¯t hurt you," he said as a word offort while caressing her hand with his thumb.


    "Boss, sister-inw," the men greeted in unison, shocking Selene even more.


    They had big smiles on their faces which changed the cruel looks on their faces for a second.


    Xavier had already informed them about bringing his wife to the hideout. At first, they were shocked that their boss had gotten married and second, he was bringing her to the hideout.


    As instructed, they removed most of the harmful weapons they had, leaving only a few in sight.


    "H-hi," Selene stuttered as she waved hesitantly.


    "Let¡¯s go," Xavier said, pulling her to where Richard was.


    Sekene scrunched up her nose in disgust when she perceived the odor of blood mixed with sweat and some chemicals.


    Inside the room, Selene found a girl who was dressed as a young girl¡ªyounger than her age with pigtails. A man with sses rested on the way, and on the other side was Kace.


    But when her eyesnded on Richard, it widened in shock.


    He looked like someone who had been microwaved as blood dripped out from his body.

 Chapter 76: She Stabbed Him

    "You only got what you deserve, Richard? After what you tried to do to me that night, did you think that I would forgive you? You must be dreaming," she spouted.


    A smirk pulled on Richard¡¯s lips.


    When he woke up from the first day Xavier had brought him to the hideout, he was surprised since he didn¡¯t know where he was. Richard had no idea about Xavier¡¯s other work and thetter didn¡¯t bother to exin it to him either.


    After being tortured and starved for the past few days, Richard could feel his energy wearing out. He feared that one day, he was going to sleep and never wake up again.


    "So you are going to let him kill me?" He asked Selene.


    Selene¡¯s heart skipped a beat at that question. Her lips formed into a thin line since she didn¡¯t know how to answer that question.


    "I won¡¯t be the one to decide yourst fate, Selene will," Xavier responded.


    Everyone in the room, excluding Maxwell, turned their heads to look at Xavier.


    "What?" Selene asked him, confusion etched on her face.


    Xavier stared at her, a small grin on his lips which only confused her further. "This is your chance to get your revenge on Richard for everything he has done to you, Selene. If you want to kill him, there¡¯s no problem with that, I¡¯m fine with it," he said.


    Selene shook her head. "But he¡¯s your brother."


    "He was no longer my brother after what he did to you." Walking towards a scalpel that was in a basin, Xavier picked it up.


    Selene¡¯s eyes widened in shock when she saw the fingers in the basin. She had been so busy, looking at Richard¡¯s face that she didn¡¯t dare to look at his other body parts.


    "Hurt him," Xavier said, handing the scalpel to him. Selene stared at the bloody shiny metal before her. She didn¡¯t need to touch the de to know it was sharp.


    "Xavier," she called him, a little hesitant to do it.


    "Ha! You are just as weak as Anastasia. The only reason I wasn¡¯t able to seed with what I nned to do to you that night was because Xavier arrived. If not, I would have done exactly what Michelle asked of me and uploaded¡ª-AHHH!!!"


    Richard didn¡¯t get the chance toplete his sentence when he felt a sharp pain in his belly. He red at Selene who had just stabbed in his stomach.


    Selene had been so fast with her movements, that even Xavier, who was near her, didn¡¯t predict her actions at all.


    "You bitch!!" Richard cursed at her while saliva drooled out of his mouth as he tried to suppress the pain he was feeling at that moment.


    With the anger that surged through her body, Selene punched Richard across the face, shocking everyone in the room, including Amanda whose eyes widened in admiration as she stared at Selene.


    "Oww," Selene moaned in pain as she clenched her fist together. This was the first time she had punched someone and she could feel her knuckles hurt badly.


    Immediately, Xavier brought her closer to him while Kace took the scalpel out of Richard¡¯s body, making thetter scream more in pain. Blood flushed out of his body, staining the ground with it.


    Xavier took Selene to his room. Sometimes, when they finished their missionste, he would end up crashing at the hideout and he had a private room for such probabilities.


    The room wasn¡¯t asrge as his room at his mansion, but it was portable enough for someone to sleepfortably in.


    Selene sat down on the bed and watched as Xavier strode towards a fridge and brought out a pack of ice with a piece of cloth.


    He wiped the blood from her hands before cing the ice pack on it. "Does it hurt much?" He asked.


    Selene shook her head, lying.


    "I wasn¡¯t expecting you to be so fierce, but that¡¯s a good sign. You won¡¯t hesitate to torture the Harrison family when you have gotten your revenge," he added, pressing the pack of ice on her hand.


    Selene had also been surprised with her actions. She didn¡¯t n to stab him at all, she didn¡¯t want to, but hearing him speak something as disgusting as that fueled her already suppressed anger to the extent she had to stab him to quench it.


    "I didn¡¯t think I would be able to do what I did earlier," she mumbled. "But I¡¯m d I did. I won¡¯t bat an eysh if I have to stain my hands with the blood of my enemies," she added.


    Xavier stiffened for a second, taking her words in as a faint smirk yed on his lips. The smirk faltered when he remembered something Richard said a while back.


    "Michelle was the one who sent Richard toe to you that night?" He asked her.

 Chapter 77: Meeting With Amanda

    Amanda sat down beside Selene and stared at her with wide eyes.


    "Are you savior¡¯s girlfriend?" Amanda asked with sparkly eyes.


    ¡¯Savior?¡¯ Selene thought to herself as she coked an eyebrow at the girl.


    Amanda was dressed in pink pajamas, clutching a ragged teddy bear in her hand. Selene couldn¡¯t miss the ssh of blood on the bright pink fabric. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she turned to Xavier, a questioning look on her face, demanding an exnation.


    "No, Amanda. She¡¯s my wife," Xavier replied.


    Selene¡¯s heart skipped a beat at that fact.


    Amanda¡¯s eyes widened even more with admiration. She scooted closer to Selene, staring directly into her eyes. Selene couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the girl was peering into her very soul, her intense gaze both unsettling and mesmerizing.


    "She¡¯s your wife?!" She squealed with joy. "She¡¯s so beautiful," she added.


    Xavier sighed and dropped the pack of ice that had melted on a nearby table before she turned to Amanda.


    "Have you forgotten what I told you earlier today?" He questioned Amanda. The girl frowned slightly, trying to remember before she snapped her fingers.


    "I¡¯m sorry savior, I forgot," she said.


    Amanda stood up from the bed and stood in front of Selene with a smile on her lips that made her look different from the psycho she was. Selene stared at Xavier with a questionable look but he stared back at her with an assuring smile.


    "Hi, I¡¯m Amanda," Amanda said, stretching a hand forward for a friendly handshake.


    Selene stretched hers as well, "I¡¯m Selene," she said, returning the smile.


    The both of them shook hands and Amanda couldn¡¯t help but notice how soft Selene¡¯s hands were.


    "Your hands are so soft," sheplimented.


    "Thank you," Selene replied.


    After the introduction, Amanda sat down beside Selene again and engaged her in a conversation.


    Xavier ended up having a phone call so he had to excuse himself, leaving Selene alone with Amanda.


    Deep inside, Selene didn¡¯t want him to go because all Amanda was saying was about how to torture Richard in the organ where it would hurt.


    "When you stabbed him earlier, you didn¡¯t hit any vital organs so he¡¯s not going to die. He only screamed in pain because of the sharp tear of his skin but that¡¯s it. If you want to hurt him right where it hurts, you can stab him near his heart. I wanted to stab him there one time but savior prohibited me," she bbed before pouting at the end. After taking a deep breath, she continued. "You can cut his fingers too, that¡¯s savior¡¯s most favorite part. The pain is very excruciating," she added, her hand on her chin as she tried toe up with a better way she could hurt Richard more.


    Selene stared at her while silently hoping that Xavier would return soon. She felt if she stayed any longer with Amanda alone, she would be even more traumatized than she already was.


    Amanda¡¯s words faded as Selene concentrated on another thing¡ªAmanda¡¯s beauty.


    Even though her pajama was stained with blood at the front, most probably from Richard¡¯s blood, her hair looked neat. The pigtails made her look so cute and younger.


    ¡¯Could she be one of the girls Xavier saved?¡¯ she wondered. Amanda reminded of the girls at her NGO.


    It¡¯s almost been a year since she saw them, but it was risky to go there. To everyone who didn¡¯t know about her true identity, she was Selene. If she went there, questions will be raised.


    Xavier walked inside. When he saw the look on Selene¡¯s face, he couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    "Alright, that¡¯s enough chitchat for you Amanda. It¡¯s time for Selene to go home," he dered.


    Amanda pouted so cutely that it touched Selene¡¯s heart.


    "Please stay longer," she pleaded while staring at Selene. Thetter didn¡¯t have the heart to decline so she stared at Xavier.


    "It¡¯s already 7 pm, you need to go home and rest for your shoot tomorrow," he told her.


    Selene had informed him in the car earlier about the shoot that would start very early the next day.


    "Just one more hour," she said.


    Xavier sighed, nodding.


    "Enjoy," he said.


    As soon as those two words were said, Amanda grabbed Selene¡¯s hands and continued to tell her the vital ces where she could hurt people.


    At the balcony, Xavier puffed his cigarette, sighing as he stared at the dark sky.


    Kace walked up to him, sensing the dark cloud that hovered above him.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" He asked.


    Xavier puffed a mouth full of cigarette smoke, and released it before sighing again.


    "The trade is going to be held in the next two days. I have to go there myself," he replied.

 Chapter 78: Prepare Your Heart For The Worst

    Meanwhile, at a bustling cafeteria, Allison was munching on her lunch while Natalie was seated opposite her. Both of them were going to the same college.


    "What are you going to do after sses today, Ally?" Natalie asked her before biting into her hamburger.


    Allison first finished swallowing her food before she replied, "Ms. Selene already had her morning scene shot today, right?" Natalie nodded. "Then after myst ss, I might just go home and study until it¡¯s time to go to the cafe," she added. "What about you?"


    "Me? My sses today will end at 6 pm so I will just go home and sleep," Natalie responded.


    Allison and Natalie were not exactly best friends. The only thing that got them to know each other was because they were working for the same actress, Selene Jones.


    All of a sudden, ady wearing the shortest ck skirt that could expose her panties if she bent down even a little, a red crop top that stopped just slightly beneath her breasts took a seat beside Allison. She had heavy makeup on her face that made her look both sexy and a badass beauty at the same time.


    "Ally, my girl! Where have you been? I thought you woulde to my partyst night but I didn¡¯t see you there," said thedy.


    "You know I don¡¯t like going to big loud parties, Olivia. Besides, I already told you I won¡¯t being. I had a shift at the cafe yesterday," Allison replied.


    Olivia chewed on the gum in her mouth so loudly that Natalie who was sitting opposite her resisted the urge to shove her remaining hamburger down her throat.


    "Ahh...I see," Olivia hummed. She checked her nails which were painted in both hot pink and ck paint. "Derek was at the party though. He thought you woulde so that the both of you could go crazyst night," she added.


    Allison turned to look at the person she called her best friend.


    "But he said he wouldn¡¯t be going if I wasn¡¯t going," said Allison.


    Olivia merely shrugged nonchntly at her words. "I had no idea he wasing either. He just showed up. Maybe you should text him about it," said Olivia. She opened her bag and brought out her makeup kit to retouch her face.


    ¡¯She¡¯s already wearing 10kg of makeup, does she need to add more?¡¯ Natalie couldn¡¯t help but wonder, but she didn¡¯t bother to say anything to Olivia.


    Olivia was only Allison¡¯s best friend but she wasn¡¯t even close to being her friend. The both of them always fought if they spoke to each other, and Natalie didn¡¯t like being bothered when she was enjoying her meal. So, she simply ignored Olivia as thetter applied her makeup.


    "Oh well, I will go get my lunch. Will you be going home soon? I want to talk to you about something," Olivia asked, peeking at Allison¡¯s curiosity.


    Allison nodded. When Olivia was about to get off the bench, she grabbed her hand.


    "Before you go, did Derek do anything at the party? I mean, did h-he...you know..." Allison drawled, hoping that Olivia understood her so that she wouldn¡¯t have to spill out the slutty words.


    Olivia smiled down at her friend.


    "That¡¯s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about," she replied, making Allison¡¯s eyes widen with curiosity. "Don¡¯t worry, I wille to your houseter and tell you about it," she added before leaving.


    Allison turned to look at Natalie who was ring at Olivia¡¯s back.


    "I wonder what that bitch wants to lie about again. She never stops. She will just keep going on and on. Sometimes, I can¡¯t help but wonder why you are friends with her," Natalie mumbled loud enough for Allison to hear.


    Allison sighed, a worried expression stered on her face.


    Natalie noticed it. She patted Allison on her hand before smiling at her.


    "We both know that I don¡¯t need to tell you that Derek must have done something at the party. It¡¯s Derek we are talking about here. If he doesn¡¯t do anything lewd at a party, there will be an apocalypse," said Natalie. When she noticed her words weren¡¯t making Allison feel any better, she added, "Everything will be alright. Just prepare your heart for the worst."


    When they were both done with their lunch, the two girls separated. Natalie went for her next ss while Allison decided to go to the library instead. She still had an hour free before herst ss for the day.


    As she stepped out of the cafeteria, ready to head towards the library, she sighted a familiar figure, but the back of the person was turned towards her, obstructing her chances of seeing his face.


    When Allison was about to walk away, she heard someone call her name.


    "Allison!"


    She turned and her eyesnded on the same figure, but her eyes widened in astonishment as she stared at the person.


    "What is he doing here?"

 Chapter 79: He Followed Her To The Library

    "Mr. Kace," she called,pletely ignoring his words. "I don¡¯t want to know why you are here but can you not call my name out loud like that? You had everyone looking at me for a second there," she requested.


    Kace tilted his head, not failing to notice a dark spot on his pale neck. Her eyes darted here and there, refusing to make eye contact with him while she hugged her books to her chest.


    "Why not?" He asked, curious to hear her answer.


    Allison stared at him for a brief second before she sighed.


    "It¡¯s just not right," she said, intending to leave but Kace stopped her.


    "Wait wait, I¡¯m sorry for calling out your name. Come on, where are you going? Need me to escort you?" He offered.


    Allison turned to look at him, wondering why the son of the Wace family, the friend of the celebrity she was the makeup artist for, was talking to her.


    His presence at the university was already a huge topic, and him talking to her in front of everyone would only make it hotter. She desperately wanted to avoid him, but from the determined look in his eyes, she knew that would be a difficult task to aplish.


    Allison ignored him and walked away, hoping that alone might embarrass him. But when she heard his footsteps following behind her, she could only sigh silently. Determined, she continued striding toward the library.


    Thankfully, Kace only followed behind her, but anyone walking wouldn¡¯t think they were walking together. He didn¡¯t try to stop her or call her name either.


    When they got to the library, Allison went to her spot which was behind a shelf. There were only two seats there. The shelf acted as a shield that would limit the eyes of someone who walked inside the library.


    Allison loved staying in that corner because no one would know she was there and disturb her.


    Pulling out of her seat, Allison sat down and dropped her bag beside her. Kace took a seat beside her after taking pics with every girl who wanted one. The librarian couldn¡¯t stop him from walking into the library since he was once a student at the university, plus, his family background.


    Kace watched Allison study, his gaze lingered on the dark spot on her neck with curiosity.


    Unable to hold it in, he opened his mouth to ask, "What happened to your neck?"


    Allison stiffened when she heard his question¡ªshe was caught off guard by it.


    Turning to look at him, she questioned back, "Why do you want to know?"


    A smile crept on Kace¡¯s lips.


    "Why are you even here talking to me? Didn¡¯t youe here to see someone?" She added.


    Without waiting for him to reply, she continued to study. The library wasn¡¯tpletely quiet since the faint sounds made by some of the students could still be heard.


    Allison tried to focus on what she was doing, but she couldn¡¯t because she could feel Kace¡¯s eyes on her. It made her feel ufortable.


    "What?" She questioned, annoyed by the way he only stared at her without talking.


    ¡¯Did he suddenly go mute?¡¯ She wondered.


    "Am I disturbing you?" Kace asked her. "I don¡¯t think I am since I¡¯m not talking," he added.


    Allison huffed,pletely regrettinging to the library.


    ¡¯Maybe I should have gone to the bathroom instead, that would keep him away,¡¯ she thought.


    But she was already at the library, if she stood up and left, there was a high chance Kace was going to follow her and she didn¡¯t want that to happen. Eyes were already on her.


    "Why are you here?" She questioned. "If you are here to ask me if I check the things that Ms. Selene uses, then I do. Both Natalie and I always double-check everything properly before she uses it¡ª"


    "That¡¯s not why I¡¯m here," Kace interrupted her.


    Allison frowned deeply. "Then why are you here?!" She asked, her voice a little higher than normal. She only wanted to have a quiet afternoon at the library without any disturbance, but it seemed that wish wasn¡¯t going to be fulfilled at all.


    Kace drew his seat closer to her, shortening their distance from five to two feet. Allison became alert.


    "I came here to see someone but they aren¡¯t around. So now that I¡¯ve seen you, why don¡¯t you keep mepany?" He suggested a small smile on his lips. "I graduated from here two years ago. If you need any help with your project, I can help you with them. I can also be your friend if you want me to," he added, which earned him a frown from Allison.


    "No, thanks," she immediately declined.


    She wouldn¡¯t want to be involved with someone like Kace, or with any man of the opposite gender at all. If her boyfriend found out about Kace, she would be a dead meat.


    But what Allison didn¡¯t know was that the person in front of her didn¡¯t have a normal family background at all.

 Chapter 80: Joltha Trade

    Inside the building, there were uncountable chairs arranged ordingly for the buyers to sit and enjoy the stage which was empty since the trade hadn¡¯t started yet.


    Men strode around with sses of champagne in hand, wearing the fanciest suits from their closets. Most of them seemed to be in theirte forties, though a few were younger. Regardless of age, they all attended the event with one purpose: to buy a woman for sexual pleasure.


    He recognized some of them to be politicians and big influential people.


    Xavier couldn¡¯t help but re at them so fiercely.


    He made sure to wear his own finest suit as well, blending so that no one would find him suspicious.


    Xavier grabbed a ss of champagne from a waiter who was passing around. He didn¡¯t sip it, he simply kept it by his side. He didn¡¯t want to act suspicious at all.


    "Big event, isn¡¯t it?" He heard someone speak from behind him.


    Xavier turned to look at the person and instantly, he recognized him.


    It was Dominique Efiner, the vice president of Joltha. He was a man in histe forties but he looked more than his age due to his overweight body and saggy flesh that he tried to fit into his suit. He had red hair which wasbed straight down on his head. In his hand was a ss of wine which lookedpletely different from the one Xavier had.


    Xavier had already concluded the fact that since such an illegal trade was going to be held in a country like Joltha, the rule makers were definitely going to be involved in it.


    Joltha was arge country known for its corruption and criminality which the leaders paid no mind to handling since they were a part of it.


    "It is indeed," Xavier replied.


    Dominique stared at him, raising his ss for a click. They clicked their ss and Dominique drank while Xavier pretended to do so.


    "And you are?" Dominique questioned him.


    Xavier always made sure to keep his identity off social media or any kind of site that might expose him. In Joltha, he portrayed himself as someone who only wanted to buy a woman for sex.


    "I¡¯m Lucian Garcia," he replied.


    Dominique tried to recall if he had heard that name from someone, but gave up on it when he couldn¡¯t remember anything.


    "Lucian, I haven¡¯t seen you around here before. Is this your first timeing for a trade?" Dominique questioned as the both of them walked away from that spot, heading towards another part of the building.


    "Yes it is," Xavier replied, his tone dry.


    "Ahh... no wonder I¡¯m seeing you for the first time. Thest trade happened about a year ago in Nexus City. Unfortunately, we got raided by that bastard X," said Dominique.


    Xavier didn¡¯t fail to notice Dominique¡¯s hand grip his hand quite tightly.


    Of course, Xavier didn¡¯t forget when he raided the location where a trade had happened in Nexus City. It was during the time he had to make a quick trip after he and Michelle had gone to the city hall to get married.


    "X? I¡¯ve heard of X but I¡¯ve never met the guy before," said Xavier, following behind Dominique.


    "I met him in nexus city and I wished I had shot him down. Too bad he had his face covered, so I couldn¡¯t recognize him," replied Dominique.


    A faint smirk pulled on Xavier¡¯s lips.


    Suddenly, a man called for the attention of Dominique, so he had to leave Xavier.


    Xavier scanned around, trying to find where the girls could have been hidden.


    Usually, whenever there was going to be a trade, the ce where the girls were kept would be heavily guarded in case any of them tried to escape. But Xavier didn¡¯t know the in and out of the building.


    Carefully, he stepped away from the part where the trade would be happening. If he didn¡¯t find the girls soon, there would only be one thing left to do; buy them all.


    Xavier entered a hallway, heading to only God knows where. He didn¡¯t see anyone in sight, but curiosity wasced in his eyes when it settled on the doors. He could hear faint voices from inside. Seeing as the door wasn¡¯t guarded, he concluded it couldn¡¯t be where the girls could be.


    But he wanted to know what the people inside were talking about.


    Walking towards the door with quiet steps, Xavier intended to ce his ears on the door to eavesdrop. But when he heard a footsteping towards him, he quickly turned to find Dominique smiling at him like a creep.


    "Are you curious to know what is going on inside there?" Dominique asked him. Two other men behind him seemed to havee for the trade as well. "You don¡¯t have to eavesdrop. All buyers can go in there," he added, walking past Xavier to open the door.


    Xavier¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief when he saw what was happening inside the room.

 Chapter 81: Who Is The Mastermind?

    A smirk pulled on Dominique¡¯s ck lips which was due to the tobo he had been smoking, stretching to his saggy droopy cheeks that looked like dough.


    "I was surprised too. But our host for this event was very generous towards us, the buyers. He permitted us to have fun with the girls without having to pay a dime before the trade started," Dominique replied, his gaze on a young girl who didn¡¯t look more than eighteen getting banged by two men. One from the front and the other from behind. She tried to fight them off but her hands were tied behind her back, leaving her helpless with no choice but toply.


    ¡¯The host?¡¯ Xavier wondered.


    In every trade he had attended, there was always a host who would engage the buyers into buying the girls, but never once did the host let the buyers touch the girls. Now, he couldn¡¯t help but get curious about this host of a person.


    "Do you know who the host is?" Xavier asked. He didn¡¯t find his question suspicious at all, but he wanted to gather that information as fast as possible and leave the room before Dominique uttered what would lead to his death. But he was willing to kill the man even before he uttered the words.


    Dominique locked his lips lustfully as he continued to stare at the girl. Xavier followed his gaze hesitantly, knowing it wouldnd on something lewd.


    He memorized the faces of those men, already having an idea of how to remove them from the face of the earth permanently. He wasn¡¯t going to waste too much time on either of them.


    "I don¡¯t know the man personally. He is quite discreet about himself. I saw him earlier, he was wearing a mask. He never lets someone see his face," Dominique replied.


    ¡¯He?¡¯ Xavier thought to himself.


    Usually, they would have a female as the host who would engage the buyers. But this time around, they were having a male do it.


    ¡¯Who could this man be?¡¯ Xavier wondered with a deep frown evident on his face.


    "Let¡¯s go have some fun¡ª"


    "Excuse me, I have to use the bathroom," Xavier interrupted, walking out of the room. There was no way he was going to cheat on Selene. He wanted to do it with her, but only at her own will.


    Dominique stared at Xavier¡¯s back with a scrutinized gaze, wondering why he would refuse such an offer.


    Shrugging his shoulders, Dominique pulled down his jeans and went to the eighteen-year-old girl who was trying to recover from the two men.


    Xavier walked around the corridor, hoping he could hear voices, and this time, it wouldn¡¯t be a room filled with girls getting raped. He might not be able to stand it and give a go signal to both Maxwell and Ito.


    Xavier halted his steps when he saw a door that was left slightly ajar. He went to it, and leaned slightly on it before peeking into it.


    He saw five men dressed in suits. Three were dressed in ck suits while holding onto weapons¡ªthey were bodyguards. One of the two men was dressed in a red suit with a mask thatpletely covered his face, leaving only his eyes for people to see.


    The other one was wearing a gray suit, his face also covered in a mask which was simr to the one wearing a red suit.


    Xavier frowned deeply.


    ¡¯Which one?¡¯ He wondered.


    "Do you know if X has arrived?" He heard the one wearing a red suit question the one wearing the gray suit.


    "I¡¯m not sure. Even if he did, we wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize him. He always covers his face," said the one wearing the gray suit.


    The red one sighed. "I doubt he wouldn¡¯te here. He alwayses to the trade and attacks us. When you see someone acting suspicious, immediately capture them," he ordered. "Go start the trade," he added.


    Immediately Xavier heard them, he turned around, heading the other way before the one wearing a gray suit would see him and find him suspicious.


    He didn¡¯t recognize the voices of the people he just heard speaking, but from the masks on their faces, he would just have to adopt themter.


    Ever since Xavier had started his work of saving girls from human trafficking, never once had he been able to find the mastermind of each trade, the main owner of the organization of human trafficking.


    But for some reason, he felt like one of those two men was the mastermind of it, the one wearing a red suit.

 Chapter 82: Who Is This Red Suited Man?

    Xavier frowned again, recalling Dominique saying that the host was a male. He nced at Dominique and found the man salivating at the host. He wasn¡¯t going to ask him any questions.


    Xavier couldn¡¯t help but wonder what status the one wearing a gray suit posed at the event. His eyes narrowed at him before they scanned around to see if he would see the one wearing the red suit, but his search was to no avail.


    ¡¯Dammit!¡¯ He cursed.


    Not long after, the girls started walking towards the stage, wearing only panties and bras. They tried to hide their faces but the female host immediately warned them with a re before pulling a smile on her lips when she faced the audience.


    There were a total of 14 girls up for trade tonight and Xavier was ready to buy them all. He wouldn¡¯t let a single onend in the hands of one of those greedy pigs.


    "As you all know, I always pick the best girls from my organization to bring to you for sale. I never disappoint," said the one wearing a gray suit.


    Xavier stared at him for a second before finally understanding what was happening.


    It turned out his guess was right, the one wearing the red suit from earlier was the owner of the human trafficking organization and the gray suit one was only posing to be him to save his ass from X since they already presumed that X would be at the trade.


    A faint smirk pulled on Xavier¡¯s lips.


    He wanted to quickly leave the lounge and go search for the red one since he had found his target, but the girls....


    He gritted his teeth before tapping on his ear casually.


    ¡¯Attack in the next 15 minutes, don¡¯t wait for my signal after 15 minutes,¡¯ he whispered.


    "Got it," said Maxwell. Xavier heard the cocking of a gun before the connection went off.


    "May I introduce to you, Samantha? She¡¯s a seventeen-year-old high school girl...." The host introduced the first girl. She looked so shaken up by what had happened to her that when the host touched her to bring her forward so that the men would see her properly, she immediately jolted in fear.


    The men banged on their tables like impatient hungry animals as they screamed in anticipation.


    Xavier knew he wanted to fit in but he couldn¡¯t find himself acting in such a way.


    "The bid will start from two hundred thousand dors," the host announced.


    Immediately, a "two hundred and fifty thousand dors," could be heard from the crowd.


    "Three hundred thousand dors..."


    The price continued to go up while the girl who was about to be sold teared up, already epting her fate.


    "Five hundred thousand going once.... twice...." The female host counted.


    "One million," they heard someone say which had them turn their head towards the source of the sound.


    "Going once, twice, and sold to..." the female host drawled.


    "Lucian Garcia," said Xavier.


    The men stared at Xavier, from his expensive wristwatch, they could see he was rich. But they couldn¡¯t afford to spend a whole million dors on someone they would only be using as a sexual ve.


    The next trade started and Xavier made sure he bought the next girl.


    When the fifth trade started, everyone was already ring at Xavier. He wouldn¡¯t let them have a chance to even buy a girl for themselves.


    Until the fourteenth girl, someone stood up and protested, "This isn¡¯t fair. Why does he have to buy all the girls?"


    "Maybe you should up your game by pricing higher," the gray-suited man suggested. He was interested to know who this Lucian was. He quickly sent a text to the red-suited man who was yet toe to the lounge.


    "The bid starts at four hundred thousand dors," said the female host.


    "Seven hundred thousand dors," said the man who had protested a moment ago. He was hellbent on getting a girl for himself.


    They waited to see if Xavier would bid any higher but he didn¡¯t.


    "Going once...twice...."


    "1.5 million dors," said Xavier.


    The man who protested clenched his fist. Xavier would always bid much higher, leaving a huge gap that would discourage them from bidding any higher.


    "And sold to Lucian Garcia," the female host announced.


    Xavier was about to write down a check when a figure caught his attention. He looked up to find the man wearing the red suit from earlier sitting down with his legs crossed.


    He had gotten a text earlier, saying only one person had bought all the girls he had brought to the trade.


    His eyes scanned around the area before itnded on someone familiar.


    When Xavier made eye contact with the red-suited guy, he heard an explosion.

 Chapter 83: Familiar

    Xavier headed upstairs, towards the ce where he had seen the red-suit man. Indeed that spot was empty, but he found a door on the other side.


    Opening the door, he was ready to shoot a bullet but didn¡¯t find anybody, not a single soul. But he did find a staircase leading down. Immediately, he followed it, high on alert.


    Surprisingly, the stairs led to two elevators. Xavier had ordered his men to secure both the front and back door, there was no way he was getting out without being seen by them unless he was going to the rooftop.


    Immediately, Xavier entered one of the elevators.


    The elevator door opened after reaching the top only for Xavier to see both the red suit and gray suit men about to board a helicopter.


    "Don¡¯t move," he ordered, pointing his gun at the person. It was just the both of them plus the pilot who was still in the helicopter, waiting for them to get in. "Turn around," he added.


    Xavier felt an unfamiliar feeling when he made eye contact with the red-suit man earlier. His gaze was familiar but Xavier didn¡¯t know where he had seen such eyes before.


    The suited man turned his mask still on his face.


    "Well, look at how we have here. Isn¡¯t it the great X whose arrival we have been anticipating, hmm?" Asked the red suit, a smirk on his lips which Xavier couldn¡¯t see since he was wearing a mask.


    "Take off your mask," Xavier ordered, ring at the person.


    The red-suit man stared at Xavier before his eyesnded on the suit he was wearing. Immediately he recognized the suit and the person who was wearing it earlier before they got attacked.


    "Xavier..." the red suit man called, which caught Xavier off guard. "So you are X? That was unexpected," he added.


    The gray suit man stared at his boss, also surprised by what he had called X.


    "Who would have thought you were X? Xavier...X, now I get it. You used the first initial of your name¡ª-"


    "Shut up!" Xavier snapped. He felt the person before him was messing with him. "Take off your mask and don¡¯t make me repeat myself."


    Xavier took a threatening step, but the man didn¡¯t look fazed at all.


    "It¡¯s obvious you don¡¯t recognize me, but there¡¯s no way I¡¯m taking off my mask, Xavier. Now!"


    Several men wearing ck suits came out of nowhere, holding Xavier at gunpoint.


    "Honestly, I never expected to see you here today. It didn¡¯t cross my mind at all. But now that we¡¯ve met after so many years, what should I do to you?" Asked the man.


    A frown formed on Xavier¡¯s as he tried to understand what the man was saying.


    From the way he spoke, it seemed they had met before. But without seeing his face, Xavier couldn¡¯t identify him. Forgetting that, he faced the current matter at hand¡ªhe was outnumbered but not for long. He heard the elevator ding open and some of his men came out, standing behind him as they pointed their weapons at the enemies.


    Earlier, Xavier had informed them about going to the rooftop and asked for a backup immediately.


    "Oh, you even brought your people here," said the man in the red suit.


    The one in the gray suit nudged the red one.


    "Boss, we need to get out of here," he said.


    "Take off your mask and don¡¯t make me repeat myself," Xavier threatened. He wouldn¡¯t want to shoot at the red one in this situation because he might be important to himter.


    "I won¡¯t," said the one in the red suit. "Shoot."


    The one in the red suit turned, about to leave while his men followed behind him with cautious steps, their guns still pointed at Xavier and his men.


    Xavier¡¯s men waited for him to give them the go signal, but he stood rooted on the ground like a statue.


    Xavier didn¡¯t wait anymore. He didn¡¯t like the way the one in the red suit was messing around with him. There was only one person who messed with him in such a way and he didn¡¯t want to believe he was that person.


    "Fire!" Xavier ordered, already taking out three men.


    The red one turned and found Xavier running towards him, but he didn¡¯t want to be caught. So he ran towards the helicopter. When he was about to climb, he felt a piercing pain in his leg¡ªXavier had just shot him.


    "Fuck!" He cursed.


    The one in the gray suit immediately helped him as they got into the helicopter and fled away.


    Xavier fired at the helicopter with rage but the bullets didn¡¯t do much damage to the helicopter.


    He turned and found all the men in ck suits already dead.


    He took off his mask and cursed under his breath.


    "You had better not be who I think you are."</subtxt>

 Chapter 84: A Hang Out

    Selene hissed in annoyance before ring at him.


    "I don¡¯t love Xavier," she lied. "The both of us only had a mutual agreement and that¡¯s it. I don¡¯t love him and I don¡¯t miss him," she added.


    "It sounds more like you are trying to convince yourself than you are convincing me," said Kace.


    Selene clicked her tongue, already done with him. She sipped her water one more time before uttering, "Let¡¯s go home?"


    Kace nodded with a sigh when he didn¡¯t spot Allison anywhere. He hadn¡¯t seen her at the set throughout the whole day. It was a substitute make-up artist who helped Selene with her makeup.


    He made a mental note to visit her at the university again. He had not gone since the first visit which wasn¡¯t a total disaster, but he didn¡¯t get the chance to walk her home after herst ss due to his call at the hideout.


    Selene grabbed her bag, about to leave when she heard someone calling out to her. She turned her head to find Liam walking towards them. Selene sighted Martha sitting on a bench talking to some of the crew¡ªshe still had a scene to shoot.


    "You are going home already?" Liam asked them both. Selene nodded. "Can I talk to you in private, Selene?" He asked.


    Quite taken aback by his request, Kace and Selene shared a look.


    "I will go wait in the car," said Kace, walking away already.


    Liam waited for Kace to bepletely out of sight before he parted his lips to speak, "I know this ising out wrong but are you going to be busy tonight?"


    Selene frowned slightly.


    ¡¯How is thating out wrong?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    Shaking her head, she replied, "No, why?"


    Liam sighed a little, a little relieved by her reply.


    "I was just thinking, if you are not busy, I would like us to hang out together, just the both of us," he offered.


    Selene felt a thunder strike as she stared at Liam for several seconds without saying a word.


    She couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing.


    Martha who had been talking to a crew saw the both of them standing and talking. A sad smile crept on her lips before she looked away.


    "So, what do you say?" Liam asked.


    ¡¯He¡¯s not joking,¡¯ Selene thought to herself.


    She had always seen Liam as her friend. Although the first time they met, he always acted like she offended him with his expressions, but as time went by, she realized he wasn¡¯t so bad.


    But his request was quite odd.


    "Sure, let¡¯s hang out. I will be home alone anyway so hanging out is what I need now," Selene replied. She didn¡¯t want to give it too much thought. Plus, she had been in that huge mansion all by herself. She wanted to go out and breathe some air since she felt suffocated staying there while Kace visited her now and then.


    Liam¡¯s eyes lit up in excitement. He was happy she epted his request; he couldn¡¯t wait for it to be evening already.


    "But, where are we going?" Selene asked, curiosityced in her tone.


    "That would be a surprise."


    "Alright, but it better be somewhere fun," she joked and he nodded.


    After exchanging a few more words, Liam bid Selene goodbye; he would be picking her upter.


    Selene got into the car and found Kace checking out his hair.


    When he saw her get in, he asked, "Let me guess, he asked you out?"


    Selene blinked at him. "What?"


    "Let me rephrase that, he asked for a hang out with you?"


    Selene blinked at him again.


    "Yes, he did. Finally, I¡¯m going out tonight," she said.


    Kace sighed. "I would advise you not to go anywhere with that guy, Xavier would be super mad if you did," he informed her, igniting the engines of the car.

 Chapter 85: That Was A Warning

    Selen had seen the both of them in movies together for some time now and they always said they were best friends. Looking at Liam, she couldn¡¯t help but find him handsome.


    ¡¯But Xavier is more handsome,¡¯ a thought suddenly came to her. She shook her head, not wanting to think of Xavier at that moment since it was only going to make her miss him more.


    "She¡¯s good," Liam replied.


    He didn¡¯t want to think too much about it, but when he had told Martha about him going out with Selene, she didn¡¯t look too happy with it.


    They both exchanged a few words until they got to the theater. Immediately, they put on their mask, got their popcorn and drink then sat down for the movie to start.


    Kace had told Selene Liam was going to choose a romantic movie if he had feelings for her. But surprisingly, he chose an action movie.


    ¡¯Kace was worrying too much. This man has no feelings for me,¡¯ Selene thought to herself as she enjoyed the movie along with the other audience.


    When they were done, Liam took her to a restaurant for dinner.


    They ced their order and waited for the food to arrive.


    "So did you enjoy the movie?" He asked her. He was staring at her so intensely that Selene thought there was something on her face.


    Subconsciously, she touched her face as she replied, "Yes, I enjoyed it. I don¡¯t get to do this much because of my tight schedule. Thank you."


    "What about your boyfriend, Xavier? He doesn¡¯t take you out?" He asked with curiosity. He thought since she was dating a big shot, she must have gone on several dates.


    Selene blinked, and the realization hit her. She had never gone anywhere with Xavier before.


    "We have, but since we are so busy, we don¡¯t get to do it much," she replied, hoping he would change the topic.


    As if on cue, the food arrived and Selene immediately dug in.


    "Where are we going next after this?" She asked him.


    "An amusement park," he replied and immediately, her eyes lit up.


    While they were busy eating, they didn¡¯t notice a man striding towards them. The man stopped behind Selene, ring at Liam. Feeling the intensity of the re directed towards him out of nowhere, Liam raised his head only to find Xavier ring at him.


    Selene noticed how shocked Liam was and turned to look back, only to see Xavier as well.


    "What are you doing with him?" Xavier questioned Selene, his eyes still on Liam.


    "We were only hanging out," she replied immediately. For some reason, she felt like she was caught cheating.


    "I think I will have to cut your hangout short," Xavier replied, he grabbed Selene¡¯s hand and was about to take her away but Liam stopped him.


    "Xavier, we were only hanging out. You can see we were just eating and nothing more," he said.


    "Thest time I checked, I wasn¡¯t talking to you. But since you want me to talk to you, there¡¯s no problem but I would rather give you a warning instead. Stay away from Selene," Xavier warned.


    He had only just arrived in Radiantia when he got a text from Kace. He had to track her down.


    "She¡¯s my friend and I think she should decide if she wants to stay or leave with you," Liam replied. He despised the way Xavier was holding her hand like that.


    Meanwhile, Selene was surprised Xavier wasn¡¯t holding on to her hand too tightly that it would hurt her.


    At first, she was surprised that Xavier was back, but now, she felt she needed to quench the fire that was about to burn the entire ce down.


    "Liam, we will talkter. I will go with Xavier," she said.


    Xavier didn¡¯t wait anymore and pulled her along with him while Liam red at Xavier¡¯s back.


    Xavier opened the door for Selene and helped her get into the car. He got into the driver¡¯s seat and drove away without uttering a word.


    "Xavier, we were only hanging out. You can ask Kace about it¡ª"


    "And what did Kace tell you after?" He asked her. His tone was sharp so Selene didn¡¯t bother to reply. She shrank into her seat as silence reigned until they got to the mansion.


    Selene got out of the car and trailed behind Xavier to his room. She wanted to exin herself as soon as possible.


    "Xavier," she called, but didn¡¯t get the chance to say any other word when Xavier suddenly captured her lips.

 Chapter 86: I Have A Boyfriend

    "Alright, he¡¯s a nice person like you said he is, but I won¡¯t bat an eysh if he tries to do anything to you. You are still my wife," he stated.


    Selene¡¯s naw dropped, leaving her mouth open in shock.


    "He has eyes for you and I¡¯m sure he thinks he has a chance with you after you agreed to hang out with him."


    "I only did that because I felt lonely in here without you," Selene blurted out. She looked away when she realized what she had just said.


    A faint grin pulled on Xavier¡¯s lips.


    "So you missed me?" He asked.


    Selene bit her lips, unable to answer that question. It was simple, yetplicated.


    "I didn¡¯t," she replied.


    Xavier took a step closer to her, closing the gap he left between them earlier. Selene had to crane her head to look at him.


    "Are you sure? Because that wasn¡¯t what Kace told me," he whispered in her ear.


    ¡¯Damn you Kace,¡¯ Selene thought to herself.


    "He was just bluffing. I was worried something happened to you," she said.


    "Is that so?" Xavier asked, biting on her earlobe.


    "Xavier, wait, why are we doing this?" He suddenly heard Selene ask. He pulled away from her to look her in the eyes. "I m-mean," Selene bit her lips harder, trying to force the words out of her mouth, but her heartbeat kept racing. "Never mind," she said, about to leave Xavier¡¯s room but he held her back.


    "You want to know why I kissed you?" He asked her.


    Although curious, she shook her head.


    "I¡¯m not. I need to go practice for myst scene," she said. "We can talkter," she added before leaving.


    Xavier searched for his phone when he found it, he dialed Kace¡¯s number.


    **


    At Aurora Heights University, Allison was at the cafeteria with Olivia, her best friend as the both of them chewed on their lunch.


    "Aren¡¯t you going to the set today?" Olivia asked her.


    "Herst scene will be recorded in the evening so I still have time," Allison replied and Olivia nodded in understanding.


    "Have you and Derek spoken since after what I told you thest time?" Olivia asked.


    Allison froze for a second before she shook her head. "I couldn¡¯t talk to him about it. I¡¯ve not seen him in ss for the past few days now." Turning to Olivia, Allison asked, "Do you think he¡¯s avoiding me?"


    Olivia shrugged. "I have no idea, babe. But when you see him, are you going to break up with him? He cheated on you after all."


    "I won¡¯t unless I hear his side of the story," Allison replied.


    Olivia scoffed. "His side of the story huh? Well, I hope you don¡¯t let him fool you once again," she said before standing up from her seat and walking away.


    Allison looked down at the remaining piece of her food as tears pooled in her eyes. Immediately, she wiped it away before it dropped.


    All of a sudden, she heard the voice of someone familiar whisper her name in her ears.


    She turned to find Kace up close; she had to scoot a little to breathe.


    "Why are your eyes red?" He asked


    "What are you doing here?" She questioned him back, ncing at the people who were looking in their direction already.


    "I came to see you," Kace replied inly before taking a seat.


    "You can¡¯t do that. You and I don¡¯t have anything to do with each other, so please, can you stop talking to me?" She requested.


    "What if I don¡¯t?"


    "I have a boyfriend," she revealed.


    Kace stared at her for a few seconds, a slow grin pulling on his lips. "So?"

 Chapter 87: Mr. Kace

    "They are no longer staring at us anymore. So, where do you want to go? Are your sses over?" He continued to ask her one question after another.


    Out of frustration, Allison abruptly halted. Kace, caught off guard, nearly bumped into her back. He stopped just in time, looking at her with a mix of surprise and concern.


    Turning to look at him, Allison sighed before asking, "Mr. Kace..."


    "Just call me Kace¡ª"


    "I will never call you that because I don¡¯t have to. I want to plead with you to please, I¡¯m pleading right now," she nted her two palms together as she continued, "Can you please leave me alone? I don¡¯t understand why you are following me around. I don¡¯t get it."


    "I told you I want to be your friend," he said, giving her a nk look that had her tilt her head at him.


    Allison couldn¡¯t help but feel as if she was dealing with a little kid whom she just yed with for a few seconds, and now the kid wanted to glue himself to her.


    "I don¡¯t want to be your friend, Mr Kace, it¡¯s that simple. Please stop disturbing me," she said, hoping that he would hear her out. She was d no one had said anything the first time he had spoken to her at the college. But this time, she doubted she could escape it.


    Allison instantly became cautious when Kace suddenly took a step closer to her. He stared down at her and Allison instinctively took a step back. They were in an open space where people were starting to give them side eyes again.


    "What are you doing?" She questioned him.


    Kace ignored her question as he continued to stare at her bright blue eyes which seemed wary of him. He couldn¡¯t help but be amused by her reactions each time. If it had been other girls, they would have immediately glued themselves to him. Her actions only spiked his curiosity to get to know her more.


    Kace brought his hand to brush her cheeks.


    "What are you doing to my girlfriend?" Both of them heard the voice of someone questioning from behind him.


    Kace didn¡¯t turn back immediately, but he focused more on Allison¡¯s reaction when her eyesnded on the person who had just interrupted his move.


    "Derek," Allison called, pushing Kace slightly away to create some distance between the both of them.


    "What are you doing with him?" Derek questioned.


    Finally, Kace turned to look at the person who just spoke.


    A chuckle suddenly burst out from his mouth.


    "I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m sorry, that was not intentional," said Kace.


    ¡¯This failed experiment is her boyfriend?¡¯ He wondered.


    Derek was immediately vexed with the way Kace had justughed at him. He pushed his red hair that was blocking his eyesight aside as he red at Kace.


    "Who the fuck are you and what are you doing with my girlfriend?" He questioned, taking tworge steps towards Kace, but when he realized thetter was taller than him by an inch or two, he took a step back so he wouldn¡¯t have to look up at Kace as he threatened him.


    Kace couldn¡¯t help but chuckle again, amused by the way Derek tried to act tough in front of him.


    "So this is the boyfriend you told me about?" Kace asked, turning towards Allison who gave him a questioning look.


    Derek turned to Allison as well, giving her a questionable look.


    "So this is what you do when I¡¯m not around, huh? You go around cheating on me, isn¡¯t that right, Allison?" Derek questioned her with a re.


    Blood drained from Allison¡¯s face as she tried to open her mouth to defend herself, but Derek immediately bombarded her with another usation.


    "You go around sleeping with men when you know very much you are in a rtionship with me? Do you want me to teach you a lesson?"


    Kace¡¯s eyes narrowed at him when those words spilled out of his mouth.


    "Come on, we were only just talking," said Kace.


    "If you don¡¯t mind, I would like to talk to my girlfriend in private," Derek requested.


    Kace stared at Allison whose head was lowered. He could see through the curtains of her locks how tears pooled in her eyes.


    ¡¯What kind of rtionship do they have for her to be crying like that all of a sudden?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    Kace raised his hands in surrender. "Sure, man. She¡¯s your girlfriend like you said she is," he replied, backing off.

 Chapter 88: Best Friend My Foot!

    Olivia was immediately offended when Kace ignored her. She pushed her chest forward so that her bust would catch his attention.


    "You are the youngest son of the Wace family, right? If you are, that means your family must be rich, right? Wow, are you interested in my friend?" Olivia asked.


    Kace stared at her. "You are Allison¡¯s friend?" He asked her.


    Olivia immediately nodded as if waiting for that question to be asked.


    "Indeed I am," she replied, taking a seat close to Kace. He had to wrinkle his nostrils due to how strong her perfume was. "Are you her new boyfriend?" Olivia asked, trying to engage Kace more into talking to her.


    When Kace didn¡¯t reply to her question, she added, "You see, Allison is my best friend and she has this kind of reputation for going out with men even though she was already dating Derek."


    "Why are you telling me this?" Kace nearly snapped at her. He only wanted to sit there quietly without having someone interrupting him, but it seemed the devil wanted to mess with him by sending one of his advocates.


    "For your good, sir. If you have eyes on her, I would suggest you look away and search for someone better," she replied, puffing her chest a bit more as if it would turn invisible if she didn¡¯t. "There are many good girls out there, sir. If you search better, I¡¯m sure you will find someone better than her."


    "Someone like you?" Kace asked.


    Olivia was quite taken aback by Kace¡¯s question. She expected him to guess but with the tone he used while asking, it made her want to move back a little out of fear.


    "Lookdy," Kace started after having had enough. "Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s disgusting of you to be saying that about your "best friend"?" He asked, air-quoting the best friend.


    "I just want to save any guy who is close to falling into her trap¡ª"


    "As was? As an angel of God who has a pure heart?" He asked, sarcasm evident in his tone. "I can see exactly where you are going with this little act of yours. But I don¡¯t want to waste either your time or mine, so I¡¯m going to politely ask you to leave," he requested.


    Olivia frowned deeply with a little hint of shock because he didn¡¯t fall for her.


    ¡¯I didn¡¯t try hard enough,¡¯ she thought to herself.


    She managed to pull a smile on her lips, not wanting to insist and miss her luck for next time.


    "The offer is always open, sir," she said, winking at him before leaving.


    Olivia intended to shake her ass as she walked away, hoping it would entice Kace. But when she turned around to see if he was looking, his eyes were already somewhere else. She huffed before leavingpletely.


    "Doesn¡¯t this university have a dress code anymore?" Kace couldn¡¯t help but wonder out loud.


    Kace continued to nce at the path where Allison and her boyfriend had disappeared. When he saw her walking out, he quickly stood up from his seat and walked towards her.


    Surprisingly, her supposed boyfriend didn¡¯te out along with her.


    Kace had thought Derek was going to shoo him off with a warning or something.


    "Allison," Kace called. He saw her halt before turning to look at him.


    "What are you still doing here?" She questioned him.


    Kace scanned her body. When he didn¡¯t find anything out of ce or any bruise he hadn¡¯t seen earlier, he internally sighed in relief.


    "I wasn¡¯t done talking to you earlier, when your boyfriend interrupted us," he replied.


    Allison¡¯s eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she stared at him. Releasing a heavy sigh, she shook her head slightly as if tired of dealing with him already.


    "There¡¯s nothing for us to talk about," she said, about to leave but Kace grabbed her hand.


    Instinctively, she yanked her wrist out of his grip.


    "You just saw earlier that I have a boyfriend, right? Why do you keep disturbing me?"


    "It¡¯s that simple, I want to be your friend. I mean, yes, you are Selene¡¯s make-up artist but I think the both of us can be friends," he said. Allison cocked an eyebrow, not buying his words at all.


    "But I just told you I don¡¯t want to be your friend. If you are looking for a girl to toy with, you¡¯d better look somewhere else because I¡¯m taken, Mr Kace. If you don¡¯t stop bugging me, I will report you to Miss. Selene," she threatened.


    She didn¡¯t stand to see his reaction and walked away. Kace didn¡¯t give up at all. He still followed behind her, but maintained some distance this time around.

 Chapter 89: Given A Real Sword

    Allison suddenly felt this was her life now¡ªavoiding Kace with all things possible. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder why he was curious about her all of a sudden. Either way, she wanted him to stop but something bad happened.


    ¡¯That jerk,¡¯ she thought.


    Selene walked inside the makeup room. She noticed how rough Allison looked and couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Are you okay?"


    "She was chased by a dog earlier," Natalie didn¡¯t hesitate to reply. Selene¡¯s eyes widened in shock when she heard Allison. "But don¡¯t worry, the dog is no longer on the set," she added.


    When they were done with Selene¡¯s makeup and dress, she walked out of the makeup room, grabbing everyone¡¯s attention as always.


    This was herst scene for <i>The Sinner. </i>


    Selene sighted Michelle ready as well, it was the scene where she would kill off La in the battle.


    Selene lifted the sword, finding it surprisingly heavier than the ones she had carried before.


    The acting was so smooth, and surprisingly, Michelle didn¡¯t make any mistake with her lines at all, but she did look at Selene in a way that got thetter feel as if something was about to happen. Michelle had been too quiettely.


    She had started talking to the other crews as well, the people she was avoiding when she had shown her true colors.


    Selene got her chance to stab Michelle in the chest as written in the script. She wouldn¡¯t be plunging the sword into Michelle¡¯s chest since it was a fake sword, but Selene was stunned when she saw blood running down Michelle¡¯s chest.


    "Ahh!!" Michelle screamed out in pain, falling to the ground.


    Selene stared at Michelle who was already on the ground, her blood mixing with the sand.


    "What just happened?" Selene heard someone ask.


    Immediately, she threw the sword away, already understanding that the sword she was given was a real one. If she hadn¡¯t controlled her strength earlier, she could have stabbed Michelle in the chest and killed her.


    "Michelle!" Selene called while others rushed towards them. "Stay with me," she added when she saw Michelle about to close her eyes.


    "She¡¯s dying," someone mumbled from beside Selene.


    Immediately, Michelle was lifted and taken to the hospital.


    Selene went to her makeup room to quickly change her clothes so that she could follow them but Kace stopped her.


    "Where are you going?" He questioned her.


    "What do you mean by where am I going? Of course, I¡¯m going to follow them to the hospital. Michelle got hurt," she replied about leaving but Kace stopped her again.


    "Instead of following them to the hospital, I suggest you stay here and figure out where you were given a real sword instead of a fake one," said Kace.


    Selene blinked at him, before looking around to find some of the cast and crew ncing at her.


    "It¡¯s pretty obvious Michelle is the one who had the swords changed, Selene. She hadn¡¯t spoken or threatened you for a long time, this must be what she had been nning," he added.


    "Will Michelle put herself in that kind of danger just to have her revenge on me?" Selene wondered.


    When she remembered whom she was dealing with was Michelle, who plotted with two actresses to have her raped at the vi, the same Michelle who beat her up with their parents which led her into having a miscarriage.


    "She is capable," she answered her question. "She¡¯s very much capable of hurting herself just to get what she wants. Now, everyone is going to think I switched the swords to get my revenge on her for what she did at the vi," she added.


    "Exactly! So, it¡¯s best you don¡¯t go to the hospital now. It might only make matters worse. Although, I doubt Michelle isn¡¯t going to make it worse since you won¡¯t be present there to defend yourself," said Kace.


    He stared around, finding Liam and Martha walking towards them.


    "Selene, are you okay?" Liam asked her, hoping she didn¡¯t get a scratch from what had happened.


    Selene nodded. "I¡¯m good."


    "That¡¯s great," said Martha. "I hope I¡¯m not the only one thinking what I¡¯m thinking." She stared at the three of them.


    "You are not the only one, Martha," said Selene. "I felt the weight of the sword earlier but didn¡¯t think too much about it. Who could have thought that Michelle would stoop so low just just so that she could hurt me," she added, with a sigh.


    All of a sudden, Selene got a phone call from director Jeunes. She sighed again before picking up the call. Her face formed a big frown when she heard him speak, then they cut off the call.


    "Michelle wants to see me at the hospital," she informed them.

 Chapter 90: What Did You Just Say?

    "I must say, I didn¡¯t see iting at all. You were quite smooth with this one. I¡¯m sure your heart must be jumping for joy, finally seeding in doing something bad to me after so many tries," Selene said, checking her painted nails. "You¡¯re just lucky I didn¡¯t use all my strength earlier. If I had, you wouldn¡¯t be here spouting all this nonsense," she added, her tone cold and unwavering.


    Michelle¡¯s eyes narrowed at Selene, a little stunned by her calm demeanor. She had expected Selene to be worried about the possibility of an article being released about the ident, but instead, she seemed utterly unbothered.


    Earlier, she had made her assistant Mia record everything from the best angle secretly, and in a few hours, the video will be released.


    Although Xavier would have it taken down immediately, she would be satisfied with the damage it would cause to Selene¡¯s career.


    "You just wait and see what I will do to you, Selene. This isn¡¯t where it¡¯s going to end, trust me. This is just the beginning. You¡¯ve had your fun humiliating me, now it¡¯s my turn, and this time, I will make sure to rub it in your face," Michelle threatened with an evil grin on her lips.


    But whatever she said, Selene simply gave her a nk look as if tired of hearing her talk nonstop.


    "Did you call me in here just to tell me all this nonsense, Michelle? You really need toe up with better dialogue because I¡¯m getting tired of hearing you repeat the same thing over and over again," Selene saidzily, rolling her eyes.


    Even though she wasn¡¯t sure exactly what Michelle had been nning against her, she had predicted she would do something.


    "But now that you have made your move, it would be unfair if I don¡¯t repay you, right?" Selene asked, a grin ying on her lips.


    Michelle¡¯s smirk faltered, wondering what Selene meant. Having Xavier by her side, Selene could do anything she wanted to her, and now, she became slightly afraid.


    "You should just stay in bed and rest, hmm?" Selene turned, about to leave but Michelle stopped her.


    "Where is Richard?" She questioned. "I have a feeling you had something to do with his disappearance. Where did you keep him?"


    Selene scoffed when she heard Richard¡¯s name. She had visited the hideout a few days ago, and he seemed to want to give up on his life already.


    She met Mark at the hideout that time and he had been feeding him with many drugs that would heal his injuries, just so that more could be inflicted.


    "Richard? What business do you think I can have with Richard? I told you I didn¡¯t see him, but even if I did, why would I keep him? He¡¯s an animal," she said nonchntly. "Maybe you should focus more on finding your husband instead of me. If you had been doing that, I¡¯m sure you would have found him by now," Selene added.


    Without waiting for Michelle to spew out more words, Selene left the hospital room.


    "It seems I will have to get Dad to dispose of her like he did with Anastasia," Michelle mumbled, her fist clenching the covers on the bed.


    Outside, director Jeunes saw Selene stepping out of the hospital room with a smile on her face. They had assumed that the both of them would probably argue since they were no longer friends, plus the incident that urred.


    "How did the talk go?" Director Jeunes asked.


    "It went well. Honestly, I don¡¯t know what happened earlier. I was just holding the sword and the next thing, Michelle was already bleeding. Director Jeunes, can you please have someone inspect the swords? Because I¡¯m sure that some people are already thinking that I intentionally switched the swords to pay Michelle back for what she did to me," Selene said without holding back while she nced at the crew who were giving her side eyes.


    Director Jeunes nodded in understanding.


    "I already had someone check that out. The swords are going to be inspected and we will find out who had them misced like that," he said.


    "What¡¯s the point of doing that, director Jeunes? It¡¯s obvious Selene was the one who had them misced. She probably wanted to get back at Michelle for what she did to her at the vi," someone said.


    Selene recognized her as an uing actress just like herself, and one of Michelle¡¯s followers too.


    "What did you just say?" Selene questioned.

 Chapter 91: Unknown Caller

    Selene turned to director Jeunes, before saying, "Sir, now, I¡¯m thinking that she was the one who swapped the swords just so she could frame me."


    Viviana¡¯s eyes widened in shock, caught off guard by Selene¡¯s statement.


    "I mean, we all know that Viviana is a big fan of Michelle. She must have swapped the swords to frame me since her favorite actress was humiliated on social media after thest stunt she pulled at the vi," Selene added, the faint smirk still on her lips.


    Turning to perplexed Viviana, Selene continued, "You really shouldn¡¯t be acting like this, because you have more reasons than me to swap the swords. But now my question is, why would you do that knowing that Michelle was going to get hurt by it? Or perhaps, did you change her sword as well, so that she can hurt me too?"


    Viviana clenched her fist in anger, feeling the stares she was getting from her colleagues.


    In their eyes, Selene made a point. They weren¡¯t new to the industry to know that fans can hurt an actress who disgraced their favorite actor/actress.


    Viviana was beyond shocked by the way Selene changed the table and put the me on her. It was so smooth that others must probably be thinking she did something to Michelle.


    "You are talking nonsense!" Viviana yelled.


    "Keep your voice down, this is a hospital," Selene reminded her with a re that forced Viviana to cower back.


    Turning to director Jeunes who was watching everything with a calm face, Viviana said, "Director, I wasn¡¯t the one who switched the swords. I swear on my grandmother¡¯s grave I wasn¡¯t."


    Selene couldn¡¯t help but give Viviana a questionable look.


    ¡¯Who swears on their grandmother¡¯s grave?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    Meanwhile, Viviana only hoped that director Jeunes believed her. She didn¡¯t want to end up fired from the movie like Edna and Miranda.


    "The matter will be investigated and you better watch the way you speak to people, Viviana. The next time you use someone without evidence, you will regret it," director Jeunes warned.


    Selene felt satisfied with the warning Viviana received. Since the scene had been cut short, it didn¡¯t look like it would continue again since Michelle was being hospitalized.


    "I will be leaving now, director Jeunes," Selene said walking away, while Viviana nearly bored a hole in her back.


    Kace had been the one to drop Selene off, but she had instructed him to stay in her car. She wanted to handle everything by herself and she did. She didn¡¯t let Viviana talk rubbish about her, and she could only hope thetter would think twice before talking to her ever again.


    "So how did it go? What did Michelle talk to you about?" Kace asked, curiosityced in his tone.


    Selene simply shrugged. "The same old thing. Threats after threats. Oh, and she is still looking for Richard," she replied.


    Kace frowned slightly. "I never knew she loved Richard that much," he responded with a hint of sarcasm.


    "She will see him soon, and I can¡¯t wait to see the reaction on her face when she does."


    Kace stared at her, curious about what she was nning this time around.


    He dropped her off at Xavier¡¯s mansion and went his own way; to disturb his little white headed entertainment.


    Since Xavier hadn¡¯t returned from work yet, Selene went to her room to shower and rest from the day¡¯s stress. Her hand still hurt a little due to how heavy the sword had been.


    "I should have just told them it was heavier than usual, then this nonsense act of Michelle wouldn¡¯t have happened," she mumbled to herself.


    When she was about to rx. She saw the screen of her phone sh some light before her ringing tone filled the room.


    "Who could be calling me now?" She wondered.


    Selene checked the number and found out it was an unknown number. She frowned slightly before picking it.


    Instantly, Selene ced the phone away from her ears when she heard the caller bark.


    "How dare you stab Michelle at the set? Do you know who you are messing with?"

 Chapter 92: Barking Caller

    But Selene tried to maintain a cool and calm demeanor as she parted her lips to speak.


    "¡¯Mrs. Harrison, it was an ident that happened at the set. It wasn¡¯tpletely my fault at all. A real sword was given to me, how was I supposed to know it was real instead of fake?" She asked, despite knowing Amelia didn¡¯t care about all that logical exnation.


    She only wanted to vent nonstop on something she knew well she didn¡¯t have a hand in; it was the idea of her daughter after all.


    "Listen here, youngdy. If something happens to Michelle, I will have you jailed, and not even Xavier will have you bailed out, slut," she threatened. She was very much aware that her power couldn¡¯t do such a thing, but she only wanted to inflict fear on Selene.


    "Now, look, Mrs. Harrison, I don¡¯t want to talk to you disrespectfully, and I would highly appreciate it if you don¡¯t call me names now. That¡¯s utterly wrong," Selene warned politely.


    She was trying to hold herself back from talking back to the woman because she wasn¡¯t sure if someone was listening to their conversation from over there. Perhaps, it was a trap for her to say the wrong thing and then they might use that against her as well. She didn¡¯t want to fall into that trap at all.


    "And what will happen if I call you a slut? A whore. You are a whore who climbed Xavier¡¯s bed and seduced him just so that you can get some benefits from him," Amelia used.


    The servant who was listening to Amelia speak couldn¡¯t help but be astonished with what Amelia had just spat.


    "Xavier Wace has a slut?" She mumbled under her breath.


    "And if it hadn¡¯t been for Xavier, do you think you would have had a chance to act in that movie? After what my daughter had done for you, you dared to stab her in the chest and call it an ident¡ª"


    "Listen, Amelia. I think I¡¯ve let you speak enough. You are just like your daughter, the both of you speak nonstop, bbing you will do this, you will do that. Do you two practice before talking to me because all I can hear is the cries of a dying chicken," said Selene.


    She was done acting respectfully all in the name of having good manners.


    Amelia was immediately vexed when she heard Amelia speak. Her face flushed red with anger as she clenched her teeth.


    "You and I both know that it was all Michelle¡¯s n to swap the swords. But I don¡¯t get it, since you know, why are you still barking like a starved dog? I don¡¯t understand you two, you both act like stray dogs let out in the street with no manners impacted on you," she continued.


    Amelia¡¯s face had turned bright red in anger as she struggled to control herself. The more insults Selene hurled at her, the more she felt like she couldn¡¯t breathe anymore.


    "Oh I see, you are venting out your anger from the previous incidents right? Well, you can¡¯t me me at all, Amelia. The only person to me is your very own daughter, Michelle," she added.


    "Shut up!!" Amelia yelled.


    "Again with the barking," she sighed over the phone. "I don¡¯t want to continue this phone call and take the risk of losing my earring. But I will leave you off with a warning, Amelia."


    "You have better control your daughter. She was the one who started this game, but I will be the one to end it. She has yed her part, right? Well, she had better be expecting aeback from me because I¡¯m not going to make it easy for her," and with that, Selene hung up the call and threw her phone on the bed, leaving Amelia to hold her phone in her hand.


    Even though she had heard all that Selene had said clearly, she thought her hearing was deceiving her.


    "She dared to threaten me like that," she thought out loud as she red at her phone in her hand, as if it would send a raging thunder at Selene¡¯s location.

 Chapter 93: Selene Must Apologize

    Michelle gritted her teeth as she clenched her fist in anger.


    "She¡¯s asking for it," she mumbled, retrieving her phone from her mother to make a phone call to Mia.


    As soon as the call connected, Michelle ordered, "Release the video."


    "B-but, Michelle, if Xavier traces the video back to me, he might t-take me to jail," said Mia. She was okay with destroying Selene but didn¡¯t want to risk going to jail for it.


    "I will bail you out, RELEASE IT!" Michelle ordered before binging up on the call without waiting to hear Mia¡¯s protest.


    Both Michelle and Amelia waited for a few minutes before they opened Instagram and found the video.


    An evil grin appeared on Michelle¡¯s lips as she watched the video.


    "Mia did a great job recording this from a good angle," sheplimented.


    "I agree. With this. I would like to see how that slut escapes the hatements she is going to receive."


    The mother and daughter smirked at each other, already anticipating the uproar that wouldmence soon in thement section.


    **


    In the living room, Selene decided to watch a movie instead since talking with Amelia had ruined her mood, and she doubted if she would get a good nap.


    Her phone vibrated the first time. She read the official announcement of Klerene about her being their global ambassador. The second time, she smirked when she saw the video capturing when she had stabbed Michelle in the chest.


    "She really can¡¯t rest a minute without plotting ways to destroy either me or my career, hmm?" Selene mumbled under her breath.


    She frowned slightly when she noticed the amount of views andments the video had already gotten in under five minutes.


    Selene contemted opening thement section. Her mood had already turned sour because of the mother, and now the daughter had decided to add some spice to it.


    Sighing, she opened thement section;


    "She just came out of nowhere and now, she wants to kill Michelle Wace? Could this be her n in the first ce? To kill Michelle Wace?"


    "She dared to stab my idol. Not only is she a slut, but she¡¯s also a killer. #seleneisakiller."


    "I¡¯m sure she doesn¡¯t feel bad about what she did because she had Xavier Wace by her side. I can only hope that one day he wakes up to find the kind of woman he had been sleeping with."


    "Selene Jones has gone too far with this act of hers. She should apologize this time."


    "#Selenemustapologize. We demand that you apologize to Michelle."


    Some of the hatements even went as far as tagging her ount with the #selenemustapologize.


    Selene continued to scroll through thements, already regretting reading them. She nced at the bowl of popcorn she had been eating and took a handful of it to stuff it in her mouth, as if the sugar in it would chase away her sour mood.


    "These people have the mouth to talk shit about me because I don¡¯t have an agency that can release a statement saying the sword was a fake. Director Jeunes might do that. Maybe I should join an agency," she contemted.


    She had never thought of joining an agency since her main goal was her revenge. She only auditioned for <i>The Sinner</i> because Michelle was doing so.


    Selene stuffed another handful of popcorn in her mouth.


    She chuckled lightly. "They want me to apologize," she scoffed. "Apologize my foot."


    A phone call banner appeared on Selene¡¯s screen¡ª it was Xavier.


    Immediately, she picked it up.


    "Do you want me to have the video deleted from the inte?" He asked her. He had been walking past his secretaries to walk into his office when he heard them mumbling something about Selene and Michelle.


    Curious, he checked his phone and found the video.


    "Actually," she thought, wondering which it should be. Getting the video deleted will only get her more haters and deleting it will only make her get more haters. Either way, nothing was going to change.


    "Actually, no. Don¡¯t delete it. I will just give Michelle a taste of her own medicine."

 Chapter 94: A Counter-Attack

    He had arrived earlier with Xavier, and she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if they both came from the office or hideout.


    "Because I am?" Kace shrugged. Selene gave him a look. "Alright, I know it¡¯s kinda cheesy but that woman disgusts me," he added before biting into his food again.


    Selene sighed, before grabbing a seat for herself.


    "Thank you for helping me," she mumbled.


    Kace raised his hand to stop her from going any further. "The person you should be thanking is Xavier. He was the one who was able to hack into Michelle¡¯s phone and bring out those photos of her. All I did was create a new ount and upload them," he replied, grabbing an orange juice before sipping it.


    Selene sneezed, immediately backing away.


    "Sorry," Kace mouthed.


    Selene checked the post that Kace had uploaded a few minutes ago. There were three clips attached to the photo.


    One was a hospital result, which diagnosed Michelle as having overdosed.


    About a decade ago, Michelle had been a drug addict. She took several kinds of drugs during her preteen years. When their mother and father found out about it, they wanted to help her get over it. That was the time she was about to enter the entertainment industry, and there was a strong rule about idols not taking drugs. It could hinder their performances in their careers.


    It took a stable two years before Michelle was able to get rid of her addiction and since then, she has never taken drugs again. But if she did secretly, no one knew.


    The second photo contained two people inside of it. It was captured at the beach. Michelle was hugging a man so intimately. The man¡¯s face was exposed andizens could recognize him to be one of the governors of Radiantia. He was in his early forties and had a wife and two children.


    Michelle¡¯s face was covered with her mask so that her face couldn¡¯t be seen. But her bikini exposed the birthmark that was on her belly. That birthmark had always been exposed whenever she wore a crop top. There was a high chanceizens could deny that. But they certainly couldn¡¯t deny thest image that came with a video clip.


    It was the mistakes Selene made at the set. Sure, actresses could make mistakes on the set since it wasn¡¯t easy to learn a line and master it. But in Michelle¡¯s case, it was as if she didn¡¯t learn the line at all. The videos were recorded by Kace.


    When he showed Selene the videos, she questioned him why he had them.


    And he replied, ¡¯Just in case.¡¯


    Selene went down to thement section to read what was going on there.


    "I don¡¯t believe Michelle is this type of person. She is so pure-hearted and couldn¡¯t possibly be the person hugging that man. All these photos must be edited."


    "Is this Selene¡¯s way of attacking Michelle back? She can¡¯t do anything to hurt our idol."


    "Michelle acted like a saint. I remember her birthmark. That¡¯s her. I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s such a slut."


    "I thought she was a wless actress. But who makes such mistakes at the set and doesn¡¯t apologize? She keeps ring at her colleagues as if it was their fault."


    "I feel so bad for calling Selene a slut. She doesn¡¯t deserve to be called that. #Michellemustapologizetoselene."


    Selene nearly burst out inughter when she saw the newest hashtag that had gotten over 100k views.


    "Netizens don¡¯t know where to stick to. If a clip of mees out doing something stupid, they will bash me." Selene shook her head.


    Suddenly, her phone shed with a call from Michelle.


    She gave Kace a look and he immediately understood.


    Selene excused herself, going to the living room before she picked it up.


    "Hi, Michell¡ª-"


    "You slut!!" Michelle barked into the phone. Selene had to take it far away from her ears.


    "This mother and daughter sure do have a habit of barking all the time. You better take it easy, else you will be mistaken as dogs and taken to the pound where you belong," said Selene.


    Michelle clenched her fist so tight, that her knuckles turned white.


    "I¡¯m sure that you were the one who uploaded that post. You had better delete them," Michelle ordered, her nose ring in anger.


    "Yes, I was. And why should I delete them?" Selene questioned. "I told you earlier, that I will be the one to end this game you started. I haven¡¯t even done much and you are alreadyining?"

 Chapter 95: Property Papers Ready

    "That was a close call," Selene sighed, cing her hand on her chest. She looked up at the stairs that led to Xavier¡¯s study room.


    He had been busy with both his work and his other business. But somehow, he always managed to squeeze in time to help her with her revenge.


    Selene went into the kitchen to bring him some juice.


    Kace saw her action and a smile yed on his lips.


    Selene knocked on the door before entering. She found Xavier sitting on his chair so elegantly, while his pair of sses hung on his nose bridge.


    That was the first time she saw him wearing sses, and he looked even more handsome with it. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing his tattooed hands.


    When Xavier¡¯s gazended on her, she felt her legs wobble for a second there before she bnced herself.


    "I brought you juice." She ced the ss of mango juice on the desk.


    Xavier stared at it before his gaze returned to her.


    "I wanted to thank you for helping me with Michelle earlier," she said, her legs fighting to stand straight while her hands yed with each other so she wouldn¡¯t look like a statue.


    "What have I told you about thanking me?" He asked her.


    "I still need to thank you," she said. "It¡¯s not every day we have someone who can do things for us," she added.


    "Well, now you do. I will do everything you ask me to do," Xavier responded while her breath hitched.


    Not sure of how to reply to that, she simply nodded her head and turned, about to leave.


    "Wait," Xavier stopped her. "Thewyer ising with your property papers tomorrow. The court has approved of it."


    If there had been anything in Selene¡¯s hand, Xavier was sure she would have let go of it. Because, the way she stood and stared at him, it was obvious she was shocked.


    "Really? That was fast. I thought it would take months before it got approved," she wondered.


    It had been a while since she got her signed property papers. Since then, she hadn¡¯t received any feedback from Xavier regarding it because she was aware anything that involved the court always took time.


    Xavier gave her a small smile. Selene didn¡¯t need to ask anymore to know that Xavier must have done something. Either way, she appreciated his help.


    "Since you don¡¯t need to go to the set tomorrow, we will discuss everything," he said.


    Selene nodded in understanding before she exited the study room.


    She nearly skipped downstairs in joy. Since Kace would be spending the night, the both of them watched a movie until Xavier urged Selene to go to bed.


    It was morning, and Selene was all dressed up to wee thewyer. She had woken up quite earlier than she thought she would, all because she was excited about holding her property papers in her hands.


    Thewyer, dressed in a neatly ironed ck suit, walked into the living room with Xavier.


    Selene frowned lightly. She had thought thewyer was the same as the one who handled her contract with Klerene, but she was wrong.


    Thewyer standing in front of her lookedpletely different. The air surrounding him made it difficult for her to breathe. He had a stoic expression as he stared at her head, before nodding as a form of greeting.


    Selene feltpelled to return it.


    Even though she wasn¡¯t a criminal, she felt like thewyer could read her mind. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder how actual criminals felt.


    "Good morning, Mrs. Wace. I am attorney Dominic Kingsley," he introduced himself.


    ¡¯Even his name feels heavy to say,¡¯ Selene thought to herself, a little baffled with the way he addressed her.


    The both of them went to sit on the couch. Xavier sat down beside Selene, making her feel easy with his presence.


    The attorney brought out the property papers, handing it over to her.


    "These are your property papers. It has been approved by the court, and all you need to do is get Robert Harrison to sign them. As soon as he signs them, everything he owns will be in your name," he exined.

 Chapter 96: An Apology Wine

    Xavier didn¡¯t say anything anymore and settled down beside her, waiting for her toe up with an idea.


    All of a sudden, Selene snapped her fingers, turning to him.


    "Do you perhaps know how the Harrison corporation is doing with the Michelle¡¯s scandal?" She asked him.


    "The scandal was a huge one. It¡¯s still circting over the inte. I¡¯m sure the Harrison Corp is running around in chaos because of it," he replied.


    The Harrison corporation was a huge businesspany. Although their business didn¡¯t stretch outside of Radiatia, it was still a huge one. But it was nothingpared to the Wace enterprise.


    Due to Michelle¡¯s scandal, Xavier was sure that Robert must be facing a lot. A scandal like that against the daughter would be a huge p on both the father and mother faces.


    "In that case, I have an idea of how to get him to sign the papers," she replied.


    "What do you have in mind?"


    "I will go see him with an apology wine," she responded, an evil grin on her lips.


    **


    Selene walked inside the Harrison building, heading towards the elevator that would take her to Robert¡¯s office. She could feel the stares from people behind her.


    Even though they were curious to know what her presence at the building was for, they didn¡¯t have enough courage to stop her and ask.


    While waiting for the elevator, Selene noticed Ito, walking around and mingling with the employees.


    Selene finally entered the elevator. It dinged open, revealing the rows of secretaries she saw when she came months ago to search for the property papers.


    Fortunately this time around, she was going in to get them signed.


    Selene knocked on the door of the office. The door spread open, revealing Jack.


    Selene¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She hadn¡¯t seen him since the time he caught her at Robert¡¯s study room at their mansion.


    "What are you doing here?" He asked her, his face as stoic as a rock.


    Selene stared down at his ruffled suit and tie that looked out of ce.


    ¡¯Things must have been difficult for them,¡¯ she thought to herself while trying not to smirk.


    "I want to see Mr Robert, your father," she replied, staring back at him.


    "And what reason do you have for the visit?" He questioned her as if she was the cause of their problems. They couldn¡¯t trace the odd ount back to her.


    "Can Ie inside at least? I wouldn¡¯t want your secretaries hearing what I want to say," she requested, revealing a small smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes at all.


    Jack red at her from head to toe, before spreading the door wide open for her to enter.


    Selene stared at Robert, who was already staring at her, wondering why she was there. There was a huge pile of files on his desk, with a smaller pile he was looking into.


    He had the same appearance as Jack, ruffled suit and stretched tie.


    "I¡¯m sorry, did Ie at the wrong time?" She asked.


    Robert didn¡¯t know if he wanted to re at Selene or offer her a seat. Nheless, he wasn¡¯t happy with her presence in his office.


    "You didn¡¯t," he lied. "May I ask why you are here?" He asked her because none of his secretaries had informed him beforehand about hering to his office.


    Without ncing at Jack, Selene replied, "Can your son excuse us? I would like to speak with you in private please."


    "That¡¯s not happening," Jack immediately butted in. "I¡¯m not leaving here until you say what you havee here to say. You are the cause of what has been happening on the inte," he med her with palpable anger.


    "That¡¯s all your sister¡¯s fault, not mine," Selene said, deadpan.


    "That¡¯s enough," Robert interrupted before Jack could reply, which would extend the argument and waste more of his time than theirs. "Jack, excuse us," he ordered.


    "Father¡ª"


    "Don¡¯t make me repeat myself," said Robert. He just wanted to get over with Selene and whatever she hade to do. Also, he needed to get back to work immediately.


    He had an uing meeting in a few minutes with some shareholders, so that they could discuss the matter at hand.


    Jack was baffled by his father¡¯s orders but decided against objecting to it.


    He red at Selene onest time before he left the office.


    "So, what do you want to say?" Robert questioned her as soon as the both of them were alone.


    Selene stared at him, trying to calm her racing heart and trembling hands.


    "I brought you an apology wine. I want to apologize for hurting Michelle the previous day," Selene responded, cing the wine on the desk.

 Chapter 97: Real Ownership

    He had enjoyed toying with <i>Anastasia </i>for a few years, but didn¡¯t dare make a move on her since she was another person, Selene.


    By only licking his lips out of lust, Selene confirmed that he was still attracted to her face, even though she was another as they thought.


    Disgust gripped her, but she needed to get the deed done. She hadn¡¯t told Xavier her exact n, but he trusted she would get him to sign the papers. If she had told him, she was sure he would never agree to it.


    He might even have Robert kidnapped and taken to the hideout. Torture him until he agrees to sign the papers. But Selene didn¡¯t want that method.


    Heaving a sigh, Selene added, "I¡¯m not a bad person, honestly."


    Reluctantly, she stood up from her chair and walked towards Robert, her three-inch heels clicking on the marble floor whenever she took a step towards him.


    cing her hand on Robert¡¯s shoulder, she stood behind him, feeling him tense up.


    "But you can tame me if you think I am, hmm?"


    As soon as those words came out, Selene tried her best not to throw up at that moment. Her expression morphed into that of disgust again. Thankfully, Robert couldn¡¯t see her face.


    Instead, his body tensed even more.


    "What do you mean by tame you?" He asked her, his words flying out of his mouth faster than a race car.


    "You know what I mean, Robert," she replied, massaging his shoulders with her soft hands.


    All of a sudden, Robert grabbed her hands and pulled her forward.


    "I thought you were together with Xavier?" He asked her.


    For a second there, Selene had thought that Robert had figured out her n.


    Silently sighing in relief, she pulled a grin on her lips before she parted her lips to speak.


    "We are together, but since the day I saw you at old Wace¡¯s birthday party, I just couldn¡¯t take my eyes off you. That was actually when I realized I like older men." Leaning over, she whispered in his ears, "The ones who are old enough to be my father."


    Selene had never tried to seduce someone in her life. It was all new to her. But from the hungry look in Robert¡¯s eyes, it was obvious she was saying the right filthy words.


    "Really? But what if Xavier finds out about this?" He asked her, his hand crawling to rest on her waist.


    Instantly, Selene felt goosebumps form on her skin, but she needed to carry on.


    "How will he? I won¡¯t tell. Will you?" She asked him.


    As if he was being controlled with a device, he shook his head vehemently.


    Selene wasn¡¯t surprised that seducing Robert wouldn¡¯t be a difficult thing to do. All the years he had used her body as a sex tool, she knew his weak points even if she didn¡¯t mean to know them.


    ¡¯It¡¯s just this one time and you can have him rece Richard at the hideout,¡¯ Selene thought to herself.


    "I won¡¯t," Robert shook his head. He was about to pull her to sit on hisp, but a phone call interrupted his actions.


    Robert hissed in annoyance, grabbing his phone while Selene sighed in relief.


    "Excuse me," he said, walking towards his office room. It was where he would crash the night if things were too hectic at work.


    As soon as he was out of sight, Selene immediately rushed towards her bag that was ced on the seat she left earlier.


    Flipping it open, she grabbed the blue document that had her name boldly written on it and ced it in between the ones Robert was signing.


    Selene could only hope that Robert didn¡¯t find the name. She had a n to distract him from reading that anyway.


    Not long after, Robert came back and sat down in his seat.


    "So, where were we?" He asked her, ready to get down to business.


    "Not now, you will have to sign all these papers first. I know that thepany is giving you a hard time because of the scandal, so you need to hurry up and sign them all. Then we get down to business," she replied, urging him to sign.


    Robert stared at Selene, extremely happy that he had hit the jackpot. With her connection with Xavier, he could ask her for anything. Quickly, Robert signed the papers, including the property papers, without sighting them.

 Chapter 98: Chop Off His Fingers

    Selene couldn¡¯t help but be shocked by his actions.


    ¡¯Horny pig."


    Quickly, she searched for the documents. When she found it, she quickly dropped it in her bag. She came with a big bag so she wouldn¡¯t have to squeeze it in.


    Grabbing the bag, she was about to step out when she heard Robert ask, "Do you want to do it with protection or without¡ª" His words hung up in the air when he saw her intending to leave the office. "Where are you going?" He questioned her, as ifing back to his senses.


    Selene halted. She turned to him with a smile on her lips. "My tummy just started aching all of a sudden, must be the bad breakfast I had," she replied. "Let¡¯s talk another day," she added, about to grab the doorknob, but Robert pulled her back.


    "You said we would be having fun, and you are not leaving here until we do," he said, deadpan.


    Selene sighed, having already predicted this would be the downside of her n.


    "But I have a stomach ache," she said.


    "You are not going anywhere until I get what you wanted to give me earlier," he rebuked, pulling her towards him.


    Selene panicked. Robert was demanding something that she couldn¡¯t give to him, even in her next life.


    "Let me go," she demanded, wanting to be set free from him. But he grabbed her wrist with such a grip.


    "I was in my office when you came here and offered yourself to me. And now that you have won in getting me in the mood, you want to leave me hanging? Hell no way!" He cursed, about to pull her towards the room.


    "I¡¯m not doing anything with you, you old hag," she said beforending an unexpected kick in between his legs, right where his balls were and immediately, he yelled out in pain.


    "You bitch!" He cursed letting go of her wrist to tend to his balls that seemed to have burst due to the force she had used in kicking him there.


    "You will never touch me like that again, Robert Harrison. If youy your hands on me again, I will chop off your fingers," she threatened. She kicked him on his belly one more time, spitting on him before she grabbed her bag that had fallen off her hands earlier and left the office.


    Thankfully, Robert¡¯s office was soundproofed, so none of the secretaries heard anything.


    Quickly, she headed towards the elevator. She sighted Jack walking out of an office. Both of them made eye contact. She pulled on a smile on her lips, waving him goodbye before the elevatorpletely closed shut.


    Heading out, Selene bumped into Xavier. Her eyebrows shot up in questioning.


    "I couldn¡¯t sit in the car waiting for you patiently. It¡¯s already been over an hour since you went in," he said. "I tried calling you, but you didn¡¯t pick up," he added.


    "I¡¯m sorry," she apologized. "I didn¡¯t notice you called." She gulped down her saliva, d she was able to escape from Robert.


    Xavier gave her a look. He grabbed her hand and pulled her with him towards his car parked across the building with Ito following them from behind.


    "What happened? Did he hurt you?" He asked her as soon as they got into the car.


    Ito who was sitting at the back suddenly felt like leaving the car to give the two some space. Without a second thought, he did so.


    "He didn¡¯t¡ª"


    "Don¡¯t lie to me, Ana," he warned.


    Selene had noticed that he only called her by her name when he wanted her to tell him something that had been bothering her. And each time he called her, she feltpelled to spill out everything. But not this one.


    This one was out of the topic and she wouldn¡¯t dare to tell him that her father and brother used to assault her when she was just a teenager until she came of age.


    "It¡¯s nothing. I got him to sign the papers and we are all good to go. The properties are all mine again," she cheered, hoping Xavier would let go of the matter.

 Chapter 99: Movie Tour

    At that moment, Selene suddenly jumped, remembering that she hadn¡¯t visited her grandparent¡¯s grave since they died.


    "What happened?" Xavier asked when he saw the startled look on her face.


    "I¡¯ve not visited my grandparent¡¯s grave before," she replied. It hadpletely slipped her mind since her focus had been on her revenge.


    "Do you want to see them now?" Xavier asked, ready to ignite the engines of the car and call Ito back in.


    Selene sighed. "I don¡¯t know the cemetery they were buried in," she replied, slumming her back on the seat. All these while, she never had an idea which cemetery they were buried in. "But since I¡¯mpletely free today and there¡¯s time, I want to search for it," she added.


    "I can just¡ª"


    "Instead of taking a shortcut, why don¡¯t you follow me and we will search for them together?" She suggested. She noticed the way his lips turned into a thin line. "What?"


    "It¡¯s nothing," Xavier replied. He called Ito back into the car and the both of them zoomed in to search for Theresa and John Harrison.


    Luckily for them, at the first stop at one of the cemeteries they had nned to visit, they found the graves. Selene gently ced the flowers she had bought along the way on the headstones, a quiet tribute to those who had passed. She then adjusted her mask while trying not to let her emotions overwhelm her.


    The uproar on the inte was still hot on the fingers, and any of Michelle¡¯s supporters could bash her as soon as they saw her.


    After spending some time at the cemetery, Selene and Xavier went back home. Xavier got busy with his work while Selene busied herself with readingments on the post and watching movies.


    <i>Meanwhile,</i>


    In Michelle¡¯s hospital room, she felt like breaking the walls of the room just so that she could leave and go to Selene just to tear her in shreds.


    She had been getting countless calls from her sponsors questioning her if the pictures were real. It was real, but she couldn¡¯t tell them that so she had to lie against Selene, saying she was framed by her, even though it wasn¡¯t Selene who posted the pictures on her social media ount.


    Even the nurses had started giving her attitude when they came to change her bandage. They would give her ugly stares while gossiping behind her back.


    Michelle grabbed her hair in frustration, she felt as if she was going to run mad anytime soon.


    The door to the hospital room opened and her mother entered.


    "Michelle, how are you doing?" She asked her daughter with concern.


    Currently, Michelle¡¯s hair was so rough it seemed as if she had been struck by thunder. She had an ugly expression and seemed to want to kill someone at that moment. Amelia had an idea of who it could be.


    "What do you think, mum? Do I look okay to you?" She questioned her mother, clearly exasperated by her question. "Selene is going to pay for what she did. I will make sure she does. I must get back at her even if it¡¯s thest thing I do on earth," she promised, wiping the tears that streamed down her eyes uncontrobly.


    For the first time in Amelia¡¯s life, she felt threatened by Michelle¡¯s promise even though she wasn¡¯t the one who uploaded the videos.


    All she could do was console her daughter and try to stop her from crying.


    **


    "She still has the mind toe to the set today? Isn¡¯t she shameless? After hurting Michelle in the chest the other day, she could be locked up for it," Viviana, the actress who used Selene of stabbing Michelle in the chest intentionally hissed as she red at Selene.


    Selene heard her loud and clear but chose to ignore her. It was obvious Viviana was either blind or foolish, or maybe both.


    She got suited up for her final scene, again.


    Since Michelle was still in a bad state to shoot, director Jeunes couldn¡¯t wait for her to recover. So, he hired a stunt double, someone who looked almost like Michelle.


    When Selene saw the stunt double, she nearly thought she was Michelle. Selene weighed the sword in her hands, checking if it was real or fake. Even though Michelle was still at the hospital, she might still have someone there who could switch the swords like she did before.


    The scene started, and in less than ten minutes, it ended. They only needed to shoot the part where Selene stabbed Michelle.


    Director Jeunes gathered all of them and announced the movie tour. It all had to do with promoting the movie before it would be officially released.


    Selene was excited about it, but when she heard that Michelle would being along, she didn¡¯t know if she should be happy about it or not.

 Chapter 100: Interview

    Selene smiled at her, keeping her calm demeanor. Meanwhile, Michelle forced her smile. It was so obvious the cameraman was tempted to zoom in on her face.


    The audienceughed a little at Katherine¡¯s joke.


    "What can I say? Everyone loves good entertainment," said Mace and the audience chuckled again. "Now, director Jeunes, how do you feel regarding <i>The Sinner </i>which will be released in the next three months?" Mace asked the director.


    "It¡¯s going to wow everyone. Everyone will love it," Director Jeunes replied confidently, which had Mace grin.


    "All of your movies always wow people and I¡¯m sure this one won¡¯t disappoint," replied Mace.


    "Now, Selene? How do you feel after acting in your first movie? Why did you decide to be an actress anyway? I mean, with your beauty and slender figure, you could have chosen something else, like modeling," Katherine asked Selene with a big smile.


    Selene returned it before she replied.


    "I feel amazing and I¡¯m excited to see myself on the big screen. It¡¯s always been my dream to be an actress, and Michelle has been my favorite idol since the first time I saw her on TV. I know I might be older than her by a year, but there¡¯s nothing wrong with being the fan of someone younger than you right?" Selene asked, chuckling a little and so did Katherine and a few others.


    Michelle stared at Selene while still trying to keep her forced smile from faltering. She was on stage, in front of a lot of people, her career was at stake and thest thing she wanted was to go berserk in front of so many people with cameras.


    "What about what has been going on on the inte? If you don¡¯t mind answering," Mace asked.


    "I don¡¯t."


    The smile was still on Selene¡¯s lips. Her aura was so soft and pure that even Mace couldn¡¯t help butpliment her silently.


    He continued, "It was the incident regarding you and Michelle. The sword..."


    "Was real," director Jeunes finished.


    He was aware they hade for an interview and questions about the incident were going toe up.


    Before Mace could continue, director Jeunes added, "It turned out that someone snuck a real sword into the set. It seems the person who did that wanted Selene to use it on Michelle despite knowing it was a real sword and it could hurt her."


    Michelle tensed up from where she sat. She had not been involved in the investigation of the culprit, and hearing director Jeunes figure that out all by himself made her heart jump.


    ¡¯It¡¯s a good thing I asked that costume guy to quit and leave the city,¡¯ she thought to herself.


    "My goodness! Who could do such a thing to both Michelle and Selene?" Katherine gasped.


    "Michelle is a suspect when ites to searching who did it," Martha suddenly stated. Everyone¡¯s head turned towards her. "I mean, it only happened after a few weeks Michelle¡¯s video clip was released, and then this happened."


    The audience murmured at each other in agreement, while Michelle stared at Martha. <i>Not re </i>but <i>stare</i>. She was trying not to lose her temper but Martha had only made things worse.


    Martha kept a smile on her lips before she looked at Michelle.


    "Isn¡¯t that right, Michelle?" She asked her so calmly, as if they were talking about the weather forecast.


    Selene couldn¡¯t help but silently praise Martha for what she had done.


    Since the interview was live, Selene had nned to provoke Michelle, knowing how easy it was to do so if someone pressed the right button.


    But Selene didn¡¯t have to do anything anymore. Martha had done all the work for her.


    ¡¯Thank you, Martha,¡¯ thought Selene.


    Michelle was a little speechless. She nced at the camera which was facing her; recording the moment.


    "That¡¯s not true, Martha," said Michelle. "Selene is my good time frie¡ª"


    "I wasn¡¯t asking about your friendship status with Selene. I was only asking if you were the one that had the sword swapped or not?"


    Martha¡¯s fans, whether watching her on screen or live, couldn¡¯t help but be amazed. Martha had always been known for her action-packed roles in movies, and seeing her exhibit the same vigor and determination in real life was truly inspiring.

 Chapter 101: Quit The Entertainment Industry

    "It was the video of you going berserk at the vi, yelling at Selene and your colleagues," Katherine recalled. "We just wanted to know if you were the one who said those things or if it was an edit," she added.


    The audience had been quiet since they arrived andughed a few times if a joke was made. But it seemed after Katherine spoke, they held their breath just to hear Michelle.


    Meanwhile, Michelle felt as if her hands had been tied. She couldn¡¯t answer the question Katherine was asking her for many reasons.


    If she replied <i>Yes, </i>she would only get bashed even more on social media and end up getting more haters.


    If she replied <i>No,</i> her colleagues would nce at her and everyone would know she was lying. Her palms sweated profusely as she contemted what should be an answer to that question.


    "I¡ª


    "The video clip doesn¡¯t mean anything. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s fake or not. Michelle and I didn¡¯t let the clipe in between our friendship and it won¡¯t," Selene suddenly replied, her tone polite but didn¡¯t leave any room for Katherine to ask any more questions regarding the video clip.


    The audience couldn¡¯t help but be wowed by Selene¡¯s personality. It was obvious the video clip was original since someizens who were into editing had already confirmed it.


    The fact that Selene was willing to forgive Michelle after what she¡¯d done, only shows how much she <i>cherishes </i>their friendship.


    "Michelle must be lucky to have a friend like yourself," Katherinemented with a hand ced on her chest.


    Selene nced at Michelle with a smile, picking up the scowl that tried to escape from Michelle¡¯s fake smile as thetter replied, "I sure am."


    Director Jeunes watched everything with focus. Selene wanted to mend her friendship with Michelle, but was Michelle willing to do that?


    If only he knew this was just a game yed by the two women and Selene was using Michelle¡¯s technique to trap her in her act.


    This was the first time Selene was publicizing their friendship after all the rumors that had been thrown at her. Now,izens will have to think twice if they want to spout nonsense at her.


    "But what about the rumors that had been circting the inte for the past few days? The one regarding the drugs?" Mace questioned Michelle.


    ¡¯Are they trying to provoke me today?¡¯ Michelle couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    Every question that had been directed towards her was concerning her rumors. Rumors this. Rumors that. She was getting tired of hearing it. But she didn¡¯t want to lose her temper and make things worse for her than it already was.


    "None of it was true," she replied. That was the only thing not one of her colleagues could attest to, except Selene. So, she was okay with lying about it. "Those pictures must have been photoshopped by an editor and uploaded online just to sabotage me," she added.


    Katherine and Mace nced at each other but they nodded in understanding.


    A few more questions were asked to the cast and director Jeunes. And just like that, two hours passed until they ended the interview.


    The audience cheered for them one more time as the cast waved them goodbye.


    Michelle dropped her facade as soon as they stepped out of the building, heading towards their car to leave. They didn¡¯t have any more interviews scheduled for that day until their movie tour began.


    "Selene," Michelle called Selene, who was about to head towards her car.


    Selene halted her steps and turned back to look at Michelle who was giving her a piercing re.


    "Can I help you?" She asked her.


    "Michelle, don¡¯t do anything stupid," director Jeunes warned her with a simr re before leaving.


    Martha and Liam hade together in one car.


    "Before you even think of hurting Selene, I suggest you take a look at that CCTV camera nted over there," Martha pointed at the building they had juste out from.


    Liam stared at the both of them.


    "Let¡¯s wait until she¡¯s done talking," he said to Martha and thetter nodded.


    They got into their car and waited.


    Michelle couldn¡¯t help but grit her teeth at how everyone was supporting Selene.


    "Was there something you wanted to talk to me about, Michelle?" Selene asked.


    "Yes, I want you to quit the entertainment industry," Michelle replied.

 Chapter 102: Self-Defense

    "Think of it however you like." Michelle took another step towards Selene, shortening the distance between them, and thetter didn¡¯t bother to move back. "What I ask of you is very simple. Just leave and nevere back."


    "Because I¡¯m a threat to you, isn¡¯t that it? Well, I don¡¯t me you at all. But you might be forgetting about something. You have no right to tell me what to do, Michelle," Selene stated. "I¡¯m not going to leave the entertainment industry because of you. If you feel threatened I will take other things from you..." Selene took a step towards Michelle, making the distance even shorter. "Then I advise you to hold on to the little you have before I strike again," she whispered in her ears, leaning away.


    Selene had already gotten her properties back, but she didn¡¯t want to reveal her true identity. Her main goal had been to get back properties and kick the Harrison family out of her mansion andpany, but she felt that would be too small for them to bear.


    They had killed her child without remorse. Each day, she would still wonder if they hadn¡¯t killed her child, would she have been a good mother even though she never had one.


    But no. They killed her baby and nned to kill her too. Kicking them out would just be an effortless punishment for them. She wanted to do worse, which was to break the family ties they had with each other before sending the bigger blow.


    "You have no right," Michelle spat out.


    "I never asked for one."


    Selene smiled at her and turned to leave but she halted.


    "How¡¯s your father? I hope he¡¯s recovering?" She asked. "You¡¯d better advise your mum to keep him under control, because next time, he won¡¯t just be getting kicked," she warned before she entered her car.


    Martha and Liam didn¡¯t hear their conversation, but since Selene entered her car unscathed, they had no reason to be there anymore. Both Selene and their car zoomed off, leaving Michelle only with her car and driver. She clenched her fist with gritted teeth before entering her car.


    Ito drove Selene to the mansion, where Xavier was waiting for her. Kace hadn¡¯t been aroundtely due to a mission Xavier had sent him on so that he would have the time to teach her some basic self defense.


    Selene got ready, wearing sweatpants and a baggy top. She needed to befortable in what was toe since Xavier didn¡¯t give her a hint of what they would be doing together.


    Selene walked to the back of the mansion. She didn¡¯t know if she should call it the back any more; it looked more like a training ground.


    She had only asked Xavier to teach her some basic self-defense techniques, but throwing dummies and punching bags wasn¡¯t something she was expecting at all. She noticed the dumbbells that were ced by the side and then some knives ced aside.


    She frowned slightly, a mixture of excitement and nervousness etched on her expression.


    "What do you think?" Xavier asked her, cing a punching bag by the corner.


    "Xavier, I thought you were only going to teach me things like where to press on someone¡¯s neck to make them sleep, or how to twist someone¡¯s fingers," she said, walking towards him as she continued to scan around.


    "You will be learning a lot of those too. You won¡¯t be starting with these for now, I was just getting them ready," he replied.


    He couldn¡¯t wait to teach Selene how to fight even though she had refused to tell him what had happened in Robert¡¯s office the other day.


    "Ahh... I see. So, which one are you going to teach me now?" Selene asked with curiosityced in her tone.


    Her hands were itching to hit something, even though she doubted she could do any damage due to how frail her hands were.


    Xavier stared at her figure. Her body was swallowed in the soft fabric of her clothes, but he knew how slim she was under it. He couldn¡¯t have her defending his attacks without her producing enough muscles first.


    "You are going to start by lifting weights," he said, walking towards the dumbbells.


    "Wait.... As in to work out? I can¡¯t work out."


    "Sure, you can," Xavier persuaded, handing her the dumbbells that weigh 5 pounds each, nearly making her drop them. "You can do this!"

 Chapter 103: Fan Interaction

    "Dreamscape doesn¡¯t sound bad at all," Selene said. "Michelle is one of their idols right?" She asked Kace, who nodded. "Dreamscape it is," she confirmed. "But, how am I going to grab their attention?" She wondered, scratching her head.


    "Haven¡¯t you heard? Dreamscape is scouting for newbie idols to train to be the best they can be. But I doubt you would need that," Kace exined, still his focus on the TV.


    Selene wanted to be annoyed with how strong his focus was on the TV, but didn¡¯t bother since he was replying to her questions.


    ¡¯I guess his attention can be at two ces at once,¡¯ Selene thought to herself.


    "What do you mean?" Selene asked, confusion etched on her face.


    "You are Selene Jones. You starred in <i>The Sinner </i>which is currently trending on all social media tforms even though the movie hasn¡¯t been released yet. All you need to do is show your face at thepany and they will ept you without any need for an audition," he exined.


    Selene didn¡¯t know whether to think Kace was drunk on popcorn or in the movie.


    "That¡¯s not how entertainment industries work," she said. "I will have to audition," she added before picking up her phone and checking the requirements for the audition in Dreamscape Entertainment.


    When she had mastered everything, she sighed in relief. All she needed to do was audition the lines in a movie; any movie at all. If she was able to impress them, they would hand out a contract for her to be their idol in training. The task seemed simple and doable, but it was never that easy.


    Selene decided to sleep early that day since her body was aching all over. It had only been two days since Xavier started training her. Even though she was in pain, she had started seeing some tiny results.


    Selene had already informed Xavier of the audition and he wished her luck.


    Arriving at the huge building, Selene couldn¡¯t help but admire the environment. She was about to take another big step in her life; joining an agency.


    "This ce is huge," shemented.


    "Of course it is," Kace replied.


    For some reason, she wasn¡¯t as scared as she thought she would be when they went inside and were directed to the section where the auditions would be taking ce.


    There weren¡¯t many people on the waiting list, which was a good thing. She wouldn¡¯t have to wait for a long time. It turned out that the audition started a week ago and would be ending tomorrow.


    Selene was about to take a seat when she bumped into someone, and the items the other person was holding fell.


    "Oops, I¡¯m so sorry," Selene apologized and quickly helped the person pick up her items.


    "No, it¡¯s okay. I wasn¡¯t looking," the person said. When the person made eye contact with Selene, her eyes widened in shock. "You are Selene Jones, right?"


    "Yes, I am," Selene hesitated.


    "Wow, I¡¯m a big fan," the girl squealed.


    Selene didn¡¯t know how to react. This was the first time she was meeting a fan in person.


    "Thank you," she replied, awkwardly.


    The girl requested an autograph and a picture and Seleneplied.


    "I¡¯m Elizabeth," the girl introduced herself. "Are you also here to audition?" She asked and Selene nodded. "Ahh... I wish you luck," Elizabeth added before waving her goodbye.


    "Your first fan interaction, hey? Don¡¯t worry, you will get used to it one day. There wille a time you will sign 200 autographs and your hands will almost want to fall off," said Kace.


    "Stop exaggerating," Selene red at him.


    The both of them waited until it was Selene¡¯s turn to audition. When she entered the room, one of the judges asked her, "Are you Selene Jones?"


    "Yes, I am," she replied.


    They nced at each other, speaking in an inaudiblenguage.


    "In that case, you don¡¯t need to audition, Ms. Jones. You pass."

 Chapter 104: Have Richard Delivered

    Selene left the audition room, resisting the urge to dance out of it instead but she needed to keep herposure.


    "You got in," Kace stated.


    "I didn¡¯t think it would be that easy," she replied.


    She didn¡¯t tell Kace how much everything had happened since he was only going to gloat about it.


    They arrived the next day as nned to have the contract signed. Selene came with herwyer, the same one who helped her with Klerene¡¯s contract, and everything was finalized.


    In just a day, she had already joined an agency; Dreamscape Entertainment.


    Yna, Selene¡¯s newly assigned manager, decided to tour her and Kace around thepany.


    It turned out that thepany had its gym, where every Dreamscape idol would work out and keep fit. Selene stared at therge gym in awe. Some of the idols were already working out.


    Selene searched for Michelle who was also working out like the other idols.


    Michelle had earphones on, so she couldn¡¯t hear her voice.


    Selene walked towards her and tapped her on the shoulder, gaining her attention.


    Michelle¡¯s eyes widened in shock when she saw Selene in the Dreamscape gym. Only Dreamscape idols were allowed in there.


    "What are you doing here?" Michelle snapped.


    "Michelle," Selene called her sweetly. She was in public and she knew better than Michelle she needed to keep herposure and not act out of character. "We are now the idols of the same entertainment agency. Isn¡¯t that great? That way, we can hang out all the time," Selene added.


    Kace snickered when he saw Michelle¡¯s skin go pale instantly after hearing Selene¡¯s words.


    "What did you just say?" Michelle snapped again, louder this time. It grabbed the attention of some of the other idols who were working out peacefully too. "You can¡¯t be serious, Selene."


    Michelle sighted Kace at the entrance of the gym where Yna was. She recognized Yna as one of the idol managers which only proved that Selene wasn¡¯t bluffing.


    "You have to be kidding me," Michelle mumbled under her breath. "Can I speak with you in private?" Michelle asked. Without waiting for Selene to reply, she walked away.


    Selene shrugged before following behind her.


    They entered an empty corner where people wouldn¡¯t see or hear them speak.


    "Just stop with this game of yours, Selene. No matter how much you try, you can never have everything I have. I¡¯m Michelle Harrison, the daughter of a wealthy family and I¡¯m married into the richest family in Radiantia¡ª"


    "But where¡¯s your husband?" Selene cut her off.


    Richard was still at the hideout and it had been a while since Selene had visited him.


    "You say you are the daughter-inw of the richest family, but where is your husband? Also, I heard that you got kicked out of the Wace mansion due to a certain rumor. Am I wrong?" Selene questioned her.


    Kace had informed her how his family had kicked her out of the mansion, and Selene concluded it must be the reason Michelle was always ring at her at the set.


    Michelle¡¯s face went red with anger. She clenched her fist so tightly that her knuckles turned white.


    "And who said I wanted to have everything you have? I for sure know I don¡¯t want to have that ugly face of yours, and the bad reputation you have which keeps increasing every day," Selene mocked.


    Out of anger, Michelle raised her hand to strike Selene across the face but thetter held it mid-air.


    "This is the second time you have tried hitting me. Try one more time, and I will make sure raising your hand will be thest thing you ever do with it," Selene threatened. She threw Michelle¡¯s hand away and dusted her palm as if she had just touched something filthy.


    "You are going to regret this. I will make sure you regret this, Selene!" Michelle barked.


    "Regret what exactly?" Selene asked, confusedly. "Regret messing with you?" She chuckled. "If I remember correctly, you were the one who started this war. You sent Richard to me to taint my reputation, then connived with Edna and Miranda. You were asking for me to mess with you, so you better notin now that it¡¯s my turn coz I never did when it was yours."


    The more Michelle stared at Selene, the more she had the urge to want to kill her and get rid of her body. That was the only way her life would go back to normal.


    "You want to see Richard, right?" Selene suddenly changed the topic by mentioning Richard. "Don¡¯t worry, I will have him delivered to you today. But don¡¯t run when you see him."</subtxt>

 Chapter 105: He Has Been Delivered

    He still held a grudge against Selene and Xavier after Xavier had embarrassed him in front of everyone at Old Wace¡¯s birthday party months ago. The memory burned in his mind, and he couldn¡¯t wait to exact his revenge on Xavier.


    "I¡¯m sure she¡¯s just anothery," Robert responded. "He will get tired of her real quick and then, I will get rid of her myself," he added.


    He could still feel his balls hurt whenever he recalled anything regarding Selene, and his jaws tightened in anger.


    Turning to Michelle who was suddenly quiet, he asked, "Still no calls from Richard yet?"


    Michelle shook her head. "None."


    She remembered when Selene told her about Richard getting delivered to her doorstep. She didn¡¯t know what that meant, but she was curious.


    As if on cue, the security guards of the Harrison family barged into the living room.


    "Boss, there¡¯s someone outside. His body looks burnt and all but he looks familiar," one of them informed the family as they stared at him with confusion etched on each of their faces.


    Michelle¡¯s heart raced, wondering if that was Richard.


    "Who does he look like?!" Robert barked.


    "I think you shoulde see for yourself, boss," they replied.


    They nced at each other, wondering what kind of shenanigan someone wanted to y on them this time around.


    <i>I will have him delivered to you today. </i>


    The words rang in Michelle¡¯s mind. Those were Selene¡¯s exact words.


    Immediately, the family headed towards the gate where the supposed person was.


    The person¡¯s body was indeed burnt as the guards had said. As they went closer to identify him, their eyes widened in shock, realizing it was Richard. The same Richard that had gone missing a few months ago.


    Instinctively, Michelle covered her mouth in disgust as she stared at her husband.


    "This is Richard," Robert acknowledged, the shock also written on his face as he stared at the person. "Is he alive?" He asked them.


    "Yes, boss, but his body looks weak," replied one of the men.


    "What could have happened to him?" Amelia gasped. "Did you see the person who dropped him off?"


    "No, ma¡¯am. The car zoomed immediately and the mysterious person pushed him out of the car."


    Amelia gasped again, dramatically cing her hand over her mouth.


    "Take him inside immediately," Robert ordered. "I¡¯m calling Mr. Wace."


    Richard was taken into the mansion by the bodyguards. Meanwhile, Robert made a phone call to Mr. Wace, informing him about Richard¡¯s condition and how he had been mysteriously dropped off at the mansion.


    **


    "It¡¯s done boss," Ito said over the phone as they drove out of the estate.


    "Good."


    Xavier hung up on the call, giving Selene a reassuring look that Richard had been delivered.


    "I wish I could have seen their faces," she mumbled. "They must have been shocked to see Richard looking like he had been microwaved," she added, her face etched with amusement as she tried to picture their expressions.


    Suddenly, she released a heavy sigh, turning to Xavier.


    "What about your family?" She asked.


    No matter how she wanted to look at the situation, Richard was a member of the Wace family. He was Xavier¡¯s brother and she was afraid that the rest of the Wace family woulde after her as soon as they learned what had happened.


    "I will handle them," Xavier responded. "When I offered to help you with your revenge, I was fully prepared to get rid of everyone that had done you wrong. Even if the person was blood-rted to me," he added.


    He had an inkling feeling his father would pay him a visit in the next few hours.


    "But..."


    "Are you feeling bad for what happened to Richard?" Xavier suddenly asked.


    "What? No..." she drawled, sighing before she continued. "I will never feel bad for what happened to Richard. He got what he deserved and I won¡¯t bat an eysh if I have to torture him until he dies."


    A glint of amusement shed through Xavier¡¯s eyes as he stared at Selene. She was getting stronger, and he was proud of how far she had gotten.


    "In that case, you shouldn¡¯t worry about what my family thinks. I will talk to them," he assured her with a smile. But deep inside Selene¡¯s heart, she couldn¡¯t help but doubt if that was possible.


    They coulde after her if they learned she was the one who had tortured Richard to that extent.


    But if that happened, she had already nned on telling them everything about her identity.

 Chapter 106: She’s My Wife!

    "But.... Some servants can help take care of him¡ª" Michelle didn¡¯t get the chance toplete her sentence when Mrs. Wace pinned her with a re.


    "Servant or no servant, you areing back to take care of Richard," Mrs. Wace stated firmly without leaving any more room for argument.


    Robert couldn¡¯t interfere so he just stood there with the rest of his family members as Richard was taken away carefully by Wace guards.


    Michelle went with them. She ordered the maids to have her clothes arranged. The Harrison driver would be bringing it for her.


    **


    "You have to find the people who did this to Richard, Thomas," said Mrs Wace. Tears were pouring out of her eyes when images of how he looked continued to flood her memories.


    Mr Wace stared at his wife, not sure if he should tell her the person who put Richard in his current condition was his son and girlfriend.


    "Calm down udia," he said to her, holding her shoulders which were shaking due to how she sobbed.


    udia stared at him, confusion etched on her face.


    "Do you already know the people that did this to him?" She asked him.


    He wasn¡¯t as angry as she thought he would be. Richard might not be the best son they¡¯ve had but he was still their son. He looked too calm about the situation.


    When Thomas didn¡¯t respond to her, she grabbed his shirt and yanked him. "Who did this to our son?" She demanded.


    She was ready to tear the person or people who turned Richard into what he looked like currently with her bare hands.


    "It was Xavier," Thomas responded. He had nned to marry his wife anyway. He had no ns of keeping the secret from her.


    udia stared at Thomas with widened eyes, hoping she heard him wrong. They were in their room and there was no one there except the both of them.


    "What?" She mumbled under her breath, hoping she heard him wrong.


    "It was Xavier who did that to Richard. Richard almost¡ª-"


    Thomas didn¡¯t get the chance toplete his sentence when udia stomped out of the room. He knew exactly where she would be going but he still decided to follow her.


    It was obvious from her expression she didn¡¯t want to hear anything else since her heart was fuming with anger, so Thomas didn¡¯t bother to exin anything anymore. Xavier would be the one to do the exining since they were heading to his mansion.


    **


    Selene and Xavier were having dinner. The dining room was silent except for the asional clinking of cutlery against their tes.


    Suddenly, they heard the screeching sound of a cat pulling over. They weren¡¯t expecting any visitors. Selene stared at the entrance door, waiting for it to be pulled open so that she would see the person. But Xavier already knew who the person would be since he was expecting them.


    "Xavier Wace!!" udia called as she stormed into the living room, her face red with anger. "How dare you do such a thing like that to Richard? He¡¯s your brother for crying out loud. Are you that heartless?" She questioned him.


    "Mother, good evening to you too," Xavier greeted,pletely ignoring her question as if it was mere wind that just passed by.


    Selene froze still, her spoon hanging in the air when she saw Mr. and Mrs. Wace at the front door. She hadn¡¯t expected them toe but she knew exactly why they came.


    "I asked you a question," she snapped.


    Xavier dropped his spoon on his te, knowing fully well that dinner was over.


    "I did what I did to Richard because he deserved it." He gave her an answer which only got her more confused.


    "I don¡¯t care if he deserved it or not. Richard is your brother, you shouldn¡¯t treat him this way." She red at him.


    "udia calm down," Thomas tried to calm her down but she didn¡¯t let him touch her. She was busy fuming.


    "And you?" udia turned to Selene who felt awkward just sitting there and listening to them speak. "Who do you think you are to stay in Xavier¡¯s house? Are you just another object to warm his bed?" She questioned.


    "She¡¯s my wife!!" Xavier yelled.

 Chapter 107: Arriving At Fameville

    The pity she had for Richard earlier hadpletely vanished, reced with anger. She made a mental note to give him an earful when he recovers some strength.


    udia stared at Selene for a second before she looked away.


    She stood up from the couch and stormed out of the living room without saying another word.


    Thomas stared at both Xavier and Selene before he left as well.


    "What are they going to do?" Selene couldn¡¯t help but think out loud.


    "Focus on Richard," Xavier replied nonchntly. "It shouldn¡¯t take long for him to recover anyway. Mark gave him good treatment at the hideout and his injuries have started healing. He just needs further treatment," he added. He stared at his cold food and snorted.


    Selene nodded in understanding.


    For a second there, she thought Mrs. Wace was going to p her and pull her hair out.


    **


    The week had already passed and the day for the movie tour had arrived.


    Only the actors who yed the main characters and a few of the supporting characters would be going to promote the movie before the release date.


    Together, they traveled to Fameville, a bustling city known for its opportunities for exposure.


    Throughout the traveling, Michelle red at Selene, who didn¡¯t pay her any attention at all.


    udia had only given Michelle a month to spend on the world tour, then she would have toe back and continue to take care of Richard.


    Once their nended at Fameville airport, the actors were immediately swamped with the press and fans who wanted to capture them in a picture.


    The bodyguards hired for their safety immediately tried to protect them till they got to the bus that would be taking them to their hotel.


    "My goodness, I¡¯m so tired," Selene mumbled as she hugged the pillow on the bed in her hotel room. "Who could have thought that traveling would be so stressful," she wondered, fighting the urge to close her eyes shut and surrender to sleep.


    All of a sudden, she heard a knocking from the door.


    "Ugh... who could it be?" She wondered.


    Director Jeunes had already given them the rest of the day to rest. They would need to leave early the next day for an interview, then attend an evening party with some movie producers from Fameville and promote <i>The Sinner </i>there.


    Hesitantly, Selene stepped out of the bed and marched towards the door. When she saw who was on the other side, she hissed in annoyance and intended to close it shut, but Michelle had already stepped inside.


    "What do you want?" Selene demanded.


    She only wanted to rest. She wasn¡¯t in the mood to fight with Michelle at the moment.


    "I have many questions to ask you regarding Richard. Like what did you do to him exactly?" Michelle questioned, pinning Selene with a re.


    "What are you talking about?" Selene yawned, covering her mouth with her hand, while the other hand was still on the doorknob, ready to close it shut anytime.


    "You know exactly what I¡¯m talking about."


    "Look, Michelle. Can you talk about this tomorrow morning? I¡¯m way too tired to listen to any of your nonsense, talk more of understanding them," Selene said, about to close the door again, but Michelle ced her palm on it, making it halt.


    "Because of you, I feel like a nurse taking care of an old man. Every single day, I have to wake up just to clean him up because you know why?" She asked Selene who wasn¡¯t intending to reply. "Because he has no fingers anymore," she spat.


    Selene sighed.


    ¡¯You have to be kidding me,¡¯ Selene thought to herself.


    "You were always asking for the whereabouts of Richard and I brought him to you? What about it? You are his wife after all. Isn¡¯t it your duty to take care of him?" She questioned.


    Selene had always had fun bringing the worst out of Michelle, but Michelle came at the wrong time.


    Selene pushed Michelle out of her room and shut the door with the remaining strength she had before Michelle could reply.


    ¡¯Can¡¯t she take a hint?¡¯ She wondered before she mmed her body on the soft bed again and dozed off.

 Chapter 108: Good Company

    "Just where are you going? Are you nning to go to Radiantia on foot?" He wondered.


    Allison gave him a side eye, wondering if there was nothing better for him to do instead of following her around like a jobless person.


    "How many times do I have to tell you to stop following me around?" She questioned him, giving up.


    "That was when we were at the university. We are no longer in a close radius of the university so I can follow you around," he replied nonchntly, looking around. "Where are you going anyway? Aren¡¯t you going home?" He repeated his question from earlier.


    Allison contemted if she should tell him or not. But if she didn¡¯t, he would only continue to pester her.


    "I¡¯m looking for a job," she finally replied, bringing out a piece of paper from her pocket and checking the address written on it before resuming her steps.


    "A job?"


    "Yes, a job, Kace. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know what a job is since you were born rich?" She sighed.


    "I know exactly what a job is," he chuckled lightly. "But what about your job as a makeup artist?" He asked her.


    "The movie is over and I need to find something else to do, Kace. Now, can you leave me alone? I¡¯ve already answered your question," she requested, staring at the convenience store in front of her. She rechecked the address on the piece of paper to make sure it matched.


    Without waiting for Kace to reply, Allison walked into the convenience store, the supermarket was bustling with many people as the staff and customers got busy.


    ¡¯My goodness! This is going to take a while,¡¯ Allison thought to herself.


    Kace stared at the convenience, frowning at how packed it was with customers.


    ¡¯Is she nning to work here?¡¯ He wondered.


    Tapping on her shoulder to get her attention, he said, "I thought you would be going to a salon since you are already a makeup artist. Isn¡¯t being an employee here going to be too much of a hassle for you?"


    Allison sighed when she thought she had already gotten rid of Kace earlier, but too bad he was still around to bother her.


    "I¡¯ve tried several salons but the ones that are near aren¡¯t epting a makeup artist since they already have one with their hairstylist and pedicurists and all that. The ones that are epting are too far away from home and university, so I have to settle for this," she exined, tearing her eyes off him as they searched for the manager.


    When she sighted the man, she ran towards him.


    Kace pretended to buy some groceries as he waited for her. After half an hour, Allison came out through the door with a sour expression.


    Kace quickly paid and followed her when he saw her leaving the store.


    "You didn¡¯t get in?" He asked her.


    Allison turned to look at him with shock evident in her expression.


    "I thought you had already gone." When Kace didn¡¯t reply, she sighed. "I didn¡¯t."


    "If you want, I can help you get a job. What is your course of study?" He asked her despairing knowing the answer to that question. He didn¡¯t want her to know he had already done his research on her.


    "I don¡¯t need your help," she spat, walking to another location.


    "Come on, It¡¯s almost dusk. I¡¯m your friend now after all¡ª"


    "You are not my friend," she snapped.


    "Okay okay, easy. Don¡¯t bite off my head," he teased. "Let¡¯s say it¡¯s a payback for doing what I¡¯d requested of you to do months ago. When I asked you to check the essories Selene would be using at the set," he reminded her but the look on her face was enough for him to realize she wasn¡¯t buying it all. "Don¡¯t be stubborn. We have been walking for hours already, and¡ª"


    "I never asked you to walk with me. If you are tired, you can stop following me."


    Kace pinched his nose bridge in frustration. He only wanted to help her but she wasn¡¯t giving him a chance at all.


    He saw her stiffened, her gaze locked somewhere¡ªat someone.


    He followed her gaze. Itnded on Derek, Allison¡¯s supposed boyfriend Kace met thest time he had spoken to Allison before now.


    But Derek wasn¡¯t alone. His hands were hung around the shoulders of a girl who wore the skimpiest clothes he had ever seen as they headed inside the hotel.


    "Oh look! Your boyfriend seems to have a very good friend by his side as apany," Kace said, sarcasm evident in his tone.

 Chapter 109: Harass Her

    Kace didn¡¯t bother to ask her any more questions regarding her rtionship with her boyfriend. It wasn¡¯t his business like she said after all.


    He continued to follow her around until she got to another convenience store. They gave her the same reply as the first one she went to; they wanted someone with work experience.


    "Just let me help you, Allison, I won¡¯t ask for anything in return, I promise," said Kace when he saw her stepping out of the store.


    "How many times do I have to tell you I don¡¯t need your help?" She questioned him, pinning him with a re.


    Kace came from an influential family and thest thing she wanted was for words to be released she got a job offer from Kace Wace. Filthy rumors could start from there, something she wanted to avoid. Even though she desperately needed a job. Fast. Else, she was going to show up in ss with bruises on her neck again.


    Subconsciously, Allison touched her neck.


    "In that case..." Kace snatched the piece of paper in her hand. "Give me a pen," he requested, his hands stretched forward. With a questioning look, Allison reluctantly handed him a pen. Kace scribbled down something on the paper and handed it back to her. "That¡¯s my phone number, call me whenever you are ready."


    Allison stared at the digits on the paper.


    "You don¡¯t have to bother because I won¡¯t be calling you at all," she promised.


    "Of course you wouldn¡¯t," Kace chuckled.


    Allison rolled her eyes at him. When she checked the time and realized it was alreadyte, she decided to head back home.


    Kace intended to follow her but she shooed him away with a warning.


    Kace didn¡¯t give up. He followed her discreetly until she got to her house which was a small apartment.


    Kace walked back to his car which was still parked safely at the gates of the university with no scratches spotted.


    ¡¯Allison Quinn, one day, you have quite an interesting personality,¡¯ he thought to himself before he zoomed off.


    **


    At Fameville,


    Everyone was dressed up for their weing party into Fameville. Everyone danced to the booming music, as they enjoyed a little of the only time they would have fun before the next day arrived.


    Michelle was seated at a booth table. Her body was present, but her mind wasn¡¯t, as she tried to think of ways to hurt Selene who was stuck with Liam and Martha as they enjoyed a joke she shared.


    If looks could kill, Selene would be 6 feet under the ground already.


    No matter what Michelle thought, she believed none of them could work.


    udia had given her a warning that if anything was to happen to Selene in Fameville, she would be held responsible. Michelle wasn¡¯t daring enough to disobey the woman. She had already kicked her out of the Wace mansion before, who knew what she could do next?


    Despite remembering udia¡¯s threat, Michelle couldn¡¯t help but feel the urge to hurt Selene even the slightest.


    She couldn¡¯t insult her without Selene saying something even more spiteful. She could have easily spiked her drink but that would only put her in trouble.


    "Hi, would you like to dance with me?" A guy, out of nowhere, suddenly asked.


    Michelle recognized him to be one of the people invited by the hosts of the party.


    "No, thanks," she objected. She was busy nning how to sabotage Selene. Dancing was not on her list for tonight.


    "Come on, it¡¯s just a dance," he insisted.


    "And I said no," Michelle nearly yelled out of frustration, but the booming music was loud enough to swallow her voice.


    The guy raised his hand in surrender, about to walk away when Michelle suddenly called him back. An idea had suddenly popped into her head.


    "I want you to do something for me and I will pay you handsomely for it," she said, a smirk on her lips.


    At the sound of money being mentioned, the man immediately nodded. He didn¡¯t care about what it could be that she needed him to do. As long as money was involved, he would do anything.


    "Thatdy wearing a red dress," Michelle pointed at Selene. "I want you to harass her."</subtxt>

 Chapter 110: Happy Birthday!

    "And I said no," Selene repeated. She nced at Michelle who was talking with other guests, adding. "She sent you, didn¡¯t she?"


    A cold sweat ran down the strange man¡¯s back as she stiffened, pretending not to know what she was talking about.


    "If you don¡¯t want to be kicked out of here, I suggest you leave."


    "I don¡¯t know what you are talking about, Miss. I just want to have a simple dance with you." He insisted, about to grab Selene¡¯s hand, but another hand grabbed his before he could touch her.


    "She said she doesn¡¯t want to dance with you, can¡¯t you take a hint?" Liam questioned the strange man with a fierce re. He had just excused himself to go to the restroom, only toe back to see someone bothering thedies he left behind.


    The strange man immediately raised his hand in surrender,pletely giving up. He wouldn¡¯t want to mess with Liam Taylor.


    "Sure, man," he said, turning away without a backward nce. He had no intention of returning to Michelle; with the money already transferred, his business with her was finished.


    Meanwhile, Michelle¡¯s eyes bore a hole in the back of the strange man who was already leaving.


    ¡¯He didn¡¯tplete his task and he¡¯s already leaving?¡¯


    Michelle tore her eyes from him to look at Selene, who was smiling as she continued to chat with both Martha and Liam as if nothing just happened.


    Technically, nothing happened. Liam had intervened.


    She grabbed her wine ss with a tight grip, resisting the urge to throw it across the room to vent out her pent-up frustration.


    Selene was saved again by the people near her.


    Out of anger, she left the party and headed towards her room. She was too furious to watch Selene smile and enjoy her time while hers turned bitter.


    Selene smirked when she saw Michelle leaving the party.


    ¡¯Finally!¡¯ She sighed.


    The party went smoothly. The movie was promoted to other entertainment industries who were willing to do so. Of course, there was something in it for them.


    A few people tried to ask Selene out for a dance, but she declined them all.


    When the party was finally over, everyone retired to their room. Selene staggered to her room. Ito had offered to assist her but she refused his offer, she didn¡¯t want any help.


    Since Kace was still at Radiantia, Xavier had to follow her to Fameville and every city they would visit for their movie tour.


    Selene hummed a song. She didn¡¯t know where she heard the song from, but the rhythm just happened toe to her.


    She opened the door of her room, walked in, and closed it shut. She turned on the light. When she saw the figure standing in front of her room, her eyes widened in surprise.


    A balloon was in his hand. Her gazended on the tray of food which was ced aside.


    "Happy birthday," Xavier wished.


    Selene froze stiff,pletely caught off guard by his presence.


    She had been so busy since morning, totally forgetting it was her birthday.


    "Xavier," she gasped as she continued to stare at him, tears pooling in her eyes. "When did you get here?" She asked.


    Xavier dropped the balloon in his hand and walked towards her. "An hour ago, but you were at the party so I decided to n a little surprise for you," he responded, grinning slightly when he saw how hard she tried to stand in one ce. She was so drunk.


    "Thank you so much," she appreciated. She had been upied with a few things shepletely forgot it was her birthday; Anastasia¡¯s birthday and not Selene¡¯s. "I don¡¯t know what to say," she added.


    This was the first time in a while someone had remembered her birthday and wished her.


    In the past, her birthday was taken seriously, only Michelle¡¯s was. She closed her eyes, trying to forget the old memories.


    She opened her eyes and found Xavier staring at her. It had only been two days but she already missed him.


    "What?"


    "You aren¡¯t supposed to be crying on your birthday. The day is almost over, let¡¯s cut your cake quickly," he urged.


    They cut the cake and fed each other.


    The atmosphere felt warm. Selene couldn¡¯t help but feel like she owed Xavier even more. She stared at him as he forced himself to eat the cake. She was long aware he didn¡¯t like sweet things.


    A chuckle burst out of her lips. She scooped the icing on top of the cake and painted his face with it,pletely catching him off guard.


    Selene threw her head back andughed so hard she ended up coughing.


    "You look like a ghost," shemented as she tried to control herself.


    Xavier scooped some of the icing and painted her face as well, leaving her stunned.

 Chapter 111: Ava Clark

    Robert listened to Michelle attentively. She had once vented to him about having to take care of Richard a few days after returning from the movie tour. However, her current level of annoyance, which she kept barely hidden, suggested she had reached her limit.


    "I understand you," he said.


    "I want a divorce," she suddenly said, which had Robert stare at her with shock written on his face.


    "You want a divorce already? That would be possible but difficult," he mumbled, already thinking of ways to get it done.


    Michelle was his princess, and he was willing to fulfill all her heart desires.


    "Richard is making things worse by calling me names. I can¡¯t live in that mansion anymore, father. I want to leave as soon as possible, but I¡¯m still married to Richard," she exined.


    It¡¯s been almost two years since the swap at the city hall. It was obvious Xavier wasn¡¯t going to sign the divorce papers so that they could both get married as nned at the beginning. He also didn¡¯t seem to mind being married to an already deceased Anastasia.


    Then Selene had toe and take her opportunity by being his girlfriend.


    "It¡¯s a good thing that you came here before I went to the rk building," said Robert.


    Michelle frowned before her eyes lit up in excitement. "Are you finally going to execute the n?" She asked him.


    "I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a long time, and I believe it¡¯s finally time I pay Jeffery rk a visit," he responded.


    He pulled out a drawer and took out a document. He stared at the document with a malicious smirk ying on his lips.


    "I¡¯ll set a little condition if they want their daughter back," he added.


    "But Dad, are you sure that¡¯s going to work? There¡¯s no Anastasia, she¡¯s no longer alive. If they find out that she¡¯s already dead, the rk aren¡¯t going to take things easy with you," Michelle reminded.


    She was excited about her father¡¯s new n, but the rks were not people to be messed with and get away with it so easily. They were just as powerful and dangerous as the Wace family, but surprisingly, the two families once got along and then never did.


    The city had been curious to know what had caused the two families to part, but no one could find out why. The rk and Wace family had always been secretive with their private matters, never letting the media find out anything until now.


    "I¡¯d already thought about that," Robert responded, opening the file to make sure it was still intact. He had gotten it printed a long time ago, waiting for when he would use it. It seemed it was finally time and he couldn¡¯t wait any longer. "After this document is signed, I will tell them the second condition. When that¡¯s fulfilled, I will announce to them that Anastasia is already dead. It¡¯s not a lie after all so they wouldn¡¯t think I¡¯m trying to keep the girl all to myself."


    "But what if they ask for her body?" Michelle asked.


    "I will tell them it was lost," he shrugged, not caring about the exnation he would have to provideter when the rk had performed their end of the bargain. "I will think about all thatter, but right now..." he looked at Michelle with a stoic expression before a grin stretched on his lips. "How would you like to be Mrs. Michelle rk?"


    Michelle returned the smirk. "That doesn¡¯t sound like a bad idea at all, Dad."


    After his talk with Michelle, Robert left the Harrison building and headed to the rkpany.


    He went to the receptionist who had just finished a phone call.


    "Do you have an appointment, sir?" She asked him.


    He shook his head.


    "I would like to speak to Jeffery rk regarding Ava rk. It¡¯s very important," he replied with a smile on his lips.


    The receptionist recognized him to be the CEO of the Harrison group ofpanies, but she had never seen him around before.


    "I¡¯m sorry sir, but you will have to make an appointment first," she responded.


    "That¡¯s understandable. You can make a phone call to Jeffery rk immediately to get permission to let me in," he suggested the smile still on his lips.


    The receptionist regarded Robert for a few seconds before she took the telephone and made a phone call.


    In a spacious office filled with stacks of files and adorned with formal interior decorations sat a middle-aged man.


    His blue eyes red at the telephone ringing.


    "Hello?"


    The receptionist exined the situation from the ground floor. The moment she mentioned the familiar name "Ava rk," Jeffery froze in shock.

 Chapter 112: Threaten The Clark

    "Well, if you say so," Robert shrugged.


    He ced his briefcase on hisp and unlocked it. He pulled out a picture and showed it to Jeffery.


    "This is Ava, right? A few months after she disappeared?" He asked.


    Jeffery snatched the picture, his gaze softening when he saw the girl who was smiling brightly at the camera. She was just two years old when she disappeared.


    "You were the one who kidnapped my daughter?" Jeffery demanded.


    "I wasn¡¯t. It¡¯s a long story, but just like you said, let¡¯s not waste any time by going back to the past. I know you want to get your daughter back, but it¡¯s not going to be that easy, Mr. rk. I have a few conditionsid out for you," Robert responded, which had Jeffery turn to look at him with a questionable eyebrow.


    It didn¡¯t take a genius to know what Robert could want. The rk family was a billionaire family. Jeffery was sure Robert would want some of it.


    "How much do you want?" Jeffery asked him.


    The smirk on Robert¡¯s face only stretched even more. He couldn¡¯t believe Jeffery was already asking that question. He was close to achieving his goal.


    Robert opened the briefcase again and pulled out the property papers.


    "I want you to sign 50% of your family¡¯s wealth into my name."


    Jeffery darted his eyes between the property papers stretched out towards him and Robert who was waiting for him to take it.


    "So you mean to tell me that if I don¡¯t sign half of my wealth in your name, you won¡¯t give me back my daughter?" Jeffery asked, an amused smirk on his lips as he resisted the urge tough at that moment.


    "Oh, I¡¯m not done yet. I want your first son, Ezekiel rk to get married to my daughter Michelle, who is still currently married to Richard Wace. But I will get them divorced, that¡¯s not a problem at all. If you take a look at the document, you will find some other conditionsid out for you¡ª"


    "You¡¯ve been spouting nonsense since you walked into this office," he snapped.


    Robert jolted out of fear when he heard the sudden voice that didn¡¯t belong to Jeffery. He turned back to find Ezekiel rk, seated casually on the couch, his legs crossed as he read a magazine.


    The aura emanating from him was so cold and ufortable, that Robert thought someone had turned down the temperature in the room.


    He gulped down his saliva in fear. He had only prepared to meet with Jeffery rk, who was more easy going. Ezekiel was quite the opposite even though they were father and son.


    Robert couldn¡¯t help but wonder where Ezekiel hade from. He didn¡¯t see him when he walked in earlier.


    Out of annoyance, Ezekiel snapped the magazine shut and ced it aside. He stood up and walked towards Robert who was already shaking in his seat.


    "So you have my sister?" Ezekiel questioned him.


    In the blink of an eye, Robert found himself no longer seated. Ezekiel had yanked him up by the cor, his grip firm and unyielding. The intensity in Ezekiel¡¯s re was palpable, his eyes burning with anger. "Where¡¯s my sister?" he demanded, his voice low and menacing, reverberating through the room.


    The spectacles hung around Robert¡¯s nose bridge as he tried to contain how frightened he was at that moment.


    "I¡¯m not going to tell you until you agree to my conditions," Robert responded. He was aware he was pushing his luck with Ezekiel, but he wouldn¡¯t be giving in so easily. Scaring the truth out of him was something he had already prepared for.


    "Don¡¯t push your luck, Robert," Ezekiel spat, beforending a blow across Robert¡¯s face, sending the man flying back to his seat.


    Jeffery didn¡¯t bother to interfere. He couldn¡¯t believe his daughter who disappeared 23 years ago was alive.


    They had searched for her everywhere when she did, but couldn¡¯t find her. The rk family had thought she had been kidnapped and waited for the kidnappers to call, asking for a ransom, but they didn¡¯t receive anything.


    For a second, Robert thought he was seeing stars. He touched the liquid that flowed out of his nose, gritting his teeth when he recognized the color.


    "You dare to punch me in the face! Do you think that¡¯s going to make me give Ava back? What a joke! She¡¯s nevering back to you until you agree to the conditions I¡¯veid out!" Robert yelled, his voice tinged with embarrassment and exasperation at how things had turned out.


    "Anastasia is all grown up now and thinks of me as her father. If you hurt me anymore, she¡¯ll never forgive you, even though you¡¯re her real family," he threatened, his defiance unwavering despite the circumstances.

 Chapter 113: Kael Clark

    Jeffery nced at Ezekiel who seemed eager to get his sister back.


    "We can¡¯t use any wrong approach, Ezekiel. Charging Robert with kidnapping will be a bad idea. Like he said, Ava has already bonded with him. If we snatch her with force, she will hate us forever."


    They were in a tight position. They finally found out that Ava was alive and close to them, yet she seemed so far away.


    Ezekiel sighed.


    "But that won¡¯t stop me from investigating Robert and his family. He didn¡¯t show you a picture of her as an adult because he doesn¡¯t want us to know what she looks like. I will have that figured out, Father. Ava wille back home," he promised.


    **


    The airport of Radiantia was swamped with fans and the press at the return of <i>The Sinner </i>casts who were returning from the movie tour.


    The movie had been released and everyone was going crazy about them, making the actors gain even more recognition and fanbase.


    The actors were guided into their designated car and they headed towards their separate destinations.


    "Happy to be back to Radiantia?" Kace asked Selene when she settled into the car while Ito sat at the front with Kace.


    "More than happy to be back," Selene replied, a huge smile on her face as she stared at the people who were requesting an autograph. "There are so many people," she mumbled under her breath.


    "That¡¯s the perk thates with poprity, Selene," said Kace before he drove away.


    Selene nodded her head in agreement. She had been away from Radiantia for only two months but it already felt like years. Having to travel to other cities after 2-3 days had worn her out. The movie tour wasn¡¯t as rxing as she¡¯d earlier thought it would be. Rather, it was more stressful than she¡¯d least expected it to be.


    Kace drove towards the mansion so that Selene could rx before he had to drive her to Klerene for her photoshoot.


    There were times when the Klerene photography crew had to travel to meet Selene in whichever city she was in to get her photoshoot done.


    After a few hours, Selene was at Dreamscape Entertainment, talking with her manager and some movie producers about the next movie they would like to star her in.


    Selene attempted to fight the urge to sleep as she read the script in her hands. It hadn¡¯t been long since she arrived in Radiantia, and she was already nning her next movie.


    ¡¯I¡¯m so tired,¡¯ she thought.


    The rest of the actors who would be ying assigned characters hadn¡¯t arrived yet because of their busy schedules as well.


    All of a sudden, the door swooned open and a young man walked inside, wearing a simple shirt and ck jeans.


    "I¡¯m so sorry I¡¯mte, I got held up in traffic," the man replied.


    The producers nodded in understanding.


    Selene frowned slightly at the young man, finding him oddly familiar.


    "Ms. Selene, this is Kael rk. And Kael, this is Selene Jones," the producer introduced the both of them as they shook hands. "Kael will be acting as the male lead. This is his first movie debut," the producer added.


    "His first movie debut?" Selene asked, slightly shocked. After the introduction, she immediately recognized him from advertisements she had seen on TV a few days ago.


    "Yes, it will be my first movie debut. I will put in my hard work and not screw up, I promise," he joked.


    "Come on, you nailed it in the advertisements," the producerplimented.


    Kael only smiled at the producer¡¯sment as they continued to wait for the other actors while the ones avable discussed the preparation of the movie further.


    Not long after, the rest arrived.


    Two hourster, the meeting was adjourned.


    Selene dragged her feet out of the meeting room, already dreaming about her bed. It was almost midnight and she hadn¡¯t gotten a wink of sleep since the previous day.


    ¡¯Can my bed just appear right here right now?¡¯ She wondered.


    Most of the staff had already retired for the night, leaving the building almost empty.


    Selene sighted Kael talking with his manager, who nodded at what he said before leaving.


    ¡¯Hisst name is rk, I wonder if he¡¯s rted to the rk family,¡¯ she wondered.


    Quickly, Selene pulled out her phone to research him.


    ¡¯He is,¡¯ she confirmed. ¡¯I wonder if he would be willing to tell me why the Wace and rk family are in dispute?¡¯


    Selene had tried getting information from Kace, but he wouldn¡¯t spill anything.


    Kael nced at Selene for a brief second before leaving. Selene¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion, not missing the flicker of disdain that shed through his gaze.

 Chapter 114: Weird Discovery

    "What?"


    "Maybe he sent her to get some information out of me, or spy on me," Kael added, which only made Ezekiel¡¯s frown deepen even more.


    First, it was Robert Harrison who came to his father¡¯s office to bargain signing half of their family¡¯s assets in his name, just so he could give back his sister who had been missing for a long time.


    And now, his mortal enemy, Xavier Wace had sent a woman to spy on Kael.


    "Are you sure of what you are saying?" He asked, doubt evident in his tone.


    Even though he was no longer associated with Xavier after what happened in the past, it didn¡¯t seem like something Xavier would do. It had been more than two decades since their paths had crossed.


    ¡¯Why would he send someone to spy on Kael?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    "Tell me more about this woman," he said.


    Kael went on by telling Ezekiel the name of the woman which he wrote down immediately. When Kael was done with his narration, Ezekiel concluded that his brother was simply overreacting to the situation.


    A lot of people were being casted in the same movie, it could be a mere coincidence.


    "She starred in a movie before, and you are telling me you are suspicious because she¡¯s starring in the same movie as you?" He nearly snapped, regretting being alert earlier.


    "She¡¯s someone who is associated with Xavier, of course, I have to be suspicious," Kael defended.


    Ezekiel sighed over the phone.


    "Look, it¡¯s in the middle of the night. I suggest you go home, take a long shower and sleep. You are overthinking things. I will do my research on her, although I doubt she has anything on her," said Kael.


    Without waiting for Kael to respond, Ezekiel hung up and immediately dialed another number.


    "I will give you a name, send me everything you find out about that person," he said, before spilling the name.


    Not long after, a file was sent to Ezekiel.


    He scrolled through the file, rxing when he didn¡¯t find anything dirty on her, except for the fact that she was rumored to be Xavier¡¯s girlfriend which was acknowledged by the couple.


    He stared at a picture of her which was released by <i>Vogue Radiantia, </i>his blue eyes lingering on hers.


    He hissed, realizing he had just wasted his time on something insignificant.


    His eyesnded on another file next to the one currently open. It was the one regarding Anastasia Harrison, his sister.


    Surprisingly, his men couldn¡¯t find any pictures of her on the inte, despite the family¡¯s influential status. He found it odd, especially considering he discovered she was once the assistant of the second daughter, a role that should have ced her in the public eye.


    Despite thorough searches and digging through various social media tforms and online archives, they came up empty-handed.


    If she did have a picture, it had vanished from the inte and escaped even his hackers¡¯ detection. The thoroughness of her digital erasure was too strange for him toprehend, leaving him puzzled and suspicious.


    Robert was indeed a powerful person, but Ezekiel doubted he would be able to make someone¡¯s appearancepletely disappear without a trace.


    Ezekiel couldn¡¯t help but think Robert had asked for help from someone more powerful than him.


    Ezekiel shut his eyes closed, sighing out loud as his tense muscles rxed. He closed the file and focused back on the document he was reading earlier.


    "It¡¯s only a matter of time," he mumbled under his breath.


    The following day arrived and Selene got herself busy with her shoot and new movie.


    Meanwhile, Xavier was at the hideout training ground.


    He fired bullets at the dummy a few feet away, his eyes narrowed in concentration. Each shot rang out with a sharp crack, and he made sure every bullet struck the X sign located on the chest.


    "Your aim has always been clean, I¡¯m jealous," Kacemented, focusing on the X sign on the dummy in front of him. He made a shot but didn¡¯t hit the chest as he had expected to.


    "It takes practice, Kace, which you haven¡¯t been doingtely. You keep running off somewhere. Where have you been going off totely?" Xavier asked, filling his gun with more bullets.


    "Just having fun," he shrugged, an image of Allison shing in his mind. "Did you know that Kael rk is starring in the same movie as Selene?" He asked.

 Chapter 115: Confess To Her Already

    "You are that protective of her, huh?" He teased.


    "I am," Xavier acknowledged without holding back.


    "Then confess to her already. It¡¯s almost two years already," Kace urged. He had known for a long time about Xavier¡¯s feelings for Selene, but no matter what, he couldn¡¯t fathom what could be taking Xavier long to confess already.


    Xavier sighed. He had nned to confess on her birthday when he went to see her in Fameville. But he immediately gave up on the idea due to the possibility she might reject him.


    "I hope you know she¡¯s in the same agency as Liam Taylor. He still has eyes for her, and it seemed their time in Fameville, mourwood, and other other cities brought them closer than before. I bet they spend some time with each other," Kace continued, a smile on his lips as he stole nces at Xavier from the corner of his eyes.


    Xavier¡¯s grip tightened on the gun he was holding. He couldn¡¯t bear hearing that name, especially since the person that name belonged to had dared to invite Selene on a hangout, which he dly intruded without permission, snatching her away.


    "I would love to see him try," Xavier replied, his tone piercingly cold, as if ready to murder someone.


    "I bet you wouldn¡¯t. But to save time, it¡¯s best if you confess to her already. Or are you scared she wouldn¡¯t ept your love¡ª"


    "Shut up! I know what I have to do," Xavier replied.


    Kace simply shrugged, satisfied he had done what he could do. He wasn¡¯t Cupid who could shoot an arrow on Xavier¡¯s forehead, making him fall harder for Selene. He only wanted to help Xavier express his love since thetter was new to such things. He doubted Selene¡¯s wasn¡¯t.


    **


    "Just look at yourself! You can¡¯t even feed yourself properly, how long do I have to continue to do this?" Michelle nearly snapped when she saw Richard¡¯s body which was drenched with water she¡¯d handed over to him.


    Even though he waspletely digitless on one hand, he wasn¡¯t on the other one. Either way, he couldn¡¯t hold anything without spilling or dropping it, which infuriated Michelle so much that she wanted to burst into anger since she was the one who would be cleaning it.


    "Just like Mum said, you are my wife and it¡¯s your job you take care of me," Richard spouted.


    He had been beyond shocked when he fluttered his eyes open and found himself in his room back at his family¡¯s mansion.


    After months of being Xavier¡¯s hostage, he believed only his corpse would be dropped back home¡ªif Xavier was that merciful. Fortunately for him, he turned out to be alive. But his heart burned with rage for both Xavier and Selene.


    "Oh really?" Michelle dropped the bowl and napkin she was using to wipe his clothes clean. "Maybe I don¡¯t want to be your wife anymore," she retorted.


    Richard chuckled slightly as if he¡¯d just heard ame joke.


    "Then what are you still doing here? If you don¡¯t want to be my wife anymore, you can just pack your bags and leave. No one likes you enough here to stop you anyway. You are a she-devil."


    Michelle clenched her fist, feeling more infuriated with Richard¡¯s response.


    She could have left if she wanted to, but she couldn¡¯t.


    Her father hadn¡¯t updated her yet on the status of their new n to get her married to Ezekiel rk. Since she couldn¡¯t settle for Xavier anymore, it was better she was married to someone else other than Richard who keeps giving her a hard time over the past month.


    "Oh, you will see." She smirked, her lips stretching so widely on her cheeks she looked like the Joker¡¯s replica. "It wouldn¡¯t be long before I divorce you, leave this mansion, and get together with someone much better than you," she added.


    Richard stared at Michelle, catching the malicious glint that shed through her eyes.


    She was nning something evil, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to care.


    He needed to recoverpletely and find ways to get back at Xavier for what he did to him, even though he didn¡¯t stand a chance.


    "I can¡¯t wait for that day toe. You are such an eyesore, get out of my sight," he ordered.


    Out of anger, Michelle threw the piece of cloth on Richard, leaving him to clean himself with his hand.

 Chapter 116: Was It Derek?

    When Kael saw her, he revealed a small smile on his lips, but it didn¡¯t reach his eyes.


    Selene frowned a little before returning the smile, finally concluding she was seeing things that night since she was extremely exhausted.


    Then, she went to meet the director to discuss the movie further.


    Kace made eye contact with Kael, and instantly, it felt as if the temperature around them had dropped. As the two red at each other, their fists were tightly clenched as they gritted their teeth silently.


    This would be the first time after two decades a member of the two families were crossing paths again.


    If not for the people around, an argument would have already risen, with a pinch of a few punches here and there.


    Kace tore his eyes from Kael, deciding to focus on other things.


    When he thought of Allison, he went to the makeup room, only to find her alone¡ªhe didn¡¯t find Natalie anywhere. He didn¡¯t bother to ask about her whereabouts since he already found whom he was looking for.


    "I¡¯m d you didn¡¯t reject my offer this time around," he said, sitting beside Allison who was arranging her makeup kit.


    For the past two months, Kace had offered Allison several job opportunities, such as being an intern in the Wacepany or being a part-time staff in some of their family¡¯s other businesses, but she always refused.


    There even came a time when he nearly offered her a job as a janitor, but he turned down the idea since there was a 90% chance she would pick that over the other opportunities.


    When Selene told him about the new movie, he concluded she would need a makeup artist. Turns out Selene wanted Allison and her friend back.


    Immediately, Kace grabbed the opportunity and contacted Allison. In a blink of an eysh, she epted it.


    "Thank you," she responded. This was the third time she was appreciating him for his generosity.


    Kace stared at her. Since he entered the room, she hadn¡¯t looked up at him or given him a snark reply.


    His eyes fell on the clothes she was wearing. It was a long turtle neck that covered her arms and her neckpletely. Her hair was kept in a ponytail as always.


    "Why are you silent today?" He blurted out.


    "What do you want me to do? Bark like a dog or meow like a cat?" she responded.


    Kace was almost convinced her snarky attitude had returned, but he noticed something wascking in her tone.


    "Allison, look at me," Kace ordered with so much authority it made her shoulders go stiff and her hands that were cleaning the makeup mirror paused. "Look at me," he repeated. When she didn¡¯t move, he grabbed her hand and made her face him.


    Allison looked alright, there were no injuries on her face but the turtle neck she was wearing restricted him from staring at her neck and hand.


    "Are you hurt anywhere?" He asked her, concernced in his tone. His own voice slightly stunned him but he didn¡¯t show it.


    "Why do you care?" Allison questioned back. She yanked her wrist off his grip and took two steps back to create distance between them. He was too close and she could feel the heat emitting from him.


    Without hesitating, Kace closed the distance with just one long stride.


    He ced his hands on her shoulders, making her flinch. Immediately, his gaze hardened.


    Without asking for her permission, he pulled the turtle¡¯s neck down from her neck to her shoulders with so much force it ripped.


    "What are you doing?" Allison questioned, high on alert.


    Kace red at the several red spots on her neck. It hadn¡¯t turned back yet which only means she just got them¡ªsomeone had hurt her.


    "Who did this to you?" He demanded, his tone firm.


    Allison was a little shocked at how his demeanor had changed in just a few seconds. Her saliva got stuck in her throat and she nearly got choked on it.


    "It¡¯s none of your business." She tried to yank her wrist off him but his grip was too tight; it wasn¡¯t painful but was too tight for her to break free. "Let me go."


    Kace¡¯s ck eyes tore from the red spots on her skin and bore into her frightened blue ones.


    "Was it Derek?" He questioned.

 Chapter 117: Way To Go, Wallace

    Allsion¡¯s head snapped to look at him, wariness evident in her gaze.


    "Why would you stay with a guy who hurts you?" Kace immediately regretted blurting out those words as soon as they left his mouth.


    ¡¯This is not your business, Wace,¡¯ he told himself.


    He already predicted she would reply, <i>It¡¯s not of your business,</i> reminding him it was indeed not his concern but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to just leave as if he didn¡¯t see anything.


    Surprisingly, Allison replied, "We had a misunderstanding."


    Kace was d she didn¡¯t shoo him off but he couldn¡¯t make sense of what she was saying.


    "The both of you had a misunderstanding and he beat you up?"


    She nodded, her eyes fixed on the floor as if there was something precious there she was looking at.


    "And you haven¡¯t left him yet?" He questioned.


    Allison shivered a little.


    "I can¡¯t," she muttered under her breath, which earned her a deep frown from Kace.


    As if she¡¯d been in a deep trance all these while, answering Kace¡¯s question back without retaliating, Allison looked up to re at him.


    "There you have it. I¡¯ve answered your questions. Now, can you pretend you didn¡¯t see anything and leave me alone?"


    Kace stared at her, silently gritting his teeth in anger.


    Doing as she said, he left the makeup room without another word.


    Allison slumped on the chair near her when Kace was no longer in sight. A minuteter, Natalie came back with the bottled water she collected from the staff.


    When she saw Allison¡¯s frightened state, she dropped the water and ran to her.


    "What happened to you? Why is your shirt ripped?" She asked.


    "Ahh... I wanted to give it a new style by leaving some holes in it but it seems I ruined it," Allison lied.


    Natalie frowned a little, finding a pair of scissors on the makeup mirror.


    "You could have just waited for me toe before you tore it. You can¡¯t cut from the edges," Natalie nagged,pletely believing her which had Allison sigh in relief. "I will help you do it."


    Selene saw Kace leaving her makeup room with a grumpy expression and couldn¡¯t help but be curious about what might have happened.


    Shrugging, she finished setting a few things with the directors and everything was ready.


    "Selene."


    She heard someone call her name. Turning, she found Liam. Selene was slightly shocked seeing him on the set since he wasn¡¯t starring in the movie. He¡¯d declined the offer since he was busy with his photoshoots and coborations.


    "Liam, long time no see."


    The both of them shared a brief hug before releasing.


    "Can I talk to you in private?" He requested.


    Selene was slightly taken aback, but she nodded nheless.


    They went outside.


    "I know that you must be busy with your new movie and photoshoots and everything. It¡¯s just that I got tickets to watch a movie and I have a spare one. I was wondering if you would like to go with me," he offered.


    The smile that was on Selene¡¯s lips faltered when she heard him.


    She suddenly recalled months ago when he¡¯d invited her for a hangout and somehow Xavier found out about it and intruded.


    She wasn¡¯t bothered about the fact he intruded. She didn¡¯t want to spend any intimate time with Liam. She only saw him as a friend.


    "Liam..." she drawled, thinking of ways to reject his offer gently. Liam stared at her with eyes lit up in excitement. "You know Xavier and I are <i>dating, </i>right? It would be inappropriate if we go out together, just the both of us."


    Selene felt a thorn prick her heart when she saw how hurt Liam was. She didn¡¯t mean to hurt him but she had to stop him from thinking they would end up together.


    She was a married woman after all.


    "The both of you are dating huh? I thought it was a mere rumor," he recalled.


    Neither Xavier nor Selene had acknowledged the rumor that spread about them dating. But it didn¡¯t seem they would believe what they said anyway, so they simply went with the flow.


    "We are indeed dating," she acknowledged. "I¡¯m sorry but I can¡¯t go with you to the movie. You can go with Martha instead," she suggested.


    Martha and Liam may only be best friends, but they looked good together, almost as good as a couple but it seemed they didn¡¯t share such feelings.


    Although hurt by Selene¡¯s rejection, Liam tried to mask it with a smile.


    "Martha is a pain in the ass," he joked, trying to ease the tension. Selene smiled at him.

 Chapter 118: Clear Your Schedule

    Selene opened the file to take a look. She didn¡¯t study business administration in college but she understood what Leo was saying. Plus, the figures were already written down. She made some calctions, and indeed, some figures isn¡¯t adding up.


    "Is Robert stealing money from his ownpany?" Xavier asked, confusion etched on his expression as he collected the file from Selene to take a look at it for himself.


    "That was exactly what I thought as well, sir. But Mr. Harrison is very serious with thepany. He never ys with the money thepany makes," Leo responded.


    "Does he know about the missing money?" Selene asked him.


    "I don¡¯t think so, ma¡¯am. If he had, there would be chaos by now. An investigation would have started, but everything in the office seems normal."


    Both Xavier and Selene shared a look.


    Robert wasn¡¯t the one who stole the money, because he was the <i>owner </i>of thepany. This only meant that someone else, who knew the ins and outs of Harrison¡¯spany wasmitting the fraud.


    But who could it be?


    "Do you suspect anyone that could have done this?" Xavier questioned Leo.


    "Not at all, sir. Neither Robert Harrison nor his son noticed the missing money. I doubt the shareholders would have done it since they would have to work with either Robert or Jack," Leo replied.


    He was extremely confused about the whole situation. The amount wasn¡¯t big but the disappearance was still a mystery that needed to be solved.


    "I see..." Selene hummed. "Continue to keep an eye on the figures and if you notice more money disappearing, inform Robert about it even if he doesn¡¯t notice it, then you contact me immediately," she ordered.


    Harrison¡¯spany was hers now. Even though she wasn¡¯t in charge of it yet, whatever happened there was her business.


    "Alright, ma¡¯am," Leo nodded in understanding. "There¡¯s something else," he added, peeking her interest. "Robert Harrison has been leaving thepany for unknown reasons. I¡¯ve checked his schedules but he doesn¡¯t have any outside meetings. He could be going out for some lunch or something else, I¡¯m not sure."


    A smile graced Selene¡¯s lips.


    "I know about that, Leo. I know exactly where he goes," she responded.


    Xavier nced at Selene but didn¡¯t ask her anything until Leo left the mansion.


    Xavier stared at Selene with a questionable eyebrow.


    "Robert has a lover¡ª or should I call her a mistress?" She wondered.


    Xavier wasn¡¯t at all shocked by that revtion. His father once had a mistress. When his mum found out, he immediately turned a new leaf.


    "So Robert is cheating on his wife, huh? Things just got a little interesting," he muttered.


    "It sure did. And I will be using it against them when the time is right," she smiled.


    "And Michelle? What do you n on doing to her?" He asked her.


    He had visited the Wace mansion to discuss a few things with his father and greet old Wace since the woman missed him dearly. She didn¡¯t forget to give him an earful when he didn¡¯t bring Selene along with him.


    "She¡¯s already having a hard time taking care of Richard," he added, remembering Richard¡¯s trembling eyes that stared back at him.


    "I¡¯m just waiting for her to strike. She¡¯s hot-tempered and doesn¡¯t think before she does something. So, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to deal with her," she responded while Xavier hummed.


    The both of them fell into apanionable silence as Xavier tried to say the word that hung on his lips.


    He was finally going to take Kace¡¯s advice. He wasn¡¯t threatened that Liam would be able to take Selene away from her. Everyone already thinks they are dating, when in fact they were married. He wanted them to act like one.


    "Selene, clear your schedule tomorrow. I want to take you somewhere," he suddenly said, which had Selene snap her head to look at him with eyes widened in disbelief.


    "What? Where are we going?" She asked


    "It¡¯s a secret," he replied.


    Before Selene could think of another question to ask him, his back was already turned to her as he went back to his study room.


    Since she came back from the movie tour, they rarely saw each other because of Selene¡¯s busy schedule. And out of nowhere, he wants to take her somewhere.


    Selene¡¯s heart thumped in her chest in excitement and fear.

 Chapter 119: You Mean The World To Me

    "You look good, honestly. I bet Xavier won¡¯t be able to take his eyes off you tonight," he teased, a goofy smile on his lips.


    Selene stared at him, wondering when he would find himself a girlfriend and stop smiling like he was drunk.


    "Thanks." Selene hung up on the call.


    Despite Kace¡¯s reply, she couldn¡¯t help but think she was too overdressed.


    ¡¯What if he wanted us to go hiking or mountain climbing? Wait, we can¡¯t do neither of that at night,¡¯ she remembered.


    Sighing, Selene stared at herself one more time before she took her purse to check the time


    <i>7:02 pm, the time said. </i>


    In a blink of an eysh, Selene had already bolted out of the room, heading towards her car.


    Jake, her driver when she first came to the mansion, would be driving her wherever Xavier told him to bring her.


    She tried pushing him to give her a hint on where they were going, but he wouldn¡¯t because of Xavier¡¯s orders.


    An hourter, the car stopped in the middle of nowhere.


    If Selene didn¡¯t know better, she would have thought Jake wanted to abduct her.


    Out of nowhere, she heard someone knock on the window of the car. She turned to find Xavier dressed in one of his finest suits. Though all his suits were the finest since they always fitted him perfectly.


    Xavier opened the car door for her and she stepped out.


    Selene stared at him, trying to pinpoint something that made him look different. It certainly wasn¡¯t the suit or the way he styled his hairbing each lock back and leaving a few strands to dangle on his forehead. But no matter how much she stared at him, she couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    Meanwhile, Xavier tried to control his breathing when his eyes fell on Selene. The dress she wore, the way her hair was styled. Everything about her tonight made his cock build a tent in his jeans.


    He tried to get her sexy image out of his head which was a difficult task to do since she was standing right before him.


    "Where are we, Xavier?" She asked him, as she tore her eyes away from him to look at the surroundings.


    She was mistaken when she thought they were in the middle of nowhere.


    Not far from where they stood, there was a house. The lights around it made it stand out in the dark.


    "This is one of the ces I like to go when I just want to get away from everything. Somewhere I just want to rx," he replied, stretching out his hand for her to hold as they walked towards the house.


    "I never thought there would be a time you would want to get away from everything. Do you even have time for that?" She asked, a little surprised.


    Xavier revealed a small smile.


    "It¡¯s been a while since I came here. There was nothing for me to get away from..." he paused to look at her. "...after I met you."


    <i>Thump thump thump </i>


    Selene felt her heart win a marathon as it raced so fast she thought it was going to burst out of her chest.


    The both of them walked through the small bush that was on the way. As they neared, Selene could hear a soft tune of musicing from the direction the house was.


    When they arrived, Selene¡¯s eyes caught the serenaders¡ªthey were the ones ying the tune she was hearing.


    Xavier led her to the chair. As soon as the both of them sat down, the serenaders excused them, but the soft tune could still be heard.


    "What would you like to eat?" He asked.


    Selene told him, and in less than five minutes, the food was brought out by a middle-aged woman.


    "She¡¯s my nanny," Xavier exined. "I had to bring her here from the Wace mansion to cook for us," he added while Selene nodded in understanding.


    The both of them fell into apanionable silence as they ate their food, the air heavy but not ufortable.


    Words were supposed to be said, but none of them knew how to spill it.


    ¡¯I should have told Kace to write me a few notes to practice on so that I wouldn¡¯t mess up,¡¯ Xavier thought to himself.


    Meanwhile, Kace who was busy in his room, watching a match sneezed loudly.


    "I wonder who could be thinking about me now," he said.


    "Xavier, when you said there was nothing for you to run away from until after you met me, what did you mean?" Xavier heard her ask, her big blue eyes staring at him.


    "It means when I¡¯m with you, I don¡¯t want to ever run away from anything. Selene, I won¡¯t say <i>from the first day I met you </i>but surely after I met you, I felt things I¡¯ve never felt for another woman before. We had a mutual agreement from the beginning. You will continue to be my wife and I will help you with your revenge. But this time around, I want us to act like husband and wife because you mean the world to me."

 Chapter 120: Blissful Moment

    The night wasn¡¯t over yet, and there were plenty of chances to kiss her. She hadn¡¯t touched her food much and he was worried a kiss wouldn¡¯t be where he would stop tonight.


    "It¡¯s a good thing I dressed well for this confession. For a second I thought we were going mountain climbing," she joked. Selene was relieved she wasn¡¯t too overdressed. The dress fitted her and the atmosphere.


    Xavier chuckled.


    "Why would we go mountain climbing at night?" He wondered.


    "That was what I thought too. I had to call Kace in case I was too overdressed because someone didn¡¯t tell me where we were going," she responded, giving Xavier a side eye which he responded to by chuckling even harder.


    As they dug into their meal, both felt at ease. The confession of their feelings had lifted the tension between them, making their interactions feel natural andfortable once again.


    Since it was already dark outside, the air was starting to get chilly.


    Immediately, Xavier led Selene into the house.


    It was cozy and warm. The interior design was kept simple as if a normal middle-ss family lived there.


    ¡¯I guess this was what Xavier meant by getting away. He wanted to live the normal life of a normal person even if it was just a few days,¡¯ Selene thought to herself.


    She couldn¡¯t feel but love the ce more than his mansion.


    The house was empty, but it still contained the warmth his mansion didn¡¯t have.


    Xavier grabbed Selene¡¯s hands, leading her upstairs. She stared at the room, which was also cozy with a king-sized bed centered in the middle.


    From the looks of things, it seemed they would be spending the night there.


    "Do you want to sleep now or do you want to watch a movie?" He asked.


    "Watch a movie."


    It was still too early, barely 10 pm.


    "In that case..." Xavier walked to the closet and pulled out a shirt with shorts. "Change into this to feel morefortable."


    Selene took the clothes while Xavier excused her. She stared at his broad back until he left the room.


    Selene brought the clothes to her nose so that she could smell his familiar scent, and she sighed in satisfaction.


    Quickly, she went to the bathroom, took off her makeup, and showered.


    When she was done changing into the clothes, she left the room to look for Xavier.


    Selene bumped into the nanny who served them their meal earlier.


    "Please, do you know where Xavier is?"


    "He¡¯s in the theater room, dear," she said, giving her directions to the theater room.


    Selene thanked her and left.


    The old woman couldn¡¯t help but stare at her, d that Xavier was finally settling down.


    Selene saw Xavier setting up the movie while rows after rows of seats were set behind. It was like a mini cinema.


    He¡¯d already changed into somethingfy as well. When he was done, the both of them sat down to watch the movie.


    Selene could see Xavier watching her from the corners of her eyes.


    "I¡¯m sure the movie has something more interesting you should be watching," she said.


    "Not at all. I¡¯m looking at someone much more interesting than the movie." His reply had her turn her head to stare at him in awe.


    ¡¯When did he start making such pickup lines,¡¯ she wondered.


    Before she could think of a reply, Xavier had already inched closer to her and nted his lips on hers.


    Instinctively, she wrapped her hands around his neck, her finger digging into the thread of his locks.


    Xavier pulled her closer, inch by inch, closing the gap between them.


    When he was satisfied, he pulled away, leaving her breathless.


    "Let¡¯s concentrate on the movie," he smiled, knowing fully well she wouldn¡¯t be able to concentrate on anything at all.

 Chapter 121: She Has No Right

    "I don¡¯t mind doing the stunts," said Kael.


    Selene stared at him, giving him a puzzled reaction.


    "It isn¡¯t safe."


    "A rope will be attached to the waist to prevent you from falling. We have to make it real which is why the actors are doing their stunts," the director implied, giving Selene an exasperated expression that had her frown even deeper.


    Kael nced between the director and Selene before he intervened.


    "If Ms. Selene is notfortable doing the stunts, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem getting a stunt double right?" He asked, also wondering why it was so difficult for the director to just get a stunt double.


    Professionals were better at doing the stunts.


    The director sighed, turned to Selene, and changed his whole demeanor as if he wasn¡¯t ring at Selene a second ago.


    "We are not getting a stunt double. We want the movie to look real. The other actors have agreed, only Ms. Selene is rejecting the idea," he exined.


    He didn¡¯t like the fact she was arguing with him. If she got injured, she would be taken to the hospital and treated. It was that simple for him to think.


    He chewed on the gum in his mouth, while ring at Selene.


    "Huh... because maybe when I fall off a building, I won¡¯t be able to survive it," she reasoned.


    It wasn¡¯t difficult for director Jeunes to agree to get stunt doubles for her role in <i>The Sinner</i>. He was the one who had suggested it. But this director before her wanted her to waste her one lifeline for one movie. She wasn¡¯t a cat with nine lives.


    She had heard how the actors in the movies he¡¯d directed always ended up with injuries, injuries that could have been prevented.


    Not only that, she had seen on social media how actors who didn¡¯t take precautions while doing their stunts had broken their bones. Some were in aa while some died.


    "We will practice before the scene is shot," the director responded then left the both of them, already tired of arguing with her.


    She made his blood boil since no actor had spoken against him like that.


    He was a renowned director and actors begged him just so that they could have a role in his movies. And here she was, telling him what to do and what not to do.


    Selene red at his back, already sensing he would bring her trouble.


    "Don¡¯t worry Selene, you got this. You just need practice and you will get a hang of it," Kael tried to cheer her up.


    She stared at him for a few seconds before she revealed a small smile.


    "No amount of practice will make me be able to jump over a bus or flip over a building in a few days."


    Kael chuckled lightly.


    "I will try to convince the director," he replied.


    Somehow, Kael¡¯s reply made Selene feel insignificantpared to the other actors.


    She hadst trained with Xavier two months ago before she went on the movie tour. She would do a daily workout to keep her body fit, even though she wasn¡¯t lifting weights like she did back then.


    Still, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder how they would be doing such stunts.


    Either way, it was too dangerous.


    Meanwhile, the director Selene had just finished speaking with a cigarette he held with his lip and puffed the smoke out.


    "Just because the first movie she starred in gave her little poprity, she has no right to teach me how to direct a movie," heined, puffing another amount of smoke again as he red at Selene, who was still talking with Kael.


    "All these newbie actresses," the man who was seated near the director added. "They think they know it all. The other actors who have done their stunts didn¡¯tin. Why should shein?"


    He tapped the director on the shoulder, asking for a cigarette which was given to him immediately.


    "This is my movie, and I will direct it however I want. Just because she¡¯s associated with Xavier Wace doesn¡¯t scare me. If she doesn¡¯t like how things are being run here, she can just quit and I will rece her immediately," the director huffed.

 Chapter 122: A Visit To The Orphanage

    "Like that? What can I possibly threaten them with so that things can hasten up?" He asked her.


    Both Amelia and Jack shared a look and sighed.


    "Tell them that if they don¡¯t sign the papers, you¡¯re going to marry Anastasia off to a family abroad. I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t want to be separated from their daughter any more than they already have, now that they know she¡¯s alive," Jack responded.


    Robert gave it a thought, especially since there was no Anastasia to speak of in the first ce.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for Xavier who had already imed Selene Jones, and the fact that DNA tests existed, he would have already lied about Selene being their missing daughter. But she wasn¡¯t, she only had Ana¡¯s face which ruined his n.


    Just like Amelia said, the rk family were not people to be messed with. If they found out he¡¯d been leading them on just to get their property, the Harrisonpany and everything he had would burn to ashes.


    Before Robert could give a reply, he heard Michelle¡¯s voice whine from the entrance of the mansion until she got to where they stood.


    "I¡¯m sick and tired of Richard, honestly Dad. I don¡¯t want to stay in that mansion anymore. He¡¯s bing more and more insufferable every second that passes. He¡¯s acting as if I was the one who tortured him like that..." Michelle continued to whine nonstop, only pausing when she ran out of breath.


    "Dad, you have to help me with the divorce. I can¡¯t live there anymore. I don¡¯t care if it taints my reputation, but I must leave that mansion as soon as possible, else I¡¯m going to kill Richard with my bare hands," she added, her chest rising while her face was flushed red in anger.


    Michelle stared at his daughter, not sure of which to worry about anymore. Hispany and everything else he¡¯d worked hard for which was on the brink of getting destroyed once the rk family found out he was deceiving them. Or should he be more worried about Michelle, who was already sick and tired of her marriage?


    "You will have to endure whatever you are facing in the Wace mansion for a long while, Michelle. The rk family still haven¡¯t responded to me yet," he replied.


    "What?" Michelle gasped. "Why not? Aren¡¯t they worried about their daughter?" She asked with confusion etched on her face.


    "Who knows? Maybe they are not really that bothered or perhaps they are, we don¡¯t know which one," Jack shrugged.


    Michelle¡¯s face faltered into disappointment. She had thought she would be given good news once she came, but she only got bad news.


    "You don¡¯t have to worry, Michelle. I will visit them again and try to convince them," said Robert.


    Michelle stared at her father, not sure if he was capable anymore. But she had no choice but to continue to stay with the Wace family until her second marriage was secured.


    If she left before anything happened, it would be more of a loss than a profit.


    She could still endure all of Richard¡¯s ranting for a few more days, weeks, or months. She hoped she would, or else she would be in jail for murder.


    **


    In the ck Mustang, two hands were linked together as the man drove to a specific location, while the woman stared out of the window as she watched the pedestrians, supermarket, andmp posts¡ªanything at all that would distract her from bing more nervous than she already was.


    "You need to rx," Xavier tried to calm her down. "If you want, you can tell them your true identity, and I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t be frightened that you are alive."


    Selene sighed, her fingers curling around Xavier¡¯s tighter.


    "It¡¯s just that it¡¯s been so long since I¡¯vest seen them. They will most likely get mad at me for not visiting them soon enough," she responded. "I miss them so much."


    A small smile graced Xavier¡¯s lips.


    "You don¡¯t have to worry about anything. Like you said, they are good kids and I¡¯m sure they would be surprised when they see you, but in a good way."


    Selene repeated Xavier¡¯s words in her mind.


    "We are here," Xavier informed, parking the car by the side of the road.


    Selene raised her head to look at her orphanage¡ªthe ce she had built up all by herself.

 Chapter 123: Missed Thalia

    ¡¯Did all of them retire?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    She stared at the woman who had a bright smile on her face. It was almost contagious.


    Selene shook her head. "Not at all. I want to see Thalia Harrison," she requested.


    The woman was a little shocked and confused about how Selene knew about their boss. But since Selene knew her name, she thought they must know each other.


    "Alright, wait here please," she responded and went to fetch Thalia, Selene¡¯s cousin.


    Both Selene and Xavier took a seat. Xavier¡¯s height attracted the attention of a lot of children and they all stopped to stare at him; including the women who were taking care of them.


    Selene red at them a little before she whispered something in Xavier¡¯s ears that made him chuckle a little. Then, she stared back at thedies, only to find them concentrating on the children as they were supposed to.


    "Ana."


    Selene¡¯s head immediately snapped to the direction she heard the voice from. When she made eye contact with her cousin, she sprang up from the seat and rushed to wrap her hands around her cousin in a warm hug, which thetter reciprocated as well.


    "Where have you been? I missed you so much," Thalia cried out as her hold on Selene tightened a little. "I thought I would never see you again."


    They released each other and wiped their tears.


    "It¡¯s a long story," Selene replied.


    "You¡¯d better start exining yourself because I have all the time," Thalia demanded with a stern voice, but her concern and worry weren¡¯t hidden.


    "Before that, I want to introduce someone to you." Selene pulled Xavier to stand beside her. "This is my husband," she introduced.


    Thalia¡¯s jaw dropped as she stared at the massive tall man before her. She was shorter than Anastasia with a height of 5¡¯5 inches, so to her, Xavier wasn¡¯t tall at all; he was a giant.


    Both Thalia and Xavier exchanged a mere handshake before Thalia turned to Selene.


    "I thought you were supposed to get married to Richard? How did this happen?" She nearly screamed.


    "It was an idental marriage," Selene replied.


    A smirk pulled on Xavier¡¯s lips. ¡¯idental huh?¡¯ He thought.


    "What the fuck do you mean by an idental marriage? What the heck happened?" More confusion clouded Thalia¡¯s head.


    Selene sighed.


    "Let¡¯s go to your office," she said.


    As the trio were about to head towards Thalia¡¯s office, Xavier felt someone tug his jeans to get his attention.


    His eyes fell on a little boy, who wasn¡¯t more than five years old.


    "Excuse me, sir. Me and my friends over there were wondering if you could y with us?"


    The little boy asked, his dark brown eyes staring at Xavier in anticipation as he pointed to the section his other friends were in.


    Selene nced at Thalia and Selene.


    "I will excuse the both of you. You two need to catch up and I will keep myself busy by ying with them," he suggested.


    Selene acknowledged by nodding slightly. She watched Xavier leave with the little boy before she and Thalia resumed their walk.


    Selene hadn¡¯t even closed the door to Thalia¡¯s office when thetter bombarded her with so many questions.


    "So, where have you been all this time? How are you married to Xavier Wace? Did you know I looked for you when Uncle Robert told me you had left the city because I was afraid you¡¯d get lost?"


    "You need to calm down, Thalia."


    "Alright, I¡¯m listening," said Thalia.


    Selene sighed before she narrated all her life journeys, from when the mix-up at the city hall urred, signing her properties away, nearly getting killed by her so-called father to getting saved by Xavier, and how she was back for revenge.


    As the words flowed out of her mouth, Thalia¡¯s expression changed from that of confusion and anticipation to rage and even more rage.


    "They did that to you?" She asked, her tone calm but Selene knew Thalia was anything but a cool and calm woman. "Those people are truly disgusting. I already knew something fishy was going on when Uncle Robert asked me to close down the orphanage."


    "What?" Selene asked, her eyebrows furrowed.


    "I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t recognize most of the staff here, right?" Selene nodded. "Well, that¡¯s because Uncle Robert threatened to have the orphanage demolished. News got out and most of the staff quit. But then he suddenly changed his mind.


    "At first, I didn¡¯t understand why, but now I know why he did that. It was a trap to see if I would contact you to ask for help. I noticed some men roaming around here a few months ago. I¡¯m sure they were Uncle¡¯s men."

 Chapter 124: She Fell

    "I¡¯m just d you were able to escape from Richard¡¯s grasp. That asshole makes my blood boil," she vented. Sighing, she added, "Take care of yourself, Selene. You cane to the orphanage whenever you want, and if you need help beating up Michelle, you know you can alwayse to me."


    Selene wasn¡¯t surprised by Thalia¡¯s request. She had always been the violent one between the both of them.


    A memory of when Thalia beat up the boys who bullied Selene in college shed in her mind. Thalia was an army on her own.


    "I will."


    Thalia toured Selene around the orphanage, introducing her to the staff whom she hadn¡¯t seen before.


    Selene watched Xavier ying with the children at the yground, a smile touching her lips as she observed their joyful interaction. Noticing the children¡¯s reluctance to let him leave, she chose to wait a little longer.


    Some of them went on his back so that he would give them piggyback rides.


    When some more time had finally passed, Selene and Xavier decided to head back so that she could get some early rest.


    "Xavier, you know I can fight now right?" Selene suddenly asked when they were in the car, heading back.


    Xavier nced at her with a curious look.


    "You are doing well but..." he drawled, searching for the right word. "You can¡¯t properly fight yet."


    Selene gave him a side eye, but didn¡¯t bother to retort since he was right. No one can learn how to fight in under a week, but Xavier had taught her where to hurt her opponent severely and make a run for it if she ever needed to.


    "Anyway, can Kace stop following me around now?" She requested. "He has his life and I don¡¯t want him to keep following me forever." <i>I also want him to solve whatever issue he has with Allison</i>.


    She had seen how they had avoided each other whenever they crossed paths. They seemed to be at odds with each other like oil and water.


    Xavier readily gave in to Selene¡¯s request. But made a mental note to get shadow bodyguards who could be protecting her without showing their presence.


    Having Ezekiel trying to dig into Selene¡¯s past all of a sudden was highly suspicious, and he feared that one day, thetter might attack her.


    The thought of that happening made Xavier¡¯s blood boil. He could have confronted Ezekiel and questioned him why he was meddling, but nothing good was going toe out of it.


    He would only leave with regret when Ezekiel brought up the past once more, using his family of being responsible for Ava rk¡¯s disappearance.


    "Alright, anything for you babe."


    Pink painted Selene¡¯s cheek when Xavier called her <i>babe</i>.


    **


    "Are you sure you tightened the buckle properly?" Selene asked the man who was assisting her in slipping into the safety harness.


    After much argument and disagreement with the director, he still didn¡¯t consent to having a stunt double for the scene.


    Selene had to settle on performing the scene with a stunt harness to avoid her blood sttering on the floor like a grisly painting gone awry.


    This wasn¡¯t the first time she was wearing a stunt harness but somehow, it felt unusually loose around her waist.


    The man assisting her with the stunt harness shot her a pointed look before rechecking the buckle. This was the fifth time she had asked him to verify it, and his patience was wearing thin.


    "It¡¯s properly fixed, ma¡¯am," he replied.


    However, Selene still felt it wasn¡¯t. But since she wasn¡¯t the professional here, she decided to let it go and not make things harder for the man.


    A test was run on the stunt harness. It lifted Selene up and down.


    If it had been anyone, they would have been excited since it felt simr to flying. But Selene didn¡¯t feel the least excited. Her heart thumped hard in her chest whenever she was lifted.


    "Action!" The director screamed.


    It was the scene where Selene was supposed to escape from the prison before she was caught.


    She beat up the prison guards who stood in her way before making her way to the roof of the building.


    There were some unsteady pipes attached to it, which she needed to climb down until she reached the wires she would be using to reach the fence and jump.


    Just as Selene reached for the fence, she felt the stunt harness loosen around her waist. Unable to grasp the fence, she lost her bnce and fell.

 Chapter 125: An Accident

    Even though Ezekiel didn¡¯t find anything dirty on Selene, he still instructed Kael to keep a close eye on her. If possible, he should befriend her.


    Just when he was about to open the door to go in, he saw ady with white hair swoon past him and open the door. He recognized her to be Selene¡¯s make-up artist.


    "It¡¯s a good thing someone is here, I better go," he told himself. But he didn¡¯t forget toplete one important task.


    He walked towards the director, who was stillughing hysterically at a joke, his face flushed red as he struggled to regainposure.


    "What¡¯s so funny?" Kael demanded, delivering a hard punch to the director, causing those nearby to gasp in shock. "It¡¯s because of you that Selene has a broken ankle. If you had just hired a stunt double, this ident could have been prevented!" he shouted,nding another punch across the director¡¯s face, who was now starting to see stars.


    Kael took a few steps back when they tried to separate him from the director. He had already done what he thought was right, and he didn¡¯t care if an article about him hitting his director was released the next day.


    "It was an ident," the director managed to say despite the dizziness he felt.


    Kael gritted his teeth in anger as he red at the director. He decided not to spend any more time with the director and departed. No one could dare to call the police on him, or else they wanted their throat to be slit.


    In the medical bay, Allison gave Selene her phone and she quickly sent a text to Xavier.


    "Ms. Selene, are you sure you are okay? Are you thirsty? I could bring you some water," Allison offered. She had been frightened when she saw Selene falling, she thought she would lose her life, but seeing her alive surprised her.


    "I¡¯m fine," Selene replied with a smile on her face.


    Natalie arrived with Selene¡¯s clothes and they quickly helped her change into it.


    They kept Selenepany until Xavier arrived.


    When he barged into the room looking as intimidating as ever, both Allison and Natalie immediately slipped out of the room as if their lives were counting on their escape.


    "Are you okay?" Xavier asked Selene with concernced in his tone.


    He¡¯d been so frightened when he read her text, saying she injured her ankle on the set.


    "I¡¯m fine."


    "Are you sure? Your ankle looks quite swollen," heined. "Where¡¯s the doctor? Shouldn¡¯t he be here checking up on you? Doctor?!!" He yelled out.


    Selene quickly ced her hand over his mouth to shut him up for once.


    "I¡¯m fine. The doctor has already checked up on me. He said it was normal for my ankle to swell up like this."


    Xavier stared at her ankle.


    "Who did this to you?" He questioned.


    Selene flinched slightly at his tone. He sounded like he was going to murder whoever it was that¡¯d hurt her.


    "It was an ident," she mumbled. "Although it could have been prevented if the director had hired a stunt double. I told them to do so, but he refused, saying the actors must do their stunts," she narrated.


    As if on cue, the director entered the room, pretending to act concerned about what had happened to Selene.


    "Ms. Selene, I just wanted to¡ª"


    The poor director didn¡¯t get the chance toplete his sentence when he felt his face getting mmed against the wall of the room.


    Xavier had used so much force the walls cracked.


    The director whose head was kissing the wall immediately regretted entering the room. He¡¯d just recovered from Kael¡¯s punches when he saw Xavier entering the medical bay.


    Due to the rumors, he concluded Xavier was there to look for Selene, so he prepared himself to act like a caring director even though he didn¡¯t want to.


    But he didn¡¯t expect to get his face mmed on the wall so hard that his skull nearly broke.


    "When she asked for a stunt double, why didn¡¯t you call for one?" Xavier questioned the director who was already starting to tremble. Both his eyes and body shook in fear.


    "I¡ªI didn¡¯t know t¡ªthat this would h¡ªhappen," he managed to respond although he stuttered. He needed to save himself from Xavier. He could already feel the bloodthirsty emitting from thetter. His life was in danger.


    Selene, who had been watching the scene, was shocked by Xavier¡¯s strength, but she nearly lost her life due to the director¡¯s carelessness. So, she didn¡¯t bother to meddle. The director deserved the beating he was getting right now.

 Chapter 126: Attitude In Control

    Then the news report of Director Jim, the director who was in charge of directing <i>Shadows Of Deception</i> got out about him getting cklisted. No one showed him pity since he had endangered the lives of many actors.


    Awsuit was filed against him and he spent the rest of the year in prison. It turned out he¡¯d gotten a low quality stunt harness.


    A new director, Jax, was to rece the former director.


    Selene was called in for a meeting at the Dreamscape building so that director Jax could introduce himself while the movie was being further discussed.


    Xavier had offered to assist Selene but she immediately objected. He had an important meeting at hispany and she wouldn¡¯t want to be a burden to him. She insisted on having Ito take her.


    As soon as Selene stepped foot into the Dreamscape building, everyone started wishing her a <i>get-well-soon </i>message.


    Amidst the crowd that was wishing her a get well soon, Selene recognized someone who was ring at her.


    ¡¯My favorite person is here,¡¯ she thought to herself while she smiled at everyone.


    When they were done, they dispersed to continue with their work.


    "<i>Get well soon, Selene. Get well soon, Selene</i>. You must love all the attention, don¡¯t you?" Michelle questioned Selene with a hint of disdain in her tone which Selene picked up immediately, but it didn¡¯t bother her one bit.


    "What can I say? Everyone loves me." Selene added salt to Michelle¡¯s wounds. When she saw thetter silently grit her teeth in anger, she felt satisfied.


    Since Michelle left a month after the movie tour of <i>The Sinner</i> began, Selene hadn¡¯t seen her again.


    "And what about you, how have you been taking care of your husband Richard? I hope you haven¡¯t killed him out of anger."


    Michelle¡¯s eyes grew suspicious when she heard Selene.


    "How do you know that?" She questioned.


    "Isn¡¯t it obvious? You have been so busy and what could be keeping you so busy if not Richard?" Selene questioned back.


    She suddenly sighed.


    "You¡¯ve already lost a lot of weight too. It must not have been easy for you. Now, I¡¯m a little worried for you. I hope you don¡¯t fade away."


    Selene¡¯s voice was so soft and caring that if anyone heard it, they would think she was concerned for Michelle when it was the opposite.


    Michelle clenched her fist, her fingernails digging into her skin, while her knuckles turned white.


    Out of anger, Michelle kicked one of Selene¡¯s crouches away, startling her. When her leg went for the next one, Selene hit Michelle¡¯s leg with it, drawing out a painful yelp from her mouth.


    When everyone turned to look at them, Selene grabbed her leg in pain as if she was the one who had been hurt.


    "Michelle, why would you kick my crouches away?" Selene questioned Michelle with tears pooled in her eyes.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes fell on the crouches that hadnded a few feet away from Selene¡ªshe only had one left.


    "She doesn¡¯t feel an ounce of shame for herself, kicking Selene¡¯s crouches away like that."


    "I thought both of them were in good terms. Seems like Michelle is still envious of Selene."


    Michelle was too baffled to respond. Her left leg was hurting because Selene had hit her hard with her crouches, and now, everyone was siding with Selene just because she threwtters crouch away.


    She red at Selene who held a look of disbelief on her face.


    "Michelle, you will have to pick up the crouch since you were the one that threw it away," Selene reasoned.


    Michelle gritted her teeth. People were already starting to record the scene. She couldn¡¯t afford another scandalous incident.


    Michelle forced her feet to walk to the crouch and picked it up, then she handed it over to Selene.


    "It¡¯s a good thing you didn¡¯t try to argue with me on this one. It seems having a camera around keeps your attitude in control," Selene mocked.


    She gave Michelle a small hug before she waved her goodbye and left thetter to re at her out of spite.

 Chapter 127: Calm Before The Storm

    It¡¯s been more than two decades anyway, they could have probably moved on from her disappearance and don¡¯t want to bother themselves with finding her anymore. And the fact they had to sacrifice half of their family¡¯s assets just made them more reluctant. Robert thought so.


    But he needed their property. This parent¡¯s money he¡¯d <i>stolen </i>from Anastasia was more than enough tost him till the day he said goodbye to the wind. But Robert was too greedy and wanted more even when there was risk involved.


    "That¡¯s impossible! I have to talk to Mr. rk and his son," he tried to force his way to him, but the bulky security guards didn¡¯t let him in. They didn¡¯t block the entrance but stood by the side, daring Robert to step foot in and face the consequencester.


    Robert understood their message clearly. He was desperate, but not desperate enough to get himself beaten up.


    "That was an order from Mr. rk himself, sir," the other replied.


    Robert¡¯s blood boiled in anger. People were already starting to nce at them, wondering what was happening.


    To protect his reputation, he took a step back, retreating.


    ¡¯I will just have to visit their mansion some other time,¡¯ Robert thought to himself.


    He cursed at the security guards under his breath before he turned and left the entrance, heading to his car.


    When Robert¡¯s car zoomed away, one of the security guards sent a text.


    In Jeffery¡¯s office, Ezekiel sat on the chair opposite his father. He received a text from the security guards downstairs. When he read the text, he couldn¡¯t help but scoff.


    "Robert paid a visit to thepany but the security guards downstairs restricted him," he informed his father who seemed to be deep in thought. "Father," Ezekiel shook Jeffery immediately, driving him out of his thoughts.


    "I¡¯m just worried about how Ana could be doing right now."


    "About that. My men went to the Harrison mansion to snoop around, but they didn¡¯t have any daughters living with them in the mansion. It was just Mr Harrison, his wife, and his son. The other one is already married so she¡¯s staying at her inw¡¯s ce. They asked the maids to describe her and they replied, <i>she has blue eyes and ck wavy hair</i> like that¡¯s enough to help us," he vented out.


    It wasn¡¯t difficult to find any woman who had blue eyes and ck wavy hair at all. He could find them in the modeling industry, on the sidewalk, in convenience stores, etc...


    "So, she¡¯s not living in the Harrison mansion? Where could she be?" Jeffery asked.


    "I¡¯m not sure either, father. Robert must be hiding her from us for sure. The strangest part is that I can¡¯t find anything about her on social media. It¡¯s like she disappeared from the face of the earth. Robert doesn¡¯t have that much power to do that, someone powerful is helping him for sure," he exined.


    Jeffery released a tired sigh. With each passing day that he failed to find his missing daughter, his worry for her grew.


    Robert said he took care of her, but he doubted that.


    "But you don¡¯t have to worry father, I will find her," he promised. "Have you informed mother about this yet?" He asked hesitantly.


    Jeffery shook his head. "I don¡¯t want to worry her until we find her."


    "That¡¯s the best for now. I can only hope she¡¯s able to take the news even though it¡¯s a good one," said Ezekiel.


    He recalled how devastated his mother had be when they couldn¡¯t find <i>Ava,</i> and he hoped finding her would make her feel better.


    **


    A few more days passed and Selene hadpletely recovered to resume shooting again.


    Director Jax was better than what Selene had imagined. He was strict but also careful of the stunts they had to perform. If it was too risky for both the actors and stunt double, it would immediately be removed from the scene.


    Selene continued with her movie and made some time to visit the orphanage when she was able to, while Xavier continued with his work.


    Selene hadn¡¯t heard from Michelle since the day she hit her with her crutches. Everything seemed to be going way too well for Selene. Her days were smooth, her ns were falling into ce, and she felt an unusual sense of peace. Yet, deep down, she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that it was the calm before the storm.

 Chapter 128: Theft At The Harrison Company

    "T-this is Michelle Wace, one of the actresses who starred in your movie. I was just calling in case you have any role you want me to y¡ª"


    "Michelle Wace....You are the one who was involved in that scandal with Selene Jones right?" the man asked.


    Michelle clenched her fist tightly when she heard Selene¡¯s name. That name still made her blood boil especially after what thetter had done to her. But she calmed herself down before she replied to the director.


    "The rumors were fake. It was an edited video and picture..." She tried to defend herself.


    "That¡¯s nonsense. Netizens who are good with editing proved it was real. Forgive me Mrs. Wace, but I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with an actress who keeps getting scandals every day like she¡¯s shopping in the market. You are not going to bring my movie any sess but would only bring it down. I would rather have Selene Jones star in my movie. You have too many people against you and that¡¯s risky, even for me. Goodnight."


    The producer didn¡¯t give Michelle a chance to defend herself and hung up on the call.


    Michelle¡¯s face flushed red in embarrassment. The producer had justpared her to Selene, and he even preferred Selene instead of her.


    Michelle¡¯s cheeks stung as if someone had just pped her hard in the face. She was the first to debut in the industry way before Selene did. And in just a year, thetter had surpassed her in both poprity and fanbase.


    Michelle decided not to dwell on the producer¡¯s words. She ignored it and dialed another producer whom she knew, asking for a role.


    "Your scandal is going to ruin my movie. I am nning on starting Selene in my next movie."


    Michelle hung up on the call and made another phone call.


    "Selene is a better actress than you are. You are no good."


    "Selene..."


    "Selene...."


    "Selene....."


    "Arghhhh!!" Out of anger, Michelle threw her phone on the wall with so much force it broke into pieces. "Damn you Selene!!"


    She pulled her hair in frustration. Each one of them wanted Selene to star in their movie instead of Michelle.


    "They might as well go fuck Selene since they praise her so much!"


    Her chest heaved as she red at her broken phone. If things continued like this, she might not be given a role in a movie for the time being. But Michelle wasn¡¯t worried about that. She was married into a wealthy family and came from a wealthy family. Money was never her problem and she believed it never would be. But her career was dying, and it¡¯s all thanks to Selene.


    Michelle couldn¡¯t bear it anymore.


    She needed to sabotage Selene¡¯s career.


    Michelle quenched the cigarette with her feet before throwing it into the trash can. She stomped towards her closet with an aggravated look, searching for her second phone. When she found it, she dialed someone¡¯s number.


    "I want you to do something for me," she ordered as soon as the call connected.


    **


    "Some more money has gone missing ma¡¯am, and this time, it¡¯s a much bigger amount than the first time," Leo informed Selene.


    It¡¯s been two months since hest visited them


    to inform about the first money missing.


    Selene frowned deeply as she retrieved the document Leo was giving her.


    Her eyes widened in shock when she saw the huge amount of money missing from thepany.


    <i>10 million dors. </i>


    ¡¯Who could want such a huge amount of money?¡¯ She wondered.


    "Have you informed Robert about this?" She asked.


    "He already knows he was the first person who found out about it," Leo replied.


    "And what did he do about it?" Xavier questioned from beside Selene.


    "They are investigating the issue, him and his son. But that¡¯s not all."


    Leo fetched more documents from his bag and handed them to Selene.


    "I checked recent records and it seems this is not the second time someone has been stealing money from thepany. For a year, every two months, money from thepany will just disappear. It¡¯s always been in small amounts which is probably why Robert hadn¡¯t investigated or he actually never noticed it at all."


    Both Xavier and Selene shared a confused look.


    "The theft had been happening for a whole year," Xavier concluded.

 Chapter 129: Xavier Wallace

    "He was the one who stole the money that had been disappearing from the Harrisonpany for the past year," he answered.


    Selene believed Xavier, but it didn¡¯t make any sense to her.


    Why would Jack steal from his father when he could just ask for money when he needed it?


    She¡¯d thought it must have been close business friends of Robert, but Jack? She didn¡¯t see iting one bit.


    "The money was already withdrawn from the bank, leaving his ount empty. Maybe in case he turns out to be a suspect one day."


    Xavier was also confused by Jack¡¯s actions. But it seemed there were many things Selene needed to unravel in that family.


    **


    "You stole so much today, son. Did your father notice?" Amelia asked Jack as she stacked the money Jack had redrawn from the bank into her private savings.


    The smooth texture of the notes under her palm made her more hungry to hold more money.


    "He noticed this one and he wants to investigate the disappearance of the money. Too bad for him he won¡¯t be finding out anything since I¡¯m heading the investigation while he continues to make more money for us, Mother," Jack replied.


    He leaned his back on the chair he was sitting on. They were in a guest room upstairs while Robert was downstairs watching some business news. He had no idea what his wife and son were nning.


    Both the mother and son revealed an evil grin as they imagined the expression Robert would have when he realized the person stealing from him was actually his son.


    "You did a good job today for sure. Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t be long before you take over the seat as the new CEO of the Harrisonpany, that way, you won¡¯t have to steal anymore," Amelia teased, locking the safe when she was done securing the money.


    "You know I can¡¯t wait anymore, mother. When are we going to start poisoning him already? He¡¯s already old and won¡¯t consider retiring. The way I¡¯m looking at things with father, he won¡¯t retire till the next ten years from now," Jackined.


    Amelia ced her hand on her chin, thinking.


    "Not long. Let¡¯s just wait for him to finish making more money for us, then we will poison him," she grinned.


    It¡¯s already been two years since Robert snatched <i>Anastasia¡¯s </i>property from her at the hospital after her miscarriage.


    The deal was Robert would split it, giving Michelle, Jack, and Amelia their share and taking the rest for himself.


    Sadly for them, he hadn¡¯t transferred anything at all. He kept on giving them the same excuse about wanting to make it big so that everyone would get equal shares of wealth. He kept on dying it until two years passed.


    Michelle didn¡¯t bother with the money since she believed her father, so Amelia and Jack didn¡¯t bother to involve her in their ns to milk Robert of all his money.


    Amelia and Jack decided to approach the situation differently. If Robert wouldn¡¯t give them their shares, they would steal from him. They chose thetter, believing it was more cunning and would leave Robert in confusion. By the time he realized what had happened, it would already be toote.


    **


    "Were you able to find out anything?" Ezekiel asked one of his men who was trying to break the barrier that intersected with <i>Anastasia¡¯s </i>profile.


    It¡¯s been months now and he still tried to break the barrier. Robert had dared toe to their mansion to <i>talk</i> about business, but Ezekiel got him kicked out before he could catch a glimpse of their mansion¡¯s entrance.


    The more Robert persisted Jeffery to sign the papers, the more Ezekiel became suspicious of Robert. It was obvious Robert didn¡¯t care about <i>Anastasia, </i>but the more he tried to persuade them, the more Ezekiel believed that the old man had something up his sleeves.


    "Not at all sir," the hacker who was also a worker for Ezekiel replied. Sweat coated his forehead and he typed away on his keyboard.


    He¡¯d tried different codes but nothing was working. For two whole months, they had been trying to hack into Ana¡¯s profile since the emptiness was suspicious.


    Ezekiel believed something was up.


    Not being able to find <i>Anastasia </i>in the Harrison mansion as Robert had said was suspicious on its own. But not finding a single picture of her on the inte was even more suspicious.


    As Ezekiel continued to be deep in thought, the hacker suddenly screamed, "I cracked it."


    Other hackers who had been trying the same thing stared at him in disbelief. As he focused on hisputer screen, the barrier securing Anastasia¡¯s profile was revealed. Now, all they needed to do was track down the code to its owner ormunity. Within an hour, they had found it.


    Ezekiel gritted his teeth when he saw the name written boldly on theputer screen.


    <i>Xavier Wace.</i>

 Chapter 130: Almost Beaten Up

    Slowly, Selene turned as instructed. It didn¡¯t take a genius to guess she was being robbed when she saw their faces covered with ck masks. But she was also curious to know what they wanted to do with the baseball bats in their hands since they had a gun.


    Before her stood two men who wore ragged clothes, and gloves on their hands while one pointed a gun at her.


    Selene couldn¡¯t help but wonder how they¡¯d gotten into the parking lot. There was supposed to be security guarding the front gate.


    "What do you want? Money?" She questioned, her eyes ring into their eyes since that was the only thing left out in the open for her to see.


    "You are quite smart," the one holding the gunplimented. "But too bad, we are not here for the money. The person you offended has already paid us more money than you could give us right now," he added.


    Selene frowned deeply.


    ¡¯Then the person who sent them must be rich,¡¯ she concluded.


    "You see...." The other one who was holding two baseball bats paused. "You¡¯d offended someone and now we¡¯ve been paid to beat you up."


    "That¡¯s what I guessed as well," Selene responded. "Who sent you?" Her tone was demanding andcked fear, even though a gun was pointed at her forehead.


    However, deep down, only Selene knew how frightened she was at that moment. But she wouldn¡¯t let the two robbers see it.


    "We can¡¯t tell you that, mydy." The one holding the gun licked his lips as he stared at Selene, driving disgust out of her. "You sure we can¡¯t have fun with her first before we beat her up?" He asked his partner.


    "Don¡¯t be stupid. We were only paid to beat her up. Besides, someone might walk in on us before we do anything. The cameras are everywhere," the other replied. He tossed a bat at his other partner, who caught it swiftly.


    "Too bad..."


    Selene nced between the both of them. This was the first time she would be fighting an actual person like Xavier had taught her. She could only hope that she wouldn¡¯t make a mistake.


    Before they could strike, Selene immediately kicked the gun out of his hand, sending it flying to a corner.


    Surprised by her actions, they striked together but Selene moved out of the way. She grabbed the bat of the one holding the gun and tried to yank it off his wrist, but his grip on it was too tight.


    "This is interesting. I never thought she could actually fight," hemented, a grin on his lips. His smile immediately faltered into a pained expression when Selene kicked him hard between the legs. "What the fuck!" he cursed.


    She quickly grabbed the bat he dropped as his hands gathered around his balls before he fell.


    Selene picked it up, but then she felt an excruciating pain in her back. Her attention had been on the one holding the gun, and she hadpletely forgotten to keep an eye on the other one.


    "You little piece of shit," he cursed as he intended to hit her again.


    "Selene!" Selene heard someone call her name. She found Kael ring at the two men who¡¯d just attacked her.


    When the one who hit her saw Kael, he quickly dropped his bat and intended to pick up his friend to get away. But Kael attacked him by sending a punch his way, which had him copse beside his friend.


    Kael immediately called for backup before he rushed toward Selene.


    "Are you okay?" He asked her as he helped her up.


    She nodded despite the excruciating pain she felt. She was thankful it was just her back the robber had hit, and the bat didn¡¯te in contact with her head, else, she would have been dead already.


    But her bone felt broken.


    "I¡¯m fine," she responded.


    The police were called and the robbers were immediately handed over to them.


    It wasn¡¯t toote, so Kael assisted Selene in heading to the medical bay. She wouldn¡¯t want to wake up the next morning with a spine fracture. The doctor gave her some medication and did an x-ray of it. Nothing was the problem.


    When the checkup was done, Selene pulled out her phone and dialed a number.


    The robbers might not have mentioned a name, but she had an idea of who could have possibly sent them.


    Meanwhile, Michelle who¡¯d been checking her phone to see if she would get any notifications from the men she sent to Selene frowned deeply when she saw a calling from Selene herself.


    Fear wrapped around her heart.

 Chapter 131: They Failed

    The smirk on Selene¡¯s lips stretched even more.


    "I never said you were the one, Michelle. But we will only find out when they decide to talk."


    Michelle paled.


    ¡¯They¡¯ve been caught.¡¯


    "It shouldn¡¯t take too long before they confess who sent them. The body can¡¯t handle too much torture you see. So, they might confess tonight or tomorrow... or even now. Then, the person whose name they reveal will be captured and sent to prison."


    Michelle¡¯s grip on her phone tightened as she cursed Selene under her breath. She¡¯d ordered the men she sent to beat her up until she couldn¡¯t walk anymore. They shouldn¡¯t forget to scar her face to make her look hideous.


    But they¡¯d failed.


    "I didn¡¯t do anything, Selene. You have no proof." Michelle tried to defend herself.


    "I never said you were, the robbers will decide that. But you¡¯d better sleep with one eye open. Who knows, I might send someone toe slit your throat."


    Selene hung up on the call, leaving Michelle in distress.


    "I¡¯m done for," Michelle muttered.


    Selene arrived home and informed Xavier of what had happened at the set.


    "Maybe I should just hand you a gun so that you can finish Michelle once and for all," he suggested, which earned him augh from Selene as she buttoned her nightwear.


    "Are you sure about that? I might end up killing all the Harrison members."


    "Go ahead, I will get rid of the bodies before the police find out about it," he responded.


    He walked towards her and wrapped his hands around her from behind. They stared at each other from the vanity mirror, their hearts beating in sync.


    "I can¡¯t do that now. I still need to find out why Jack is stealing from thepany," she mumbled.


    The way Xavier was staring at her through the vanity mirror made her heart race and heat flushed her cheeks.


    "Hmm," a deep voice rumbled in his throat. "If you need any help, just let me know," he added, his eyes reflecting a genuine willingness to assist.


    Without warning, he bit her earlobe, drawing a startled gasp from her. His hands around her waist tightened, as if fearing that if he let go for even a second, she would disappear.


    "Xavier..." she moaned.


    Xavier turned her over and captured her lips. Selene was a little surprised, but wrapped her hands around his neck as they drew each other closer.


    Xavier kissed Selene with need and desire but reminded himself to not go too far.


    Since the both of them had gotten together, they¡¯d never gone beyond kissing. To think they¡¯d not consummated their marriage yet, Selene couldn¡¯t help but worry for Xavier. She wasn¡¯t ready to do it, but from the look in his eyes whenever he kissed her, he was asking for a go signal which she hadn¡¯t given him yet.


    Selene moaned again when he slipped his tongue in her mouth. Due to their height difference, Xavier had to bend to her level while Selene craned her neck.


    Selene tapped on his chest when she was starting to run out of breath.


    Reluctantly, he let her go.


    "I need to use the bathroom," he quickly excused himself and dashed towards the bathroom.


    Selene stared at his back, slightly confused. Her shoulders slumped as she sighed. She already had an idea why he rushed to the bathroom.


    Sighing once again, she slipped under the covers and waited for him to finish.


    After what her brother, father, and Richard had done to her, she didn¡¯t know if she could feelfortable having sex ever again. Just the thought of it made goosebumps rise on her skin.


    A notification from Selene¡¯s phone drove her out of her thoughts. She picked up her phone to see the message was sent from Kael. It was the restaurant¡¯s name, date and time.


    Since they didn¡¯t have to shoot the next day, they would have to go separately.


    Kael and Selene chatted for a few minutes until Xavier came out of the bathroom.


    His body was drenched, which meant he took another shower.


    "I thought you were already asleep."


    "I was waiting for you."


    Xavier wore a new set of sleeping wear and slipped under the covers with Selene.


    "I¡¯m sorry," Selene apologized as she wrapped her hands around him.


    "What are you apologizing for? I¡¯m willing to wait."


    Selene nodded in understanding as they got ready to sleep.


    All of a sudden, Xavier¡¯s phone buzzed sharply, pulling him from his thoughts. He nced at the screen, his face falling as the message¡¯s words blurred into a dark reality.

 Chapter 132: More Betrayals

    When it was time to go home, the bodyguards of the others who came with them assisted in taking them to the car. Selene bid them goodbye before getting into her car.


    She rubbed her stuffed belly before releasing a sigh. She¡¯d bitten more than she could chew by ordering more and more food until she couldn¡¯t lift a finger anymore.


    She couldn¡¯t help but be d she didn¡¯t drink, else she would have been throwing up here and there.


    Selene checked the time only to see it was only 4 pm.


    "Xavier would be heading home soon."


    Just when Selene was about to turn on the engines of the car, her eyes caught something. Not something, but someone¡ª someone very familiar.


    She thought her eyes were ying tricks on her so she squinted it to be sure she was seeing right.


    Amelia, together with a young man who didn¡¯t look more than someone in histe twenties came out from a house.


    Amelia was wearing a red scarf to cover half of her face, but since she was facing in a direction Selene could see her properly, she immediately identified her.


    Meanwhile, Selene thought her eyes were going to pop when she saw Amelia, her mother with a man much younger than her.


    They were too far away so she couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying. But the way Amelia smiled at him, touched his hands very seductively, and winked at him from time to time, it didn¡¯t take a genius to know exactly what was happening.


    Even a five-year-old would understand that something intimate was going on between the both of them.


    Quickly, Selene snatched her phone from her bag and took pictures of them. She¡¯d already known for a long time that Robert was cheating on Amelia, but never in her dreams would she have dreamt that Amelia was doing the same thing to Robert. They were ying the same game with each other, and one day, either one or both of them would burn.


    But since Selene had discovered it, there was no doubt that they¡¯d both face the consequences together.


    "I wille by next time," Amelia said to the young man before she leaned and peeked him on his cheek


    He watched her get into her car and zoomed off he headed back into the house.


    Selene was too stunned to speak, her mind struggling to process what she had just seen. Her previously heavy stomach, weighed down by anxiety and unease, now felt oddly light, as if the shock had somehow resolved the tension and difort she¡¯d been carrying.


    Selene stared at the pictures on her phone. Amelia was cheating on Robert. A smirk pulled on her lips.


    Jack was stealing from Robert, Robert was cheating on Amelia, and Amelia was cheating on Robert.


    "The family is not even loyal to each other," sheughed out loud.


    Remembering she didn¡¯t have a photo of Robert and his lover, she quickly zoomed into the Harrisonpany and waited for him to leave.


    Robert usually visited his lover at dusk or sometimes in the afternoon. She could only hope he was going at dusk, else she would have to wait for him outside the building the next day.


    Good thing director Jax had given them the next day off.


    In less than an hour, she sighted Robert getting into his car and leaving. Immediately, she followed behind him.


    Just as she¡¯d hoped, Robert went to visit his lover. When he got to her house, he knocked on the door softly.


    The woman came out, wearing a shirt and a blouse. She looked like she was in her early thirties with blonde hair.


    Selene fetched her phone and took pictures of them, especially when they pecked each other on the lips.


    "This is going to be fun," Selene said to herself as she flipped her phone in her hands while her heart danced in joy. "Every one of them is going to meet their doom after I¡¯m through with them."


    Selene remembered Michelle; the only thing she had against thetter was the robbers who still had not confessed yet. But Selene didn¡¯t want to bother herself with them. She knew it was Michelle who sent them, and that was all that mattered.


    Now, she was only going to sit and watch as the family members continued to betray each other which would end up breaking the family as she¡¯d wanted.


    "This is going to be too fun to watch."


    She sighed with a satisfied grin before she reversed and headed back home.

 Chapter 133: Enraged

    He pulled her to a corner and mmed her body against the wall, eliciting a yelp from her.


    "It¡¯s my fucking business," he snapped. He didn¡¯t know why he¡¯d said what he¡¯d said, but he meant every word.


    Allison was quite shocked by his actions and her heart skipped a beat at his confession but she shook her head in denial, not wanting the words to sink in.


    "Just get out of here and leave me alone Kace. I have a boyfriend for goodness sa¡ª"


    "A boyfriend that beats you up? Do you even love that lowlife scumbag you call a boyfriend?" He questioned her.


    The way she always reminded him of having a boyfriend made his blood boil for some reason.


    "So just because he¡¯s your boyfriend, you are going to let him beat you up until you die? You are not going to fight back or break up with him?" He added.


    Tears streamed down Allison¡¯s eyes as she shook her head.


    "I can¡¯t... it¡¯s not that simple," she mumbled, her lips trembling.


    Kace frowned slightly, not understanding what she meant.


    When he¡¯d done his research on Allison, he didn¡¯t find anything incriminating about her. She was just a simple college girl trying to survive in Radiantia. But Kace hadn¡¯t bothered to check into Derek, considering him too insignificant to stress over.


    But from Allison¡¯s tone, he couldn¡¯t help but grow curious about the kind of rtionship she truly shared with Derek. It was clear that it wasn¡¯t just a simple romantic rtionship.


    "What do you mean?" He asked her.


    Allison shook her head vehemently, refusing to spill anything.


    "I need to go for my next ss."


    She wiped her tears immediately, making sure there was no sign revealing how hard she sobbed just a second ago.


    Before Kace would ask her any more questions, she¡¯d already slipped from under his arm and ran out. He quickly chased after her.


    "Do you perhaps know why everyone keeps staring at us?" He couldn¡¯t help but ask. The stares have only gotten stronger as they pulled out their phone and took pictures of them.


    "That¡¯s exactly why I told you to stop following me around. A picture of us was released in the university¡¯s forum a few days ago," she replied, quickening her steps.


    "What kind of picture?" He frowned. He made a mental note to hack into the school¡¯s forum and delete the pictures.


    Allison paused her steps when her eyes fell on the person in front of her.


    "So the rumors are true, huh?" Derek questioned Allison, ring at Kace, who stared back at him unfazed. Only Kace knew how much he wanted to punch the bastard until he had no teeth left to speak.


    "Derek..." Allison gasped.


    Kace frowned when he saw how shaken up Allison looked just by staring at Derek. He quickly made a mental note to research everything possible about Derek. He wasn¡¯t going to wait anymore for Allison to tell him.


    "So, it is true you have been sleeping with Kace Wace?!" He bellowed in rage.


    Kace put two and two together and everything made sense. The stares they were receiving from the students, the murmurs. He¡¯d only visited Allison a few times, but he¡¯d never expected that people would start talking rubbish about them.


    "Derek, it¡¯s not what it looks like. You see..."


    <i>PAK!!</i>


    Allison didn¡¯t get the chance toplete her sentence, when she felt a hard palm strike against her cheek with so much force she nearly hit her head on the wall.


    Derek had never hit her in public. Since he did, it only meant that he was extremely furious with her.


    "You are such a slut!" He yelled at her. He turned to stare at Kace whose eyes were ring with anger. The intensity was so strong that Derek subconsciously gulped down his saliva in fear before he waved it off by taking a step towards Kace to scare thetter away.


    Unfortunately for him, that was one of the biggest mistakes he has made in his life.


    People passing by had already stopped to watch the unfolding drama.


    "You were enjoying my girlfriend so much you thought I wouldn¡¯t find out? Just because youe from the Wace family, don¡¯t think I will be scared of you¡ª-"


    Kace delivered a punch that sent Derek flying across the hallway. Derek¡¯s back mmed against the nearest wall with a heavy impact, and blood trickled down his cheeks.

 Chapter 134: Do You Love Derek?

    No one dared to stop them, not even the professors who arrived when they were departing. The students only stared at Kace in awe while Derek¡¯s friends picked him up and left.


    "I still have one ss remaining," she mumbled under her breath when she noticed them leaving the college.


    "It wouldn¡¯t hurt to skip a ss," Kace replied.


    Allison didn¡¯t talk anymore. She quickly wiped up her tears and sniffed back the remaining ones that wanted to stream down her face. Her jaw already hurt from crying so much.


    Kace stopped the car at a park. It wasn¡¯t bustling like a park should be since it was already dusk. Only a handful of people were taking a stroll around the park.


    "What are we doing here?" She asked him.


    She didn¡¯t know why she¡¯d listened to him and got into the car when he wanted her to. But now that her senses were starting to clear, she couldn¡¯t help but question their location.


    "I don¡¯t know either. But I figured you wouldn¡¯t want to stay back in college and watch your boyfriend nearly bleed to death after he pped you in the face."


    Kace¡¯s words seemed to have pressed the button that would make her tear up again, but she restrained herself.


    "Thank you," she appreciated, staring at the park. "I needed fresh air."


    Both of them got down and sat on an empty bench. Kace excused himself to go to a nearby store.


    Allison stared at his back until he disappeared into the store. She mped her hands together, still shocked by what had happened.


    Derek had never hit her in public¡ªhe only punished her in private which was why she¡¯d been shocked by his actions earlier.


    He¡¯d already beaten her up when he saw the pictures of her and Kace together. Allison could only wonder who took those pictures. There were over a thousand students at Aurora Heights University, so it could be any one.


    Either way, she didn¡¯t want to think about it. What¡¯s done is done. Now, everyone thinks she¡¯s a slut. And then her mother is going to me her for messing things up again.


    Allison covered her face with her palm as she tried to suppress a sob.


    "Here." A hand holding an ice pack stretched towards her. She stared at Kace with a questionable expression. "Your cheek is all red and swollen up. I wouldn¡¯t want people to think I was the one that did that to you, so you need to ice it up."


    Reluctantly, Allison took the ice pack and mouthed a ¡¯Thank You¡¯.


    She ced the ice bag on her cheek which soothes the burn she felt there immediately.


    Kace handed her some snacks and some juice which she nearly rejected, but her belly rumbled in hunger. So, she hesitantly took it and munched it as if her life depended on it.


    As she got busy munching on the snack, they fell into apanionable silence.


    "I never thought there was anything you would willingly collect from my hands," Kace joked to ease up the tension that sat between them.


    His blood still boiled, feeling the urge to go back and beat Derek up again. But thetter had already passed out after taking just one hit.


    ¡¯Such a weakling,¡¯ he thought to himself.


    Allison stiffened when she heard his words. She just realized it was true. Kace and Allison weren¡¯t enemies, but the way he bothered her each time he came to the university always made her want to kick him between his legs.


    "I guess that¡¯s a good start to a wonderful friendship," he added when he didn¡¯t hear her speak.


    Instantly, Allison snapped her head to look at him.


    "We are not friends," she stated matter-of-factly, raising an eyebrow at Kace, who seemed slightly taken aback. She then turned back to her snack. "But thanks for what you did earlier, for taking down Derek and his friends. If you ever visit the university again, I¡¯m sure everyone will want your autograph," she added, swatting away a fly that nearlynded on her donut.


    Kace frowned. "What do you mean?"


    "Derek is the number one bully in Aurora Heights. Every student is scared of him, and no one dares to cross his path. Those he had bullied don¡¯t dare to giveints since his father is a professor in Aurora Heights. They fear he might fail them and never let them graduate," she exined.


    Kace couldn¡¯t help but scoff.


    "You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. People are scared of that little weiner?" he asked, scoffing as he nced at her. Noticing a single tear rolling down her cheek, he added, "Do you love Derek?"

 Chapter 135: Troublemakers

    Allison was left with no other choice than to go meet Derek who was already pursuing her from high school until coincidentally, they got into the same college. She sold herself to him just to pay her mother¡¯s fees, with a few conditionsid out for her. E.g, she had to be his girlfriend. He never asked her to repay his favor by giving her the money she needed to pay for her mother¡¯s hospital bills.


    But when he started bing violent with her, she wanted to run away.


    Unfortunately for her, Derek had a sex tape when he fucked her, and she had no idea about it. He threatened to release it if she didn¡¯t pay him back. But she doubted if she paid him every cent and penny, he would delete the sex tape and let her be.


    But Allison couldn¡¯t tell Kace about anything she was thinking at the moment.


    She knew for sure she was in deep trouble after what had happened. Derek was going to beat her up again after he woke up, and her so-called mother, whom she¡¯d sold her body for would only yell at her for disobeying Derek.


    Even though she was aware of what would happen once she stepped foot into her house, she wanted to stay at the park a bit longer.


    Although, it was only her face that was pped, her whole body ached as if a boulder hadnded on her. She sipped her juice,pletely carried away by her thoughts while Kace stared at her as he tried to know what she could be thinking about.


    "Can we stay a bit longer?" She asked him, staring at him with her baby-blue eyes. He felt his heart tighten when he saw how hurt she was; he could see it just by looking at her.


    "Sure. If you don¡¯t want to go home, I can arrange a ce for you to stay tonight," he suggested, ready to dial someone¡¯s number as soon as she gave her consent.


    His shoulders sank in disappointment when she shook her head.


    "We are not friends, Kace. I will also need to go home if I don¡¯t want to cause any more trouble," she responded.


    Kace sighe, but still hummed in understanding.


    A couple of hours passed, it was already dark and Allison was finally ready to go back home.


    Kace stopped the vehicle in front of her house, taking in the other vehicle that was parked opposite his.


    Allison flinched slightly when she saw Derek¡¯s car.


    "He¡¯s already here," she mumbled. Fear wrapped around her heart before she stepped down from the car.


    "Do you want me toe with you?" He didn¡¯t care if he made things worse, but he wouldn¡¯t sitfortably in his car and let people he didn¡¯t know maltreat Allison however they liked, even though it was her boyfriend.


    His tongue turned bitter each time he recalled that title belonged to a red-headed jerk who smelled like he only took a shower once in a blue moon.


    ¡¯You can do better, Allison,¡¯ he couldn¡¯t help but think for himself.


    Allison shook her head.


    "It¡¯s okay. I can take it from here. Thanks for taking me to the park, Kace."


    She smiled at him, revealing her pearly white teeth. It was the first time she¡¯d smiled so brightly at him, but sadly, it wasn¡¯t a genuine smile.


    It was more like as if she was reassuring him she would be alright, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to believe her.


    But he nodded in his head nheless.


    He watched Allison wave him goodbye, waiting for him to go before she would step foot into the house.


    Sighed, he did what she wanted him to do.


    Allison¡¯s smile faltered when she saw Kace¡¯s car disappear into the street.


    Taking a deep breath, preparing herself for the inevitable argument.


    She walked into the house and sighted Derek, with his father seated on one couch. While her mother and her younger sister were seated on the opposite couch. There was so much tension in the air, that Allison nearly gave in to the temptation of turning her back and leaving as if she never appeared there.


    But it was already toote. They turned their heads to re at her when they felt her presence.


    "Look who¡¯s back after spending some time with her sugar daddy."

 Chapter 136: Greedy Mother

    "I didn¡¯t want to leave with him at first, I just..." She paused. "I left with him because I wanted to, is there a problem?" She rephrased.


    Derek stood up from the couch, together with his father who¡¯d been quiet since she arrived. Her mother walked towards her with a piercing re.


    "How dare you talk to him like that? Have you forgotten all that he and his father had done for us?! Don¡¯t be ungrateful, Allison," her mother spat in her face.


    Allison had always appreciated what Derek had done for her.


    Besides, without him, her mother would have been gone, and they would have lost their home and their ability to eat three square meals a day. She would be forever grateful for his help, but she was exhausted by the constant mistreatment she endured.


    Since she was dating Derek, no opposite gender in college dared toe close to her. She didn¡¯t have many female friends. Only Olivia, her best friend, and Natalie.


    But Derek had crossed the line when he pped her in public. She was sure videos of the scene Derek created would be uploaded to the school¡¯s forum the next day. Then, everyone would start avoiding her all over again, and gossip about her would circte everywhere.


    Allison couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of regret for asking Derek for help in the past. If only her father hadn¡¯t gambled away all their money and left them in debt, or if her mother hadn¡¯t suffered from a heart condition, she might not have found herself in such a dire situation.


    "I¡¯m talking to you!!" Her mother yelled.


    Allison stared at her mother with a nk face, readying herself to get smack on the face. But it seemed her mother decided to use her words instead of her hand tomunicate this time around.


    "Derek pped me in front of everyone. It was humiliating, so I left," she answered.


    "You left with Kace Wace after what he did to me and my friends!" Derek reminded her. Allison frowned slightly when she saw saliva flying out of his mouth as he spoke.


    Allison¡¯s mother¡¯s eyes lit up in surprise when she heard about Kace Wace. She was well aware of the family and their influential status. She grinned when she realized her daughter was involved with someone richer than Derek¡¯s family.


    "You do realize that we can sue Kace Wace for what he did to my son, right?" Derek¡¯s father finally spoke.


    "I doubt you would want to do that Mr. Williams. You wouldn¡¯t want to lose your career now, would you?" Allison questioned him back. If he thought he was going to threaten her like that, he was greatly mistaken. "And you..." she turned to Derek who was fuming so much, his chest raised up and down. "I have let you hit me however you like, call me whatever names you want to call me. But I must remind you there¡¯s a limit to everything. I will repay you and your father for everything I owe you but don¡¯t ever hit me like that again. Else I might...."


    "Else you will what?" Derek questioned her, taking a threatening step towards her while Allison instinctively took a few steps back. "What will you do Allison? Will you call the police?"


    "She wouldn¡¯t dare do that," her mother intervened.


    Allison stared at Derek, his red hair seemed to have darkened even more due to his anger.


    "Else you will do what, Allison? Can¡¯t you talk anymore?" Derek yelled in her face, his saliva flying everywhere which disgusted her. "I¡¯m going to beat you up so badly, you will wish you¡¯d never been born."


    "Is that so?" They suddenly heard someone at the entrance of the house finish. "Looks like your screws are still loose. I thought that punch would have fixed up your brain but sadly, it didn¡¯t," Kace added.


    Allison¡¯s mother stared at Kace in awe.


    ¡¯My daughter has caught a big fish this time around. Fuck the Williams, I will push her to be with Kace. The Wace family is richer,¡¯ the middle-aged woman thought to herself as she admired Kace¡¯s presence in her living room. He was so tall his head neatly reached the roof of the living room.


    "You little..."


    "I would advise you to think beforepleting that sentence, Derek. I¡¯m sure your father here wouldn¡¯t want to lose his job at the college, am I right, Mr. Williams?" Kace asked the older man who was starting to sweat profusely since he arrived.

 Chapter 137: Taking Her To His House

    "She¡¯s my girlfriend and she is staying here with me. Don¡¯t you think you are interrupting our conversation, Kace Wace? I suggest you leave immediately," Derek ordered, reaching out to grab Allison by the hand but Kace stopped him.


    Derek didn¡¯t even wait for Kace to say anything and tried attacking him again. Heunched his fist forward as fast as he could, hoping it could kiss Kace¡¯s fresh face so that he could finally be satisfied.


    But he ended up with the same result as earlier. Kace was able to dodge his attack.


    Unfortunately for Derek, Kace wasn¡¯t as lenient this time. He mmed Derek against the wall with ease, then delivered a relentless series of punches to his left and right, causing blood to spurt from his nose, mouth, and any other vulnerable spot.


    Mr Williams tried to separate the both of them but Kace was too strong for him to do so. Allison and her mother didn¡¯t bother to stop him either.


    Allison was quite confused when her mother stood still and didn¡¯t try to stop the fight like Mr Williams was doing.


    When Kace was finally satisfied with the state Derek was in, he wiped his mouth clean and dragged Allison out of the living room without saying another word.


    Allison got into the car without him asking her to. She thought she was ready to face them, but it was obvious she wasn¡¯t. If Kace hadn¡¯t arrived, Derek would have beaten her up again.


    "Where are we going?" She asked Kace who hadn¡¯t spoken a word since they left the front of her house. "I thought you¡¯d already left, why did youe back?" She added.


    "I came back for you," Kace responded after a few beats.


    Allison felt her heart skip a beat at his response, so she looked away.


    "But where are we going?" She didn¡¯t have ss the next day since it was the weekend. Selene was still recovering from her leg injury, so she had nowhere to go tomorrow, plus, it was alreadyte.


    "Somewhere you can rx. I¡¯m sure you are already tired and ufortable in that house of yours. So, I¡¯m taking you to my house to rx," he responded.


    Instantly, Allison snapped her head to look at him. She couldn¡¯t be beating him right.


    ¡¯He¡¯s taking me to his house?¡¯ She wondered.


    "What did you say?" She asked him, her eyes widened, and her jaws dropped as she waited for him to respond.


    "I¡¯m taking you to my house to rx. And before you think of anything, I¡¯m not interested in you," he reasoned out.


    Hearing him say he wasn¡¯t interested in her made her heart ache, but she pushed the pain aside and red at him defiantly.


    "Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier you were taking me to your house? I don¡¯t want to go to your house. Stop the car immediately!" She ordered.


    "Will you rx? I suppose you wouldn¡¯t want to be alone with me because <i>you have a boyfriend," </i>Kace mimicked her tone whenever she reminded him she had a boyfriend, which made her cheeks flush in embarrassment. "Like I said, I¡¯m not interested in you or anything."


    Kace stopped the car, and Allison realized they had arrived. She stared at the house in front of her¡ªit wasn¡¯t huge or tiny, just a modest, middle-sized home.


    She stepped out of the car, forcing herself to follow Kace.


    "Don¡¯t you feel weird bringing a stranger to your house?" She asked Kace, who seemed to not mind at all.


    He turned to look at her, a grin on his lips. "You are not a stranger to me, Allison."


    She frowned, nervously gulping down her saliva.


    "What if I kill you in your sleep, or take all your money and run away?" She asked, her eyes narrowed. His kindness towards her that day was unusual and she wanted to know what was making him act so nicely to her.


    "You can try, but I won¡¯t guarantee you will seed. You would already be caught before you can step out of this house," he answered. "Now, let¡¯s go."


    Allison scowled at his back before she followed behind him.


    After spending some time thinking for himself, Kace decided to move out of the Wace mansion and live on his own. He didn¡¯t have any servants so the house was eerily quiet.


    Kace gave Allison a room and offered her dinner. He invited her to y a game but she declined, not wanting to be in close contact with him. The next morning, she disappeared after sending Kace a text of appreciation.

 Chapter 138: Ritual

    "Why could he be interested in Anastasia all of a sudden?" He questioned back, not understanding a single thing. If it was Ezekiel, thetter could have contacted him already since he couldn¡¯t find what he was looking for.


    Anastasia¡¯s profile was empty.


    "That makes sense," Maxwell agreed. "Maybe you should ask him why he¡¯s suddenly¡ª"


    "No! Nothing good is going toe out of it," Xavier interrupted.


    For Ezekiel to suddenly grow interested in his wife, Xavier wants to befortable with it at all. To ensure her safety, Xavier had tightened her security. Although she likes to go ces alone, he¡¯d hired more shadow guards to protect her from the shadows without making her feel ufortable.


    "So, are you ready to go?" Maxwell asked, shifting the topic as he took in Xavier¡¯s attire. d in a ck tuxedo, bow tie, and one of his finest pairs of shoes, Xavier looked as if he were headed to a formal event. But Maxwell knew it wasn¡¯t just any party.


    "I am," he replied.


    Kace burst through the door wearing a simr outfit to Xavier.


    "Finally! I miss going on missions. How long has it been? Two months? Three months? I can¡¯t even remember when...." Kace continued to talk nonstop. "Xavier, when was thest time we went on a mission together? It¡¯s been ages," he finished.


    Xavier sighed, already dreading the inevitable headache he would face once he left with Kace.


    Both Kace and Xavier were going to Silverwood, which was a town just behind the city of Radiantia. There had been an intel that there would be something big going down tonight. So, Xavier decided to bring Kace along, while the rest of the backup team would be ready in case they would need to interfere when the timees.


    Xavier wasn¡¯t going only just because there was something big he didn¡¯t know; he was going because he wanted to capture the red-suited guy who escaped from his grasp thest time he went to Joltha for a trade.


    He hadn¡¯t informed his men since he wasn¡¯t fully sure of the identity of the unknown man, so he decided to keep the info to himself.


    "We are not going there to y, remember?" Maxwell reminded me.


    "Who said we were going there to y? I¡¯m just happy because I will finally be able to shoot down some bad people," Kace responded with a huge smile on his lips.


    "You are like a child," Xavier sighed as he facepalmed himself.


    Xavier wore his mask since the gathering had a mask theme, which was beneficial to him so that the red-suited guy wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize him if thetter spotted him first.


    Both Kace and Xavier got in separate cars since they wouldn¡¯t want to be spotted at the same time. Maxwell and the rest of the men got into a van and followed from behind but from a far distance and hid in the bushes when they arrived.


    A drive from Radiantia to Silverwood could only take an hour and a half¡ªthat was how close Silverwood was to Radiantia.


    Xavier was the first person to arrive.


    He stared at the two-story building. It wasn¡¯t shining bright with lights or had a valet who would park the car of a guest.


    Xavier adjusted his mask slightly before he walked into the building.


    He sighted some men walking around with drinks in their hands, while others stood and chatted with one another.


    Xavier couldn¡¯t recognize any of the men before him since they were all also wearing masks, which was a heavy disadvantage for him.


    He scanned around with a scrutinizing gaze. He couldn¡¯t feel anyone staring at him with a murder instinct so his shoulders rxed a little bit.


    But he was still curious about what could be going down tonight. There wasn¡¯t a trade, and as far as he knew, it was only when a trade was happening did all those kinds of men gather around to drink and have fun.


    He suddenly had a bad feeling about the whole thing.


    A few minutester, Xavier sighted Kace walking into the building. Their formal wear made them fit into the crowd perfectly so they didn¡¯t look suspicious.


    All of a sudden, an announcement was made out of nowhere.


    "Everyone please get ready to head to the basement for the ritual tomence," everyone heard from the speaker.


    ¡¯Ritual?¡¯


    Xavier and Kace shared an alert look.

 Chapter 139: They Aren’t Vampires!

    As the men continued to watch the women in lust, a man wearing a different colored suit walked in from a door in the basement. Xavier studied him, not sure if he was the man he was looking for since he was also wearing masks like everyone else.


    It seemed not everyone trusted each other here, which was why they all wore masks so that their identity wouldn¡¯t be revealed.


    "This is the first time we¡¯ve conducted a ritual," the man in the blue tailored suit started. "And the reason behind this ritual is to wee new members into the pedophile ring," he added.


    Xavier frowned deeply as he and Kace gave each other a side eye without turning their heads to look at each other.


    A lot of new things have been happening in the undergroundmunity for the past two years.


    Usually, buyers aren¡¯t supposed to sleep with the goods, but now that¡¯s happening.


    Now, a ritual? What kind of ritual?


    Xavier nced around the lit candles that circled them and the small-sized bed too. There was a big bowl at the altar¡ª it was almost filled with a dark liquid Xavier couldn¡¯t identify since he was far away from it, plus the lightning in the basement was too poor.


    The lit candles were their only source of light at the moment.


    "Now, shall we start?" The man asked.


    It was obvious from the questionable looks of the other men, that they had no idea what they were supposed to do.


    In 10 seconds, a fewdies marched in, wearing the same attire as the ones already in the room. There were about 15 men in the room.


    More women walked in with high heels until they matched the men¡¯s number. They all started winking and flirting with the men while the men tried to inch closer to close the gap between them.


    "Remember, there will be cameras watching. If you do more than you are supposed to do, you will be killed off right now and tossed in the bushes for the animals to feed on you," the blue-suited man threatened. "The knife is by the side of each bed. When you are done having sex, you cut the woman and drink her blood," he added.


    Not only Xavier and Kace were shocked by the man¡¯s words, but the other men gasped in shock.


    Judging from their gasp, they probably didn¡¯t know how the ritual was being performed.


    Besides, no one was willing to drink the blood of other human beings. They weren¡¯t vampires.


    "If I may ask, why do we have to drink their blood? I thought we were only supposed to sleep with them," one man asked, disgust etched on his face.


    "The reason for this ritual is to prove if any of you ismitted to us. It¡¯s not an easy task, but if you can do it, it only shows your loyalty towards us. It¡¯s a form of initiation," the blue-suited man replied. His eyes darted from one man to another until itnded on Kace. He stared at him for two seconds before he moved his eyes away. "If you are unwilling to partake in this ritual, that only means you are not loyal to us, and we would have to kill you before you step foot out of this basement."


    The ck-suited man who spoke earlier shrank back in fear. In other words, he has no choice but to partake in the ritual, or else he would be wasted.


    He¡¯d thought he was just going to sleep withdies, and that was it.


    "Do you have any more questions to ask?" The blue-suited man asked the one wearing back, and thetter immediately shook his head. "Then, let¡¯s begin."


    Due to the addition of drinking the blood of the femalester after sex, some men weren¡¯t excited about the whole ritual.


    Twodies walked towards Xavier and Kace, trying to unbutton their clothes and touch them.


    Both Kace and Xavier red at them, not intending to do any of the bullshits the blue-suited man had just mentioned.


    All of a sudden, the blue-suited man stopped thedies.


    "You two,e with me," he ordered both Xavier and Kace.


    Behind the man were other men who looked like bodyguards because of the armed guns in their hands.


    Both Kace and Xavier gave the blue-suited man a questionable look by raising their eyebrows.


    Without exining, the blue-suited man gestured for the armed bodyguards toe and take them.

 Chapter 140: Taken Away

    Xavier¡¯s shoulders slumped when he realized he wasn¡¯t who he was looking for since the red-suited guy he met months ago, even with a mask, <i>seemed</i> younger than the man before him.


    "So you are the two Craig found suspicious," the old man asked, coughing in between but that didn¡¯t stop him from smoking.


    "They were the only ones that weren¡¯t salivating at the sight of thosedies," Craig, the blue-suited man exined. "Others were ready to fuck, but they stood like statues. Maybe they were sent by X."


    The middle-aged man stared at the both of them, his eyes lingering on Xavier before a smirk pulled on his lips. He lifted the cigarette and took a big puff before he stood up from his chair.


    "Or maybe he¡¯s X," the middle-aged man pointed at Xavier who didn¡¯t show any kind of expression. "Take off your mask," he ordered.


    "We are supposed to keep our masks on for our safety," Xavier exined.


    An amused grin pulled on the middle-aged man¡¯s lips.


    "That¡¯s right! But I¡¯m not wearing a mask myself, so take off your mask," he demanded.


    Xavier silently gritted his teeth in anger but stood still, not willing to take off his mask.


    If the red-suited man he had encountered was coborating with the middle-aged man, it was possible that the middle-aged man already knew his true identity as X and was merely toying with him.


    After waiting a few seconds, and not doing what he¡¯d asked them to do, the middle-aged man ordered the guards to beat them up.


    Instantly, a fierce brawl broke out between Kace and Xavier and the armed men. But they were outnumbered by the armed men.


    The middle-aged man, together with Craig, sat and enjoyed the show.


    No matter how Kace and Xavier tried to beat up the men, they counterattacked with a better move.


    When the fight ended, Kace and Xavier were brutally bruised and were forced to kneel in front of the middle-aged man.


    The mask was torn off his face by the guards as they threw him forward. His face was brutally bruised but he refused to surrender so easily.


    He nced at Kace, who was also in the same condition as him.


    "To think we¡¯ve finally captured X so easily, we need to celebrate, don¡¯t you think Craig," the middle-aged man asked Craig who nodded in agreement.


    "Indeed, <i>He </i>did predict that X would being here today, blending with the crowd," Craig responded which earned him a chuckle from the middle-aged man.


    "<i>He </i>has proved that he¡¯s worthy of taking over," the middle-aged man agreed.


    Xavier wondered who they were talking about.


    ¡¯It must be the one I¡¯m looking for,¡¯ he concluded.


    Xavier could have easily instructed Maxwell to barge in, but he needed to uncover the identity of the person they were discussing. Despite being outnumbered by the several men in the room, he was prepared to endure more beating if it meant getting the information he sought.


    "Are you talking about that guy I shot in the leg the other time? He¡¯s such a weakling," Xavier spat. "He couldn¡¯t even face me and chose to run away."


    Kace stared at him with a questionable look.


    "You were the one who shot him in the leg?"


    "Where¡¯s he?" Xavier questioned before spitting out the blood in his mouth. "Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s too scared to show me his face," he added.


    The middle-aged man chuckled, hisughter filling the room.


    "You still have the nerve to make demands even when you are in no position to. Too bad, I¡¯m in no mood to entertain you, X."


    The middle-aged man turned to the guards.


    "Get rid of both of them and make sure you do it in the most painful way ever imagined. Capturing X is an aplishment. Getting rid of him with his aplice is a much bigger aplishment, don¡¯t you think Craig?"


    "It sure is, boss," Craig agreed. They believed they were finally going to get rid of them easily.


    Xavier gritted his teeth in anger when he and Kace were both pulled away from the floor and taken away.

 Chapter 141: Recognized

    All of a sudden, the men erupted in loads ofughter, together with the ones in the front seat, driving.


    "I¡¯m surprised that you two aren¡¯t scared of where we¡¯re heading. Instead, you want to fight with us?" Theyughed loudly, clearly mocking Xavier and Kace.


    All of a sudden, they felt something crash into the van. The impact was so strong, the van nearly toppled over.


    "What the fuck is that?!" They yelled out, clearly rmed by what could have happened.


    Immediately, the driver pulled the brakes of the van.


    Just as the armed men were about to close in, Xavier and Kace sprang into action. They swiftly grabbed the ropes that had been used to bind them and used them to choke their captors, cutting off their air supply and blocking their lungs.


    The armed men, caught up in their mockingughter, werepletely unaware of the escape n Xavier and Kace had meticulously prepared. While the men were busyughing and deriding them, Xavier and Kace had managed to free themselves from their restraints long ago.


    They had been waiting patiently for the precise moment when Maxwell and Xavier¡¯s team would strike the van, signaling their arrival and the perfect opportunity to act.


    "Let go of me you son of a bitch!" One screamed.


    The other four cocked their guns and were ready to shoot both Kace and Xavier.


    Unfortunately for the armed men, their dear friends were used as shields for the fired bullets and they slumped, dead.


    Before they could understand what they¡¯d done, Xavier had already attacked them by giving them his feet to kiss.


    Kace handled the remaining men, using them as shields too when the two armed men at the front tried to shoot him.


    Grabbing the nearest gun, Xavier fired, sending them both to hell.


    Kicking the van open, they stepped down only to find out they weren¡¯t far away from the building they had just left.


    Behind the van they hade out from was another van that crashed into it.


    Both Xavier and Kace were each handed a gun for their protection.


    "Who are we going after this time around?" Maxwell asked Xavier who seemed to be zoned out as he stared at the building they¡¯de out from.


    His eyes darted around the building, not sure of the answer himself. Thedies seemed to be enjoying what they were doing, using their body and blood as an initiation tool, while the menplied because they knew if they objected, their lives would be wasted.


    "Kill the bodyguards, but don¡¯t harm anyone wearing a mask¡ªjust capture them alive," Xavier ordered. "And there¡¯s still the man we saw earlier. Kace and I will go after him."


    Without wasting a second, everyone moved into action.


    Due to the loud sound of the van crashing, the other armed men in the building started firing at them.


    Both Xavier and Kace made their way to the basement, ignoring the men and women who ran out in haste due to the echoing sound of gunshots.


    "I doubt that man is still there," Kace said.


    When they arrived at the room in the basement, where they¡¯d been captured, it was empty.


    "We need to go that way," Xavier pointed at the other way, which could be an escape route. Which turned out to be true. They were outside but at the back of the building. But the strangest thing was that nobody was there. There was a car trail and they followed it, arriving where the car was parked, the door opened as if waiting for someone to enter.


    Xavier was about to shoot when he saw the person who was about to enter the car.


    As if sensing their presence, the man stopped before he entered, turning to sh them a smile.


    "See you again soon, Xavier," the man said before entering the car and zooming away.


    Finally, regaining from the shock of who they¡¯d just seen, they fired at the car, but unfortunately, it turned out to be a bulletproof car.


    Xavier chased after the car, feeling a sense of betrayal and rage. But the car was too fast.


    "Xavier!" Kace called after him. Despite trying to act normal, he couldn¡¯t forget whom he¡¯d just seen earlier. "That person¡ªthat person was Xa¡ª"


    "He¡¯s the one," Xavier confirmed. "Turns out he didn¡¯t change for the better good. I will find him, and when I do, he¡¯s going to answer a lot of questions."

 Chapter 142: Big Sister Problem

    Both she and Selene only had a professional rtionship so they shook her hands as a way of congratting her.


    Selene appreciated Yna¡¯spliment, still finding it hard to believe there was a chance she would get an award as the best actress.


    Both Selene and Yna spoke about a few more things concerning the award show before Selene left.


    As soon as her foot stepped out of Yna¡¯s office, she pulled out her phone to check the uing award show in Radiantia. Scrolling down, she found her category, then she saw her name as a nomination. She smirked. But her smirk stretched even more when she saw Michelle¡¯s name under hers, then the third actress who was named Winter Augusta.


    Selene didn¡¯t have any business with Winter, so she didn¡¯t bother with the actress. Her main target was Michelle Wace.


    It¡¯s been so long since she¡¯dst seen Michelle, and she couldn¡¯t wait to see thetter again.


    Michelle had won the Best Actress in Radiantia award for three years straight, and there was a very good chance Michelle would win it.


    Selene shook her head slightly in amusement before she left the building to go home.


    **


    In a vast mansion painted in cr¨¨me, surrounded by trees that gave it an enchanted and beautiful aura, fountains adorned the center and sides, enhancing its charm. The gentle sound of water cascading added a serene touch to the grand estate.


    In Jeffery rk¡¯s study room, the atmosphere was tense. The room was lined with towering bookshelves filled with volumes of literature and family records, a testament to the rk family¡¯s long history. Arge oak desk sat in the center, cluttered with papers and aputer, evidence of ongoing investigations and business matters.


    Jeffery sat behind the desk, his expression serious and concerned. Ezekiel, sitting opposite him, leaned forward, his brows furrowed in concentration. He had been tirelessly working to uncover the whereabouts of his lost sister, and today, he was updating his father on thetest developments.


    "So, what did you find out this time around?" Jeffery asked his son.


    Ezekiel rubbed his eyes which were deprived of sleep before he parted his lips to speak.


    "It was Xavier Wace who has been helping Robert to keep Anastasia hidden," he informed, confused with his own words since what he said didn¡¯t make sense to him, just like the way it didn¡¯t to Jeffery.


    "What?" Jeffery asked, his eyebrows furrowed.


    "My men were able to decode the barrier keeping Anastasia¡¯s profile empty, and then we traced it back to Xavier," he exined.


    Ezekiel knew someone was <i>helping </i>Robert out by keeping Anastasia hidden, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be Xavier Wace, his mortal enemy.


    "How¡¯s that even possible?" Jeffery asked, his confusion deepening.


    Ezekiel exined everything to his father, starting from where he found out that it was Xavier who was blocking all hackers possible from getting info about Anastasia¡¯s profile, to how he did research and found out that two years ago, the Wace family had been involved with the Harrison family for a reason he couldn¡¯t find out.


    It was like the closer he got to finding out the truth, something or someone would interfere. Information that he wanted to know would just disappear.


    Meanwhile, Jeffrey could only release a tired sigh.


    "So, now we know that Xavier is the one helping Robert by putting a barrier on her profile. What else?" He asked, hoping to just find his missing daughter already.


    "We need to investigate Xavier, father," Ezekiel included. He couldn¡¯t find anything helpful from investigating Robert, so Xavier was next. "He¡¯s the only one who probably knows where Ava is," he added. As Ezekiel said thest sentence, his face contorted into an ugly, slightly aggravated look.


    He didn¡¯t want to be involved with Xavier or with his family, but things weren¡¯t making sense to him and he needed answers.


    All of a sudden, the door of the study room pushed open, and ady with dark brown wavy hair and blue eyes, wearing casual jeans and tops with headphones hugging her neck stepped into the room, her bottled water in her hands.


    "Did I hear that right?" She asked, her eyes darting between her father and brother. "Ava is alive?" She added with a sarcastic tone before she scoffed. "Ava is dead, remember? She died twenty-three years ago."


    "Tracie!! You¡¯d better watch your tongue. Ava isn¡¯t dead, she only went missing and there¡¯s a huge chance we can find her," Ezekiel exined.


    Both he and his father had decided not to tell anyone anything until a few things were confirmed, and now, he was sure that Ava was found by Robert Harrison.


    "And what for?! Why do you want to find her in the first ce? She¡¯s probably enjoying herself wherever she is right now," Tracie rk spat.


    She thought she¡¯d heard them wrongly, but it seemed they were indeed serious and not joking around.


    "Tracie," Jeffery called his daughter. "Your sister will being home soon after we find her and when we do, I¡¯m expecting you to be a better-behaved older sister and take good care of her," he ordered.


    Tracie scoffed.


    ¡¯It¡¯s just best she goes missing forever,¡¯ she thought to herself.

 Chapter 143: Family Betrayal

    "Right?" Tracie agreed but quickly mped shut when she received a piercing re from her father.


    "She¡¯s not dead," Ezekiel disagreed, giving Tracie a side eye before he faced Kael. "We are still looking for her. How close are you with Selene Jones?" He asked Kael.


    Kael swallowed another scoop of ice cream before he replied.


    "You can say that we are mutual friends," he replied.


    "That¡¯s good enough. If you can, try to ask her questions regarding her rtionship with Xavier, from there¡ª"


    "Wait wait... how am I supposed to do that? I can¡¯t just go around asking people about their rtionships..."


    "Just tell her you want to win a girl¡¯s heart and you want to ask her for advice," Ezekiel gave an idea.


    "And how did youe up with that sort of excuse? Do you have someone you are nning to woo, Kiel?" Kael asked Ezekiel with a teasing smirk.


    Ezekiel released a long exasperated sigh.


    ¡¯Is he naturally dumb or is pretending to be dumb?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    "Just get her to talk about her rtionship with Xavier! I doubt she would reveal anything regarding Xavier, but it¡¯s worth a try."


    "Alright! So, now that we know Xavier is involved with Robert, does that mean we are closer to finding Ava, or are there more puzzles to solve before we find her?" Kael couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Kael had been born three years after Ava went missing, so he had no idea what could have happened in the past. However, he had been told countless times that the Waces were no longer their friends, until those words were ingrained in his memory, word for word.


    "We are closer to finding her. But as for the puzzles, I¡¯m not so sure," Ezekiel replied.


    Tracie stared at her two brothers. They were busy thinking of how to get Ava back when they didn¡¯t need her around anymore.


    ¡¯I¡¯m not going to make things easy for her when she¡¯s found,¡¯ she promised.


    **


    "Wow! You were nominated in the category for best actress in Radiantia, Michelle! You are bringing another award home," Amelia cheered as she read through the list of nominated names, immediately skipping Selene¡¯s name as soon as she saw it as if thetter was an eyesore.


    Michelle smirked as an evil glint passed through her eyes. Her chin was raised high and mighty as if she were the empress of an empire, staring down at her people.


    She¡¯d been overjoyed when she saw she was nominated as best actress in the uing award show.


    It turned out that even when she wasn¡¯t getting roles in new movies, she was still ruling the entertainment industry with her past movie performances, or so she thought.


    She was still a little on edge when she saw Selene¡¯s name in the same category as hers, making her heart jump in fear. But remembering she had won the same award three times in a row, she regained her confidence. She believed she could win one more time and make it four times in a row.


    "Of course mother, I¡¯m still the best actress after all," said Michelle, a hint of pride evident in her tone.


    When she saw the nomination, she immediately came to Harrison¡¯s mansion to share the good news with her family.


    "You are!" Amelia praised as she continued to scroll through Michelle¡¯s phone, silently cursing at Selene Jones and Winter Augusta¡¯s pictures that were ced alongside Michelle¡¯s.


    ¡¯My daughter is the best, hmph!¡¯


    Robert came out of his room together with Jack, talking about the missing money at thepany.


    "Currently, we are still trying to trace the missing money. It seems the person who took the money knows the ins and outs of thepany, so when they took it, the money suddenly became untraceable," said Jack.


    He was intentionally giving Robert hints that it was a close person of his who took the money, but Robert was too dumb to understand Jack¡¯s sign, which left thetter to continue dancing around without getting caught.


    "Damn it! How long are we going to keep searching for that money?! It¡¯s a huge amount of money! If I find the person who stole it, I will stab him with my own hands until he takes hisst breath," Robert promised with an aggravated look.


    He¡¯d never been allowed entry into either the rk mansion or theirpany, so getting their properties for the exchange of Anastasia was still on pause.


    Instead of getting money, he was only losing it, which was suspicious.


    On the other hand, Jack revealed a faint grin, an evil flint passing through his eyes.


    ¡¯I would like to see you try, Robert.¡¯

 Chapter 144: Tired—Mature Content

    "It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m fine. Just a little scratch," he responded, burying his nose in her neck as he breathed in hervender scent, which quickly rxed his tense muscles.


    He¡¯d been on a killing spree, murdering all the men they¡¯d captured in Silverwood. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, he went on a hunt in another city that was filled with pedophile rings, erasing them from the face of the earth.


    Selene tensed up. She was worried about the injuries on his face which he hadn¡¯t bothered to bandage up.


    From one look, one would notice they weren¡¯t deep. Just a few scratches like he¡¯d said, but they still needed to be taken care of.


    Unfortunately for her, her mind wandered elsewhere when Xavier¡¯s hot breath continued to fan her neck, threatening to draw out a moan from her.


    "Are you sure? Let me add some spirits on them quickly," she managed to say through a shaky breath.


    "There¡¯s no need."


    Without warning, Xavier bit her irresistible soft flesh, drawing a sharp moan from her.


    "Xavier... we need to sleep," she said.


    Xavier chuckled, a deepughter roaring out from his throat.


    "Tell me about your day first, my love," he responded, releasing the flesh to suckle on the bite.


    He was very much aware of what he was doing. He¡¯d noticed Selene¡¯s neck was probably her weak point. She would melt in his arms whenever he bit or sucked her neck. And tonight, he wanted to try something new with her.


    Selene took a deep breath, trying to think clearly before she parted her lips to speak.


    "I¡ªI got nominated as b¡ªbest actress for an u¡ªuing award," she stuttered, mming her mouth shut when she heard how ridiculous she sounded.


    Xavier hadn¡¯t even touched her yet and she was already melting. She felt ashamed but didn¡¯t stop him.


    Xavier muffled augh when he saw her actions.


    "Best actress huh? That¡¯s a big win."


    "Michelle is also nominated in the same category..."


    "You will win," he dered, moving to her earlobe and sucking on the flesh.


    "We can¡¯t be sure about that. Michelle has won for three years in a row."


    "This is your year to win, so you will win for sure."


    Just when Selene was about to say something else, Xavier left her earlobe and captured her lips in a fierce, needing kiss.


    Selene was shocked by his actions butter gave in no time. She missed having his body against hers.


    Xavier traced his hand which was resting on her belly to cup her breast, which had her widen her eyes in shock.


    "Xavier," she called, cing her hands on his cupping her breast, but didn¡¯t move it away.


    "I want to try something. If you aren¡¯tfortable with it, tell me to stop," he told her, looking into his eyes that stared right back at him with a mix of curiosity and confusionced in them. She gave him a nod as a go signal.


    Without wasting a single second, Xavier captured her lips again, slipping his tongue in her mouth, searching for hers as they wrestled until he dominated hers.


    Releasing her lips, he traced his kisses from the sides of her lips to the neck, cupping her breasts which earned him a moan from her.


    Without warning, he pinched her hardened nipples. Since she was wearing a silky nightgown, her nipples poked out, begging to be nurtured.


    Grabbing the hem of her gown, he slid it off her but stopped in the middle.


    "If you aren¡¯tfortable with it, stop me," he repeated as he stared at her lust-filled eyes.


    "Don¡¯t stop," she urged him.


    Xavier slid her nightgown off her, his eyes stuck on her chest.


    Self-conscious, Selene intended to wrap her hands around her chest but Xavier stopped her immediately.


    "I want to see."


    Slowly, he slid her arm off her chest. Once his eyesnded on her pink peaks, he felt his member harden in his jeans, begging to be released.


    He gulped down his saliva hard, holding himself back from pulling down his jeans and taking her at that moment.


    Slowly, he closed the distance between him and her pink peaks. His mouth wrapped around one as his hands nurtured another.


    Immediately, Selene felt something explode in her panties. Her hands wrapped his soft locs as he sucked her breast, drawing out a moan from her.


    He sucked her breast like a hungry man. Leaving the left one with a pop sound, he dived in to suck the right one, not giving her a chance to breathe.


    Before Selene could stop herself, she exploded again, her panties soaking wet.

 Chapter 145: Weird Questions

    "It looks good to me too," added Mian.


    Selene red hard at the screen, hoping for a mistake so she would have to take another shot. She didn¡¯t want to go home early and face Xavier after what they¡¯d donest night, even though it was nothing much.


    She could feel the stare of her colleagues, waiting for her response.


    Sighing, she said, "Alright then. It looks good too." And that was the wrap for the day.


    Selene checked the time; it was only 2 pm. Her shoot at Klerene would start at 4 pm and end at 6 pm. Selene decided to rest a bit. They¡¯d been shooting nonstop for the past 9 hours.


    "Here." Kael handed her some snacks. "I thought you might be hungry since we¡¯ve been busy since morning," he added.


    Selene thanked him and took the snacks from his hands.


    "Your boyfriend isn¡¯ting to pick you up today?" Kael asked as he took a seat beside her.


    "Oh... My boyfriend doesn¡¯t pick me up. I go home by myself," she replied, taking a big bite of her snack and chewing it as if her life depended on it.


    Kael frowned slightly at her response.


    "I just noticed you don¡¯t have any bodyguards. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s too risky? You are already gaining poprity every minute. You could have crazy fans stalking you," he said with a hint of concern in his tone.


    Selene shook her head. "They won¡¯t be able to do anything to me. Remember I beat up that thief?" Selene made a gesture with her hand, trying to show Kael her biceps which earned her augh from him. "I can beat up anyone, including you." Kael erupted in a much biggerughter at Selene¡¯s sarcasm.


    "Sure you can," he responded. "But why doesn¡¯t Xavier pick you up though? Is he always busy at work?"


    Selene smiled at Kael, wondering why he was suddenly interested in her rtionship with Xavier. They were mutual friends indeed, and his question seemed harmless between normal friends. But remembering his re from the first day they met, she had to keep her guard up every time.


    "Yes, he¡¯s busy." Her reply was short and urate. Judging from how she continued snacking, Kael could tell she was done talking.


    ¡¯Why did Kiel have to put me in a tight position like this? What else should I ask her now?¡¯ He wondered.


    "How did Xavier ask you out?" He blurted out before he could stop himself, which got Selene to choke on her drink.


    "What?" She asked, raising an eyebrow in question.


    "I know it must be too much to ask..." he drawled, feeling awkward.


    ¡¯This is your fault, Kiel."


    "I mean, I¡¯m only curious."


    Selene stared at Kael,pletely confused by his question.


    "It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t answer."


    Selene had no idea how to reply to him, only because Xavier wasn¡¯t her boyfriend in the first ce. They were married, identally. She wasn¡¯t going to tell him that. In a situation like this, Selene diverted the question with another question.


    "Why do you ask? Is there someone you are nning on asking out?"


    Kael immediately tore his gaze on her, settling it on other people who were walking around the set. Selene didn¡¯t fail to notice the soft rosy hue that formed on his cheeks.


    "So there¡¯s someone you want to ask out? Who¡¯s it?" She asked.


    "There¡¯s no one," he responded immediately, standing up and excusing himself to go to the restroom when a sh of a girl¡¯s image with brown hair and brown eyes, who always came with Selene¡¯s makeup artist shed in his mind.


    Selene stared at Kael¡¯s back, satisfied with her result. But she couldn¡¯t help but be curious about who Kael had a crush on.


    She shrugged, deemed it as none of her business, and continued to snack.


    Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She fetched it out to see it was a text from Leo. Immediately she opened it and stared at the image of the file he sent with eyes widened in shock.


    She stared at the figures lined up. It was another amount of money that had gone missing again.


    "15 million dors? Is he nning on making thepany go bankrupt soon?" She wondered.


    She read the text attached to the message.


    "Robert is sick?" She mumbled in confusion.

 Chapter 146: Confrontation

    Xavier stared at Ezekiel, many questions in his mind he wanted to ask him. E.g. Why was he at the Wacepany when they were the ones who promised to never cross paths with the Wace family ever again?


    "What are you doing here?" Xavier questioned, his fist clenched as he red at Ezekiel who seemed rather calm about the confrontation.


    Ezekiel took off his sunsses, folded them, and held them in his hand.


    "I have questions to ask you," Ezekiel replied, mirroring Xavier¡¯s expression. He didn¡¯t think he woulde to see Xavier after what had happened in the past, but he needed answers on where his lost sister was.


    "What kind of questions?" Xavier asked, a little curious but still cautious of Ezekiel¡¯s presence.


    If the press recognized them, rumors would spread, specting that they had reconciled. But Xavier knew Ezekiel too well to believe he came to make amends.


    "Do you know Anastasia Harrison?"


    Xavier¡¯s eyes darkened at that name. That was the name of his wife.


    "In case you were wondering, I was the one who broke the barrier securing her profile. It was you, wasn¡¯t it?"


    "What are you talking about?" Xavier questioned Ezekiel with eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He wasn¡¯t surprised Ezekiel was the one who broke the barrier. He wasn¡¯t sure but he had an idea he was the one.


    "Why are you helping Robert hide Anastasia?" Ezekiel questions Xavier whose frown only deepened. "Are you working with him? What are you gaining from this?"


    "When did you start beating around the bush when talking, Ezekiel? I don¡¯t understand a single word you are spouting," Xavier snapped.


    Ezekiel clenched his fist in anger.


    "Do you know the real identity of Anastasia Harrison?" Ezekiel wasn¡¯t going to tell Xavier who Anastasia was until he found out if thetter was working with Robert or not.


    Xavier frowned. "What about her?"


    ¡¯He doesn¡¯t know she¡¯s Ava,¡¯ Ezekiel concluded which meant he wasn¡¯t helping Robert in hiding her from them. Now, he wondered why Xavier was keeping her profile empty.


    "Nothing," he denied. "Why were you keeping her profile hidden?"


    "It¡¯s none of your business," Xavier answered.


    He didn¡¯t understand why Ezekiel was using him of working with Robert. He didn¡¯t have any business with that old hag.


    But what about Anastasia¡¯s identity? Was there something about her he didn¡¯t know about?


    Ezekiel red at Xavier, about to curse at him, but gave up on the thought. Xavier wasn¡¯t hiding Anastasia¡¯s profile from Ezekiel on purpose. He had his unknown reason. Xavier didn¡¯t know that Anastasia was rk.


    Ezekiel didn¡¯t know if he should inform Xavier that Anastasia, wherever she was, was Ava rk, his childhood friend. But they weren¡¯t on good terms.


    It was still Xavier¡¯s and the Wace family¡¯s fault that Ava went missing in the first ce. He tore his gaze from Xavier, concluding he wasn¡¯t going to inform Xavier about Ava.


    "Do you have a picture of Anastasia I can see?" He requested. That was the only thing he wanted to ask from Xavier. Only a picture and everything was solved.


    Unfortunately for Ezekiel, Xavier was overprotective of Selene. If it hadn¡¯t been she was a public figure, not a single picture of her face would be seen on the inte. But he wasn¡¯t going to tell Ezekiel Anastasia goes by another name.


    "Not until you tell me why you need it," Xavier responded. He made a mental note to investigate Anastasia¡¯s past.


    "Never mind then." Ezekiel walked towards his car and got in. He red at Xavier through his tinted sses, his fist clenching on the steering wheel.


    Through the tinted sses, Xavier could still feel Ezekiel¡¯s re, but since thetter didn¡¯t want to exin anything to me and preferred to keep him in the dark, he was just going to find things himself.


    Xavier walked back to his car, pulled out his phone, and dialed Maxwell¡¯s number.


    "I want you to do every possible research regarding Anastasia."


    A week flew by, and the day of the award show arrived. Selene sat in her car, watching the paparazzi snap photos of the arriving celebrities.


    Xavier ced his hands on hers. "You can do this," he encouraged with a warm smile.


    "I can do this," she echoed.

 Chapter 147: Award Show

    Selene strode in with Xavier, ignoring the confused expressions of the reporters. Her reply left them wondering exactly what she meant.


    As they entered the grand hall, Selene let out a deep sigh. This was the secondrgest event she had attended since old Wace¡¯s birthday party, and the familiar pang of anxiety resurfaced. Noticing her unease, Xavier tightened his grip on her delicate hand, offering silent reassurance.


    "You are going to do well, my love. You are not leaving here without an award," he promised.


    Selene stared at him with a shot-up eyebrow.


    "You know, you¡¯ve been saying that almost all the time, and now I can¡¯t help but wonder if you¡¯re nning something to help me win."


    "If you want, I can do something right now and the announcement of the winner will be in your favor." He stared at her, ready to make a call.


    He didn¡¯t care if Michelle had been winning. This was Selene¡¯s year, and he wanted her to win.


    "Don¡¯t! That would be cheating."


    "It isn¡¯t if the award is going to the rightful owner," he replied.


    Selene gave him a side eye, hoping he wouldn¡¯t do anything to rigg the award show. Whether or not she won, it didn¡¯t matter to her. But deep down, Selene knew she wanted to win.


    The couple went to look for their seats which had their names on them while the crowd¡¯s gaze was settled on them.


    The men ogled at Selene, while the women drooled at the sight of Xavier¡ªeach of them all feeling jealousy at how perfect they looked together. The award show would mark their first public appearance, which only proved they were indeed a couple.


    Selene was promptly summoned by Yna for a discussion, giving the judges and businessmen at the award show an opportunity to approach Xavier Wace with potential partnership proposals.


    "First of all, I have to say, you look absolutely dazzling in that red dress," Ynaplimented as they began their conversation. Yna¡¯s hair and makeup had been expertly done by Natalie and Allison, who hade to her home earlier to prepare her for the evening.


    "Thank you," Selene blushed.


    "Alright, the award show would start in about half an hour. Producer Maxine wants to talk with you, then after that, director Pablo wants to talk with you. This is a very good chance for you to get movie offers from them."


    The people Yna had mentioned were alpha producers and directors in the acting industry. It was truly an honor for Selene if they wanted to give her a movie offer.


    <i>Shadows Of Deception</i> was close to finishing, but Selene wasn¡¯t sure if she was going to continue her acting career. Jack had been stealing money from thepany almost every week for the past two weeks, and Robert was still sick for an unknown reason.


    ording to Leo, Robert came to workte and left early.


    She wanted to handle whatever the issue was over there once <i>Shadows Of Deception</i> ended.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I will be right behind you if you need help conversing," Yna urged.


    Selene and Yna walked towards the producer and director, but they were swarmed with people.


    "Maybe we will talkter," Selene suggested while Yna nodded.


    "Once the award show is over, I will send you a text," said Yna. She gave Selene a friendly hug before she departed. Selene stared at the crowd of people. Some of their faces she knew, while others she didn¡¯t.


    "This is going to be a long night," she muttered.


    Just when she was about to leave, she heard someone say something from behind her. She recognized that voice.


    "Are you ready to lose today, Selene?"


    Selene turned back to find Michelle, dressed in a simr red dress as hers, but Michelle¡¯s came with a different design, giving her a deep V-neck that exposed partly of her cleavage.


    "So confident. Are you sure you aren¡¯t the one who will be losing tonight, Michelle?" Selene questioned her back, a confident smile on her lips.


    "I¡¯ve carried this award for years now. It¡¯s obvious I¡¯m still the queen of the entertainment industry."


    Selene hummed, giving what Michelle said a thought.


    "You are right! But then, we can¡¯t be too sure about that now, can we? Given how many scandals your rotten personality had gotten you into, there¡¯s a low chance you would win, don¡¯t you think, Michelle? In case you need a reminder, you¡¯ve lost half of your fanbase, hmm?"

 Chapter 148: Who Is Gonna Win?

    "After the award show is over, I¡¯d love to see if you two won¡¯te crawling back, asking me to star in your movie," she muttered, curling a few strands of hair around her finger as a smirk yed on her lips.


    Selene wanted to head back to Xavier. However, with each step she took, someone always stopped her. Either asking her about her experience as a newbie actress or how the entertainment industry had been treating her recently.


    Selene nced around but couldn¡¯t spot her manager anywhere. Realizing that Yna managed other artists as well, she surmised that Yna must be attending to them after having given her instructions, considering it was Selene¡¯s first award show.


    Once Selene was done talking to the people she met, she excused herself to leave. She pulled her dress up as if she was about to take a race to where Xavier was. But someone stopped her.


    "Selene." Someone called from behind her.


    She silently huffed, but maintained a smile on her lips before she turned.


    When she saw Liam, she didn¡¯t know how to react to him standing before her.


    Liam was nominated in the best actor category, and he¡¯d won that award for five years straight.


    "Liam, I¡¯m so d to see you here tonight," Selene said, her arms wide to give him a brief hug.


    Immediately, she regretted it as she felt a piercing re from behind her. Liam seemed to sense it too. Stylishly, Selene turned to see who was watching her, and her eyes locked with Xavier¡¯s.


    Instantly, she turned away from him to look at Liam who¡¯d also seen Xavier.


    "Where¡¯s Martha?" Selene asked confusedly. Martha might not have gotten a nomination, but she was invited to the show as a special guest and MC.


    "Ahh...she¡¯s talking with a few people..." He stared at her. "You look beautiful. The dress suits you so much, but didn¡¯t I just see Michelle wearing a simr dress?" He asked, wondering if he saw right.


    "Yes, she is. A coincidence isn¡¯t it...." She drawled.


    Since the day she rejected Liam¡¯s offer of watching a movie together at the theater, they¡¯d not spoken since. So, the conversation was a little awkward for both of them.


    "So, are you ready to win?" Liam asked to reduce the tension between the both of them.


    "I¡¯m not winning." <i>I¡¯m winning. </i>Selene replied with a softugh. "I¡¯m not good enough."


    "But you got a nomination, which clearly states that you are good enough," said Liam. "You will win and I will be cheering you from the sidelines," he wished her.


    Despite the slightly busy noisy crowd, they could both hear the heavy steps of someoneing from behind Selene.


    "Anyway, I have to go. The show will be starting in less than 10 minutes." cing his hands on Selene¡¯s shoulders, he added, "I would love to see more wins in your name." Selene¡¯s eyes watered at that moment. She never truly had a friend, but Martha and Liam had been there for her, battling Michelle along with her.


    As soon as Xavier arrived, Liam bolted out from there.


    "You scared my friend away," she muttered under her breath without looking at Xavier.


    "I didn¡¯t do anything. I wanted to talk to him but he didn¡¯t give me the chance to," Xavier defended himself immediately.


    "Of course. You wanted to talk to him so bad you red hard at him," she remarked.


    Xavier merely shrugged at her remark.


    "It¡¯s not my fault he¡¯s scared of me."


    Selene rolled her eyes before she walked off to her seat, while Xavier stared at her back, sighing. He just wanted to tear that dress off her body and have his way with her.


    In another corner of the bustling hall, ady in an icy blue gown, her hair perfectly styled and her lips painted red, gracefully swirled champagne in her ss while her gaze remained fixed on someone across the room.


    An evil glint passed through Winter Augusta¡¯s eyes as she red at thedy in a red dress.

 Chapter 149: Winter Augusta

    "You..." she drawled, unable toplete her sentence.


    "Yes, it¡¯s me," Winter replied, her smile widening as she twirled her drink in the ss before taking a sip. "Do you remember me, Michelle?" she asked, her tone smooth and deliberate.


    "What are you doing here, Winter?" Michelle questioned, her tone hushed.


    "Have you forgotten that I¡¯m nominated in the same category as you?" Winter taunted. "You¡¯re still so young, but it seems you already have the memory of an old hag."


    Michelle clenched her fist in anger. She¡¯d seen Winter Augusta¡¯s name and photo in the banner, and she¡¯d been looking for Winter so that she could avoid thetter. Who would have thought she would bump into the person she was running away from?


    "What do you want?" Michelle questioned. "I already apologized for the incident that happened years ago."


    "Apologized?" Winter chuckled softly. "I don¡¯t recall you ever apologizing for nearly ruining my career, Michelle. All I remember is you sending me some money just so that I would take the fall for the drugs found in my backpack, even though you were the one who nted them in there."


    Michelle paled again.


    She nced around, slightly relieved no one had heard all that Winter had said.


    Discreetly, she grabbed thetter¡¯s arm and they both went to a corner to talk.


    "Look, I was truly worried for you and I¡¯m sorry for what happened. But you epted the money, so that counts as you keeping your mouth shut. Also, even if you decide to open them and spill anything, no one would believe you since you have no evidence. I¡¯m a popr figure now, and you wouldn¡¯t want to anger my fans for using me of something that happened years ago," Michelle threatened as she red at Winter, waiting for thetter to at least react to her words instead of merely staring back at her like a soulless statue.


    All of a sudden, Winter burst out inughter which made Michelle¡¯s face flush red in embarrassment.


    When Winter was doneughing, she released a huge sigh before her gaze refocused on Michelle.


    "You don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m here for, and you are already threatening me?" She asked as she stared at Michelle amused. "Who said I¡¯m here to open my mouth and spill anything? When did I say that? And about the evidence, you might be right about that. I have no evidence," she agreed, twirling her wine ss again.


    Winter Augusta had started her career as a child actor. Both she and Michelle met and they became best friends, or so Winter thought.


    As a teenager, Winter found out Michelle was doing drugs and she tried to stop Michelle, but thetter didn¡¯t listen to her.


    One day, at school, some had lost something and the bags of every student were to be searched in case one of them had stolen it.


    Michelle became scared since she had a pack of harmful drugs in her backpack which she didn¡¯t want anyone to see. She asked Winter to help her hide it, but Winter didn¡¯t let her. She wouldn¡¯t want to get in trouble for something she wasn¡¯t involved in.


    Michelle felt betrayed by Winter. At that moment, Michelle was infuriated. Before the search reached their ss, Michelle discreetly hid the drugs in Winter¡¯s backpack, which was seen by everyone when the teachers came to search Winter¡¯s bag.


    Due to her rising poprity, the news spread out fast and Winter¡¯s career was ruined. Her movie contracts were terminated and she was canceled.


    Michelle sent Winter some money to make her admit she was the one who was using the drugs, because if Winter opened her mouth to mention Michelle¡¯s name, she would also be searched.


    Winter epted the money before she disappeared. A few yearster, she reappeared with a new movie after the scandal had died down, and instantly gained poprity, then she was suddenly nominated as the best actress of the year.


    "But, I¡¯m not here to kiss your feet and thank you for ruining my career years ago, Michelle. You will get what¡¯sing for you," Winter promised. "If you are wondering if I¡¯m going to win the award, then rest assured I have no interest, but if I do win...."


    She stared at Michelle whose face had turnedpletely red from anger. "Congratte me, okay? Besides, what are best friends for if we don¡¯t stand by each other¡¯s side?" She asked with a smile.


    "If you do anything to me at this party, I will sue you," Michelle threatened. All she wanted to do was punch Winter in the face.


    "I would love to see you try," Winter replied.

 Chapter 150: Selene Jones!!

    Martha, the MC started;


    "Good evening,dies and gentlemen. We¡¯re here to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Radiantia¡¯s award show. But tonight¡¯s festivities won¡¯t end there. As time has passed, we¡¯ve introduced new categories to give actors and actresses more opportunities to win awards. So, are you ready to see your favorites take the stage and collect their awards?" she asked, and the crowd erupted in enthusiastic cheers of "YES."


    The fans, seated in a separate section from the celebrities, nearly caused the enormous hall to shake with their thunderous response.


    When the loud noise died down, Martha¡¯s fellow MC continued, "I can see everyone is super excited for this award show. Well then, let¡¯s begin with the first category; Newbie Actor Debut."


    The graphics on the massive screen shifted as an artificial intelligence voice announced the names of the men who had made their debut. Among them was Kael rk.


    "And the winner is..." Martha drawled, pausing for dramatic effect before announcing, "Kael rk!"


    Everyone cheered for Kael as he walked up to the stage, collected his award, and made his speech.


    One by one, the categories were announced, with winnersing up on stage to collect their awards and deliver their speeches. Liam received his Best Actor award for the sixth consecutive year, a result that surprised no one given his continued reign as the King of the entertainment world.


    Some musicians were invited to perform during mid-breaks, making the award show look more lively than it already did.


    "And now, we are down to our final category; best actress of the year," said Martha.


    "Thepetition in this category is pretty tough, don¡¯t you think Martha?" The second MC asked Martha who nodded immediately.


    "It¡¯s between a favored actress who¡¯d won for three years in a row, a newbie who debuted less than two years ago, and another actress who revived her acting career after a huge scandal," Martha mentioned, leaving their names behind since the crowd already guessed which definition belonged to which actress.


    Flipping the card open, she made a slightly impressed face. "And the award goes to...."


    Selene ced her hand on her chest, feeling her heart nearly escape from her chest. She felt Xavier ce his hand on hers as he gave her a reassuring smile. She returned it but her heart continued to beat wildly.


    A smirk was on Michelle¡¯s lips as she waited for Martha to say her name. She nced at where Selene was seated, together with Xavier with disdain.


    ¡¯You might have collected my man from me, but you certainly won¡¯t be taking my award. You are nothing, Selene Jones!¡¯ She thought to herself, adjusting her dress as she readied herself to walk on stage.


    Meanwhile, Winter, who was seated right behind Michelle, waited for Michelle¡¯s name to be called.


    The silence became too loud to bear. There had not been this much tension when the other winners were called. A weight of anticipation hung in the air, as everyone waited for Martha toplete her sentence.


    "Selene Jones!!" She finished. Loud cheers and pping apanied her voice.


    Selene stared at Martha who gave her a warm smile, her hands together as she pped for her. She felt Xavier¡¯s hands squeeze hers, drawing her back to reality. She¡¯d thought she heard the wrong name, but that was indeed her <i>name</i> that had just been called out as the winner of the best actress category.


    ¡¯What just happened?¡¯ She wondered.


    "Go collect your award, my love," Xavier whispered in her ears, putting his hands together as he joined the crowd, pping for her.


    Selene stood up and pushed her legs to walk towards the stage. Martha gave a tight hug.


    "Congrats girl, I¡¯m proud of you," she whispered to Selene.


    Selene mouthed <i>thank you</i> after they pulled away from each other.


    Selene held the trophy in her hands, feeling the weight of her sess on them. She finally made it. She beat Michelle in everything, and she has made her name.


    She grabbed the mic to say a speech she hadn¡¯t prepared for at all.


    "Good evening, everyone," Selene said, her tone soft but amplified clearly through the mic. "I want to thank you all for this award; I never imagined I¡¯d win. Martha, Liam, and especially Xavier, thank you for believing in me. And a huge thank you to my fans for your support. I love you all so much."


    As soon as thest word left her mouth, the crowd erupted in a loud cheer as beautiful flowers were thrown on the stage for her.


    But someone in the crowd wasn¡¯t happy about the fact that she got the award.


    Out of spite, Michael stood up and yelled, "That¡¯s impossible. Selene slept her way to the top!!"

 Chapter 151: Disgraced Michelle!

    The people directed their gazes to Michelle, not for her to give them any evidence since they knew there was no evidence. They stared at her with disgusting looks, as if she would just disappear from the face of the earth in no time.


    Michelle gripped the fabric of her dress so tight her veins popped. Her face and body were flushed red in both anger and embarrassment. She only wanted to win the award, to save her position but Selene beat her to it.


    However, Michelle wasn¡¯t willing to back down so easily.


    As she was about to step down from the rows of seats and rush to the stage, she heard the sound of a tearing fabric. Then a leg was ced in front of her, making her stumble to the ground before she could stop herself.


    Everyone gasped again.


    Michelle stared at her red dress which had a straight long cut from her ankle to her hip, revealing her panties.


    As if the cameras weren¡¯t enough, the audience pulled out their phones, capturing countless pictures and videos of Michelle standing on the Radiantia Award Show stage, half-naked.


    "Stop recording!!" She yelled out so loudly, that Selene pitied her poor throat.


    The shame and embarrassment Michelle felt at that moment only added fuel to her anger when she red at Selene, tears falling out of her eyes.


    "This is all your fault, bitch!!" Michelle rushed to attack Selene, but thetter took a few steps back, dodging her attack.


    Since Michelle¡¯s clothes looked like pieces of rags, she ended up stumbling on one of the fabrics.


    "Just look at her calling someone a slut. The name looks better on her," someone from the audience said.


    "Who does she think she is,ing in here and attacking Selene who is so much better than her?"


    "I hope she goes to jail after the scene she caused today."


    Several hateful murmurs filled the hall which was directed towards Michelle.


    Selene stared at Michelle, very satisfied with the scene before her. If it had been her weak self, she would have squatted down to Michelle¡¯s level, trying to help her just for her to be stepped on and tossed away in the end.


    "Shut up!!" Michelle ordered as more tears continued to stream down her eyes.


    She felt utterly embarrassed about the situation. She didn¡¯t win the award she thought she would win, and out of spite to ruin Selene¡¯s name, she only got herself half-naked.


    She was going to be canceled very soon.


    "Take her away," Martha ordered the security after they arrived.


    They grabbed Michelle, while thetter tried to bite herself free from their grasp but their grip on her hand was too tight.


    Selene felt a presence from behind her, and when she turned, she found Xavier. He wrapped his hands around her waist asking her if she was okay and she nodded in response.


    "I¡¯m sorry for the interruption that urred a few moments ago," Martha apologized.


    She and her fellow MC cracked a joke to lighten the mood, though it was a challenging task with Michelle¡¯s harsh words still lingering in the air. Despite the tension, the audience was determined not to let their evening be ruined by someone unable to ept reality.


    When the award show was over, the after-party began.


    Yna texted Selene, informing her it was time to meet the producer and director. Selene excused herself to do so.


    On her way, Selene identified ady in an icy blue dress.


    Tapping thedy on the shoulder to get her attention, she smirked when she confirmed it was indeed the person.


    "I saw what you did back there. Stepping on her dress to make her stumble on stage was iconic I must say," she said to Winter who was holding a ss of another champagne in her hand.


    "What can I say? I don¡¯t like it when pests roam around the area without getting taken care of," Winter remarked, sipping her champagne. "I¡¯m quite surprised that you got the award, but then again, talent is what brings people to the top, which is something you have. Congrats, Anastasia."


    Selene stared at Winter for a second, her expression nk.


    "I¡¯m impressed you recognized me at first nce," she said.


    "Who wouldn¡¯t? Your expression when Michelle fell said it all," Winter answered. "But Selene isn¡¯t a bad name at all."


    "Will you get back at Michelle again?" Selene asked.


    Looking around, winter sighed. "Nah... I¡¯m already satisfied with what happened today. See youter, Anastasia." Winter clicked her tongue before departing, while a small smile graced Selene¡¯s lips before she searched for Yna.

 Chapter 152: Get Rid Of Her

    "Sure," Selene replied and together, they left the hall, entered their car, and headed home.


    **


    Sounds of shattering sses could be heard in a vast living room as Michelle threw one furniture to another, breaking everything in sight but despite any of the shattered things she¡¯d broken, her anger wasn¡¯t quenched at all.


    If only she could go back in time, she would have stabbed Selene in the chest with the pieces of the sses on the ground.


    "Michelle, will you stop already? Are you trying to break every single thing you find in sight?" Jack questioned her, snatching the huge vase in her hand while Amelia wrapped her up in a nket, but Michelle burst out in even more rage, snatching the nket from her body and dropping it on the floor.


    "Do you know the kind of embarrassment I faced out there? Do you know what it feels like to be humiliated to such a level, Jack?!!" She questioned him back, grabbing her hair in frustration as tears streamed down from her face.


    The maids stared at her in pity as they peeked from behind the kitchen, trying to catch a bit of the drama going on to fill their empty stomachs for tonight.


    Suddenly, Michelle snapped, making them jolt in fear and they scurried back into the kitchen.


    "That bitch humiliated in front of everyone Jack! Theyughed at me and called me names, and now, people hate me everywhere. On the inte, the news...everywhere Jack! All because of that slut!"


    She growled like a wild animal that had not been fed for a month.


    "Calm down first, then we can talk about what had happened," said Robert. He was wrapped around with a jacket, his face pale, evident of unhealthy status.


    "I want to have Selene killed, father!" She answered. "I want her dead and sent to hell where she came from and nevere back again. I want her to be out of my life forever so that I can¡¯t finally take back everything she¡¯d taken from me since she showed," she added, before kneeling at Robert¡¯s level since he was sitting on a couch.


    "Please help me, dad. Help me get my revenge on Selene. It¡¯s high time we got rid of her, Dad, or else, she¡¯s going to haunt me for the rest of my life," she pleaded.


    Robert stared at Michelle, pitying her for what she¡¯d gone through at the award show. He saw everything on TV and short clips have been released on the inte, tainting Michelle¡¯s image even more.


    Selene was connected to Xavier, someone who wouldn¡¯t dare to mess with her. If he arranged for her to die, Xavier would trace the incident back to him. <i>Unless he was very discreet about it. </i>


    "I will help you get rid of her so that you can get your poprity back," Robert replied.


    "Really dad?" Michelle asked him as a smile graced her lips.


    Robert nodded before he fell into a fit of cough. Michelle had to pat his back to ease him before she hugged him.


    "Thank you so much, dad."


    As if the earlier scene hadn¡¯t happened, Michelle hopped over the broken furniture behind and headed to her room.


    The Wace family had seen the news and had forbidden her froming back to the Wace mansion; they were furious with her attitude and she didn¡¯t care when she would be going back.


    Selene took off her torn dress and wrapped herself in a towel before skidding to her bathroom.


    She stared at herself in the mirror, frowning deeply when she saw how red her face had turned. She quickly washed it, drying it with a towel before she smirked.


    "I¡¯m so beautiful, yet, Xavier never seems to notice me. He didn¡¯t even give me a chance to speak with him today when he was alone. His eyes were on Selene all night, watching her like a hawk. Why can¡¯t he watch me like that?"


    She stared harder at her face, trying to find out what was wrong with her.


    "I¡¯m perfect everywhere, but he still chose Selene over me. And today, she got an award I was supposed to get."


    Tracing her reflection in the mirror with her index finger, she smirked, an evil glint passing through her eyes.


    "Too bad I¡¯m going to get rid of her permanently," she finished. She smiled at her reflection one more time before she walked towards her bathtub.

 Chapter 153: Let’s Do It—Mature Content

    "What¡¯s wrong?" She stuttered.


    "You look beautiful tonight," heplimented her.


    Selene gave him a goofy smile as she tried to hide the blush on her cheeks.


    "This is the fifth time you¡¯ve said that already."


    She could feel the change in the atmosphere with the way Xavier stared at her like a hungry man. Quickly, she licked her lips.


    "Xav¡ª" Before she could finish, his lips were on hers. He tightened his grip around her waist and slid one hand up her back, pulling her firmly against his chest.


    She tasted like rose cocktails and a sweetness that made his head spin. As her mouth opened and her lips parted, he seized the moment, diving his tongue into her mouth.


    He held her with a fierce intensity, as if releasing her would make her vanish.


    Selene¡¯s hands were in the threads of his hair, pulling him closer as she battled with his tongue to gain dominance but he would always beat her to it.


    All of a sudden, he squatted down and picked her up from the ground. Selene gasped, instinctively wrapping her legs around his waist for safety as his hands settled on her butt.


    He walked them towards the bed, their tongue still wrestling in each other¡¯s mouths as Xavier kissed her like a starved man, while Selene kissed him back like she wanted him to suck her soul out of her.


    "Xavier..." she moaned as he settled her on the bed.


    They parted from each other, panting from the intense make-out they¡¯d just shared.


    They stared at each other, so many words were said by just looking into each other¡¯s eyes as their heartbeat synced effortlessly.


    "I need to go wash up," Xavier said when Selene didn¡¯t say anything yet. Hearing his words, her eyes widened, as she grabbed his hands, unwilling to let him go when he intended to step down from the bed.


    "No...." She mumbled, her voice barely audible. "Let¡¯s do it."


    Xavier stared at him, unable to believe what she¡¯d just said.


    "What did you say?"


    "Let¡¯s do it."


    "Why do you want to do it?"


    Now Selene was the one who stared at Xavier with a shocked expression.


    "I¡ªwe¡ªwe are married a¡ªand I want¡ªI w¡ª" Selene stuttered, feeling blood rushed to her neck and ears before she lowered her head in shame. "Because I love you and I want us to do it."


    Xavier stared at her as she covered her face, obviously embarrassed by what she was spouting.


    "Are you sure you are ready?" He asked her as he leaned towards her and bit her earlobe.


    Selene moaned, her hands wrapping around him. "Yes, I¡¯m ready. I want you to fuck me, Xavier."


    Xavier flinched when he heard that cuss word slips out of her mouth. That word seemed to have set something aze in him.


    Without further warning, Xavier captured her lips in another fierce needing kiss.


    His hands snaked to her zipper while hers unbuttoned his shirt. Xavier pulled her dress off her, revealing thece bra and panties.


    Staring at her half-naked body made his throat run dry all of a sudden. She was gifted with the right curves, beautiful face, and a smile that made his member harden even more in his pants.


    Gently, he settled her back on the bed as he captured her lips again, his hands roaming around her body.


    Everywhere he touched made Selene moan as she buried her hand in his hair.


    All of a sudden, she felt the bra go loose around her chest before Xavier tossed it away, leaving her breasts out in the open. She stared at him, wondering when he snuck his hand in her back and unhooked the bra.


    Xavier stared at Selene¡¯s pale pink peaks which stared back at him. They looked deliciously good and he couldn¡¯t wait to taste them.


    Xavier made eye contact with Selene who was already staring back at him.


    "Please suck it, Xavier," she pleaded.

 Chapter 154: Together — Mature Content

    Xavier took off his shirt and pants, pulling the material off him and tossing it away immediately. Then, he walked towards the drawer and pulled out a condom.


    Selene stared at him, wondering why she didn¡¯t see the rubber product since she also kept things in that drawer.


    She watched as he rolled the condom onto his erection, her throat tightening with apprehension. Its size was intimidating, and she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it would fit.


    Xavier climbed the bed after he was done rolling on the rubber product. He spread Selene¡¯s legs, their eyes locked. "It¡¯s going to hurt, but if it¡¯s too much to handle, tell me to stop." Even though he said that, he wasn¡¯t sure if he would be able to stop himself.


    All Selene could do at that moment was nod and gulp another mouthful of saliva in fear.


    Xavier leaned over to capture her lips in a soothing passionate kiss, readying her for what was soon toe before he thrust half of his member in her, making her body stiffen, her chest heaving.


    "Does it hurt?" He asked her with concernced in his tone.


    "No, carry on," she replied. Despite her reply, Xavier still waited, giving her time to adjust to his size before he thrust himself into her honey pot, earning a painful yelp from her.


    She was suffocatingly tight for his member and he was massive for her.


    In pain, Selene held him tightly as her sharp fingernails dug into the back of his skin, which earned her a sexy groan from Xavier.


    The both of them stayed in that position as Xavier waited for her to adjust to his size. He took deep breaths, controlling himself from cumming at that moment.


    "You can move now, I¡¯m okay," she gave him the go signal and immediately, she felt Xavier pull out before mming himself back inside her.


    His thrusts were gentle at first, but after each gentle thrust, his speed seemed to have increased. She could hear his groan loud and clear since his head was buried in her neck.


    And just like that, Xavier pounded Selene to ecstasy, crossing several oceans and back. He took her to heaven and made her see stars she hadn¡¯t seen before with each thrust he delivered to her.


    Her fingers only dug into his nails further deeper, which nearly got his back bleeding for a moment. But despite the pain, Xavier¡¯s thrust continued as he pounded her. When he was close to cumming, he quickly changed positions.


    <i>The doggy style</i>


    Selene got on all fours while Xavier pounded her from behind, asking for more.


    He gave her more than she asked and she tried to escape his thrusts but he pulled her back.


    After the fifth change of condom, Selene mmed on the bed, extremely exhausted with her eyes closed. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to lift a finger while her cum slipped out of her.


    Xavier stared at her figure on the bed, proud of his art.


    "I¡¯m tired," she managed to say.


    Xavier only chuckled at her before picking her up to head to the shower. He was d Selene finally let him in and now, he was going to savor every moment of their spicy time together.


    **


    "Dad! What have you nned to do to Selene today?" Michelle asked her father who was at the dining table, eating breakfast. She was still at the Harrison mansion since the Wace family still hadn¡¯t contacted her toe back.


    "You wanted me to get rid of her for you and I will, but not now. Wait a few more days," he replied which earned him a frown Michelle who was about to pull out a chair for herself.


    "I don¡¯t have a few more days, Father! You need to get it done today. I keep getting threats from unknown people who want to take my life and you want me to wait a few days? No way, Dad! I want you to help me get rid of Selene today," she replied, a hint of annoyance evident in her tone.


    Robert sighed before he turned to Michelle.


    "The award show onlymenced yesterday. If something was to happen to Selene today all of a sudden, you would be the first suspect." Robert took his medicines and gulped down some water immediately.


    Michelle clicked her tongue. "I don¡¯t care."

 Chapter 155: Bingo

    However, the amount of rest he got by staying home and letting Jack take care of thepany only seems to have deteriorated his health. He couldn¡¯t understand what was happening to him, but he hoped he would get better and get back into business.


    "Jack, how¡¯s the investigation regarding the missing money going? You haven¡¯t updated me for the past three days, is all well?" He asked Jack.


    Meanwhile, Jack was busy enjoying his breakfast, thinking about the things he would get with the money he¡¯d stolen from thepany when he heard Robert¡¯s question that was directed towards him.


    He gulped down his saliva in fear, but it went down through the wrong pipe, along with his food. He fell into a fit of cough, quickly grabbed a ss of water then cleaned his mouth with a napkin. It might seem like a casual move by someone who nearly choked on his food, but he was simply buying time for himself to think of an exnation to give to Robert.


    "The investigation is still ongoing, father, but the money still hasn¡¯t been found. The inspectors said that it would be slightly difficult to track it since it was arge amount of money," he answered, making sure that he didn¡¯t stutter and give himself away.


    "What nonsense is that?!" Robert demanded harshly, but he immediately regretted it when he broke into a fit of coughing. His body, now weak and fragile, could no longer withstand such outbursts.


    Amelia patted his back like the <i>good </i>wife she was. "You need to calm down," she said.


    "I can¡¯t calm down. 10 million dors just disappeared from thepany, just like that and you are telling me to calm down?" He turned to Jack. "I want to speak with those inspectors. If they can¡¯t do their job well, then they should just quit and go work on a farm or something."


    Jack panicked. He¡¯d already bribed the inspectors off to drop the case. So, there was no inspector anymore; neither was there a case to solve.


    "You don¡¯t have to worry, sweetie. Jack already said he would handle the situation," Amelia tried to convince Robert.


    If he persisted in seeing the inspectors who didn¡¯t exist, he would find out about everything. She also panicked.


    "You don¡¯t have to worry about that, father! They did say they would do the best they could and track the money. They did mention there was a high chance the person who stole the money might have already withdrawn it and traveled out of the city¡ª"


    "In that case, investigate every employee at the Harrisonpany and check if any one of them had taken a leave and traveled out of the city," Robert bellowed.


    Immediately, he regretted his actions again when he started coughing aggressively, blood falling out of his mouth and dropping on the ground.


    It wasn¡¯t a new thing for anyone at the dining table to witness. Since he¡¯d gotten sick, he would sometimes cough out blood which was shocking, not only to him but to everyone else. Although, for the past week, they have gotten used to it.


    The blood was cleaned off, and Robert rubbed his mouth clean.


    "If the inspectors don¡¯t find the money in the next two weeks, I will have to take action myself," said Robert.


    Jack silently released a sigh of relief. He and his mother exchanged nces with an evil smirk on his lips.


    Michelle, who was busy daydreaming about Selene¡¯s death, noticed her mother and brother smiling at each other, with a kind of expression she couldn¡¯t exin. She decided to shrug it off and dug into her food.


    **


    Selene had just finished a scene from <i>Shadows Of Deception.</i> Unfortunately, the director hadn¡¯t given them a day off after the award show.


    "You better go home and rest, you look tired," Kaelmented.


    "Tell me about it," she replied.


    She had only a few scenes left to film and wanted to finish them quickly to focus on the Harrisonpany. However, her legs nearly gave out with each step she took.


    Whenever they did, she was reminded of the activity she and Xavier had shared the previous night. It was with great difficulty that she managed to walk normally, struggling to avoid any awkwardness in her steps.


    Thankfully, the scene ended early. It was just noon. There was no magazine shot she needed to take and she couldn¡¯t wait to go home and sleep.


    "Are you through, ma¡¯am?" Jake, her driver, asked her. Xavier forced her to bring Jake along with her since he was worried she wouldn¡¯t be able to hit the brakes. Selene thought he was exaggerating, butter gave in since she was too tired to drive.


    "Yes, Jake. We can go home now," she responded.


    Jake nodded and ignited the engines of the car to head back to the mansion.


    Unbeknownst to them, an overweight man who was seated in arge truck had already sighted them.


    He pulled out a picture from his phone and matched it with thedy who¡¯d just gotten into the car.


    "Bingo."

 Chapter 156: Selene Is Ava Clark!

    Just as Selene reached for her phone, the truck collided with their car, sending it tumbling over and crashing. The vehicle was now overturned, its roof pressing against the ground.


    When the truck driver was satisfied with the sight before him, he quickly made a huge turn and left the scene before the pedestrians would call the police.


    Selene¡¯s car was a mangled wreck, with smoke and liquid pouring out. Onlookers gathered at the sound of the crash, rushing to assist those trapped inside.


    He made a phone call. "It¡¯s done," he informed as soon as the call connected.


    "I will transfer the rest of the money to you immediately," the person from the other side of the phone responded.


    **


    At the hideout, Xavier stared at the screen of hisputer, particrly at the data. His long index finger hovered above the keyboard as he stared at the data. It contained the history of Anastasia which he¡¯d asked Maxwell to find for him.


    "Just click on it already, I¡¯m also curious to find out why Ezekiel was asking you about Anastasia¡¯s picture," Kace urged from behind Xavier, also staring at the screen before them.


    "Can you not breathe so close to me? Move away," Xavier asked Kace. Thetter clicked his tongue, ring at Xavier lightly, mumbling some words before taking a seat.


    After a few seconds passed, the silence bing louder and louder with each second, Xavier finally clicked on the data.


    As if without control, his eyes scanned through the words written on the screen faster than he imagined, the pictures followed next, the picture of Selene as a child at the rk family, then at the Harrison family.


    Pictures of the investigation when <i>Ava rk</i> disappeared followed next and in less than 5 minutes, Xavier understood why Ezekiel was asking for Anastasia¡¯s picture.


    "She¡¯s Ava rk?!" Kace mumbled under his breath.


    Xavier¡¯s hands clenched tightly in anger as he red at the monitor.


    ¡¯No wonder she looked familiar from the first day I met her,¡¯ he thought to himself.


    All of a sudden, Xavier received a phone call. He checked the caller and identified the name to be one of the shadow guards he¡¯d tasked to watch Selene and keep her safe. They rarely called him but since they were calling him, something must have happened to Selene.


    "What happened to Selene?" He questioned immediately.


    Before the shadow guard couldplete his sentence, Xavier had already dashed, while Kace stared at him and wondered what had happened. Immediately, Kace followed behind him as well and the both of them headed towards the hospital.


    **


    <i>At the hospital,</i>


    Xavier arrived at the ward Selene was receiving treatment. Both he and Kace found Kael sitting in the front hospital room, looking sick with his clothes stained with blood.


    "What are you doing here?" Xavier questioned Kael who was a little shocked to find him there. He nced between Xavier and Kace.


    If it had been any other day, Kael wouldn¡¯t have bothered to speak with either of them. Likewise the two brothers before him also.


    "The incident happened not quite far from the set. We heard themotion and when we came out, we found Selene¡¯s car crashed. I brought her here. She already lost a lot of blood. I donated mine," he exined.


    Xavier¡¯s eyesnded on the bandage taped to his wrist. His face was as pale as a white sheet of paper which only made them both wonder how much blood he donated to Selene.


    As if on cue, the doctor attending to Selene came out from the operating room.


    When he saw Xavier, he didn¡¯t have to ask if the patient was rted to her.


    "Ms. Selene suffered from a sharp metal that stabbed into her stomach. Thankfully the wound wasn¡¯t too deep to be rming, we¡¯ve stopped the bleeding. Mr rk here donated some blood and there¡¯s nothing to worry about. She should wake up soon. You can go ahead and see her if you¡¯d like," the doctor informed without Xavier having to ask him.


    "Thank you doc," Xavier replied. The doctor bowed slightly and excused himself.


    Even though the doctor said there was nothing to worry about, Xavier was still worried about her.


    He turned to Kael. "Thank you, Kael."


    Not only Kael but Kace was also shocked by Xavier expressing his appreciation to Kael.


    "Thank you for bringing Selene here and for donating your blood," Xavier added.


    Kael nodded without speaking a word.


    "However, I want you to run a DNA test with Selene."


    Despite the fact Xavier believed the data that was sent to him by Maxwell, he still wanted to be sure Selene was indeed <i>Ava. </i>


    "Why would you want me to have a DNA test done with Selene?" Kael questioned Xavier with confusion etched on his face.


    "Because you are her brother. Selene is Ava," he replied.

 Chapter 157: He’s An Acquaintance

    His jaws were tightened as he silently prayed she woke up at that moment. Even though the doctor had already assured him she would be waking up in a few hours, he wouldn¡¯t be able to rest until she opened her eyes.


    "Please wake up."


    **


    Michelle was in her room at the Harrison mansion, drinking juice as she scrolled through the video clips uploaded byizens who witnessed Selene¡¯s car crash.


    "HAHAHAHA!!! That bitch is DEAD!!" Sheughed like a maniac.


    Dropping her phone on the bed, she walked towards her boombox and yed some songs and danced in joy.


    "She¡¯s finally dead," Michelle sang as she danced to the music.


    What she wanted had finally happened and she couldn¡¯t wait for the scandal the previous day to die down, so that she could continue acting in movies and gain her poprity back.


    When Michelle thought she¡¯d danced enough, she sank back on her bed, grabbed her phone, and read thements of theizens.


    "Is Selene alright? I hope she survives the crash."


    "Selene is going to survive the crash, my gurl is strong."


    "Nothing is going to happen to Selene. She will survive."


    Michelleughed as she scrolled through thement section of each post. Everyone was about Selene surviving the crash.


    "The car is damaged beyond repair, talk more of the person inside. So howe Selene is going to survive the crash?" She wondered before chuckling.


    Her smile immediately faltered when she read ament.


    "Selene got in an ident just a day after the award show? This is a nned ident I tell you."


    As if thatment wasn¡¯t enough,izens replied under thement saying, "That¡¯s right! But who could be the one behind it?"


    "It must be MICHELLE!"


    Michelle paled when she saw her name written boldly by theizen.


    Several other replies were under that one, agreeing with what theizens typed.


    Michelle scoffed. "You people can¡¯t find out anything because that man has already left the city." Sheughed out loud again, rolling on the bed.


    With the thought that Selene was gone, Michelle believed her days were better.


    If only she knew that the person she was jubting about their departure was in the hospital recovering.


    **


    <i>After a few hours, </i>


    Xavier was still in Selene¡¯s hospital room, staring at her keenly, monitoring for any movements but nothing. He¡¯d been sitting in silence with her in the room, waiting for her to wake up except for the nurse that came to check her IV drop once in a while.


    He was starting to doubt what the doctor had told him earlier.


    "Xavier, he¡¯s here," Kace said when he opened the door.


    Xavier stared at him, wondering whom he could be insinuating. Reluctantly, he stood up from his seat and went outside, where he sighted Ezekiel, together with Kael who was changed in new clothes and looking better than he did a few hours ago when he donated his blood to Selene.


    "Is it true?" Ezekiel questioned, half ring at Xavier. "Is that woman my sister? Ava?" He added that Xavier hadn¡¯t responded to him soon.


    "She is Ava rk," Xavier confirmed. "But if you don¡¯t believe me, you can wait for the DNA test toe out." His eyesnded on Kael.


    "The doctor said it woulde out in a few days," Kael said.


    Ezekiel rubbed his forehead in frustration. He understood how Ava became Anastasia, but he was puzzled about how she transitioned from Anastasia to Selene. He was unsure which name he was supposed to use.


    "Can I see her?" He requested.


    Xavier stared at him for a few seconds. "Go ahead," he responded, leaving the way for Ezekiel.


    Thetter was quite relieved by Xavier¡¯s response and marched towards the door.


    Ezekiel opened the door and made eye contact with pale blue eyes that stared right back at him with curiosity in them. Ezekiel stood frozen, because Xavier never mentioned that Selene was already awake.


    "Who are you?" She asked him with a slight frown. "Where¡¯s Xavier?"


    Xavier stepped into the room when he heard Selene¡¯s voice.


    ¡¯When did she wake up?¡¯ He wondered as he went to her side.


    He gave her a tight hug, but she flinched in pain from the wound on her stomach. He immediately requested a doctor to check her vital organs.


    "Xavier, who is that man?" Selene questioned him as she continued to stare at Ezekiel who still stood in front of the door, unmoving.


    Both Xavier and Ezekiel exchanged nces, and Xavier noticed Ezekiel subtly shake his head from side to side, a barely noticeable gesture.


    "He¡¯s an acquaintance of mine, Ezekiel rk," Xavier responded.

 Chapter 158: The Past Is Past

    "You said that man was Ezekiel rk, from the rk family?" She asked Xavier. "I thought the two families never crossed paths again," she added, staring into his tired dark eyes. It was already three in the morning and he hadn¡¯t gotten a wink of sleep yet. "What was he doing here?"


    For an unknown reason, when she made eye contact with Ezekiel, he stared back at her with longing eyes. His soft blue eyes stared right back into hers, slightly shocked that she was awake, but there was something else hidden in them that she couldn¡¯t exin.


    Kael was the only member of the rk family she¡¯d met and the two brothers looked quite simr.


    "About that, he came to the hospital for Kael. He donated his blood for you and he was the one who brought you here," Xavier exined.


    He understood why Ezekiel didn¡¯t want him to inform Selene that he was her brother. The news woulde out as shocking and he still needed to inform his family, the rk family first before any decision was made.


    He was upset he had to lie to Selene at the moment. However, telling her the truth was crucial at the moment. She needed o focus on recovering.


    Selene felt indebted to Kael for donating his blood to her.


    "Really? Where¡¯s my phone? I need to call him and appreciate him," she said, her eyes scanning the hospital room, searching for her phone.


    "Your phone was destroyed in the car crash. But I will get you a new one," he replied.


    Selene sighed, and Xavier urged her to sleep if she was too tired. She agreed, but with one condition: he had to sleep as well. She made extra space on the bed for him, and hey down beside her. Together, they drifted off to sleep.


    **


    "She¡¯s Selene Jones," Ezekiel said to Jeffrey.


    He was at the rk mansion, staring at the garden scenery with Jeffrey, his hands in his pockets as he calcted their next move.


    Jeffrey¡¯s head snapped to look at Ezekiel.


    "Who¡¯s Selene Jones?" Jeffrey asked.


    Ezekiel pulled out his phone and searched for <i>Selene Jones</i>. When a picture of her came up, he stretched out his hand, handing Jeffrey his phone for thetter to look at the picture, his missing daughter.


    "She¡¯s Ava, but she goes by a different name now," said Ezekiel.


    Jeffrey stared at the picture of Selene on Ezekiel¡¯s screen. The picture was taken with a professional camera at the award show, when she stepped down to collect her award. She looked beautiful, happy, and surprised with several other mixed expressions as she held her award in her hand.


    Tears pooled in Jeffrey¡¯s eyes, joyful that his daughter was finally found.


    "She was in an ident yesterday. Kael was the one to bring her to the hospital and he donated his blood. Xavier had Kael take a test together with Selene in case the information is wrong, the results wille out in a few days," he informed his father.


    Jeffrey handed Ezekiel his phone back, his emotions were about to burst out but he kept them caged in for a little while longer.


    "She woke up yesterday," Ezekiel added.


    His father had suddenly gone silent after seeing the picture.


    "What are you thinking about, father?" He asked with concern.


    "How were you able to find her?" Jeffrey asked.


    Ezekiel sighed, keeping his hands in his pockets. He didn¡¯t know how to reply to that question since he wasn¡¯t the one that found her.


    "I didn¡¯t. Xavier did and we haven¡¯t spoken since yesterday."


    As soon as those words left his mouth, he felt his father¡¯s piercing re on him.


    Jeffrey didn¡¯t need to ask more questions for Ezekiel to continue to exin.


    "It turned out that the both of them are dating¡ª"


    "That¡¯s impossible," Jeffrey immediately cut him off, his tone firm and void of any emotions. "My daughter won¡¯t be getting associated with any member of the Wace family. They are the reason she went missing in the first ce. If they had been careful, she would still be here, right here with us."


    Ezekiel sighed one more time,pletely understanding where his father wasing from.


    ¡¯But the past is the past.¡¯ Ezekiel bit his tongue so that he wouldn¡¯t spout out those words.

 Chapter 159: Hi, Michelle!

    He was also sick and tired of Tracie¡¯s attitude towards Selene whenever they spoke about her. He could only hope when they told Selene everything, Tracie wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    "What are you three talking about?" A woman in her early fifties asked as her brown eyes simr to Tracie¡¯s scanned between them. "I can hear your voice from the kitchen." She held a confused look, waiting for one of them to answer her.


    She could feel the tension in the air, as if they¡¯d just argued.


    Turning to Tracie whose lips were shut tightly, her eyes ring into space, she questioned, "Did you cause your brother trouble again, Tracie?"


    "What? Why do you always think I¡¯m the problem, mother?" Tracie asked her mother, feeling utterly offended by the woman¡¯s words.


    "Because you always do," Nora, Mrs. rk responded with a stern look which made Tracie mp her mouth shut before the next words would spill. "And what are you doing here? Didn¡¯t I tell you you would help me in the kitchen today? You are in yourte twenties and you still can¡¯t cook. Come on now," Nora grabbed Tracie¡¯s hand and pulled her away.


    "We are going to have to tell Mother everything at some point," said Ezekiel when the mother and daughter were no longer in sight. "We should invite Selene for dinner one time and tell her the truth there. I will inform Xavier," he added.


    Jeffrey gave him a side eye but didn¡¯t refute it. He despised hearing that specific name. But he would have to endure it for a little more time until he figured out a way to get rid of Xavier from his daughter¡¯s life.


    **


    "Take one more spoon, you have to finish this today so that you can take your drugs," Xavier urged Selene, who was making an ugly face as soon as the spoon was in close contact with her mouth.


    "Are you sure this is food? It tastes so nd. It¡¯s like water mixed with bitter leaves and blended chili poured into a bowl. I can¡¯t have anymore, please," she pleaded, taking her face away when Xavier tried to feed her.


    "You¡¯ve only taken three spoons, you need to take more," he urged her.


    "No."


    Xavier sighed before keeping the bowl of soup down.


    "Fine," he gave up. He could smell the pungent aroma of the soup and he pitied her for taking it. "It¡¯s time to take your drugs."


    He gave her the tablets and a ss of water. Selene was satisfied with Xavier¡¯s response¡ªshe had no problem with taking drugs. Before he could change his mind, she immediately swallowed down the pills.


    Not quite long after, Xavier received a phone call.


    From Selene¡¯s angle, the name of the caller was upside down. After identifying the alphabet, she recognized it to be Maxwell.


    Xavier excused himself before picking up the call.


    "Talk."


    "We were able to capture the driver before he left the city. He said it was Robert who sent him to kill Selene," Maxwell informed.


    Xavier¡¯s hands clenched on the phone, veins popping on his neck as he tried to contain his wrath.


    "It was Michelle, wasn¡¯t it?" He heard Selene¡¯s voice from behind him.


    Instantly, he turned to find her standing, hands ced on the wall as a form of support.


    "You know you shouldn¡¯t be standing yet until your wounds heal," he nagged her, his earlier ragepletely reced with worry as he assisted her back on the bed.


    "It was Michelle, wasn¡¯t it?" She repeated.


    "It was Robert¡ª-she must have told him to help her," he responded.


    A slight chuckle escaped from Selene¡¯s lips before she could stop it.


    "Has any news about my recovery been uploaded on social media?" She asked.


    Xavier shook his head. "I kept it confidential until the criminal was caught."


    ¡¯That means Michelle doesn¡¯t know I survived,¡¯ Selene thought to herself.


    Selene grabbed the bag beside her bed. It contained a new phone. She set everything up before ncing up at Xavier.


    "I should surprise her."


    **


    The sound of a ringing phone echoed loudly through the room, irritating the figure covered with a duvet amidst scattered bottles of alcohol on the floor.


    "Where¡¯s that stupid phone?" Michelle groaned as her hands searched for the phone.


    When she found it, she checked the caller only for it to show <i>Unknown. </i>


    "Who is this?" She grumbled after sliding the screen.


    "Hi, Michelle!"

 Chapter 160: Is Selene Anastasia?

    "I¡¯ve always thought only air upied your skull but I never thought I would be urate."


    "STOP THIS NONSENSE!! WHO ARE YOU?!" Michelle questioned, her fist clenched and her teeth gritting loudly together, obviously offended by the <i>other </i>person¡¯s words.


    "I¡¯m Selene Jones. FYI, I survived the car crash and I¡¯ming for you soon. You know what? You should have waited till the middle of the night before you nned this. Maybe I will fall off a cliff and into a deep forest, never to be found again, hmm?"


    Michelle¡¯s heart flew out of her chest, her body shaking from fear while her eyes widened in shock when she heard Selene¡¯s words. Those were exactly how her father, Robert described Anastasia¡¯s death.


    Michelle gulped down her saliva with such force that it felt as if she could have conquered a kingdom.


    "W-w-who¡¯s this?" She asked, her two shaky hands on her phone in case one gave out.


    Michelle only received silence with a beeping sound, signaling the call had been hung up.


    Her hands continued to shake as she brought the phone to her face, only to see it was indeed disconnected.


    With gritted teeth, Michelle¡¯s grip tightened on the phone before she mmed it against the wall with force. The impact shattered the phone into pieces.


    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, she marched to themp beside her bed, threw it against the wall, with the bottles also and several pieces of dangerous sses shattered on the ground. But Michelle didn¡¯t care.


    Selene was alive and she knew how Anastasia died.


    Michelle continued to destroy her room and every little thing inside, surrendering herself to rage. Shepletely looked like a drunk mad woman.


    The door opened and Jack¡¯s eyes flew wide open when he saw the condition her room was in. She¡¯d done the same thing to their living room and they had to rece everything.


    "What is wrong with you?" He questioned her as his anger surged through his body. He avoided the pieces of the bottle as he marched towards her. "Why are you acting like a mad woman?" He added, spitting saliva everywhere.


    Michelle red at him with clenched teeth.


    "Did you just call me a mad woman?" she demanded, her face reflecting the same intensity as his. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted a shard of ss from a broken bottle on the floor. Swiftly, she picked it up and brandished it in front of Jack, her anger palpable.


    "I dare you to call me a mad woman again," she warned, her voice cold and threatening. "Try it, and you¡¯ll find out just how serious I am about using this to stab you." Her eyes red with a fierce rage, making it clear that she was ready to act on her threat.


    She didn¡¯t care anymore if she stabbed anyone, even if it was her own brother.


    "What is fucking wrong with you?!!"


    "Maybe I am a mad woman," she said.


    "Michelle, what are you doing?" Amelia questioned and Michelle turned to face the door.


    Amelia¡¯s hands were on her head as she stared at the condition of the room. It looked like animals lived therepletely shattered and destroyed.


    Since Michelle was distracted by her mother¡¯s presence in the room, Jack took the opportunity and grabbed the broken bottle out of Michelle¡¯s grip, catching thetter off guard. He wasn¡¯t going to die yet, not until he had the Harrison¡¯s wealth in his name.


    "Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed today?" He questioned her, his eyes scanning for any nearby pieces of a bottle in case she tried to act smart with him. From her earlier actions, it was obvious she wasn¡¯t in her right sense of mind. "You were jubting yesterday over Selene¡¯s death and now¡ª" He sighed. "Just what is wrong with you? Did you suddenly get a loose screw up there?" He added, poking her head hard. Out of irritation, Michelle flung his hand away.


    "I was celebrating yesterday because I thought Selene was dead, but guess what, she WASN¡¯T!! She¡¯s alive and well and she just gave me a call saying she¡¯sing for me soon," she exined, tears pooling in her eyes. "She¡¯s alive and she knows how Anastasia died."


    Thest sentence that flew out of her mouth felt like a bomb had just exploded over their heads. Both Jack and Amelia stiffened, ncing at each other in disbelief.


    "That¡¯s impossible," Robert said from over the door. "Only me and my men know that. And I am certain they wouldn¡¯t open their mouth to say a word to anyone," he included.


    "What exactly did Selene say?" Amelia asked. She was beyond afraid about someone, who is not a part of their family knowing about their secret.


    "Cliff. Deep forest. Middle of the night, mother. Anastasia fell off a cliff, remember?" Michelle cried.


    "And her body was never found," Jack finished, staring at Robert this time around. "What if Selene is truly Anastasia?"

 Chapter 161: We Are Happily Married

    "We will think about thatter," said Robert. "Get the servants to clean this ce up," he ordered and assisted himself in leaving the room. Amelia joined him and Jack left after ring at Michelle for a few seconds, remembering how she almost wanted to kill him a few minutes ago.


    **


    "You want her to know you are Anastasia?" Xavier asked Selene with a curious gaze.


    "Definitely. I wish I could have been there to witness Michelle¡¯s reaction firsthand," she said, her voice dripping with satisfaction. "I can only imagine the shock and dismay she must be feeling. It¡¯s as if all the blood has drained from her face. She¡¯s finally getting what she deserves," she continued, a malevolent glint momentarily shing in her eyes before fading away as if it had never been there.


    Selene continued to stay at the hospital for an extra week while Xavier made sure not to leave her alone no matter what, even when Ezekiel wanted them to talk about the situation.


    Xavier had wanted Selene to stay an extra week, making it two weeks but she refused. She¡¯d recuperated and wanted to stay home instead and let her wound heal before going back to the set.


    Director Jax was kind enough to give her two months to recover. However, she doubted she would waste so much time by just staying at home and doing nothing.


    **


    At the Wace enterprise, Ezekiel walked through the lobby, grabbing everyone¡¯s attention with his height and appearance. As soon as they recognized him, they stared at him with curiosity in their eyes.


    This was the first time in a long time they had seen a member of the rk family on the property of the Wace family.


    The staff were tempted to have the security guards nearby in case a fight was going to break out.


    The receptionist wanted to stop Ezekiel and ask him if he had an appointment with Xavier but the aura he walked with intimidated her and she immediately mped her mouth shut.


    ¡¯If blood is shed, at least it¡¯s not my blood.¡¯ She shrugged before getting back to work.


    Ezekiel entered the elevator and went to thest floor, where Xavier¡¯s office was located.


    When he reached, he discarded the stares he was getting from the secretaries and marched towards the door.


    Hepletely understood the question behind their stares, but he wasn¡¯t there to answer them.


    Inside, Xavier noticed Ezekiel through the monitor beside his door, then he pressed a button to open it.


    "You are quite eager to know more about Selene," Xavier said when Ezekiel walked in.


    "Ava," Ezekiel corrected.


    "Anastasia."


    "Let¡¯s go with one name, don¡¯t confuse me," Ezekiel mumbled.


    "Selene it is." Xavier closed the file he was working on and ced it aside. "What exactly do you want to know about her?"


    "How her life has been at the Harrison house. Why did she have to change her name from Anastasia to Selene? Why isn¡¯t she with the Harrison family? I have too many questions so you can start answering from anywhere," said Ezekiel.


    Xavier sighed before he responded. "This is supposed to be Selene¡¯s story to tell but I don¡¯t want her to remember her past when she does so, so listen up...."


    Xavier informed Ezekiel of everything Selene had gone through. Her maltreatment from the Harrison family, the arranged marriage Wace had with the Harrison family, the ID <i>swap</i>, signing away her properties, her miscarriage, and when he found her almost dead.


    Xavier wrapped it up into one full package and threw it at Ezekiel, who couldn¡¯t believe his ears.


    "Selene is your wife?" Ezekiel questioned when Xavier was done.


    "She is," he replied. "We are happily married."


    "You know my father won¡¯t approve of this marriage." Ezekiel stood upright as he red at Xavier.


    "I never asked for anyone¡¯s approval."


    Silence reigned.


    "My father wasn¡¯t happy when I told him that you two were dating. How on earth am I supposed to tell him you both are already married? Are you nning on giving him a heart attack?"


    "Selene and I were doing fine before your family came into the picture; before we found out about her identity. I will tell her the truth and when that timees, I hope we won¡¯t have any sort of problem," Xavier red back at Ezekiel, making his message clear.

 Chapter 162: Mother And Son Duo

    At the Harrisonpany, Leo was reviewing the financial records to track the history of the money sent and the expenditures it covered.


    Like any otherpany, the funds were allocated to investments and building thepany¡¯s reputation, and there were no signs of money missing during that period.


    Leo leaned back on his seat tiredly, closing his eyes for a few seconds since he¡¯d been staring at the screen for several hours already.


    "Why do you keep looking into the history of the Harrisonpany?" a woman seated beside Leo asked, her attention divided as she clipped her fingernails and chewed gum so loudly that Leo guessed people on the lower floors could hear her.


    "Is it wrong to check the history of thepany I¡¯m working for?" He questioned her back, which earned a slight grin from her.


    "It¡¯s not," she replied. "But since you came here....hmm...when was it again? Almost a year ago, you kept searching from one thing to another," she added.


    "Curiosity," he answered, dismissing her immediately as he readied to continue typing on the keyboard, his fingers halting when he saw Jack leaving his office.


    Immediately, he stood up and left his desk to follow Jack, who seemed to be heading towards Robert¡¯s office.


    Selene had already informed him that Jack was the person who¡¯d been stealing that much money from thepany. After the 15 million dors had gone missing, Jackid low, probably because he didn¡¯t want the shareholders to notice the missing money as well.


    Once Jack got to Robert¡¯s office, he opened it and went inside. Leo hissed under his breath. He couldn¡¯t follow Jack inside and let thetter know he was being trailed.


    Jack switched the lights inside Robert¡¯s office. Robert still hadn¡¯t resumed work due to his deteriorating health.


    Immediately, he marched over to the shelves standing in the office, and rummaged through to find a specific something.


    "Where is it?" He muttered, flipping from one file to the other. "I have to find those property documents today," he added as he continued to search, but his search was to no avail.


    Leaving the shelves, Jack headed to Robert¡¯s desk which was still neatly arranged.


    He flipped open the documents, his eyes scanning through the words in haste before he mmed it closed and ced it back where he saw it.


    "Where are the property documents, dammit?!!"


    In case he missed it, Jack decided to make a thorough search again. However, he ended up with the same result. Nothing.


    Pulling out his phone, he phoned his mother.


    "Did you find it yet?" Amelia asked from the other side of the phone.


    "I didn¡¯t find anything, mother. The property documents are not in his office," he replied.


    "What?!" She yelled. Realizing how loud she was, she closed her mouth immediately. "I searched his study room after you left, but I still couldn¡¯t find it," she added, staring around in case any of the servants heard her.


    They needed the property papers to get everything back from Robert.


    "What are we going to do now? Our n is already in action. We can¡¯t let these property papers weigh us down," Jack said.


    Amelia gave it some thought. Since they couldn¡¯t find the property documents, they would have to follow Robert¡¯s method.


    "Let¡¯s get it illegally," she suggested, which nearly had Jack pop his eyeballs.


    "We can¡¯t¡ª"


    "That¡¯s exactly how he managed to get the money from Anastasia before she died," she interrupted Jack, her voice filled with disdain. "Did you really believe those documents were ever properly approved by the court before she signed them? Of course not! I¡¯ll be reaching out to mywyer and paying him to draft up new property documents. We need to ensure everything is legally sound and correct."


    It was finally her time to live in the wealth and luxury she believed she was destined for, and she was prepared to eliminate her husband, the father of her children, if necessary, to achieve it.


    "But, we could get in trouble," Jack answered.


    "We would if we don¡¯t pay thewyer well."


    "Who are you speaking with?" Robert asked.


    Amelia paled.


    Immediately, she hung up on the call and then turned to meet Robert with a smile on her face.


    "With a friend of mine. We are nning on going shopping, but I declined because I have to take care of you," she responded. Without waiting for him to speak, she reminded him, "It¡¯s time to take your drugs."


    Amelia ced the pills on Robert¡¯s hand, and handed him a ss of water as she watched him swallow.


    ¡¯No matter the amount of drugs you take to feel better, you never will.¡¯


    Jack came out of the office and walked back into his office. Unbeknownst to him, Leo had been listening to his conversation with his mother.


    In Leo¡¯s ear was a sound amplifier device that he¡¯d used to hear all that Jack said to his mother. The device worked when his ear was directed to the office, and to be in that angle, Leo had to face a female colleague.


    He flirted with her to not make his head angle look weird.


    "I have to tell Mrs. Wace what this mother and son duo are up to."


    **


    Kace parked his car at the entrance of Allsion¡¯s house, honking to get the attention of anyone home.


    When he didn¡¯t respond, he stepped down and walked towards their door. He knocked, and within a few seconds, a middle-aged woman opened it. Her eyes widened in shock at the sight of Kace standing at the front door.


    "Mr. Wace, you¡¯re here! Come in,e in," Mrs. Quinn, Allison¡¯s mother, urged with a broad smile, holding the door open for him to enter. "Allison is getting ready to go to ss today and will be finished soon," she added, instructing her younger daughter, Lily, to fetch a ss of juice for Kace. Kace, however, immediately declined the offer.


    Mrs. Quinn offered Kace a seat and settled on hers opposite his.


    Suddenly, she cleared her throat.


    "Are you and Allison dating?" She asked.


    "We are not," Kace replied tly, his tone devoid of emotion. The woman choked on her saliva, instantly regretting having asked him the question. However, his impable attire, impressive family background, and the shy car parked outside her home made her eyes gleam with pride, knowing her daughter had caught such a significant catch.


    Kace stared at the woman, knowing exactly what she was thinking.


    He regrly visited Allison, apanying her to college and often driving her home whenever he had the chance.


    Which was why the woman thought they were dating, but he couldn¡¯t help it. Since the time Derek lifted his hand to hit Allison in the face, he¡¯d been by her side as much as he could.


    Lily gave Kace a side nce, and the both of them ended up making eye contact. She stared at him a while longer, not willing to back down from the staring game.


    "Do you have a crush on my sister?" Lily couldn¡¯t help but ask, her brown eyes squinted as if Kace was a hard puzzle to crack.


    "Lily, what rubbish are you asking him?" Allison questioned when she stepped out of her room. "When did you start knowing the meaning of crush?"


    "Sis, I¡¯m thirteen. I¡¯m not a kid," Lily snapped while Allison red at her, mumbling something under her breath. Then her gaze focused on Kace.


    "And what are you doing here?" She questioned. "How many times do I have to tell you to stoping to my house?"


    Instead of asking that question, I suggest you check the time," Kace replied nonchntly.


    Allison checked the time on her phone, realizing she was almostte. Then a notification dinged, her fist clenching when she read through the words.

 Chapter 163: Break-Up

    "Kace," he corrected. "I¡¯m not trying to prove anything. Besides, since we are friends now, it¡¯s only normal that I drop you off at college a few times." He smiled, his grin stretching onto his cheeks.


    Allison huffed. After consistent reasons why they should be friends, which happened after Derek¡¯s disrespect towards Allison, thetter had already agreed for the both of them to be friends, even though she didn¡¯t want them to be one.


    Sighing in defeat, Allison got in the car, and the both of them arrived at Aurora Heights University in no time.


    "Are you excited for the Wee Fair?" Kace asked her to break the silence that had enveloped the car since they left Allison¡¯s home.


    Allison stared out of the window, her eyes settling on the students who came in and left the university.


    The university was holding a wee fair, where seniors and professors would wee the freshers and inform them about a few things regarding the university.


    "Of course I am," Allison replied, excitement evident in her tone and Kace smiled at her, his eyes on her face. "I¡¯m super d the professors decided to hold the fair after our exams," she added.


    When Kace hadn¡¯t said anything yet, she turned to look at him, finding him already staring at her, his ck eyes staring deep into her blue ones. She blinked and gulped down her saliva before tapping him on the shoulder.


    "Stop looking at me like that. Let¡¯s go."


    She stepped down from the car while Kace stared at her back with an unexinable look before he followed suit.


    Kace and Allison parted ways since Allison was a senior herself and needed to assist other seniors in the arrangements of the wee fair.


    In the middle of working, Allison¡¯s phone dinged with a notification. She pulled out her phone from her pocket and red at the messenger. Her eyes red at the text.


    "Everything alright?" Natalie asked from behind Allison when she saw thetter ring into her phone as if she wanted to throw punches at the messenger.


    "Everything is alright," Allison replied, dropping the balloons in her hand that would be used for decoration. "I need to go somewhere. I will be back soon," she added.


    Allison left the backstage to search for a particr person. When she found the person, she walked towards him.


    "Derek wants me to meet him," she told Kace. Instantly, Kace¡¯s gaze darkened at the mention of that name.


    "Don¡¯t tell me you are going to meet up with him?" He asked, his eyes narrowing as he waited for her answer.


    ¡¯I have to, else he would release the sex tape,¡¯ she thought to herself, but she couldn¡¯t tell Kace that, else he would know, which was something she didn¡¯t want him finding out about her. It was embarrassing.


    "I will go, just to hear what he has to say," she answered.


    Kace simply stared at her, many words he wanted to let out but he held himself back. After all, Allison and Derek were still in a rtionship.


    He¡¯d told her to break up with him, but she kept lying to his face by saying she loved him, which always left his tongue bitter with the urge to disfigure Derek¡¯s face.


    "I will text you every five minutes when I go see him. If you don¡¯t receive a text from me after 5 minutes...."


    "I will look for you, and if he did something bad to you, I will turn him into a punching bag," Kace finished, while Allison¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    The way he defended her when Derek pped her in college still lived rent-free in her memory. She shook her head, not wanting to focus on that part of her memory.


    "Thanks," she appreciated. Kace gave her a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes at all. His smile faltered as he watched her leave.


    "Allison can¡¯t possibly be in love with this guy. He must be holding something against her or something," he thought out loud.


    Allison entered the empty ss where Derek asked for her to meet him. She sighted him leaning on the wall as he red into his phone with a frustrated look.


    When he heard her footsteps as she entered the ss, he raised his head¡ªhis red hair following suit as his eyesnded on her.


    "You came?" He chuckled. "I guess whenever I want to talk to you, all I have to do is threaten you with that sex tape."


    Allison didn¡¯t react to his words¡ªshe stared at him with a nk expression which made it difficult for him to read her mind.


    "Aren¡¯t you going to say anything?!!" He barked, making her flinch slightly but she stood her ground. "Did you forget we are still in a rtionship?"


    "I didn¡¯t, which is why I came here to end everything. I want us to break up," she answered.

 Chapter 164: Pole-cident

    Derek reached forward to grab the phone from Allison. However, due to the distance between them, Allison was quick to react and move her hand away, taking a few more steps backward before he would grab her phone away from her.


    "Are you texting that Wace guy?" He questioned, his anger palpable as his eyes red in anger at her. "You really are a slut they say you are."


    "You can go ahead and think whatever you want to about me, I don¡¯t care anymore. I¡¯m breaking up with you, and that¡¯s it."


    As Allison was about to leave, dismissing his presence, he grabbed her hand in anger, pulling her towards him as he grabbed her by the chin with so much force Allison thought he was going to break it.


    "You think you can leave me after meeting some new guy, huh? Is that what you think?!!" He yelled out loud, spitting saliva all over her face.


    "Let me go, Derek, else I will scream," she threatened, shooting daggers at him with her re.


    Derek chuckled, hisughter making goosebumps line up on Allison¡¯s skin.


    "You even have the nerve to threaten me. Your wings have grown quiterge since you started fucking that Wace guy. Well, let me remind you, Allison. I still have that sex tape and you¡¯d better not provoke me else I will release it."


    Allison paled, while Derek grinned, satisfied with her reaction.


    "Y-you wouldn¡¯t," Allison stuttered. "You are also in that video. Your reputation will also be tainted."


    "Not at all, darling."


    Allison¡¯s skin crawled as her stomach churned at that wording out of his mouth.


    "Because you see.... In this kind of situation, the focus will be on the woman," he grinned like a maniac, his grin stretching on his cheeks.


    Allison paled again.


    She grabbed his hand and yanked it off her chin.


    "Juste back to me Allison, and no sex tape will be released. It¡¯s that simple," he added, reaching to hold her by the waist, but she took a few steps backward, creating distance between them.


    "Did I forget to mention, if I release the sex tape, your mother could get a heart attack? Then you will have toe back to me, selling your body for money again," he taunted her, enjoying the expression on her face.


    Allison¡¯s mother¡¯s heart was healthy, but the doctor did warn her after the surgery she shouldn¡¯t hear or see anything that would stress her out or worse, give her a heart attack.


    Allison stared at Derek


    "Alright, I wille back to you," she mumbled under her breath.


    Derek gave another satisfied grin, patting her head as if she were a dog that caught a ball in the fetching game.


    "Now, that¡¯s a good girl."


    Allison snorted silently, resisting the urge to punch him right in the face.


    "I need to go now and continue the arrangement for the wee fair," she said. He nodded his head, dismissing her.


    Allison left the ss. Unbeknownst to her, someone had been eavesdropping on their conversation.


    Allison fired another text message to Kace, informing him she was alright.


    She joined Natalie with the arrangement. Then she noticed one person was missing.


    "Where¡¯s Olivia?" She asked Natalie.


    Natalie gave her a side-eye.


    "How would I know where that bitch is? She never stays in one ce. Always chasing after boys with her skimpy clothes, I bet that¡¯s what she¡¯s doing right now," Natalie spat out with so much venom.


    Allison could only sigh at Natalie¡¯s words.


    In no time, the wee fair began with Allison and another senior being the MCs.


    The stage was lit brightly, with different kinds of decorations surrounding it. The chairs were already upied by the students and professors as their attention focused on the stage. Kace¡¯s eyes were focused on Allison as she weed everyone.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d seen her smile so brightly, and like always, the smile didn¡¯t reach her eyes.


    All of a sudden, his eyes caught something or someone. It was a shadow. From the angle, Kace could guess it was the shadow of a woman due to her womanly features. Before he could figure out who that woman could be, his eyesnded on the pole holding up the stage moving slightly.


    He stared down at Allison who was standing in front of the pole, her back facing it.


    His heart raced as he leaped from seat to seat, the murmurs of people who noticed the moving pole shing by him.


    "Allison!!" He called out to her.


    As soon as he stepped foot onto the stage, the pole had already copsed.

 Chapter 165: Bleeding

    Kace was hugging Allison so tightly as if his life depended on it. On his back was the pole that had almost copsed on Allison. In the nick of time, Kace was able to protect Allison using his body to shield her from the falling pole.


    The pole was too heavy for one person to carry, so everyone joined hands to move it together.


    Allison¡¯s eyes were wide open, her hands wrapped around Kace. He hadn¡¯t moved since the pole was taken away from his back.


    "Kace..." she whispered, but he still didn¡¯t move.


    Others stared at them, a little confused if they should help them get up or not.


    "Are you okay?" She heard him ask.


    Instantly, her heart skipped a beat at the sound of his deep voice. It was the first time they¡¯d been in such proximity¡ªhugging while his breath fanned her earlobe; sending shivers down her spine.


    Her cheeks flushed when she didn¡¯t want him to.


    "I should be asking you that question," she said, tapping him on the shoulder to get off her. He weighed twice her weight, and she felt choked under him since she was pressed under him.


    Kace released a soft chuckle that vibrated through his chest, sending another wave of shiver through Allison¡¯s spine. They were in an awkward position with people staring down at them, and Kace was in the mood tough.


    "Now, I¡¯m assured you are okay," he mumbled, his tone low.


    Reluctantly, Kace released Allison from his tight hug.


    Allison¡¯s eyes widened in shock when she saw the blood on Kace¡¯s lips. Feeling her stare, he wiped the blood with the back of his hand.


    "You are bleeding. You need to get checked quickly," she urged, her eyes widened in panic.


    The pole that fell on him wasn¡¯t enormously huge, but it was stillrge enough to break the bone of an adult male.


    "I¡¯m alright," he replied, but Allison wasn¡¯t having it.


    She parted her lips to retort, but the cries of someone familiar interrupted her.


    "Allison, are you alright? I was worried sick that something bad happened to you," Olivia cried, tears streaming down her eyes uncontrobly.


    Allison was a little shocked as she stared at Olivia who¡¯de out of nowhere.


    "I¡¯m fine," she reassured.


    "What about Kace Wace? He¡¯s bleeding, we need to take him to the doctor," she urged as she stared at Kace who was busy cleaning off the blood that kept pouring from his lips.


    The other male students assisted Kace as they headed to the medical bay of the university. After everything was exined to the doctor, he immediately started the treatment on Kace.


    "Where were you?" Natalie asked Olivia all of a sudden as they were gathered outside.


    The male students had already left, leaving Natalie, Allison, and Olivia to wait for what the doctor had to say.


    Allison nced at Natalie, getting a hint of where thetter was. Olivia had been missing earlier, then showed up out of nowhere.


    "I was backstage doing some work," Olivia replied, rubbing her hands together.


    "What kind of work?" Natalie questioned, her eyes narrowing at Olivia. "Because you see, we were also backstage and we didn¡¯t see you, so where exactly were you?"


    "Why are you suddenly interested in where I was?" Olivia questioned back. She tore her gaze from Natalie to stare at Allison who¡¯d been quiet the whole time. "You can¡¯t possibly stand here and watch your friend use me, Allison. You need to talk to her."


    Allison raised her eyebrow in question. "Natalie never used you of anything. She only asked you where you were," she reminded.


    Olivia paled.


    "O-of course, that¡¯s what I was saying as well. I didn¡¯t know where she was heading so I was just making sure no ideas wereing to her head," she replied, her eyes on Natalie this time.


    Thetter tilted her head, slightly amused. "What kind of ideas, Olivia? Did you do something?"


    As always, Natalie disliked Olivia, likewise thetter.


    Natalie was innocently asking Olivia where she was before the incident urred, but Olivia became strangely alert. Olivia¡¯s expression only gave her away.


    "Answer me, did you do something?" Natalie questioned again.


    "The both of you please stop," Allison interrupted. "You can postpone this conversationter, but not right now, please. This is a medical bay. If you make too much noise, you might get kicked out by the nurses," she reminded.


    Allison¡¯s main focus was how Kace could be doing. No doubt about it, his bone was broken, but she had no idea to what extent because he shielded her with his body from the falling pole.


    Olivia crossed her hands around her chest as if she was offended by Natalie¡¯s words, but deep down, she was afraid Natalie might have already figured out she was the one who caused the pole to copse.


    Unfortunately for Olivia, the person she wanted the pole tond on was protected by Kace.


    Olivia red at Allison from under her eyshes, but she wasn¡¯t too discreet with it. Natalie sighted her immediately.


    The door to the room where Kace was being treated opened, and the doctor came out.


    "You can go see him now," he said.


    Without further ado, Allison rushed inside to see Kace.

 Chapter 166: You Will Take Care Of Me

    "I¡¯m sorry," she mumbled.


    "You don¡¯t have to apologize. Although, I do find it weird that a pole fell on stage, also, that shadow..." he drawled.


    "What shadow?" Allison asked, her eyebrows furrowed in curiosity.


    "It¡¯s nothing," Kace smiled. "My eyes must have been deceiving me, that¡¯s all."


    Allison gave him a pointed look, but didn¡¯t dare persuade him to talk. He was still injured.


    "Allison, can you pour me a ss of water?" He requested.


    Immediately, she walked over to the water dispenser and poured him a ss of water. When she was done, she handed him the ss, their hands touching slightly, sending sparks to fly in the air before Kace gulped down the contents inside the ss.


    "So, about my broken ribs..." he drawled, staring at her. "I will need someone to help me with everything until I get better."


    "What¡¯s that supposed to mean?" She asked, high on alert as she blinked at him.


    "You¡¯ve visited my house before and you know I have no servants that can help me cook and clean daily. I can¡¯t even walk properly on my own," he exined. "So, since you are the reason for my broken ribs, you are going to have to take care of me," he dered.


    Instantly, Allison stood up from the couch as she opposed, "I¡¯m not doing such a thing. I never asked you to shield my body with yours. You were the one who put yourself in this condition. If you don¡¯t have a servant, then hire one. You are rich enough to hire as many servants as you want. But there¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to take care of you."


    Kace blinked at her,pletely surprised by her outburst.


    He¡¯d only been teasing her, but seeing her reaction, he was deadpan on making her take care of him.


    "Do you expect me to sit and watch you get pounded to death by a pole? My ribs are broken, and I can barely move right now. Who¡¯s going to bathe me, feed me, and clean me up?"


    "What the heck?! If you want someone to take care of you, just get a caregiver or a nanny. I¡¯m neither of those, Kace," she retorted.


    ¡¯He expects me to bathe him? Who do I look like, his mother?¡¯ She wondered as she shot daggers at him with her re.


    If looks could kill, Kace would probably be six feet under already.


    Kace raised his hand in surrender.


    "Alright alright. So maybe you can¡¯t help with everything. But you still need to take care of me since this is your fault," he reminded her.


    Allison gave it a thought. She was still grateful he saved her, but taking care of him was something she wasn¡¯t sure she should do.


    Derek was asking her toe back to him when they hadn¡¯t even broken up, which only meant he wanted her to stay away from Kace.


    But due to this incident, she would have to be around Kace most of the time.


    "I have rules," she said. Kace raised his eyebrow in curiosity as she continued. "I don¡¯t want to bathe you or clean you up. You are going to have to get a servant for that or do it yourself if you can. Your hands aren¡¯t broken so you should be able to feed yourself," she reminded, her eyes pointed to his arms before she looked back at him. "But if you need help with that, then I will offer to help you with it and other thing you want me to do," she finished.


    Kace tried to hide the grin that wanted to break free on his lips.


    ¡¯That was easier than I thought it would be. She would being to my house every day now to take care of me,¡¯ he thought to himself.


    "That works fine by me," he agreed.


    **


    "Why did you do that to Allison? You nearly killed her," Derek asked thedy in front of him as he took a puff of the cigarette in between his fingers.


    Olivia took the cigarette from Derek¡¯s hands and took a puff as well with her eyes closed. She released the smoke through her mouth and nostril, taking a deep breath before she opened her eyes.


    "She¡¯s just lucky she survived. I won¡¯t give up though. I¡¯ll make another attempt to get rid of her," she answered.


    Wrapping her hands around Derek she pouted at her lips. "I overheard your conversation with her earlier. Why would you want her toe back to you when you already have me?" She asked. "Am I not enough for you, Derek? Do you still need Allison by your side?"


    Derek responded by wrapping his hands around Olivia.


    "Remember, I¡¯m only using her. Without a thought, you are so much better than her. I just need to remind her where she belongs¡ªunder our feet to step on. Once I¡¯m bored with her, she can go to hell for all I care," he responded.


    Olivia smiled against his lips, loving his ns before their lips shed against each other.

 Chapter 167: Make-Up Plans

    Since Selene was promoting the makeup brand, she was restricted to using only their products. This was why Allison hadn¡¯t brought her own makeup. All of Selene¡¯s makeup equipment was already set up by the crew in front of her vanity mirror each day she had a scene.


    "What happened to this foundation, did it fall or something?" Allison mumbled as she tried to smoothen out the content inside with a makeup brush.


    Allison dropped it to take another foundation since the first one had weird lumps inside.


    Selene picked up the foundation and frowned deeply when she saw the lumps inside the foundation.


    Instinctively, she brought the foundation to her nostril to take a sniff. Instantly, she checked the level of preservatives used in making the foundation.


    Before signing a contract with the makeup brand that owned the product in her hand, Selene had informed them too many preservatives in her makeup products could trigger her allergy and make her face red and puffy. They listened to her and reduced the amount of preservatives in their makeup products for her.


    The container of the foundation was the same as the brand, but definitely, it wasn¡¯t their product that was inside the container. The content inside had been switched.


    Allison took out another bottle of foundation and discovered the same peculiar lumps inside. This indicated that someone had reced the original foundation with another brand, which contained a higher level of preservatives.


    Selene didn¡¯t have any allergies to high preservatives, but Anastasia did. Which also meant the person who switched it doubted she was Anastasia.


    Selene grinned when she had an idea who could have done such a thing.


    "Don¡¯t use the foundations, Allison. I have cosmetic powder. You can use that instead," she said to Allison.


    Thetter held a confused expression, wondering if any of the crew had broken the foundation or something. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯te with her makeup kit so they had to settle for Selene¡¯s cosmetic powder.


    Fortunately, Selene had pale, clear skin with not a single pimple in sight.


    In ten minutes, Allison was done. Since they had to settle for just cosmetic powder, Selene¡¯s face looked natural, with a little eye makeup and a red tint on her lips.


    Selene walked out of the makeup room after appreciating Allison and Natalie for their job well done.


    **


    When her scene was finished, everyone congratted Selene for her performance. Despite still being wounded, she did her best.


    Kael handed her a bottle of water to cool her down from the scorching hot sun she¡¯d been under for the past two hours.


    "Where were you? I didn¡¯t see you when I arrived," she asked Kael as she sipped from her water.


    "I just arrived a few minutes ago," he replied as he stared down at her, still baffled that the person before him was his elder sister.


    Now that he took a closer look at her, he saw the simrities she had with their father and elder brother. They were the only ones who had their father¡¯s eyes. While he and Tracie shared their mother¡¯s brown eyes.


    He regretted hating her the first day they met when she didn¡¯t do anything wrong to him, even though she shared an intimate rtionship with Xavier Wace.


    "What?" Selene asked when she noticed how long Kael was staring at her without saying a word.


    "Nothing!" He tore his gaze from her.


    ¡¯Am I supposed to call her sis? Or...¡¯ He wondered.


    Selene frowned. "You seem to be thinking about something. Need help?"


    "Not at all, sis."


    Kael stiffened when he realized what he¡¯d just called Selene. Since his mind was still contemting what he should address Selene with, he mistakenly spewed out what he was thinking.


    "Sis? When did I be your sister?" She asked, with a teasing smile on her lips. She did consider Kael as her younger brother, but she didn¡¯t expect him to call her sister.


    "That was a slip of the tongue. Having you as a sister would be more of a torture than a blessing," he teased back, hoping she would drop the topic. He was starting to sweat buckets already.


    ¡¯If Selene found out she is a rk from me, Kiel would murder me,¡¯ he thought to himself.


    Selene pinched him at the side, before ruffling his hair.


    "Hey! FYI I¡¯m a blessing," she snorted.


    Selene¡¯s eyes caught sight of a familiar figure, although she only saw the person¡¯s back. When the person turned to face her, she smiled warmly before they exited the setpletely.

 Chapter 168: New Identity Revealed

    "Help me with a tray, I will go to Xavier¡¯s study room and give him his food," she requested.


    The maid scurried off to the kitchen and brought a tray along with her, ced the foot on it, and then secured it with a cover te.


    Selene carried to tray as she headed towards Xavier¡¯s study room.


    Just when she was about to knock, she heard him saying a few things.


    "I¡¯m going to tell her soon. Look, you don¡¯t need to remind me how important this is. I¡¯m notfortable keeping such a secret from Selene," she heard from inside Xavier¡¯s study room.


    ¡¯Xavier is keeping a secret from me?¡¯ She thought as her heart hammered in her chest. She decided to drop her hand and waited to hear the rest of his words.


    Selene was aware she was eavesdropping on Xavier¡¯s conversation, which was the wrong thing to do. But the conversation he was having concerned her, and she was curious to find out more.


    Leaning towards the door, she ced her ears to hear him properly.


    "I know she¡¯s your sister, but she¡¯s also my wife," he dered. "I need to prepare her for the truth. All her life, she thought the Harrison were her real family. How do you think Selene is going to react when I tell her she¡¯s a member of the rk family?" Xavier questioned.


    Instantly, he heard the sharp, shattering sound of ssing from behind his door.


    Quickly, Xavier hung up on the call and walked towards the door. He spread it open, only to find Selene outside with shattered tes and spilled food on the ground. She stared at him with eyes widened in disbelief.


    "I¡¯m what?" She asked, her voice barely audible.


    Xavier clenched his teeth before he called, "Mrs. Austin, can you please clear this for me?"


    The woman being called arrived in less than a minute and immediately got to work, while Xavier pulled Selene into his study room and shut the door.


    "What were you doing outside my study room? You could have just entered," he nagged her as he pulled out the first aid kit box and started treating her bleeding legs which had made contact with the shattered pieces of tes.


    "W-what did you say? A-about me being a member of the rk family? What was that all about?" She questioned, tears already pooling in her eyes as she tried to contain her emotions, but it slipped no matter how hard she caged it in.


    Xavier sighed, ming himself since she had to find out about her true identity this way.


    He decided to exin everything to her. Her encounter with Ezekiel at the Wace corporation, him doing a background check on her. The incident, then the DNA test she had with Kael without her knowledge, which only confirmed she was indeed the lost daughter of the rk family, Ava rk.


    Selene listened to Xavier attentively, making sure not to miss a word he said. But the more she listened to him, the more she wanted to go to the Harrison mansion with a knife and stab Robert to death.


    Everything made sense to her. She was treated differently from Michelle and Jack because she wasn¡¯t rted to either Robert or Amelia.


    "They messed up my life," she chuckled as tears continued to stream down her face. It was an odd reaction and Xavier stared at her with worry. "They yed with me, they used me because I wasn¡¯t rted to them by blood. Isn¡¯t that hrious, Xavier?" She asked,ughing hysterically.


    Immediately, Xavier pulled her to his chest and wrapped his hands around her.


    "I want to kill them, Xavier," she mumbled against him, her hot breath fanning his chest. "I want to dice them up like meat."


    If there was one thing Xavier didn¡¯t want Selene to get involved in, that would be staining her hands with blood.


    But she had been lied to all her life, used, and then almost killed when they had no use for her anymore.


    Despiteing for revenge with another identity, they still wanted to discard her as they did with Anastasia. He wasn¡¯t going to let that happen in his lifetime.


    "You know you have my full support in everything you do. Kill them, and I will take care of discarding their bodies where no one would ever find it," he replied.


    Xavier felt her smile against his chest as her hands wrapped around him tightly.


    "But before that, I want to meet my new family. The rk family," she requested.

 Chapter 169: Welcome Home

    "I do," she responded. "But I won¡¯t promise I will do my best."


    Ezekiel released an exasperated sigh as he pinched his forehead in frustration.


    Jeffrey gave Tracie a warning re while thetter made sure not to stare at her father.


    All of a sudden, they heard the doorbell sound dance its way into their ears, making them turn their heads to the door in unison.


    ¡¯They are here,¡¯ they all thought in unison.


    A servant came out and opened the door, revealing a 6¡¯8 inches man d in a ck suit, his hair styled naturally as his locks werebed back, leaving a few strands to dangle over his forehead as he exuded a dark aura like a perfume. His hands were wrapped around the waist of a petite woman whose height reached only his shoulders


    She wore a ck dress simr to it. And if a proper look is taken, one would notice the simr design of a rose tailored on the chest side of the dress/suit.


    Selene wore a smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes as she stared at her family in anticipation. This was the first time she would be meeting them, and the gravity of the moment weighed heavily on her. She felt the need to be cautious as her instincts kicked in, instincts she wished she could discard but still clung to out of necessity.


    Every muscle in her body was tense, her mind racing with thoughts of how this encounter would unfold. She took a deep breath, steadying herself for whatever was toe, all while maintaining the facade of a weing smile.


    The family she believed she belonged to had misused her, now, her guard was up all the time.


    In the middle of her thoughts, Selene felt her body enveloped in a warm hug, a flowery sweet scent filling her nostrils. The woman who just hugged her smelled like a mother, her mother.


    Selene was stiff for a few seconds,pletely baffled by the woman¡¯s actions, but in no time, sheplied with the hug, hugging the woman back just as tightly as she buried her nostrils in the neck of the woman.


    Surprisingly, Nora was taller than Selene by a few centimeters.


    "You are back home, sweetie," Nora whispered in her ears as tears threatened to fall from Selene¡¯s eyes, but she immediately held herself back.


    The mother and daughter hugged for a few minutes and no one dared to interrupt them.


    Xavier stared down at his wife, a faint smile on his lips. He turned to make eye contact with Jeffrey rk who was ring daggers at him, but he couldn¡¯t help but be unfazed by the re. Eyes couldn¡¯t kill.


    Finally, Nora released Selene from the hug by cupping her face immediately in her hands.


    "I missed you so much, we all missed you," she said, tears already streaming down her face.


    For some reason, seeing Nora cry made Selene¡¯s heart shatter, but she held herself together by shaking her head slightly, not sure if she should reply she missed her too since she was just finding out about her identity.


    "Come inside," Nora urged, holding Selene by the hand as she guided her inside the mansion.


    Xavier walked behind them, his hands in his pockets.


    Jeffrey hugged Selene just as long as Nora did.


    Kael and Selene gave each other a short hug since they were already close and Selene didn¡¯t forget to ruffle his hair, a new habit she¡¯d acquired which she loved.


    Thetter frowned as he redid his hair and Selene couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Then her eyes settled on a figure with brown hair and brown eyes that looked so simr to her mother¡ª their mother.


    Ezekiel feigned a cough, reminding Tracie of his warning earlier.


    Tracie pulled a smile on her lips, unfortunately, Selene had been with many people who faked a smile and it was easy to recognize.


    "I¡¯m so d that you are finally found," she bit out as she enveloped Selene in a tight hug which waspletely different from the first three she met. "Wee home."

 Chapter 170: I Want You To Divorce Selene

    Selene, who was about to take a bite of her food, paused when she heard Tracie. It might seem like a harmless question, but the tone that Tracie used was too familiar.


    Everyone else raised their heads to look at Tracie, while Ezekiel red at her, reminding her of his warning earlier.


    "Through hard work, and tips from other actors like Martha and Liam," Selene responded with a smile. "They were the ones who helped me with my lines when I was having a hard time as a newbie."


    "Really?" Tracie asked, scooping some food into her mouth. "So the rumors aren¡¯t true? That¡¯s impossible. You must have climbed his bed."


    "Tracie!" Jeffrey bellowed from across the table. "How can you think such a thing about your sister?"


    "I was just curious, father. I¡¯m sure the whole inte was curious how a newbie from nowhere, absolutely from nowhere gained poprity out of the blue," Tracie defended herself, stifling a smirk when she saw Selene¡¯s baffled expression.


    ¡¯Why has she been acting weird since I came here? First, she nearly hugged me to death, and now, she is talking about sleeping with Xavier to climb thedder to fame,¡¯ Selene thought to herself as her eyes narrowed at Tracie.


    She didn¡¯t want to have any trouble with her sister on their first day of meeting, so sheughed it off which surprised Tracie.


    "Everyone thought so too. But like they say, rumors are carried by haters, shared by fools, and epted by idiots."


    Kael¡¯s jaw dropped, his spoon slipping from his hand and ttering to the ground, the only sound breaking the silence following Selene¡¯s words.


    "But you shouldn¡¯t be spending too much time believing all that nonsense. It could bring a bad name to the rk family," Selene added, then cut a piece of her food and chewed as she stared at Tracie with a faint smile on her lips.


    ¡¯Well done,¡¯ Xavier thought to himself as he ced his hands on Selene¡¯sp, which encouraged her even more.


    Meanwhile, Tracie was too stunned to speak. No one had ever disrespected her so much. And the fact that her parents haven¡¯t scolded Selene yet only fueled her anger even more.


    "HOW DARE YOU?!!" Tracie mmed her fist on the table, which caused the drinks to tumble a little. "Who do you think you are to talk to me like that? You are just a nobody. Just because you are a member of the rk family, don¡¯t think you can talk to me like that!"


    "I suggest you take a seat and talk like a human. Saliva is flying out of your mouth," Xavier, who had been quiet all this time said.


    Tracie¡¯s gaze tore from Selene to Xavier. Without thinking, she threw the empty te nearest to her in his direction which he caught easily.


    "TRACIE! Calm yourself down," Ezekiel warned as he red down at her.


    She stared at him in disbelief. "You heard her call me an idiot and you didn¡¯t scold her. What did I do wrong?" She questioned as she scowled at Selene who was unfazed by her expression.


    "Tracie, take your seat!" Jeffrey ordered. When she didn¡¯t move, he added, "Don¡¯t make me repeat myself."


    Tracie¡¯s hands were clenched together as she forced herself to take her seat, which seemed like a difficult task to do.


    "Selene, I¡¯m deeply sorry for what Tracie said earlier. She will apologize to you immediately," said Ezekiel. Since he was sitting closer to Tracie, he tapped her on the shoulder, urging her to apologize immediately.


    But Tracie was hellbent on not saying a word.


    "It¡¯s okay if she doesn¡¯t want to apologize. She isn¡¯t the first to believe such a rumor and she won¡¯t be thest. But the fact that she believes it shows she had low regard for me. But like I said, I¡¯m not offended at all," Selene smiled at everyone.


    Nora ced her palm on Selene¡¯s, returning the warm smile.


    "I will be sure to teach Tracie a lessonter," the woman said with a reassuring smile.


    Selene had thought she would be loved by her real family, but it seemed a curse had been ced on her to only have sisters who would make her life quite difficult for her.


    The dining table grew quiet as everyone busied themselves with eating dinner.


    When dinner was done, Jeffrey said, "Xavier, I want to talk to you."


    ¡¯I saw thising,¡¯ Xavier thought to himself.


    "I will be right back," he told Selene, pecking her cheeks before following behind Jeffrey.


    When they arrived in Jeffrey¡¯s study room, the older man stared at Xavier eyes filled with disdain.


    "I want you to divorce Selene as soon as possible," he ordered.

 Chapter 171: I Won’t Divorce Selene

    Since he¡¯d already entered the study room, he had no choice but to close the door behind him.


    "Father..."


    "Tell this man to divorce Selene and leave her alone. She doesn¡¯t belong with him. I will find her a better husband, not a killer like him," he spat with so much venom it would have poisoned a snake.


    ¡¯I¡¯m also a killer,¡¯ Ezekiel thought to himself.


    [Author¡¯s Note¡ªWe will uncover their secrets and get to know the rk family much better in the future :3]


    Xavier¡¯s teeth silently gnashed against each other, as he resisted the urge to punch Jeffrey across the face, sending him to the nearest wall to kiss. But he reminded himself the man was Selene¡¯s father.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for that title he held, he would have resisted no more.


    "You didn¡¯t inform your father, Ezekiel? I didn¡¯t want any trouble when Selene found out she¡¯s rted to your family. So, can you kindly tell your father, in case he doesn¡¯t understand me, that I¡¯m not divorcing Selene, no matter what," Xavier said, his voice calm and devoid of any hidden agenda.


    "Father..." Ezekiel called his father one more time. From the change of atmosphere in the room, in addition to the dark aura Xavier was emanating, a fight would break out soon and he had an idea who would win. "We can talk about thister. Selene is downstairs and I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t want her to hear what you are asking Xavier to do," he tried to convince the middle-aged man.


    Jeffrey eased a bit, as he unclenched his hands.


    "Honestly, I have no problem if you want to have the conversation here. I doubt Selene will start looking for us anything soon since Mrs. rk is already fond of her. However, it would be aplete waste of time to continue with this conversation since my answer will be the same," Xavier suddenly said. He nced between Ezekiel and Jeffrey.


    "I¡¯m not going to divorce Selene over a family feud you¡¯ve refused to let go of for the past two decades. That would be downright ridiculous. And then you call me a killer..." Xavier scoffed, the corner of his lips stretching to one side with an unbelievable look.


    "You!" Jeffrey barked.


    "Father," Ezekiel interrupted, stopping him from speaking further. "I think it would be a bad idea to ask them to divorce since Selene loves Xavier very much. We¡¯ve only just gotten to know her, and it wouldn¡¯t be wise to get on her bad side now." He tried to exin things to his father, but the middle-aged man was still hellbent on getting them to divorce.


    He could see from Xavier¡¯s calm and unbothered expression that he wasn¡¯t going to change his mind and he never will. All his father was spouting, the energy he was using to say such threats was all going to waste.


    Just because the two families had a feud that hadn¡¯t been settled yet, Xavier wasn¡¯t willing to end things with Selene based on absurd excuses.


    "If that¡¯s all, I would like to get going now. I wouldn¡¯t want to be separated from my wife for too long," Xavier said as he headed towards the door, but halted when he recalled something. "If you try to cause trouble in our rtionship, I won¡¯t bat an eysh when I take Selene to a ce you would never find her," he threatened.


    Without waiting to hear Jeffrey¡¯s outburst reply, he opened the door and slipped away.


    "Father, you should drop the idea of getting the both of them to separate. It¡¯s not going to work. We can¡¯t afford to drift away from Selene when we just found her," he tried to make sense with Jeffrey. "I also don¡¯t think Xavier was bluffing when he threatened he would take her away from us."


    "We will see about that. I wille up with a n and get the both of them to separate," Jeffrey promised. "I don¡¯t want my daughter to be associated with such a family."


    Ezekiel could only pinch the skin between his brows in frustration. The incident that urred decades ago did leave a sense of betrayal on his father from Thomas Wace, Xavier¡¯s father, and from the look of things, a deep hole had been created since that betrayal, and it would be difficult to fill up that hole with assurance that Xavier loved Selene.


    <i>Love?</i>


    The image of someone shed in Ezekiel¡¯s mind, and immediately, he shook the image off his mind.


    Now wasn¡¯t the time to be thinking about such a person.

 Chapter 172: Sibling Relationship

    Speaking of family feuds, he needed to make time to tell her everything before Jeffrey fed Selene¡¯s mind with lies.


    Although he doubted that was possible, Selene wouldn¡¯t believe anything they said without asking for his side of the story. Still, he needed to tell her everything.


    However, she was spending quality time with her mother and he wouldn¡¯t want to interrupt that. Xavier settled on the couch opposite Kael, finding nothing else to do except wait for her.


    Meanwhile, in a room where the walls are painted white, Nora tries to teach Selene how to paint the clean canvas before her.


    "I think my hands are going to shake," Selene panicked when her hands that held the brush Nora gave started shaking.


    "It¡¯s alright. You can paint anywhere on the canvas at all. I¡¯m sure it will still look good," Nora encouraged.


    Despite her shaking hands, Selene managed to paint the base of the canvas neatly without ruining it and Nora pped for her before enveloping her in a hug.


    "You see, you did it," the middle-aged woman cheered. "Tracie is the only one here who can paint, but she never paints with me." The woman smiled when a new idea popped into her mind. "What if you live with us for a while?" She asked.


    Selene stared at Nora,pletely speechless as she tried to find words.


    "You are all grown up now and married too. But if you can. Let¡¯s say you want to rx after having a hot argument with Xavier, you cane here to rx since arguments are inevitable in a couple¡¯s rtionship," Nora joked while Selene sighed in relief.


    "I would love to, but...." Selene trailed off. "I don¡¯t think Tracie likes me very much."


    "That¡¯s nonsense," Nora immediately interrupted. "I won¡¯t say she doesn¡¯t like you¡ªshe¡¯s just getting to know you. I apologize on her behalf for her behavior earlier. If she gives you any trouble, I will be the one to handle her," she added, hoping Selene would agree to the idea of living with them for a while.


    "Alright then, mother! I will let you know when. It should be after I¡¯m done promoting my movie." <i>And getting my revenge on the Harrison family.</i>


    Nora cupped Selene¡¯s cheeks and hugged her one more time. She parted her lips to say something, but was immediately interrupted when she heard the sound of her ringtone echoing in the room.


    "Excuse me real quick," she said before walking out of her painting room.


    Alone in the painting room, Selene decided to experiment with the paintings. Though she wasn¡¯t skilled in the art, she was curious to learn, inspired by her mother, who had been a renowned painter in her youth. Selene¡¯s curiosity drove her to pick up the brush and explore the world of colors and canvases.


    Lifting the paintbrush one more time, she decided to make one more attempt. The canvas was too clean to destroy, so Selene made sure her hands didn¡¯t shake as she painted the canvas. Since she¡¯d already painted the base a green color, she decided to make that part look like a bush.


    As Selene got busy painting the canvas, she didn¡¯t notice the presence of the person who walked inside the painting room.


    "What are you doing?" Tracie questioned, her arms wrapped around her chest as she red at Selene¡¯s back with a burning gaze.


    Selene¡¯s hands paused when she heard Tracie¡¯s voice. Sighing, she turned to look at Tracie.


    "I¡¯m sure a five-year-old would figure out that I¡¯m painting, sadly you can¡¯t," she answered.


    Tracie¡¯s hands clenched, her eyes sizing Selene from head to toe with an unexinable look.


    For a second, Selene thought she¡¯d seen a flicker of sadness pass through her eyes but it immediately disappeared like it¡¯d never been there.


    "I want you to leave this house and nevere back. Why didn¡¯t you just stay disappeared for the rest of our lives? I¡¯m sure everyone would love that," Tracie spouted which earned her a frown from Selene.


    "Did I ever do anything wrong to you?" Selene asked with curiosity evident in her tone.


    When she heard she had a sister, she was extremely happy, however cautious since her first sister turned out to be a bitch. Now, Selene was utterly disappointed knowing her elder sister hated her for a reason she was unaware of.


    "Yes!" Tracie bellowed. "When you went missing, those were the best days of my life, and I want you gone."


    "So, you don¡¯t like me then," Selene thought out loud.


    "Was I supposed to?" Tracie questioned.


    "Hmm... too bad for you, I¡¯m not leaving to go anywhere. I wille back tomorrow and when I do, I want you to teach me how to paint."


    Unfortunately for Tracie, Selene wasn¡¯t going to give up and leave. Yes, she was disappointed, but she wanted to make their sibling rtionship work.


    But if Tracie turned out to be just like Michelle, Selene wouldn¡¯t bat an eysh before attacking back.

 Chapter 173: You’re Finally Back Sis

    "Why are you ring at me? Are you angry at me?" Tracie threw her head back to chuckle. "You should be angry at yourself. You married the son of your father¡¯s enemy. I heard Ezekiel and their father discussing how to convince you to divorce him."


    Selene felt as if a bomb had just exploded above her head as she stared at Tracie in utter disbelief.


    <i>Divorce</i>


    "You are lying..." Selene managed to say. Since she¡¯d identified Tracie as an enemy, she wasn¡¯t going to believe any word that came out of thetter¡¯s mouth.


    "First you call me an idiot, and now a liar. I just want to strangle you to death," Tracie threatened, but then huffed before smiling at Selene. "I wouldn¡¯t lie to you, dear sister. I believe you love Xavier and wouldn¡¯t want to divorce him right? Hmm...." Tracie hummed, her index finger on her chin as she calcted the situation. "If you don¡¯t divorce Xavier, father might have no choice but to disown you. So sad¡ª"


    "Tracie! What are you telling your sister?" Nora questioned Tracie as she walked up to them, rage evident in her expression as she red at Tracie.


    "I was only helping Ezekiel and Father by telling her the truth so that they could save their strength," Tracie defended as she tried to stifle a grin when she saw Selene¡¯s confused expression.


    Nora darted her eyes toward Selene before her gazended on Tracie one more time.


    "No one asked you for any help, Tracie. Leave right now!" Noramanded, her tone stern which left no room for argument.


    Tracie clicked her tongue and red at Selene for half a second before she turned around and left while her heels clicked behind her until shepletely exited the painting room.


    Nora faced Selene, then ced a hand on Selene¡¯s hand.


    "Don¡¯t listen to whatever she tells you..."


    "Was she telling the truth?" Selene asked.


    Nora parted her lips to speak but no words coulde out.


    Selene¡¯s shoulders dropped. Nora¡¯sck of words only meant all that Tracie said was the truth.


    "I¡¯m never going to divorce Xavier. It¡¯s not going to happen and I don¡¯t mind if father disowns me," she dered.


    The emotions she¡¯d felt when she met them earlier had all disappeared, reced with anger.


    "You don¡¯t have to divorce Xavier. I will try to convince your father but like I said, you don¡¯t have to divorce Xavier. And your father won¡¯t disown you," Nora tried to convince Selene.


    Nora wasn¡¯t on the same page as Jeffrey. Thomas¡¯ betrayal had been brutal and it pushed Jeffrey to make sure he didn¡¯t share any kind of connection with the Wace family anymore.


    But she didn¡¯t want their daughter to suffer what she had no idea about.


    "I hope he listens to you, but if he doesn¡¯t...." She drawled, already aware of what her next steps would be.


    She was only meeting for the first time, and they were already expecting her to divorce Xavier. It was something that hadn¡¯t crossed her mind since she fell in love with him.


    If it had been two years ago, then she was ready to divorce him, but currently, things have changed.


    "I have to leave now, Mother," Selene announced, grabbed her purse, and walked past the middle-aged woman.


    Selene reached the living room and found Jeffrey, Ezekiel, and Xavier together with Kael who seemed to not want to be bothered with whatever they could be talking about since his focus was on his phone.


    Xavier wore an ugly expression, and Selene guessed Jeffrey had already asked him to divorce her.


    "Xavier," she called, gaining all of their attention as their heads turned to look at her. "Let¡¯s go home."


    "Wait, it¡¯s only 8 pm. Spend some more time with us," Jeffrey requested.


    "There¡¯s no need, father," Selene responded.


    From her tone, Jeffrey detected there must be something wrong. He nced at Nora who stood behind Selene, her face filled with worry.


    Xavier stood up from the couch, relieved they were finally leaving.


    **


    Inside an enormous room of furniture with the best interior designs, ady pulled out the drawer and brought out a picture.


    Tracie stared at the picture of Selene when she was younger, a small smile pulling on her lips as she caressed the picture.


    "You¡¯re finally back, sis. I missed you so much," she whispered as tears streamed down her face.

 Chapter 174: Plan Completed

    "He¡¯s starting to y with me. Were there any traces?" He asked Maxwell.


    "Not at all," Maxwell replied.


    Xavier could hear Maxwell type away on his keyboard before thetter added, "Although...." Maxwell drawled, still typing. When he found what he was looking for, he zoomed in on hisputer. "He did leave a mark on the back of a girl whose throat was slit. It says <i>I¡¯m</i>."


    Not only Xavier but Maxwell frowned when he read the word.


    "It only says <i>I¡¯m?" </i>Xavier asked, confusion evident in his tone.


    "That¡¯s right..." said Maxwell, his tone mirroring Xavier¡¯s. "Thest trade we went to, we couldn¡¯t find him there, which only means that he¡¯s in hiding now that you know he¡¯s running the human trafficking organization."


    Xavier¡¯s fist clenched by his side, resisting the urge to hit it on a wall.


    "For the past few days, there haven¡¯t been any trades, just more kills. He always leaves his name on a piece of paper. It¡¯s like he¡¯s changed the organization¡¯s operations just to get your attention," Maxwell added. "Xavier..." he called, hearing no response from the other side of the line. He checked his phone to make sure the call was still connected, and it was.


    "Inform me immediately if there¡¯s any lead to his whereabouts," Xavier said.


    "Sure thing!" Maxwell responded before he hung up on the call. Immediately, he forwarded the picture of the corpse pile to Xavier, who could only feel rage as he red into his phone.


    He counted the bodies. They were twelve girls, bodies covered in blood,pletely naked with their private parts cut off.


    Xavier received another text from Maxwell, which said he shoulde to the hideout immediately if he could make it.


    He read the word that was carved on one of the bodies.


    "I¡¯m," Xavier said the word, feeling utterly confused by it.


    "Xavier..." He snapped his head to face Selene who¡¯d already gotten out of the car, staring at him with concern. Selene walked up to him and traced her slender fingers on his tight jawline. She gave him a small smile, "Let¡¯s go inside."


    Selene could feel from his tense body something heavy had just dropped.


    Selene chose not to bring up the issues she had with her family anymore. Not long after, Xavier left for the hideout, having already tucked Selene into bed.


    **


    <i>At the Harrison mansion, </i>


    Amelia walked towards her save which she had been keeping all the money Jack was able to steal from thepany. Shoving the money aside, she picked up a bottle that had the name Polonium-210 written on it.


    She smirked as she picked up the bottle, poured some of the content into a teacup, closed it shut, and kept it back into the save.


    Amelia picked up the spoon beside the tea cup and stirred the content to blend well with the tea.


    When she was done, she came out of the room and headed towards Robert who was in the living room with Jack, watching business news.


    "Here¡¯s your tea," she said, handing the tea over to him, which Robert took from her and gulped down the content without hesitation.


    "Father, the thieves who stole the ten million dors have finally been caught. I fired them and sent them to jail," Jack informed all of a sudden.


    "And the money?" Robert asked, relieved the thieves were caught.


    "The money had been sent back into thepany¡¯s ount and everything had been settled, father," Jack replied. "Although there¡¯s this document I want you to sign." Jack handed Robert a document.


    "What¡¯s in this document?" Robert asked since his eyesight had deteriorated. He needed sses but didn¡¯t bother to ask Amelia to give him one since he trusted Jack.


    "It¡¯s an approval of partnership with anotherpany," Jack replied.


    Since Jack had been in charge of thepany, Robert hadn¡¯t heard anyints from any of the shareholders, which only meant that thetter was running thepany well. He had no reason to doubt him.


    Jack handed Robert a pen to sign the document.


    After signing the document, Robert returned the document to Jack. "You¡¯ve done well son. When this is all over, I might just step down for you to take over thepany," he said proudly, his eyshes suddenly growing heavy, and then he slumped on the couch.


    The mother and son duo grinned when Robert slept off.


    "We finally got what we wanted, mother."


    "Let¡¯s go celebrate, I will invite your father," said Amelia, and together, they both left Robert to sleep on the couch.


    A few minutester, a servant walked into the living room. She looked around to be sure she was the only one before she pulled out the syringe and took a sample of Robert¡¯s blood.


    "This should be enough," she muttered as she stared at the blood sample.


    She pocketed the sample and left as if she¡¯s not been there.

 Chapter 175: Mother Slut

    "Drop it on my head. Go on, drop it on my head," Michelle dared as she red at the servant. "Don¡¯t you know where her room is?" She questioned.


    Immediately, the servant apologized, bowed, and intended to leave, but Michelle stopped her, her eyes on the package in the maid¡¯s hands.


    "Who delivered that?" She asked, suddenly curious.


    "It was a dispatch rider, ma¡¯am," the servant replied.


    "Give me that." Michelle grabbed the package from the servant swiftly. "You can go!" She barked at the servant who immediately ran back into the kitchen for her dear life.


    "Did mother purchase something online? She has been buying a lot of thingstely," she wondered as she tried to open the package with curiosity. "If she bought another bag, then I¡¯m taking this one. She had too many already."


    Michelle unwrapped the package but was greeted with another package inside. She frowned deeply before unwrapping the next one. But right after, she was met with another package.


    Michelle grunted, feeling like whoever wrapped the package was toying with her patience.


    She took a steady breath and unwrapped thest one.


    "Did she buy jewelry instead?" Michelle wondered. When she started unwrapping the package, it had beenrge enough to suggest it contained a bag. But as the package got smaller and smaller, she realized she needed to lower her expectations.


    Michelle¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when she saw the picture. It turned out the package contained pictures instead of essories.


    Michelle red into the picture with confusion evident in her expression. In one picture, Amelia was hugging a man in the middle of the streets. The next one, she was in a club with a man, the next one, she was shopping with the same man.


    Although Amelia wore a scarf in all pictures, they¡¯d been taken with such a good angle one would identify her immediately.


    Michelle continued to flip through the pictures, utterly shocked to find out that her mother was having an affair with another man. Disgust clouded Michelle¡¯s face when she found her mother and another man being intimidated in the pictures.


    Not able to handle it anymore, Michelle dropped the pictures and took a few steps away from them, as if they were germs and if she heard them, she would be infected.


    As if on cue, Amelia walked into the living room and found Michelle standing like a statue with a disgusting look.


    "What happened?" Why do you have such a face?" Amelia asked.


    Michelle red at Amelia as she pointed to the picture on the couch.


    "What are these pictures, mother? Why are you with another man, being all intimate with him as if you are a married couple?" Michelle questioned Amelia who immediately regretted arriving home.


    She couldn¡¯t believe what her eyes were seeing. At first, she had to blink her eyes a few times to be sure she was seeing what she thought she was seeing.


    "Where did these picturese from?" Amelia asked Michelle who was ring at her mother with a face scrunched up in disgust.


    "Does that matter, mum?!" She questioned.


    "Michelle..." Amelia grabbed Michelle¡¯s hands softly even though hers was shaking so much. "You need to believe me, these are fake. They must be photoshopped, they aren¡¯t real."


    Michelle yanked her wrist from Amelia¡¯s hold out of disgust before walking towards the couch to pick out a picture from the pile.


    "Then, what about this picture?" Michelle questioned, holding the picture up in Amelia¡¯s face. "You are wearing the same green dress and a scarf in the picture, which only means it was taken today."


    Amelia felt like all her skeletons had been let out of the cupboard, leaving her exposed and speechless, unable to defend herself. Especially since the picture Michelle was holding in her face had been taken while she was being intimate with her lover.


    She could only open her mouth but no word coulde out.


    "So, this is the kind of mother you are? You disgust me," Michelle spatted with venom.


    Meanwhile, Amelia¡¯s face had already paled as she tried to think of a way to defend herself.


    "Michelle, you need to believe me. These pictures are photoshopped. Maybe I have a stalker who keeps following and taking pictures of me, then photoshopped it just to ruin my name," she tried to exin herself


    Michelle shook her head slightly as tears streamed down her face. "You are a disgusting woman. You are cheating on your husband when he¡¯s sick? From the looks of things, I don¡¯t think you started recently. You¡¯ve always been a slut!"


    <i>PAK!!</i>


    Michelle felt her suddenly go numb with a sharp pain.

 Chapter 176: Family Feud

    Amelia stared at Michelle with a confused expression.


    "Don¡¯t talk like you haven¡¯t cheated on Richard before," said Amelia.


    Immediately, Michelle¡¯s cheeks med with embarrassment. However, she felt more embarrassed calling Amelia her mother.


    "Well, now that you¡¯ve found out the truth, you¡¯d better keep your mouth shut about it and tell no one, especially your father. Unless you want him tond in the hospital the next second," Amelia threatened.


    She smiled at Michelle who still stared at her with a shocked expression, and left the living room after taking the pictures. There were so many she feared one of the servants would see it.


    Michelle red at her mother¡¯s back, understanding that her mother didn¡¯t seem like the mother she knew before. She had changed.


    In the room, Amelia slumped on the bed, beside Robert who was already asleep. Due to the poison she gave him, he would be sleeping more than regrly, and there would be a case where he would sleep and never wake up again.


    But she didn¡¯t bother herself with that. He had already signed all his properties to Jack and her and she didn¡¯t care if he never woke up ever again.


    However, her mind was upied with another thing; the pictures in her hands.


    She flipped the pictures, her eyes ring into them with furrowed eyebrows, wondering how she¡¯d been so careless and who might have taken the pictures of her.


    "This is bad... bad," Amelia thought out loud, her grip tightened on the pictures. But then, they released when she realized something. She stared at Robert who was sleeping peacefully, a smirk on her lips. "I shouldn¡¯t be worried if he finds out about this."


    Standing up, she walked towards Robert and caressed his hair. "It wouldn¡¯t matter much if you found out about anything. You are going to die soon anyway," she added. She leaned in to peck his forehead before rubbing off her kiss stain.


    Sighing, she walked towards the vanity mirror and dropped the pictures in the drawer.


    **


    "You¡¯ve been busytely, Kace? What have you been up to?" Selene asked, peering at Kace with a curious gaze.


    Xavier had not returned since he left the night before, leaving Selene worried about the situation he might be handling. However, she did receive a good morning text from him, instructing her to take care of herself.


    The text left her blushing all morning.


    Then all of a sudden, she saw Kace at her doorstep. It¡¯s been weeks since theyst saw each other, and she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what he¡¯d been busy with.


    A slow grin appeared on Kace¡¯s lips when he heard Selene¡¯s question.


    "A lot actually," he replied, which only piqued Selene¡¯s curiosity.


    "Allison did mention you had an ident at her college. You had a fractured rib, but to me, you don¡¯t look like someone who had a fractured rib," she said, popping a grape in her mouth as she walked towards the living room to turn on the TV and have a rxing weekend.


    <i>Shadows of Deception </i>was finished, and a date would soon be scheduled for when they would go on a movie tour to promote the movie.


    "Let me guess, you lied to her to get her attention," she finished, settling on the couch.


    "That¡¯s a huge usation," Kace defended, following suit with a bowl of popcorn in his hand. "A huge pole did fall on my back when I was protecting her..."


    Selene cocked her eyebrows at him.


    "Alright, fine! I didn¡¯t incur severe injuries. I just lied so that she would take responsibility for them, not because I wanted her attention," he rephrased. "And she¡¯s doing her job well," he added, a small grin on his lips.


    Selene gave him a side eye before her gaze focused back on the television.


    "Yeah! Sure," she responded, popping another grape in her mouth.


    "Forget about that. How did your visit to the rk mansion go? Any bondings with your family¡ª"


    "They want me to divorce Xavier," she interrupted him. "Because of a family feud that urred between Mr Wace and my father," she added.


    "I figured that was going to happen," Kace thought, slightly surprised. "Mr rk is still angry at my father for what happened."


    Selene nced at him. "Can you tell me what exactly happened?"


    "Hmm..." Kace hummed, popping a few popcorn in his mouth. "Honestly, I don¡¯t know the story well since I was little when it happened. But I heard that my father lied against Mr rk and used him of something he shouldn¡¯t have, something that wasn¡¯t his fault at all. The me nearly cost Mr rk his life, if old rk hadn¡¯t intervened," finished, popping loads of popcorn in his mouth as the movie started.


    "Then the best person to ask what happened is Xavier," she said. "I want to know the entire truth."

 Chapter 177: Let’s Share The Bed

    "I don¡¯t have a cold," Kace responded. Instantly, he regretted his words when Allison pulled her hand off his face. "You look tired," he stated.


    "And whose fault is that?" She questioned, almost ring at him.


    "I have no idea," Kace responded.


    Internally, he felt bad for stressing Allison out. The ride from college to his ce took almost half an hour. He¡¯d suggested getting a driver to take her anywhere, but she immediately refused before he could finish his sentence, so she had to take the bus.


    He could see the ck bags under her eyes.


    ¡¯Should I stop acting sick and let her rest?¡¯ He wondered. Unfortunately, he loved having her around so much, he wanted her to move in with him.


    But he knew Allison would smack him if he suggested that.


    He remembered giving her a hard time when it came to her giving him his drugs. Everything was intentional, even though the drugs were ordinary vitamins he¡¯d asked Mark to prescribe for him.


    "Do you have anything you want me to do for you?" She asked, yawning softly as she covered her mouth with her palm.


    Kace parted his lips to speak, but was interrupted by Allison¡¯s ringtone.


    He noticed her gaze darken when she saw the caller¡¯s name.


    "Excuse me," she said before exiting the room.


    Immediately, Kace got up and ced his ear on the door to hear her conversation. He had a very good idea who could be calling her, and he couldn¡¯t wait to punch a hole in that person¡¯s face.


    "Where did you rush off to?" Derek¡¯s voice stormed as soon as the call connected, which had Allison¡¯s heart racing in fear for a second.


    cing her hand on her chest, she tried to calm her heartbeat as she exhaled.


    "I¡¯m home," she responded.


    "Are you sure about that?" Derek questioned.


    "I¡¯m home, Derek. You can go ahead and call my mother if you want to confirm," she responded.


    Since Allison was on good terms with her mother all because the middle-aged woman believed she was dating Kace, her mother had agreed to cover up for her while she <i>spent</i> some time with Kace at his house.


    If Derek was to call her mother to confirm, the woman would dly say she would home without stuttering.


    "You¡¯d better be, Allison. Now that I think about it, you¡¯ve been disappearing quite a lottely. Where have you been going all this while?" He asked.


    Even though they weren¡¯t in the same location, Allison could already visualize Derek spitting saliva everywhere.


    ¡¯I¡¯m not your property,¡¯ she thought to herself.


    "I have a job, Derek, which I have to attend to. Do you understand now?" she retorted sharply, surprising not only Derek but also Kace, who was eavesdropping on their conversation.


    "How dare you use such a tone on me?!"


    "Look, Derek, if you don¡¯t have anything important to say, then I¡¯m just going to hang up. I¡¯m exhausted. Dealing with you is thest thing I want to do tonight, goodbye." She didn¡¯t wait for him to respond, she hung up on the call.


    Allison released a long sigh, trying to calm her nerves.


    "The worst he can do is threaten to release the tape," she mumbled.


    Kace frowned, wondering what tape she was talking about.


    He¡¯d already done his assignment on Derek, and just like he thought, thetter was a school bully. From kindergarten to college, he¡¯d always been a delinquent, belittling other students.


    He¡¯s had a few criminal records which ended him up in jail a few times, but he was immediately bailed out by his father.


    Other than that, Kace didn¡¯t find any sort of tape Allison was mumbling to herself about.


    His curiosity piqued.


    ¡¯He¡¯s threatening Allison with a tape,¡¯ he concluded.


    When he saw Allison walking back to the room, Kace immediately turned his heels and got under the covers again.


    "Sorry it that took so long," Allison said as she walked in.


    "It¡¯s alright," he responded, his gaze on her. "I¡¯m a little curious about your rtionship with Derek..." he trailed, waiting for her to interrupt him as she always did whenever he spoke about her rtionship. "How did it all start? When did you find out you loved him so much you were willing to be with him even when he beat you up?"


    Allison stared at Kace, wondering what suddenly got into him to be asking her such a question all of a sudden.


    Nevertheless, she cleared her throat, releasing a sigh before she responded, "Derek helped me in the past and I fell in love with him."


    "Do you still love him?" Kace asked.


    "What did you want me to do for you before?" She asked, ignoring his question.


    Kace was slightly relieved when Allison ignored his question since it only meant one thing.


    "I want us to share this bed tonight," he answered.

 Chapter 178: Do You Recognize Me, Sister?

    mourwood had appeared on the news channel for the past two days consistently, reporting the massive killing of underaged girls, and adult women.


    "That¡¯s right! The criminal still hadn¡¯t been caught yet," Mian, who was seated beside Selene, said.


    Selene recalled Kace mentioning the previous day he visited that Xavier was in mourwood, taking care of some business.


    "I agree," Selene added. "It would be too dangerous to have a world tour in mourwood until the serial killer is caught."


    Opinions were taken into consideration, then it was decided that mourwood was too dangerous to step into.


    Even the citizens were shaking in fear, and looking for ways to leave the city.


    mourwood was a great city to promote movies, but no one was willing to sacrifice their safety all in the name of money.


    The meeting was adjourned, and the date of the world tour was decided.


    Selene walked out of the meeting room. Since she didn¡¯t have anything else to do, she nned to go home and take a nap.


    ¡¯I think I¡¯ve grownzy these past few days,¡¯ she thought to herself.


    As soon as Selene left the elevator, she met Michelle, whose arms were crossed as she red at Selene.


    Selene sighed as she rolled her eyes. She wasn¡¯t in the mood to deal with Michelle like she always did.


    Xavier still hadn¡¯t returned home, and he didn¡¯t reply to her text which was sent that morning. She was worried that something bad had happened to him.


    Selene intended to walk past Michelle, but thetter grabbed her hands and pulled her back.


    "I want to talk to you," Michelle said.


    Selene yanked her wrist out of Michelle¡¯s hold with enough force, which had thetter wince in pain.


    "I don¡¯t want to talk to you Michelle, I thought that message was clear," Selene retorted.


    "Are you Anastasia?" Michelle asked, her eyes shooting mes at Selene.


    "What if I am? What if I¡¯m not?" Selene questioned back, the corners of her lips rising.


    Michelle¡¯s heart raced, her eyes trembling in fear.


    "Why? Are you scared that I could be Anastasia?" Selene asked, which only had Michelle¡¯s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.


    "Don¡¯t beat around the bush! Are you Anastasia? Yes or no?"


    Selene sighed, her eyes darting around as she took her time to respond, a time that Michelle could hear flying by even though there was no sign of a clock in sight.


    "I don¡¯t know," Selene replied, giggling when she saw Michelle¡¯s dumbfounded expression. "You look like a fool."


    "You can¡¯t be Anastasia, she died two years ago," Michelle retorted tightly while convincing herself internally the person who stood before her wasn¡¯t Anastasia.


    Although Selene didn¡¯t give a clear reply, she couldn¡¯t help but be scared of what the truth would be.


    ¡¯If Selene is Anastasia, I¡¯m done for,¡¯ Michelle thought to herself.


    Selene giggled again.


    "I thought you said she disappeared."


    Michelle paled.


    "I understand that you were doubtful about my identity the first time we met, that¡¯s why you gave me the orange when I came to the Harrison mansion, am I right? It¡¯s a disappointment you didn¡¯t recognize me at all."


    Michelle paled even more.


    "You wanted to know if I would get an allergic reaction. But thankfully, Xavier came and saved me."


    Michelle was already as stiff as a statue as she took in Selene¡¯s words.


    Taking a step closer to Michelle, Selene leaned towards Michelle¡¯s ears.


    "Now, tell me what you think. Am I Anastasia, your older sister? The one you and your family loathed so much after old Harrison left all his properties to her? The sister you tormented, beat senseless, and even killed her unborn child? The one you forced to sign away everything she had worked for, leaving her with nothing? And when she fell off that cliff, you all conveniently concluded she was dead simply because her body was never found.


    "But did it ever cross your mind, even for a second, that maybe she survived? That maybe she¡¯s been hiding in in sight, posing as someone else, biding her time while she carefully nned her revenge? Did you ever think that the Anastasia you so eagerly erased might still be alive, waiting for the perfect moment to return and take back everything you stole from her?"


    Selene leaned back, her eyes focused on Michelle, enjoying how thetter¡¯s eyes trembled uncontrobly.


    Selene raised her hand and patted Michelle on the head ever so lightly, as if she was patting a child who just won a school¡¯spetition.


    "Tell me, my dear lovely sister, do you recognize me now?"

 Chapter 179: I Missed You—Mature Content

    "Father said he¡¯d been trying to contact you, but you haven¡¯t been picking up the call," said Kael.


    When Selene had visited her family, she¡¯d exchanged numbers with them. For the past few days, Jeffrey had tried contacting her, but she¡¯d ignored his calls, already aware of what he was going to say to her.


    "I know, but I know what he¡¯s going to say over the phone. If he keeps insisting I divorce Xavier, then help me pass this message across to him, <i>I¡¯m not divorcing Xavier</i>," she said.


    "Ipletely understand that everything must be hard for you, but can you please pick up his call and hear what he has to say? He¡¯s worried about you," Kael tried to convince her.


    "I will think about it," she responded.


    Kael could release a sigh, grumbling, "That¡¯s a manageable response."


    He waved her goodbye as Selene exited the Dreamscape building.


    Selene arrived home, feeling a sudden sense of loneliness as she stared at the entrance of the house.


    "If only I¡¯d been on good terms with my family, I would have gone to them to spend time when Xavier isn¡¯t around," she mumbled, sighing as she pinched the skin between her brows in frustration. "My life has always been a fucked up shit and I just have to live with it," she sighed.


    All of a sudden, her phone rang with a text.


    Instantly, Selene fetched it from her bag thinking it came from a certain person.


    Unfortunately, it came from Kael reminding her to pick up their father¡¯s call, when he called her again.


    Selene¡¯s face faltered in disappointment.


    "I better go take my nap."


    Selene stepped down from the car and marched towards the entrance of the house.


    Although, when she stepped in, she noticed something different with the air.


    It smelled delicious.


    Throwing her bag away, Selene rushed towards the kitchen¡ªwhere the aroma wasing from¡ªwhere she believed the person who was making that food was.


    Only Xavier-made food cooking can fill not only the kitchen but the living room also.


    When Selene sighted Xavier, she wasted no time and threw herself in his arms. He responded by wrapping his arms around her.


    "You didn¡¯t tell me you wereing back," she said, burying her head on his chest.


    "I wanted to surprise you," Xavier replied, breaking from the hug. "And make you some food," he added, gesturing towards the dining table that was filled with so many delicacies.


    "You made a lot," she stated, as she stared at the tasty-looking food whose aroma continued to escape into her nostrils, begging her to eat them already. "When did you arrive?" She asked.


    "Three hours ago," he responded with a grin as he nced at her lips.


    "Three hours ago? That was when I left ho¡ª"


    Selene didn¡¯t get the chance toplete her lips when all of a sudden, Xavier¡¯s lips captured her, parting her lips as soon as they touched.


    He kissed her passionately, his grip on her waist as he pulled her closer to him, even when there was no space left to upy.


    She tasted as sweet as always. Xavier wasn¡¯t a fan of sweet things, but with her, he worried he would get diagnosed with diabetes soon.


    It was a kiss he never wanted to break free from, but his little brother was starting to wake up.


    Just as Xavier was about to break free from the kiss, Selene pulled him back, tasting him back, allowing his scent to consume her.


    It had only been a few days since theyst saw each other, but to them, it felt like years. Their bodies turned needy as Selene rubbed her fingers at Xavier¡¯s spine, tracing it down to his hips as she pulled him deeper into the kiss.


    "Fuck!!" He cursed against her lips.


    Lifting her, he walked towards the stairs, heading towards their room, as the sound of their intense make-out filled the air.


    Not once did they break the kiss until they reached the door.


    As soon as they reached the room, Xavier ced Selene on the bed.


    Without warning, he tore Selene¡¯s clothes off, eliciting a small surprised gasp from her. But she didn¡¯t stop him. Her body was too hot and needy to stop. They were just clothes, she could buy another one.


    Getting out of his attire, he leaned against her.


    "I miss you so much," he whispered in her ears as he stroked her entrance with his member, which earned him a moan from Selene.


    Without further ado, he thrust in, burying his whole length inside her warm cave that swallowed his hard meat with ease.

 Chapter 180: How She Disappeared—Flashback

    Silence enveloped them.


    "Did you know that when you disappeared, I thought I already lost half of myself?" Xavier asked out of the blue, which had Selene look up at him, confusedly. "You were just two back then, cute and the most innocent person I¡¯ve ever seen," he added.


    **


    <i>Twenty-three years ago,</i>


    <i>The sound of children ying around could be heard in the vast space of the living room in the Wace mansion. </i>


    <i>A girl with brown hair and brown eyes, ying with her younger sister, who had dark wavy hair withrge blue doe eyes, eyes that made heads turn if she went out in public. </i>


    "You are so cute, I want to eat your cheeks," Traciemented as she stared at her little sister.


    <i>"Are you trying to scare her? I should have known you were a cannibal," young Xavier teased Tracie, giving her a side eye for what she just said. </i>


    <i>"Scared? Just look at her, does she look scared to you?" Tracie questioned back, her gaze on Ava who was giggling about. </i>


    <i>"I will let big sis eat my cheeks if she wants to," Ava said, and instantly, Tracie joined her hands together and pped. </i>


    <i>"You are so cute..."</i>


    <i>Xavier could only roll his eyes. Although he just turned 11, he didn¡¯t hang out with kids at his school. He would just y with his little brothers, Richard and Kace. If they gave him a headache, he would head to the rk mansion to y with Ezekiel, Tracie, and little Ava. </i>


    <i>When he was about to head out to visit them, they were already at his doorstep. </i>


    <i>"Alright, kids, it¡¯ste now and we need to drop Tracie and her sister back at their house. You have all yed enough," Thomas Wace announced, picking up Ava while his wife picked up Tracie. </i>


    <i>On their way to the rk mansion, they suddenly felt their car jolt forward, as gunshots echoed everywhere. </i>


    <i>Immediately, Thomas Wace called for backup since the assassins that had ambushed them were much,pared to his bodyguards. </i>


    <i>"Xavier, you have to take Tracie and Ava with you to go hide in the bush," Thomas Wace instructed Xavier who was trying not to shake in fear. </i>


    <i>It wasn¡¯t his fight time to hear the sound of a gunshot, but it was his first time getting attacked, an attack that could make him lose his life. </i>


    <i>Xavier didn¡¯t question his father about how he was going to handle the situation; he just did as he was told to do. </i>


    <i>Sneaking out of the car before the assassins could reach them, Xavier carried Ava, who was already starting to tear up, her cries so loud he feared they would be caught soon. </i>


    <i>Meanwhile, Tracie was running as fast as she could, as she tried to not cry out like her sister was doing. </i>


    <i>The situation was very dire, and thest thing they needed was to slow down. </i>


    <i>All of a sudden, Xavier tripped and Ava fell from his arms. Her cries only got louder. </i>


    <i>The leaves made sounds, as the distant voice of an assassin could be heard from behind them. </i>


    <i>"Take Ava and hide quickly," Xavier instructed Tracie. </i>


    <i>Immediately, Tracie grabbed Ava and hid behind a bush that was opposite where Xavier was hurt. He couldn¡¯t stand up properly due to the cut he got from the branch that tripped. </i>


    <i>"Found you."</i>


    <i>Tracie closed Ava¡¯s mouth so that her cries wouldn¡¯t be heard by the assassins, as her heart hammered in her chest, threatening to escape. </i>


    <i>Xavier gritted his teeth, as his eyesnded on the figure of the assassin, whose face was covered with a mask to keep his identity hidden, with a huge gun in his hands. </i>


    <i>"Don¡¯t take this to heart, kid. The instruction was to eliminate the entire Wace family," the assassin said. He turned to face Xavier. "I¡¯m only doing my job. Goodbye, kid."</i>


    <i>Just as the assassin was about to fire the bullet, he suddenly felt an excruciating pain in his leg. </i>


    <i>He red down at the brown hair girl and cursed. </i>


    <i>"Who tf are you?!!" </i>


    <i>Xavier, taking the opportunity, took the branch that had tripped him earlier and used it against the head of the assassin. </i>


    <i>Due to the strengthparison, the impact didn¡¯t injure the assassin much. </i>


    <i>Gritting his teeth in anger, Xavier hit the head of the assassin several times until he copsed on the ground. </i>


    <i>But Xavier didn¡¯t stop there.</i>


    <i>Although from the blood that stained the branch, one could already guess that the assassin was dead, Xavier continued to hit him, squashing his skull, together with his brain until there was not an ounce of chance for the assassin to move. </i>


    <i>Unbeknownst to Xavier, Ava, whom Tracie had instructed to keep quiet while she went to help Xavier, was watching him as he continued to pound the already dead man with the branch. </i>


    <i>At just two, Ava was extremely terrified, which instinctively led her to take a step back, and several more as tears fell from her eyes. </i>


    <i>By the time Tracie and Xavier went to get Ava, she¡¯d already disappeared. </i>

 Chapter 181: I Own Everything

    Turning back, he faced Michelle who gave him a perplexed look, her head tilted while a single eyebrow raised in confusion.


    "What are you talking about?" She asked, trying to hide the goosebumps that appeared on her skin at the mention of Selene¡¯s name.


    "I¡¯ve known for a very long time. But honestly, I wouldn¡¯t call it cheating if the man you are with fails to satisfy you. He prioritized his work over his wife so...it is what it is." He simply shrugs.


    Michelle couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing spill from Jack¡¯s mouth.


    She¡¯d thought she woulde into his room, inform him of what she¡¯d just found out, and together, they would try to talk their mother into stopping her affair with that unknown man.


    Unfortunately, it turned out Jack approved of it.


    "You can¡¯t be serious Jack," she spouted.


    "I¡¯m very serious. If that¡¯s all you came here to tell me, then please leave. As I said earlier, I have to prepare to go to the office," he said, walking towards his closet this time around to pick out the best suit. "Which one looks good on me?" He mumbled to himself,pletely ignoring Michelle who was fuming with clenched fists.


    "There¡¯s something else I have to tell you, something way more important than mom cheating on dad," she said, gaining Jack¡¯s attention as he turned his head to nce at her.


    "Like what?" He asked.


    "We have a problem, Jack."


    "Can you stop beating around the bush and tell me exactly what problem we have?"


    Michelle gulped down her saliva in fear, feeling her stomach churn as it turned inside out at what she was about to say.


    "Anastasia was never dead."


    Jack simply stared at her, waiting for her toplete her sentence.


    "She¡¯d been with us all these while, posing as someone else. She¡¯s been the one causing us all this trouble." Michelle¡¯s hand clenched the hem of her dress, finding the courage to spill out the words. "Anastasia has been posing as Selene all these while."


    Jack blinked twice at Michelle, trying to digest all that she¡¯d said.


    "Are you trying to prank me, Michelle?" He questioned.


    "Do you think even if I wanted to prank you, I would say something like this?" She questioned back, utterly frustrated at how Jack was taking the situation lightly.


    She¡¯d not taken a wink of sleep the previous night due to Selene¡¯s warning that continued to chime in her ears like a bell.


    <i>You¡¯d better get ready because when I strike, it will be swift and unforgiving. Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you when the timees. </i>


    The warning rang one more time in her ears, nearly driving Michelle to her limit.


    "She told me when I saw her at the Dreamscape building. She¡¯s been Anastasia all these while."


    "That¡¯s impossible. She drank the orange juice and didn¡¯t get any reaction¡ª"


    "Because Xavier barged into the house out of nowhere," she interrupted him. "He saved her before she had her allergy reaction, which also means Xavier knows Selene is Anastasia."


    Michelle¡¯s eyes nearly popped right out of their sockets when she came to that conclusion.


    Jack hissed under his breath,pletely hating the news he¡¯d just received.


    "As for her allergy reaction, we know she gets them only 30 seconds after she takes an orange. Maybe she took a suppressant or something, I don¡¯t know..." Michelle trailed off.


    "It can¡¯t be," Jack muttered, his fist clenched. "If Selene was Anastasia, and Xavier knew of what we did to her, we wouldn¡¯t be standing here alive."


    Michelle sighed.


    It turned out Jack wasn¡¯t as scared as she was when she realized Selene was Anastasia all along.


    "I¡¯m telling you Jack, Selene is Anastasia. She said she wasing to take back everything we took from her." She tried to make Jack understand the situation, but his face was still nonchnt as if he didn¡¯t care.


    "Everything?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow.


    "Yes, everything, including her properties father took from her! She¡¯sing soon¡ªI don¡¯t know when but soon."


    A smirk stretched on Jack¡¯s lips, as he stared at Michelle.


    "That¡¯s impossible because Selene can¡¯t take back everything, including her properties most especially."


    Michelle frowned in confusion.


    "That¡¯s because I now own everything that belongs to the Harrison family," he finished.

 Chapter 182: The Betrayal

    **


    "What are you doing here?" Tracie questioned Selene as soon as she stepped foot into their mansion. "I thought you said you would nevere here again, so what exactly are you doing here?" She added, firing Selene a fierce re.


    Selene sighed, already feeling a weight of tiredness fall on her.


    ¡¯I forgot she was here,¡¯ she thought to herself.


    "I¡¯m here to speak with Father, he said he was home," Selene replied, searching for Jeffrey, but the living room was empty. "Where is father?" She asked.


    Tracie¡¯s lips formed a thin line, refusing to tell Selene where their father was.


    "Selene, you are here."


    Tracie suddenly heard a voice from behind her. She recognized that voice because it belonged to Jeffrey.


    Selene moved past Tracie, who stood rooted on the ground.


    "Good morning, Dad," Selene greeted, giving Jeffrey a brief hug.


    "Good morning dear. Let¡¯s head over to the garden."


    As soon as Jeffrey and Selene turned their backs to Tracie and headed towards the garden, her expression softened, the tension in her features fading away.


    "Stop acting like you hate your sister when you know you don¡¯t, Tracie," Nora¡¯s voice cut through the air from behind, startling Tracie and making her jolt.


    "I don¡¯t hate her, mother. But I also don¡¯t like her," Tracie said.


    A warm smile spread on Nora¡¯s lips as she spatted Tracie¡¯s back gently.


    "Selene has been through a lot with her foster family. You heard all that Ezekiel said the other day. She needs a sister who would be by her side, a sister that will love her and cherish her after all she¡¯d been through." Nora said with a long sigh. "You need to stop regretting everything and forget about the past."


    Nora gave Tracie a few more pats on the back before she trailed behind Jeffrey and Selene.


    "How can I forget about the past when every time I look at her, I can¡¯t stop ming myself for her disappearance?" Tracie mumbled with a soft tone.


    **


    "Before you say anything, I will tell you what I¡¯ve always said, father. I¡¯m not divorcing Xavier," Selene said as soon as she took a seat opposite Jeffrey.


    From the corners of her eyes, she could see her mother walking towards them with a smile on her lips. Selene scooted over to make an extra space for Nora.


    "Selene..."


    "I want to know everything, father. Xavier had already told me how I disappeared years ago, but felt that the family feud between you and his father should be told by you since you were the one that got hurt the most," she interrupted.


    Jeffrey and Nora shared a look, and she nodded for him to go on.


    "A year after you disappeared, Thomas came to me, asking for help. He wanted to borrow my men to fight a mafia boss since he believed there was a mole in his n," said Jeffrey.


    <i>"I think I have a mole in my n. Someone must have tipped Bruce I wanted to take over his n. Now, he sent one of my men back, his head was cut off with a small letter covered in blood sitting at my front door. I¡¯m screwed, Jeffrey," Thomas cried to Jeffrey. </i>


    "Bruce was a mafia gang leader who terrified other mafia gang leaders who didn¡¯t have as much power as him. Despite being from such a wealthy family as the Wace family, Thomas was a greedy person," Jeffrey said as he stared at Selene. "He wanted everything, including Bruce¡¯s gang."


    Selene stared at him,pletely baffled by Thomas Wace, her father-inw had a character trait called greed.


    "Out of kindness, I lent him my men, but when he was caught, he pinned the me on me."


    <i>Jeffrey red at the image disyed on his television. It was a video of Thomas looking battered and beaten up, covered with his blood. </i>


    <i>"Jeffrey was the one who asked me to attack Bruce and his gang with his men. Since we shared a good friendship, I wanted to help my friend. But unfortunately, I didn¡¯t seed. This is all Jeff¡¯s fault. I only wanted to help him, but I only got in trouble."</i>


    <i>A man who seemed to be in his mid-thirties came out and stood behind Thomas as thetter continued to spew lies against his friend, ming him for his condition. His hair was dyed red, tattoos staining his muscly arms and neck. </i>


    "Since you wanted war, Jeff, I will give you war," Bruce said, a smirk stretching on his lips.

 Chapter 183: Hard Feelings Sister

    Although Selene sympathized with her father, she still didn¡¯t like how they stayed separated.


    "It may seem far-fetched, but I want aplete family," she finished, ncing between her parents who held nk expressions on their faces, which were unable to read. "Like I said before, I¡¯m not nning on divorcing Xavier. I love him."


    "Does Thomas and his family know you are my daughter?" Jeffrey suddenly asked, making Selene pause her mouth for a few seconds.


    Selene shook her head. "Xavier said he ns to tell them soon."


    "And do you think they would want you to stay married to him when they find out?"


    "I don¡¯t care what anyone thinks. I want to make this right."


    "And how are you going to do that?"


    Selene¡¯s head snapped towards the direction of that voice.


    Tracie was leaning on the wall with arms crossed around her chest as she chewed gum.


    "Do you think any ideas you try will reunite the Wace and rk family? You must think you are an angel, aren¡¯t you?" Tracie daunted, a smirk on her lips.


    Nora warned Tracie with a re not to say anything anymore, but thetter turned blind eyes to her res.


    "Do you think I want to sit down and rx while I watch my inws and family fight?" Selene questioned back, her fist clenched by her side.


    "Why not? That¡¯s the only thing you can do since you refuse to divorce the son of your father¡¯s enemy," Tracie mocked.


    ¡¯She¡¯s pushing it,¡¯ Selene thought to herself as she tried to hold back her anger. She kept on reminding herself that Tracie was her sister, and she shouldn¡¯t hit her sister.


    But no matter how much she told herself that, the urge still kicked in.


    "Tracie, that¡¯s enough!! If you don¡¯t have anything good to say, then you can just leave," Jeffrey warned Tracie.


    Tracie shook her head slightly, as if disappointed before she walked away.


    "What is her problem?" Selene questioned no one in particr. "Has she made it a goal to always make things hard for me? Since the other day, she acts as if I¡¯m her worst enemy," she mumbled to herself, her anger palpable. "Has she always hated me like this?" She wondered out loud.


    Nora shook her head.


    "Tracie never hated you, not even once. She was the most worried when you disappeared. At just 6 years old, she took care of you like a mother would a child, she was so fond of you," the middle-aged woman exined, which earned her a frown from Selene.


    "But..." Selene trailed off ncing between them one time since there definitely would be a <i>but. </i>


    "After your disappearance, she suddenly changed. She wished you were never found," Jeffrey finished on behalf of his wife. "Tracie is not the type of person who speaks about her feelings, and whenever we tried to understand her, she only grew more distant."


    Selene¡¯s frown only deepened as confusion clouded her expression.


    ¡¯So she¡¯s not exactly an enemy?¡¯ She wondered.


    "Tracie wille around dear, you just need to be patient with your sister. You must remember, she doesn¡¯t hate you," Nora added, patting Selene gently on the back, like she¡¯d done with Tracie earlier.


    Selene could only nod at their words, but she didn¡¯t dare make a promise.


    Tracie hadn¡¯t physically attacked her yet, but she wasn¡¯t going to wait until she did so. One more hatefulment towards hering from Tracie, she was going to question thetter and maybe they would exchange a few punches here and there.


    "After my movie tour Father," she began,pletely changing the subject. "After my tour, I will arrange for Wace and rk to have dinner together and resolve their issues."


    Jeffrey smiled at her, admiring her willingness to end a family feud, although he doubted he could ever bring himself to forgive Thomas Wace for what he¡¯d done.


    "Whenever you are ready dear," Nora replied.


    Nora asked Selene a few questions regarding her acting career, as she admired that one of her daughters was into a legal career.


    ¡¯I¡¯m so d she isn¡¯t out there killing people like Tracie is doing,¡¯ Nora thought to herself with a sigh.


    Selene was also questioned about her current revenge n on the Harrison family, which she mentioned would begin as soon as she returned from her movie tour. She would need to travel in the next two days for it.


    ¡¯Michelle hasn¡¯t contacted me since ourst conversation at the Dreamscape building. Is she waiting for me to strike?¡¯ Selene wondered. ¡¯Well, she¡¯d better, because I¡¯m not going to make things easy for them as soon as I arrive."

 Chapter 184: Who Do You Think You Are?

    "I don¡¯t mind dying in your hands sweetie," he replied.


    Allison exaggerated a gagging gesture in response to Kace¡¯sment, pretending to be utterly disgusted. Kace threw his head back as he burst intoughter, unable to contain himself, thoroughly enjoying her yful reaction.


    "Whatever, I¡¯m noting here again. Make sure to take your drugs. I have to go to ss," she said, walking back inside the bedroom to pick up her backpack, and then left.


    "She didn¡¯t even say she woulde visit me once. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have told her I¡¯ve recovered," Kace thought to himself with a sulked expression.


    As soon as Allison left the entrance of the house, her phone dinged with a message notification.


    Already having an idea of who it could be, she still brought it out to read it.


    <i>Derek¡ªWhere are you?!!!</i>


    Allison hissed, pocketing her phone as she ignored the text.


    Quickly, she took a cab to college.


    In half an hour, she arrived.


    Allison checked the time on her phone and saw that she still had an extra half an hour before her sses began.


    Unfortunately, just as Allison was running to her ss to save a seat for herself, she noticed someone familiar from the corners of her eyes.


    It was Derek, and he was marching towards her with such an aggravated look, that Allison had to halt her steps and face him head-on.


    When Derek stopped in front of her, she instinctively took a few steps back to keep a distance between them.


    "Where are youing from?!" He bellowed as he red down at her, his red hair dangling above his forehead.


    "I went to work," she replied with a defensive stance, taking an extra step away from him.


    Due to Derek¡¯s loud voice earlier, he¡¯d already attracted the attention of other students around as they stopped to watch what was going on.


    "You went to work? What kind of work?" He questioned.


    Allison peered at him from under hershes but she looked away, not wanting to make eye contact with him.


    "I¡¯m asking you a question!!" He demanded.


    Allison aggressively inhaled, then exhaled, trying to calm down her nerves. His loud and demanding tone was starting to annoy her, but she couldn¡¯t do anything to shut him up, or else he would threaten her with a step once again.


    "Ms. Selene had a photo shoot today, and she wanted me to do her makeup. That¡¯s where I¡¯ming from," she replied, biting her tongue to swallow her anger.


    Derek was yelling at her as if she was some child he¡¯d let out of his sight for just a few seconds, only to find out she¡¯d been messing around.


    She wanted to kick him between his legs and continue running towards her ss.


    "Are you sure you are telling me the truth?" He asked, his re pinning her on the ground. "Because if I find out that you¡¯ve been lying about your whereabouts all this time, Allison, I¡¯m going to make you regret it," he warned.


    "Don¡¯t tell me you believe what she just told you now."


    They suddenly heard someone talk. When they turned their heads to their sides, they found Olivia walking towards them with skimpy clothes as always.


    "She just told you that the actress she¡¯s working for had a photoshoot? That¡¯s where she¡¯d been?" Olivia asked, sharing a look with Derek before her gaze settled on Allison. "This isn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d used that excuse before, Derek."


    "Olivia..."


    "You shouldn¡¯t be lying to your boyfriend, bestie. If you continue to lie to him, he¡¯s gonna think you are cheating on him," Olivia finished, with a smirk on her lips.


    Instantly, Derek¡¯s head snapped to Allison with a scowl.


    "Are you cheating on me, Allison?" He questioned, feeling his blood boil at the thought that she might.


    In their rtionship, he believed he was the only one who was allowed to mess around, while Allison wouldn¡¯t. Which was why they agreed on an open rtionship in the first ce.


    His fist clenched by his side at the thought that someone was touching Allison.


    Allison ignored him, facing Olivia.


    "Like you said, he¡¯s my boyfriend. Who are you to have an opinion here?" she shot back at Olivia, her tone sharp and unyielding.

 Chapter 185: Anastasia Wallace

    "I had sses before you stopped me... I can¡¯t afford to waste any more time here exining anything to you," she finished.


    ncing between them, Allison tugged at her backpack before she dashed off again.


    "If she¡¯s lying and has been hanging out with Kace Wace all this time, it¡¯s going to be a big problem for us," Olivia said to Derek as they watched Allison disappear behind one of the hallways.


    "It is." Derek agreed. "But she knows to never mess with me. I still have the sex tape after all. If she tries to outsmart me, I will release it without blinking an eysh."


    **


    "Mother, are you sure you are giving father the right dose of the poison?" Jack asks as he paces around in his room.


    Amelia, who was seated on a couch, had a hand on her chin, thinking. "I always give him a dose every two days, so he would die slowly."


    "Dying? I don¡¯t think father is dying anytime soon, mother. Instead of looking sick, he seems to be recovering instead," Jack exined frustratedly.


    Polonium-210 was a toxic poison that could kill a person in less than a month. Amelia usually gave Robert a tiny dose of it every two days, so it would kill him more slowly, and the best part was that the poison could never be detected in the human body.


    "I added an extra dose to his food yesterday, but I didn¡¯t see any side effects. He¡¯s starting to look healthy," Amelia pointed out, also wondering why Robert, inside of being dead, is looking healthier by the day.


    ¡¯Could the poison have expired?¡¯ She wondered.


    "If Father continues to recover, he would want to take charge of the Harrisonpany in no time. If the poison doesn¡¯t kill him, then I might have to do it myself," Jack said through gritted teeth.


    It¡¯s been two weeks already, two weeks since he got his father to sign the property papers, making him the new owner of all the Harrison assets. Two weeks since Michelle informed him that Selene was Anastasia, and two weeks since Robert started recovering instead of dying slowly like they¡¯d expected.


    "You can¡¯t do that," Amelia rebuked. "You could get caught, and then what? We would bothnd in prison? What about the money we were able to steal?"


    "I will think about thatter, Mother," Jack responded.


    Feeling they¡¯d spent too much time in the room talking about their private matters they didn¡¯t have anyone else to hear, they left for the living room, where they found Robert and Michelle watching a movie.


    Michelle and Amelia exchanged a few nces with each other, but none of them spoke a word.


    "Jack," Robert called all of a sudden, facing him with a proud smile. "Now that I¡¯m starting to recover, I will be resuming my position as the CEO of the Harrisonpany."


    Jack and Amelia paled instantly, their faces looking as though all their blood had been drained from them.


    Quickly, they recovered.


    "Are you sure father? Your health is still unstable¡ª"


    "I knew you were going to say that," Robert interrupted. "But since I¡¯m starting to feel better now, I think it¡¯s time for me to resume work."


    ¡¯This is not good.¡¯ The mother and son thought in unison.


    All of a sudden, the doorbell rang.


    A servant went to answer the door. When she was done, she went to them with a package she¡¯d received.


    "Excuse me, sir, a package came in for you," the servant said to Robert.


    Frowning, he took the package and dismissed the servant.


    "I didn¡¯t order anything," he mumbled.


    Nevertheless, he started opening the package but was met with another package immediately.


    Michelle stared at the package with a suspicious look. It was packaged in the same manner as the one sent to Amelia, which only meant that it was the same person who sent the package.


    Robert nearly lost his patience when he continued meeting other packages until he got to thest one.


    A deep frown settled on his face when he saw the pictures in the package.


    "What¡¯s this Robert?" Amelia questioned when her eyes fell on the pictures of Robert with a blonde-haired woman, holding her intimately as if they were in a rtionship.


    Ignoring her question, Robert picked up the letter which came with the pictures.


    <i>Like my surprise?¡ªA.W</i>


    "Who the fuck is AW?!" He barked, his face flushed red in anger.


    "Anastasia Wace."

 Chapter 186: A Revelation

    "These pictures are fake!" Robert defended. "Selene must have done this to trick us or something." He turned to face Michelle who¡¯d decided to keep quiet since they ignored her. "She must have been the one who sent this picture."


    ¡¯Could Selene be the one who sent over my photos?¡¯ Amelia wondered.


    She red at Robert, remembering to stay mad at him. Internally, she didn¡¯t care if Robert was cheating on her¡ªshe was ying the same game also.


    If it had been a few weeks ago before she got his properties, perhaps she would have been furious with the current situation.


    "You are lying to me! After all these years of marriage, you dare to cheat on me?!"


    "Mother, I don¡¯t think you are in any position to be asking such a question," Michelle interrupted, shooting Amelia a re.


    "What¡¯s that supposed to mean?" Amelia questioned.


    Michelle didn¡¯t reply¡ªshe merely shrugged.


    After discovering that her mother had been cheating on their father, she thought she¡¯d seen it all. But when she learned that her father was also cheating on her mother, she found herself numb to the revtion.


    "Father, I never thought you could do such a thing to Mother," Jack followed suit.


    Although he was surprised, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to feel upset like any other child if they found out that their father was cheating on their mother.


    "And so what if I cheated on her? That¡¯s not the important matter at hand!" Robert bellowed, feeling utterly frustrated with the current situation. "I need to teach Selene a lesson for messing with me like this," he added, his face flushed in anger.


    "Father, you are not understanding what I¡¯ve been saying to you," Michelle interrupted. "AW stands for Anastasia Wace. Selene has been Anastasia all this while." Facing Amelia, she added, "Maybe she was also the one who sent the other pictures."


    Amelia paled.


    "What pictures?" Robert asked confusedly.


    "Didn¡¯t I tell you before, that Selene has no evidence against us if she does turn out to be Anastasia?" Jack questioned, despising the goosebumps that formed on his skin whenever he gave a thought to what Michelle said concerning Selene/Anastasia.


    "Just think about it," Michelle said through gritted teeth. "If truly Selene isn¡¯t Anastasia like you all think, but then Selene was the one who sent these pictures, don¡¯t you think that¡¯s something we should be worried about?" She asked, ncing between them. "If she uploads any of these pictures on the inte, we are over."


    Silence reigned as they swallowed Michelle¡¯s words,pletely understanding what she was saying.


    Just when Michelle was about to continue, the ringtone of someone¡¯s phone broke through the silence. Startled, everyone¡¯s heads turned to the coffee table, where Robert¡¯s phone was ringing.


    Robert walked towards his phone and picked it up, only for him to see it was an unknown number. He nced towards the others who were waiting for him to pick up his phone.


    "Who¡¯s this?" He questioned as soon as the call connected.


    "Hi, Father. Did you miss me?"


    A deep frown formed on Robert¡¯s face since the voice sounded very familiar.


    "Who. Is. This?" He questioned.


    "Don¡¯t you recognize your daughter anymore?" The person paused for a second before she continued. "That¡¯s right, you think I¡¯m dead. Well, sorry to break it to you Father, but I¡¯m very much alive."


    "Anastasia?" Robert¡¯s body stiffened in shock.


    Michelle¡¯s heart skipped a beat at the sound of that name as fear clouded her expression.


    "Hurray! It¡¯s a good thing I didn¡¯t have to tell you the name for you to know me. Did you like my surprise?" Anastasia questioned with a soft chuckle that had shivers run down Robert¡¯s spine.


    He stared at the pictures¡ªthe letter that came with it exactly.


    A.W.¡ªAnastasia Wace.


    ¡¯Michelle was right,¡¯ he thought to himself.


    He opened his mouth to speak but no words coulde out. It was the first time in a long time that he¡¯d been speechless before.


    "The cat caught your tongue, Father?" Anastasia asked, a small grin on her lips. "If you are together with the others, then can you kindly put this call on speaker?" She requested.


    As if being controlled, Robert put the call on speaker.


    "Mother, how are you doing? Did you like the surprise I sent to you the other day?" Anastasia asked, her voice sounding so cheerful and pleasant as if she and Amelia had a good rtionship to begin with. "Did you like the pictures?"


    "What pictures?" Robert questioned her again.


    Suddenly, they heard a gasp on the phone call.


    "You haven¡¯t seen the pictures I sent to mother yet?" Anastasia asked, her voice sweet but carrying a sharp edge. "I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll love them, Father," she promised, her smile not quite reaching her eyes.


    She called Jack next, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "And you, Jack? The best big brother in the world. You and Mother have been getting quite closetely, whispering secrets to each other, hiding things from the rest of the family." She paused, letting her words sink in before continuing with a darker tone. "If it were anyone else, they might think the two of you were plotting how to kill Father."

 Chapter 187: We Have To Get Rid Of Her

    "Do you think that¡¯s the only thing she has against us?" Michelle questioned Jack with ring eyes. "That is Anastasia we are talking about. Someone who posed as Selene, uploaded pictures of my drug addict, and my rtionship with other men. She¡¯s not the same Anastasia we knew before. She has the upper hand here and we have to think of a way to get rid of her before she does something worse!"


    Amelia subconsciously nodded in agreement.


    She had no idea how Anastasia got to know that both she and Jack had been plotting how to get rid of Robert permanently, but it was obvious Anastasia wasn¡¯t the same person as before.


    "But hold up a second, what did Anastasia mean when she said something about you and Mom plotting how to kill the father?" Michelle questioned, ring at both Jack and Amelia, still wanting to know what those words meant.


    "What did she mean by that?" Robert added, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he waited for them to speak.


    "It doesn¡¯t mean anything, that bitch Anastasia just wants to create misunderstanding between us all. She said that on purpose to create a misunderstanding between us," Amelia defended herself immediately, tears streaming down from her face. "Don¡¯t tell me you think Jack and I would n on killing you, Robert? We are your family!"


    Robert nodded his head, immediately believing her, but Michelle stared at her with a suspicious look.


    Her father and mother were cheating on each other. Jack had Robert sign his properties to him without his knowledge and now, Jack owns all assets belonging to the Harrison family.


    Now she wondered if Jack and her mother would plot to kill Robert.


    "I believe you," Robert said. "But then, what pictures were Anastasia asking before?" He questioned for the nth time.


    "She didn¡¯t send anything. She only wants to create a misunderstanding in our family. But we won¡¯t let her," Amelia responded, hoping Robert would forget about the pictures.


    She made a mental note to burn those pictures before Robert saw it.


    Robert nodded one more time,pletely agreeing with what Amelia said, while Michelle resisted the urge to palm her face at that moment.


    She could just tell her father what was in the pictures he was so curious about. But she didn¡¯t bother herself with it¡ªthere was a bigger problem at hand, one that needed to be solved immediately.


    Amelia silently sighed in relief when she saw that Robert agreed with what she was saying to him.


    However, that still didn¡¯t make her chest feel any lighter.


    Anastasia was alive, and she wasing back home soon.


    "So how are we going to deal with Anastasia?" Jack asked, still anxious about the situation at hand. "She has Xavier with her, and I¡¯m sure she¡¯d told him everything we¡¯ve done to her."


    Although he was pissed with his father since it was all his fault¡ªhe was the one who assured them he would get rid of Anastasia, but he didn¡¯t do it right. Now, two yearster, they are back at square one and this time around, he might lose everything, including the properties.


    He shook his head to think straight.


    ¡¯The property is still in my name. I won¡¯t be giving it back to Anastasia even if she asked Xavier to threaten me,¡¯ he promised himself. ¡¯If things be too difficult, I will just run away. I have the money.¡¯


    "I have no idea," Robert said. "Touching Anastasia would be crucial as of the moment."


    "But we can¡¯t sit and let her do whatever she wants, whenever she wants to," Amelia intervened.


    "I will try to talk to her," Michelle said all of a sudden. "I have a n that can help us get rid of her for the rest of our lives."

 Chapter 188: It Has Already Been Poisoned

    "Shut up," she snapped, leaning on the sofa to rest her tense back. "I will beat you next time," she promised.


    Her phone dinged with a message. Anastasia took it to see who could have sent her a text. Her eyebrows furrowed first in confusion, then a slow grin stretched on her lips.


    "Michelle wants us to meet."


    **


    Anastasia arrived at the restaurant where Michelle had texted they should meet. The ce was bustling with people, while faint noises of their talk could be heard. She scanned her eyes around the restaurant, looking for Michelle.


    She noticed Michelle sitting in a corner that was almost hidden away from the eyes of the people in the restaurant.


    With a smirk on her lips, Anastasia marched towards the table Michelle had already upied.


    When Michelle made eye contact with Anastasia, her heart nearly flew out of her chest, but she calmed herself down when she remembered what she¡¯de there to do.


    "You said you wanted to talk, so talk," Anastasia said, cing her sses on the table while she took a seat for herself.


    No matter how hard Michelle tried to withhold herself, she just wanted to strangle Anastasia in the presence of everyone.


    Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t leave the restaurant alone after doing that.


    "I wanted us to reconcile," Michelle forced through gritted teeth. She had to act as if she was in regret for everything she¡¯d done to Anastasia if she wanted thetter to stay longer.


    Anastasia sneered.


    ¡¯Reconcile my foot,¡¯ she thought to herself. She of all people knew Michelle wouldn¡¯t call her to reconcile. Thetter had something nned for her, and she was ready to see what she¡¯d nned. Anastasia decided to y along.


    "Why exactly do you want us to reconcile?" Anastasia asked.


    Michelle sucked in a breath.


    "First, let¡¯s order a drink, shall we?" Michelle called a waiter and the both of them ordered a drink.


    "Truthfully, I never knew father wanted to kill you. If I¡¯d known, I would have saved you," Michelle started, and Anastasia resisted the urge tough at that moment. It seemed as if Michelle was cracking a joke rather than trying to reconcile. "I know we¡¯ve had our ups and downs, siblings fight..." Michelle continued.


    "Siblings fight..." Anastasia repeated after her, an image of Tracie shing in her mind for the shortest second. "You are right, siblings do fight. But they don¡¯t try to kill each other. Let me ask you a question, Michelle. Do you think all that you¡¯ve done is truly forgivable?"


    Michelle clenched her fist in anger, despising the smile on Anastasia¡¯s lips. All she wanted to know was to rip it off her face since that smile kept on reminding her Anastasia had the upper hand against her¡ªthe same Anastasia she would use to mop the floor and throw away if she wanted to.


    Michelle¡¯s blood boiled as she felt her pride being tainted by pleading to someone she¡¯d never in her wildest dreams thought she would plead to. She felt ashamed.


    "It is forgivable," Michelle replied.


    The grin on Anastasia¡¯s lips stretched even more.


    The waiter arrived with their drinks, and a faint smile appeared on Michelle¡¯s lips before it disappeared like it¡¯d never been there. Unfortunately for her, it didn¡¯t pass Anastasia¡¯s eyes.


    Just when Anastasia was about to say something, her phone rang with a text. Anastasia excused herself and left the restaurant to make a phone call, leaving her sses behind.


    Michelle got her chance. She reached into her purse and pulled out a small bottle that contained a toxic content.


    Her heart danced in joy as she poured the content inside Anastasia¡¯s drink. As she continued to pour the content, she scanned around to be sure no one was looking in her direction. Even though the table was in a secluded corner, she still needed to be careful.


    Luckily for her, no one was looking her way.


    When the bottle was empty, Michelle ced it back into her purse and pretended nothing happened.


    Not long after, Anastasia walked inside the restaurant.


    "Did that take long?" Anastasia asked and Michelle shook her head.


    Anastasia reached for the ss, bringing it up to her lips while Michelle¡¯s gaze focused on it¡ªsilently urging her to go faster.


    Just when the liquid content was about to touch Anastasia¡¯s lips, she dropped the ss on the table.


    "What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t like the drink?" Michelle asked.


    "Not that. But I can¡¯t drink something that has already been poisoned," Anastasia replied.

 Chapter 189: I Just Want To Kill Them

    Anastasia took the sses, ced them on the bridges of her nose, and winked at Michelle.


    "Thanks for the little evidence, sister. Don¡¯t worry, I will use it carefully," Anastasia said, waving Michelle goodbye while thetter tried to stop her, but Anastasia had already exited the restaurantpletely.


    "I should have booked a private booth and choked her with the drink," Michelle thought to herself as her heart raced in fear. Anastasia had one more piece of evidence on her, and she wasn¡¯t sure what thetter was going to use it to do.


    Out of frustration, she hit her fist on the table.


    **


    Anastasia arrived at the rk mansion, sighting Tracie walking towards the kitchen. When thetter saw her, she didn¡¯t say a word, which came out shocking to Anastasia. If it¡¯d been any other day, Tracie would have gone about questioning her why she was there and demanded she left.


    ¡¯She¡¯lle around,¡¯ Anastasia thought to herself.


    She ignored Tracie and left for her mother¡¯s painting room.


    "Anastasia!!" Nora immediately enveloped Ana in a warm motherly hug when she sighted her in the painting room.


    Together, Nora started teaching Anastasia how to paint. She started from the basics by giving Anastasia a new canvas and instructing her on how to move her hands so that she could give a clean painting, without messing it up with the other colors.


    "You know, back when you were little, you used to alwayse in here and watch me paint. Both you and Tracie, but then you two would leave with clothes stained with paint all the time," Nora suddenly said and Anastasia smiled.


    "Unfortunately, I can¡¯t remember any of it," Anastasia mumbled.


    Since she found out she was the daughter of the rk family, she¡¯d always tried to remember even the smallest thing, but it was difficult. She couldn¡¯t even get a shback. All she remembered was seeing Robert¡¯s and Amelia¡¯s faces all the time.


    "You were so young back then, so it¡¯s possible you don¡¯t remember anything," Nora responded. "Did you get the chance to do what you loved?"


    A sad smile stretched on Anastasia¡¯s lips, and Nora immediately regretted asking her that question.


    "Never. I only did what they loved, gave up everything for Michelle since they made me believe I was her older sister," she replied.


    "They are horrible people," Nora said.


    Ezekiel had already informed everyone that Anastasia was getting her revenge but even then, Nora wanted to ask her husband to buy all the Harrison shares and leave them bankrupt.


    Unfortunately, Anastasia was already the owner of thatpany.


    "But you don¡¯t have to worry about them, dear. I¡¯m here, and I will protect you. If they try to harm you, I will send them six feet underground," Nora added which earned her a soft chuckle from Anastasia.


    "It¡¯s alright mum, they will get what¡¯sing to them. I will make sure of it," Anastasia promised.


    Nora continued to teach Anastasia how to paint.


    Unbeknownst to them, someone had been listening to their conversation.


    Tracie had her ears ced on the door, listening to their conversation with clenched fists and gritted teeth.


    "What are you doing?"


    Tracie¡¯s eyesnded on Ezekiel whose hands were folded as he stared at Tracie, waiting for an exnation.


    "Isn¡¯t it obvious? I¡¯m eavesdropping on their conversation," Tracie replied.


    "And why?"


    "Because I¡¯m furious, Kiel. I just want to go to the Harrison mansion and kill those people with my bare hands, then have their bodies hanged in front of their mansion for people to see how disgusting they are," Tracie replied with a heavy breath as her knuckles turned white.


    A small grin appeared on Ezekiel¡¯s lips.


    "Why are you smiling?" She snapped.


    Ezekiel merely shrugged. "I¡¯m d you are finallying around."


    Tracie sneered.


    "I also want to do that same thing, maybe even worse. But it¡¯s Anastasia¡¯s battle to fight. We just have to stay by the sidelines and offer any help she needs," Ezekiel added.


    Although aggravated, Tracie still nodded her head in understanding.

 Chapter 190: Surprise Comeback

    Michelle went on to narrate the event that urred the previous day, starting from how she got the poison, went to the restaurant, and tried to <i>reconcile </i>with Anastasia as she¡¯d nned to. Then a call interrupted them. Not long after, Anastasia received a text and excused herself.


    Finding the chance, she pours the toxic content into her drink, but Anastasia finds out about it.


    "So, what you are trying to say here is, Anastasia has a video of you poisoning her drink and she could upload it any moment from now?" Jack asked, piecing two and two together.


    Michelle didn¡¯t reply.


    "That¡¯s great! Instead of going to fix everything, you only made it worse," Jack med immediately.


    Michelle became offended. "At least I tried to do something. Unlike you who hasn¡¯t done a single thing to handle the matter at hand."


    "So, you call your backfired n <i>handling</i> the situation?" Jack questioned back, veins popping on his neck in anger.


    Michelle was about to retort but Robert interrupted her.


    "Will you two stop fighting like little children?" He scolded, his voice stern. "This childish fight is not handling the situation either."


    Michelle and Jack couldn¡¯t help but agree. However, they still shared res.


    Michelle suddenly got a phone call from Mia.


    "What¡¯s it?!" She questioned, her tone impatient.


    "You have to check Mestagram¡ª" Michelle didn¡¯t give Mia the chance toplete her sentence when she hung up on the call and quickly opened the app Mestagram, and the first thing that came to her attention was the pictures of Robert and Amelia with their lovers. .


    "What happened?" Robert asked when he saw Michelle¡¯s face slightly go pale.


    "Mestagram." That was the only thing Michelle could say.


    Without wasting a second, everyone opened Mestagram, and just like Michelle, the first thing that came up in their feed was pictures of Robert and Amelia with their cheating couples.


    The pictures had been uploaded by an odd ount two hours ago, and severalments have been made in thement section.


    ¡¯Should I be surprised that the Harrison couples are cheating on each other? If their daughter can act so rotten, what does it take for the parents to act like one as well?"


    "This is too disgusting to see. I need to bleach my eyes."


    "What is wrong with this family? Don¡¯t they have self-respect anymore?"


    Severalments had already been made under the post, and one couldn¡¯t scrollpletely to read it.


    Robert red at Amelia with ring eyes.


    "So, these were the pictures Anastasia was talking about?" He questioned Amelia. "You have a man outside of our marriage?" He added as his fist made contact with the dining table, making the items on it shake as a result of the force.


    "Remember you also have a woman outside of our marriage," Amelia defended, mirroring his expression.


    Although she was scared of his current stance, she had to defend herself.


    Robert couldn¡¯t get angry at her, without her doing the same thing. They¡¯d bothmitted adultery in their marriage after all.


    "Father, you have to calm down. I¡¯m sure Anastasia was the one who uploaded those pictures, and the reaction you are giving is exactly how she wants you to react," Jack stepped in.


    Robert studied Jack for a second.


    "You knew. You all knew that Amelia had been cheating on me all these while and you never told me anything," Robert used, ring at both Jack and Michelle who acted unbothered.


    "A reminder father, you were also cheating on mother too. Don¡¯t act like you are the only victim here," Jack retorted.


    "Did you think that if you satisfied me well in bed, I would have cheated on you?" Amelia questioned. "It¡¯s obvious we didn¡¯t satisfy each other anymore, so we both looked for fun somewhere else."


    Robert stared at Amelia with eyes wide in disbelief. The way she spoke was as if she didn¡¯t have any shame anymore.


    "How dare the both of you talk to me like that? I¡¯m the head of this house, and I can choose to kick you too out if I wanted to," Robert threatened, but the expression he was expecting waspletely different from the one they were looking at him with.


    They were daring him to do it.


    All of a sudden, they heard the sound of heels.


    Their heads turned to the source of the sound, and their hearts skipped a beat in fear when they saw the person standing before them.


    "You must have seen the pictures? Did you like them? I was the one that took them myself, so I made sure to take it with the perfect angle," the person said.


    "Anastasia..." Michelle called.


    "Surprise."

 Chapter 191: Is He Your Biological Son?

    <i>¡¯Who was the one that wanted to kill Anastasia Harrison?¡¯ A voice questioned. </i>


    Everyone in the living room could hear the whimpering voices of the people who were questioned.


    <i>¡¯Answer me!!¡¯</i>


    <i>¡¯I-it was Robert H-Harrison who ordered us to get rid of Anastasia that night. He was with us, b-but then we had a little ident on the way and she fell over a cliff andnded in a thick forest.¡¯ The people from the other side stuttered. </i>


    Robert paled since he recognized those voices¡ªit was the voices of the two bodyguards he¡¯d taken with him the day he¡¯d wanted to kill Anastasia.


    "Do you recognize those voices, Father?" Anastasia asked, her grin widening as she watched the color drain from Robert¡¯s face. He looked like a man who had just been told the exact date of his demise, frozen with fear and dread.


    Robert had just realized that it¡¯d been a while since he saw those two bodyguards around.


    "You can¡¯t prove anything with that!" He barked.


    "Woah, you¡¯d better be careful, you are sick remember?" Anastasia reminded.


    "You¡¯d better delete that recording and no one would get hurt," Jack threatened.


    Just then, Anastasia¡¯s index finger clicked on the screen.


    "Oops, I¡¯ve already uploaded it."


    Everyone¡¯s face paled at Anastasia¡¯s words and immediately, their phones started to ring with message notifications. <i>They were getting tagged in thements section. </i>


    "Just what do you want you bitch!!" Amelia questioned, her face red in anger. "You should have just died that day so you¡¯d nevere back. Is this how you want to destroy our family?"


    Anastasia blinked at Amelia, an evil glint passing through her eyes, and stayed, while a sinister grin stretched on her lips.


    Her expression, together with her dress made her look like the devil itself. And now, they realized that they indeed feared for what she would do next.


    "Oh Mother, you should be thest one lecturing me about destroying my family. I¡¯m just a student learning from the teacher, which is you," Anastasia replied.


    Amelia frowned, wondering where Anastasia could be heading to.


    "To think you were willing to kill your husband all in the name of money¡ªmoney he didn¡¯t split after I signed all the properties in his name, am I right?"


    Silence enveloped the surroundings, while Robert¡¯s eyes snapped to stare at his wife and son in disbelief.


    "You can¡¯t possibly believe what she¡¯s telling you, father," Jack defended. "She hade here to ruin our family and I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t leave until she has aplished her goals."


    "You are very right, Jack. I won¡¯t leave until I¡¯ve destroyed this family," Anastasia replied, then she turned to Robert who still couldn¡¯t find words to speak. "However, do you want evidence to prove my im?"


    Amelia paled while Jack sweated profusely; one would think that the air conditioner wasn¡¯t switched on.


    "You have no evidence!!" Amelia barked with clenched fists.


    ¡¯Anastasia has no evidence, but still, she¡¯s acting like she has one. Hmph...I¡¯ve always been careful. There¡¯s no way she knows...¡¯ Amelia thought to herself as she felt the slightest hope their deed wouldn¡¯t be revealed.


    Robert didn¡¯t reply to Anastasia, but thetter continued.


    "You cane out now," Anastasia said. In less than 10 seconds, a servant came out from the kitchen, carrying a bottle along with her. "You see, Amelia, you¡¯ve always been careful but you were not careful enough. Do you even remember when you hired this servant?" Anastasia questioned.


    Amelia gritted her teeth as she thought of a way to exin herself, especially when her eyesnded on the bottle the servant was holding¡ªa servant whose face she started seeing around their mansion a few weeks ago, but didn¡¯t bother to ask where she¡¯de from.


    Then Anastasia pulled out a video from her phone and showed it to Robert.


    The video revealed Amelia adding poison to Robert¡¯s food before she gave it to him.


    Robert¡¯s face looked like that of someone who¡¯d been betrayed¡ªhe¡¯d been betrayed by his wife and son. A betrayal he never saw from a mile away¡ªa betrayal he wasn¡¯t expecting at all.


    "You wicked woman!" Robert struck her against the cheek, hard as blood painted her lips. "Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine you could do this to me? You betrayed me!!"


    "If you already feel betrayed just by finding out that she¡¯s been the one poisoning you," Anastasia began, her voiceced with dark amusement, "How would you feel if you discovered that the son you appreciated so much¡ªthe son you cherished more than anything..."


    She trailed off, a wicked glint shing in her eyes as she locked gazes with Amelia. Amelia shook her head slightly, silently begging her to stop, but Anastasia¡¯s smirk only deepened. "Isn¡¯t your biological son?"

 Chapter 192: Beautiful Betrayal

    ¡¯This can¡¯t be good.¡¯


    A man d in casual jeans and tops entered the mansion, a small smile on his lips when his eyes settled on Amelia and Jack.


    "Does he look recognizable to you, mother and father?" Anastasia asked.


    The man called Gary almost rushed towards Amelia but Robert stopped him midway with ring eyes.


    "What are you doing here?" He questioned, firing daggers at him.


    "I¡¯m here to see my family of course," Gary replied nonchntly. "Now that you know that you¡¯ve been raising my son all these while thinking he was your flesh and blood, what are you going to do about it?" Gary questioned, his smile faltering and reced with a re. "I told you years ago that Amelia was mine before you married her."


    Robert fumed, thennded a punch on Gary¡¯s face.


    "There¡¯s nothing you can do about it, Robert. You¡¯ve been the fool in your game all these while," Gary spatted, a grin on his lips.


    Jack stepped forward to assist his father, Gary.


    "You¡¯d better stop father, because this is not the way to go about this," Jack said.


    Robert stared at him with eyes wide in disbelief. First, his wife and supposed son tried to poison him for the properties, then he found out that he¡¯d been raising another man¡¯s child as his own.


    The betrayal dug a huge hole in his heart as tears threatened to fall from his eyes.


    "How did this happen? What did I ever do to you?" Robert questioned, facing Amelia as he demanded an answer.


    Since her skeleton had already been let out of the cupboard, Amelia didn¡¯t bother to pretend to be innocent anymore.


    "When you asked for my hand in marriage, I told you I was in love with another man, didn¡¯t I?" Amelia questioned back.


    Several years ago, Robert had been asked by his father,te old Harrison, to pick a wife since all he knew was work. .


    When Robert saw Amelia for the first time, he immediately fell in love with her beauty. Sadly, Amelia rejected him, saying she already had a boyfriend at that time.


    Unfortunately, Robert didn¡¯t give up at that time. He pursued Amelia a few monthster until she finally epted one day.


    Unbeknownst to Robert, Amelia was already a few weeks pregnant with Gary¡¯s child.


    "When I told you I was in love with Gary, what did you do Robert?" Amelia questioned him. "You had him beaten up to the extent he nearly lost his life."


    Anastasia¡¯s eyes widened slightly in shock before a grin pulled her lips as she rxed on her couch and continued to hear their story.


    "Did you think I married you for love? You have to be kidding me," Amelia scoffed. "I married you for your money, just like you married me for my beauty."


    Robert opened his mouth to speak, but no words coulde out¡ªhe was too speechless to speak.


    "What? The cat caught your tongue?" Amelia questioned. She sneered before wiping the blood off her lips. "You got what you deserve. After Anastasia signed the papers, you didn¡¯t give us our share so we came up with our n which was to poison you and get the properties all for ourselves, leaving you with nothing. Sadly, you are still alive and breathing, but unfortunately, the properties aren¡¯t in your name anymore. They belong to us."


    The trio¡ªAmelia, Jack, and Gary¡ªhearts danced in joy when they saw Robert¡¯s baffled expression. It was the same kind of expression they wanted to derive from, and they seeded.


    Turning to Anastasia, Jack said, "You heard all that mother said. Yes, you have uploaded the videos of those men confessing to what happened that night, but I have the money to persuade the judges so that they can side with me."


    Jack waited for Anastasia to start tearing up, or for her grin to falter, but instead, she startedughing like a maniac.


    Herughter filled the empty corners of the living, making the ce echo with it.


    "What are youughing at?" Jack demanded, rage evident on his face.


    Anastasia¡¯sughter made their skin crawl, and for a second, they believed she had another trick up her sleeves.


    "I¡¯mughing at your stupidity, Jack. Did getting all of your father¡¯s property suddenly make you go dump? Can¡¯t you think straight anymore?" Anastasia questioned.


    "How dare you? What do you mean?!" He demanded.


    Anastasia sighed.


    "Have you always wondered why you couldn¡¯t find the property papers I signed in the first ce?" She asked. Without waiting for him to reply, she continued. "Well, that¡¯s because I have them. Father already signed those papers, and everything you think he signed into your name was already signed into my name, dearest brother."

 Chapter 193: Oh, Red

    "Hmm...that¡¯s right," Anastasia agreed. "But he was no longer the owner of the properties when he signed them, meaning he transferred nothing in your name. If you wanted the properties to be in your name, then it should be my signature on the papers he signed, not Robert¡¯s."


    Although Anastasia was speaking in fluent English, Jack and the others seemed to not understand what she was saying.


    Palming her face, she pulled out a picture on her phone.


    "These are the property documents that Robert signed."


    On her phone screen were the pictures of the document that Robert had signed.


    Turning to Robert, she asked, "Remember the day I kicked you between your legs at your office?" Robert¡¯s eyes widened in realization. "I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t tell them exactly what happened that day, but that¡¯s not the important thing. You signed all the papers on your desk that day, including this one, I slipped in between them without your notice."


    Jack gnashed his teeth together in anger, while his knuckles turned white due to how hard he¡¯d been clenching them.


    Out of anger, Jack grabbed Anastasia¡¯s phone and threw it on the nearest wall, the phone shattered into pieces.


    The two bodyguards that came with Anastasia were about to intervene but Anastasia held out her hand to stop them.


    "It¡¯s okay, I can handle it," she says to them.


    ncing at her shattered phone, Anastasia mumbled, "Aww, poor phone. It was an expensive one."


    Just when Anastasia was about to walk towards it, Jack grabbed her by the neck with a fast move; she didn¡¯t see iting at all.


    When the bodyguards pulled out their guns, he immediately used her as a shield.


    "You can go ahead and fire the bullets, go ahead," he dared them, his anger palpable which clouded his head from thinking straight.


    The bodyguards didn¡¯t dare to fire the bullets, else they would hit Anastasia.


    Everything had happened so much she didn¡¯t see Jack¡¯s moves iing, but instead of panicking, Anastasia startedughing out loud like a maniac again which disturbed every single person in the living room, including the bodyguards.


    "Why are youughing?!" Jack barked.


    Anastasia didn¡¯t reply to his question, instead, she caught him off guard by elbowing his ribs, which had him yelp in pain. Then with a smart move, she twisted his hands behind him so hard she felt the bone crack beneath her touch. Then she kicked his legs, forcing him to kneel.


    "Let go of my son!!" Gary demanded with a re.


    With a smile, Anastasia let go of Jack and thetter dropped to the ground.


    "You bitch!! Do you want to break his bones!" Amelia demanded.


    "That would be too much work for me since his bones are going to be broken in prison anyway," Anastasia replied, and that was when it dawned upon them again. Ana knew all their secrets all along, and she¡¯d already reimed the properties they¡¯d taken from her.


    They had no power or anything they could defend themselves with.


    "So, after everything that you¡¯ve disclosed to us today? What do you want us to do? Kneel and plead for your forgiveness?" Michelle, who¡¯d been quiet the entire time, questioned Anastasia with a fierce re. "Is that what you want from us?!!"


    Anastasia tilted her head slightly as she stared at Michelle, her grin stretching. Michelle would lie if she said that move didn¡¯t creep her out.


    "I don¡¯t want your heartfelt apology, Michelle. After everything each of you has done to me in the past, do you think I would even ept your apologies?" She questioned them before she sneered.


    "Then what¡¯s your n? You want to have us jailed so that you can have the mansion all to yourself?" Robert asked.


    Anastasia chuckled softly as she watched Jack get back on his feet. He took a few steps away from her, shock written all over his face since he hadn¡¯t expected her to be strong enough to take him all by herself.


    "Because you were able to unravel a few things about us, you seemed to have forgotten about yourself, Anastasia. Have you wondered why we¡¯ve never treated you right before?"


    Suddenly, the air in the living room felt too heavy for them to breathe. The atmosphere had changed as they sensed the dark aura that emanated from the door.


    Everyone¡¯s head turned to take at the front door in unison, and Robert wished he could dig a grave and hide himself at that moment.

 Chapter 194: A Little Competition

    "Do you think you people can step on her all over again?" Ezekiel questioned them. "Anastasia is not alone anymore, get that into your thick skull!"


    No one dared to say a word, while Xavier gave Ezekiel a side-eye.


    Michelle could only look at both Ezekiel and Xavier with longing eyes. But none of them paid her any attention. Xavier was the man she was supposed to marry, but Anastasia stole him away from her.


    Ezekiel was her second choice, but he wasn¡¯t even batting an eysh in her direction. All because he was there for Anastasia¡ªthey were both there to defend Anastasia.


    Michelle¡¯s blood boiled with anger, her fists clenched tightly at her sides as the overwhelming urge to yank Anastasia¡¯s hair surged through her.


    "I dide here to take back everything, but not before you all pay back everything you stole from me. Let me begin with Jack..." Anastasia started.


    Jack shivered when he heard Anastasia call her name. He couldn¡¯t move since his body had stiffened all of a sudden, plus, his body hurt too.


    "You have a debt to pay." He frowned. "All the money you stole from the Harrisonpany, I want you to pay everything back until not a single penny is left," she finished.


    Robert stared at Jack with eyes in disbelief.


    He couldn¡¯t understand why he was still shocked by everything unraveling that day. Learning that his wife and son had been poisoning him was one thing, but discovering that the boy he¡¯d called his son for years wasn¡¯t his biological child shook him even more.


    Yet, despite everything, he still felt a twinge of disbelief upon finding out that Jack, the very person he had trusted to investigate the missing money from thepany, had been the one stealing it all along. It was almost too much to process, and the betrayal cut deeper with each new revtion.


    His stomach churned in disappointment.


    Meanwhile, Gary, Amelia, and Jack couldn¡¯t believe what they heard.


    "You stole a total of 50 million dors from the Harrisonpany and I want them back. Don¡¯t worry, I will give you time," she assured.


    Since he was already caught, Jack didn¡¯t bother to defend himself anymore.


    "What if I don¡¯t?" He questioned, making sure there was a good distance between him and the tworge devils in front of him in case they wanted tond a punch across his face once again.


    "Then I will just sue you for fraud," Anastasia replied.


    Jack paled.


    "And embezzlement," she added as she clicked her tongue. "I can sue you for many other things."


    With clenched fists, Jack barked, "Where do you expect me to get that much money from? 50 million dors isn¡¯t a small amount of money, you know?"


    "Then maybe you should have thought of that before you started stealing."


    Jack looked like someone whose blood had been drained out of his body. He didn¡¯t have that much money in his ount, and if he didn¡¯t pay Anastasia, she would send him to jail.


    Then all of his ns would be ruined.


    He swiftly wiped the tears that streamed down from his eyes.


    "Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve done enough?" Michelle suddenly questioned. "Is this how you n to ruin this family? Did you find anything on me? Let me guess, you couldn¡¯t."


    Anastasia tilted her head in confusion before it hit her.


    "You also want me to destroy you?" She asked Michelle. Then she chuckled softly. "There¡¯s nothing more for me to destroy for you. You¡¯ve already destroyed yourself. Your career is gone. You are the number 1 most hated celebrity in Radiantia. What more do I want to destroy about you?"


    Michelle¡¯s cheeks burned red in embarrassment, and she regretted opening her mouth to speak.


    "That¡¯s what you think. Just because you won an award this year, that doesn¡¯t mean you are better than me, Anastasia!" Michelle bellowed in anger.


    "Since that¡¯s what you think, why don¡¯t we have a littlepetition of our own?" Michelle¡¯s eyebrow raised in question. "The next best actress award is in the next seven months. If you win an award, I won¡¯te after you in the future or take you to jail for the crimes you¡¯vemitted against me. But if I win..." Anastasia drawled. "I will make you regret every single thing you¡¯ve ever done to me."


    Anastasia¡¯s threat carried a lot of weight and it made goosebumps arise on Michelle¡¯s skin as she gulped down her saliva in fear.


    "It¡¯s a deal," Michelle replied, despite her fear.


    An evil glint passed through Anastasia¡¯s eyes before she faced the others.


    "So it¡¯s settled. You have to pay me back the 50 million dors you owe in the next two months. Michelle, you have to win the best actress award next year and Robert, youe with me." Robert¡¯s eyes trembled in fear. "By the time Ie back in the next 6 hours, I hope I won¡¯t get a sniff of your poisonous perfumes."

 Chapter 195: You Bitch!!

    "It¡¯s nothing, I can do it," she reassured with a smile on her lips.


    Xavier stared at her for a few seconds, watching if he could see any kind of emotions on her face. Unfortunately, it was as nk as a sheet of paper.


    He gave her a brief right hug, kissing her forehead before she went inside the room Robert was kept in, and he made sure to stay by the door in case Robert tried anything.


    "Do you like your little space, Robert? Or should I continue to call you father?" Anastasia asked, walking to grab a seat to position herself in front of Robert, whose hands and legs had been tied together.


    "Because you¡¯ve reunited with your family, and you have me captured here, you think you¡¯ve won?" He questioned her. "Once I get out of here, I will make sure to put you back in your ce. Even though you have Ezekiel and Xavier by your side, I will take you in front of them and there¡¯s nothing they can do about it!" He spat all over her face.


    When he noticed her nk expression, a grin stretched on his lips. "What? Did you forget how I used to take you since your 13th birthday? It felt good, didn¡¯t it? Hearing you scream all night for me to stop yet you couldn¡¯t do anything about it was a dreame true."


    Behind the doors, Xavier¡¯s hand hovered about the handle to break in since he couldn¡¯t hear their conversation. The room was soundproof. He couldn¡¯t see Anastasia¡¯s expression well since her back was facing him. Plus he wanted to wipe that smirk off Robert¡¯s face with the back of his fist.


    He couldn¡¯t hear what Robert was saying to Anastasia, but it sure had turned her quiet.


    Just when he was about to open the door, he saw her mouth moving, while the smirk that was stered on Robert¡¯s lips faltered.


    "You don¡¯t have to worry about that, because I remember everything that happened that night vividly." Anastasia raised her head to stare at Robert. "It was the one thing that pushed me to have my revenge on your family and I will make sure you never get to use it again."


    Robert scoffed. "Just because you learned a little bit of self-defense, don¡¯t think you are strong enough to handle anything. You are still a weakling, Anastasia." Robert paused, but his eyes still trembled since Anastasia¡¯s threat carried weight. "Have you ever wondered why you never recalled anything about your real mother and father? I¡¯m sure after finding out that I was never your real father, you can¡¯t help but wonder why you can¡¯t remember their faces."


    Anastasia¡¯s face stiffened.


    All of a sudden, Robert¡¯sughter filled the room and Anastasia had to control herself not to stab his throat with the knife in her hands which he hadn¡¯t seen yet. However, she needed to hear him speak.


    "Well, that¡¯s because after I found you in the middle of the night, and recognized you as the daughter of the rk family, I made you lose your memories so you wouldn¡¯t remember anyone."


    Anastasia¡¯s hands clutched on the knife as Robert¡¯sughter filled the room again. Hisughter felt like mockery because she always believed once upon a time that the man before her was her father.


    "At two years old, I made you lose your memory. The doctors gave you some medication and bam....after two weeks, you couldn¡¯t remember anything anymore. Then I fed you with the information I wanted you to digest. I wanted to use you as a ransom. But then, you grew up to be a beautiful girl. At just 10 years old, you were already a cute little thing and that was when I realized I loved you more than a daughter."


    Anastasia felt her skin crawl in disgust at that statement. She took a sharp breath, not interrupting him until he finished, her hands still clenched on the knife.


    "I was having feelings for my daughter? That sounded weird, but I was sure of one thing. I wanted to have sex with you, but Amelia stopped me. She said she wanted you to be mature first. When I told her, she immediately agreed. For a second, I thought she would try to stop me since you were just an innocent little girl. Turns out, she was jealous because you were more beautiful than Michelle, and then an idea came to me."


    Anastasia took another sharp breath, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.


    "Since you wanted to be more beautiful than our biological daughter, why not turn you into filth instead? Did you enjoy our first night together darl¡ª-"


    Robert didn¡¯t get the chance toplete his words when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his hand.


    "YOU BITCH!!" He cursed.

 Chapter 196: Michelle’s Divorce

    Ezekiel watched them from the other side, and he clenched his fist in anger. Anastasia didn¡¯t need to speak for him to know something had happened in that torture room. Robert had said something to her to make him stab him in that manner.


    Back to where Xavier and Anastasia were,


    Xavier continued to hug her tightly, making sure there was not a single space between them.


    Anastasia rubbed her face on his suit. "He¡¯s a monster."


    "He is." Although Xavier couldn¡¯t hear what they¡¯d been talking about in the torture room, he was able to read Robert¡¯sst sentence before Anastasia stabbed him.


    <i>Did you enjoy our first night together?</i>


    His eyes flickered in anger as those words echoed in his ears.


    ¡¯He took advantage of her,¡¯ Xavier thought to himself.


    "He¡¯s going to pay for everything."


    **


    <i>At the Harrison mansion, </i>Anastasia packed her bags as she red at Amelia, Jack, and Gary¡ªthe father of Jack.


    "Where do you think you are going, Michelle?" Amelia questioned when Amelia saw her pulling her luggage¡ªabout to leave the mansion.


    "Didn¡¯t you hear what Anastasia said?" Michelle questioned her mother. "She wants us out of this mansion before she returns. I don¡¯t want to allow her to humiliate me any more than she has. If you want to stay here, then you can go ahead."


    "Wait....where do you even n to go? Also, how can we be sure that Anastasia is not bluffing?" Jack asked this time around.


    "If you want to find out, you can go ahead and wait. I¡¯m still married to the Wace family remember? Although things are tough now, they should still ept me...."


    Without waiting for them to try to stop her anymore, Michelle resumed pulling her luggage with her.


    Once she opened the door, she was met with a delivery man.


    "What do you want?!" She barked at him.


    "I have something to deliver to you."


    Michelle frowned at first, but then she signed and collected the package.


    She nced between the package and the other family members who were staring at her from inside the living room with eyes filled with curiosity.


    Michelle¡¯s hands trembled as she tore off the package.


    Surprisingly, the package was only wrapped once and inside were some documents.


    Curious, she opened the document, and the first thing that came to her sight were the words <i>DIVORCE PAPERS </i>written out boldly in huge fonts.


    Michelle¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of her sockets, while her heart threatened to leap out of her chest in fear.


    "What is this?!!" She questioned no one in particr.


    Out of rage, she flipped through the pages of the divorce document.


    "Richard has already signed the divorce papers?" She mumbled to herself.


    Without wasting a single second, Michelle trotted out of the mansion to head to the Wace mansion.


    Unfortunately, when she reached, the security guards didn¡¯t let her in.


    "Ma¡¯am, we¡¯ve been given specific orders not to let you into the mansion. Can¡¯t you understand?"


    "How dare you talk to me like that? Do you know who I am?" She questioned the security guards as she struggled to break free from them.


    "Michelle, what are you doing here?" Mrs Wace questioned.


    "Mum...the divorce papers... I don¡¯t want to get a divorce..." Michelle trailed off, tears streaming down from her eyes.


    "I¡¯m not your mother anymore after what you and your family have done! Do you think you still have a ce in this family?" Mrs Wace questioned.


    Michelle sniffled back her tears.


    "You were the one who introduced divorce, and now you don¡¯t want it anymore?" Richard questioned her. "Or...wait...could it be that you want more alimony?"


    Michelle stopped crying immediately at the sound of the word alimony.


    Quickly, she flipped open the divorce documents again and her eyesnded on the figures lined up.


    "80 million dors?"

 Chapter 197: Fierce Brawl

    The elderly woman wasn¡¯t surprised at all by Michelle¡¯s actions, instead, she pulled out her phone and wired the money into Michelle¡¯s ount.


    "I don¡¯t want to ever see you step your foot around here," Mrs Wace warned with a stern voice before walking back inside the mansion.


    Michelle clicked her tongue in disappointment when she saw the bank alert that appeared on her phone.


    "Now that I think about it, 80 million dors isn¡¯t so much money. I¡¯m still an A-list celebrity, and I have to live up to other celebrities¡¯ standards. If I¡¯m not careful, this money won¡¯tst me for three months...." She mumbled to herself as she headed towards her car.


    Luckily for her, she bought her car with her own money, and not with Robert¡¯s money, else it would have been under the Harrison property also.


    Michelle drove out of the Wace mansion and stopped in the middle of the street, got out of her car, and upied an empty seat near a park.


    "The money is not enough," she continued to mumble to herself.


    While Michelle was stuck in her thoughts on how she was going to get more money, she didn¡¯t notice the re and curses she was receiving from the passersby.


    "Isn¡¯t that the infamous Michelle Wace? The one whose video has been circting the inte for the past year for evil deeds?"


    "That¡¯s her alright. She looks so innocent but only the heavens know how evil she is!" The person replied a little louder so that Michelle would hear her. "Shouldn¡¯t she be in jail? What¡¯s she doing out here?"


    "To think that she and her family wanted to kill Anastasia, her very own sister. She¡¯s such a white lotus!"


    "I wish she would go kill herself, that¡¯s what she¡¯s supposed to do anyway!"


    "If you two want to talk about me, then talk about me in my face," Michelle snapped.


    The passersby scowled at her.


    "Well, then I wille to your face," one of the passersby marched and stood in front of Michelle, wearing an ugly look. "You are an evil woman and you deserve to die!"


    Others agreed as they stood in front of Michelle, already hanging up on her.


    She stared at them warily, backing away a little as she tried to feign braveness.


    "W-what are you people doing? I¡¯m a celebrity you know? If you daree closer to me, I¡¯ll report you to the police..." She tried to threaten them.


    Unfortunately for her, the people she tried to threaten didn¡¯t blink in fear. They only halted garf at her which made her gulp down her saliva in fear as they closed in on her.


    "You people better stop else..."


    Without giving her the chance to continue her threat, one of the passersby intervened.


    "Let¡¯s beat her up. Someone like her shouldn¡¯t get a chance to use that kind of pretty face and fool people."


    Together, the few passersby ganged up on Michelle, hitting her left and right without giving her a chance to breathe.


    They tore her clothes, nearly making herpletely naked¡ªbut that didn¡¯t stop them from thrashing her.


    Michelle called for help, but the passersby closed her mouth to shut her up as they continued to give her the beating of her life.


    Michelle bit the hand that prevented her from screaming. She continued to scream at the top of her lungs until some people ran to help her out of the situation, even though they didn¡¯t want to. But no one should take matters into their own hands.


    "I¡¯m going to report you people to the police for what you¡¯ve done!" Michelle said when she was separated from the crazy passersby who tried to take her life a moment ago.


    "Go ahead, and we will see who the cops will side with in this matter! Remember, your family were the ones that killed Anastasia and Robert Harrison is a wanted person at the moment. Who knows, you might be the one to go with the police instead of us. Your family is a bunch of criminals!"


    Michelle red at the passersby that just spoke, her fist clenched by her side in anger.


    "What did you say?! What did you just call my family?!" Michelle questioned.


    "Your family is crazy!!"


    "I will show you crazy..."


    Without minding her status, or the consequences of her actions, Michelle fell into a fierce brawl with the passersby.

 Chapter 198: Think Carefully

    Gary immediately stood between them since it seemed Jack would murder his mother due to the way he was scowling at the woman at that moment.


    "That¡¯s arge amount of money, son. Give it to Anastasia as a down payment, and I¡¯m sure she would understand that you don¡¯t have enough money to pay back," Gary tried to convince Jack who resisted the urge to palm his face after hearing Gary¡¯s words.


    "Do you think Anastasia would listen to whatever I have to tell her?!"


    Amelia flinched one more time.


    Jack immediately regretted sharing his ount with Amelia, which gave her more ess to the money¡ªeven though she already had a safe where she put her own money.


    Then his so-called father came to him with an unreasonable excuse he would give to Anastasia.


    "Maybe it¡¯s high time we part ways," Jack suddenly said, catching them off guard. "I¡¯m leaving all of you."


    "Huh? But where are you going? You are not going to leave me and your father here all by ourselves are you?" Amelia asked him.


    "You are on your own now," Jack dered. "Anastasia said she would be back in the next six hours¡ªtwo hours have already passed. If I leave now, she won¡¯t be able to catch me."


    Jack lifted his bag to his shoulders as a new idea popped into his head.


    ¡¯I will just use the remaining money in my ount and fly away then start a new life somewhere else¡ªsomewhere Anastasia won¡¯t be able to find me no matter what,¡¯ Jack to himself as a sly grin stretched on his lips.


    Without waiting for his mother and father to try to stop him, Jack scurried out of the living room, while the servants watched the family separate.


    They were tempted to leave as well, but since the house was going back to the rightful owner, they weren¡¯t bothered about their sries.


    Jack nced around the mansion to be sure there weren¡¯t any guards that belonged to Anastasia who lingered around to inform her of their doings.


    When he was sure, he pulled his bag tighter on his shoulder and strode towards the gate, while ncing at the unconscious bodies of the Harrison security guards.


    They had been knocked out pretty badly, they still hadn¡¯t woken up yet.


    Just when Jack was about to step out of the gate and run for his life, a ck car stopped right in front of him.


    Due to the heavily tinted windows, he couldn¡¯t see who was inside. But from the fancy look of the car, it was owned by someone powerful.


    "Where do you think you¡¯re going, brother?"


    All the hair on his body stood on his ends at that bone-chilling voice.


    Instinctively, he grabbed his bag as if it were a robber that stood in front of him.


    "What are you doing here? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be here in the next four hours?" He questioned Anastasia.


    Anastasia tilted her head as if she¡¯d just heard ame joke.


    "Are you forgetting this is my house now?" She questioned him back with a cold tone which made him feel goosebumps rise on his skin.


    Not once in his life did he think he would be scared of the girl he would always y with whenever he wanted.


    Anastasia cocked an eyebrow. "Were you just about to run away?"


    When Jack didn¡¯t respond to her, she sneered.


    "Go ahead, you can go ahead and run. I would like to see where you would go."


    Although she was encouraging him to run, something warned him deep inside to not dare to do so.


    "But I will give you a warning though," she started. "I¡¯ve handed your pictures to every travel agency and port. If you want to run away, you will bebeled as a criminal. I won¡¯t do the chasing anymore¡ªthe police will do the chasing."


    Jack wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d heard Anastasia correctly.


    There was no smile on her lips like earlier, and her death stare creeped him out.


    "What?" He managed to ask as all the colors drained from his face. His grip on his bag had already turned white.


    "You heard me right. If you want to run away, you can go ahead. But even if you are caught by the police, you still have to pay your debts to me. So think about your decision very carefully, brother."</subtxt>

 Chapter 199: Good Morning, Everyone

    "You should have just died that night... and never came back. Maybe, I should have strangled on one of those nights I had fun with you instead, since father was so ipetent in getting just one job done," he howled¡ªhis veins shooting out of his neck and fist which were still clenched.


    "You¡¯ve yed with my body countless times, and I cannot wait for when I would y with yours," she responded, a smirk finally settling on her lips. "But now is not the time for that yet. I¡¯m still ying with Robert."


    Without warning, Anastasia struck Jack hard on the nose. He stumbled back with a grunt, his hands immediately flying to his face as blood poured from his nostrils. But Anastasia wasn¡¯t finished with him. She didn¡¯t give him a moment to recover from the pain, stepping forward with cruel precision, ready to deliver another blow.


    With a swift ruthless motion, she drove her heels into the space between his legs and he released a bigger grunt as he squatted down to gather himself while his nose continued to make a bloody mess.


    "This is just a little present I have in store for you today, Jack. Luckily, there¡¯s more where that came from."


    "You conniving two-faced slut!!"


    "Yes, I am. I wasn¡¯t like this before, but I had to learn the hard way."


    Anastasia couldn¡¯t tell if Jack could understand what she was saying since his attention was on his balls which were still cupped in his hands.


    "I¡¯m sure you must have seen the condition Richard was in after he got delivered to this mansion."


    Jack paused his cries when he heard Anastasia.


    "Do you know who made him look like that?"


    He continued to stare at her as if he¡¯d seen a ghost.


    "I was the one that chopped off his fingers, and I had to control myself from chopping off his dick and stuffing it in his mouth. But it¡¯s alright. That fantasy of mine will be fulfilled soon."


    Leaning towards his ears, she finished, "You and Father will fulfill that fantasy of mine."


    Jack instantly went cold, however, Anastasia didn¡¯t pay him any mind. She pped his cheeks lightly.


    "Now, pay up. I¡¯m only giving you two months to do so."


    She winked at him before she stroded inside the mansion to kick the remaining peasants out.


    **


    <i>At the Harrisonpany,</i>


    Anastasia strode towards thepany, gaining all the employee¡¯s attention as their gazes followed her as she headed towards the elevator.


    Despite their curious stares, no one dared to stop her from stepping foot into thepany since she¡¯d already announced on the inte that she had rightfully reimed her properties back and was currently the CEO of the Harrisonpany.


    As soon as Anastasia arrived at the top floor, she was immediately greeted by the rows of secretaries.


    A few had happy faces while a lot more tried to feign their happiness by forcing their smiles.


    Fortunately for them, Anastasia didn¡¯t bother with them at that moment. She made a mental note to deal with themter. Right now, she was going to talk with the board of directors to be sure they were all on the same page.


    Leo stroded towards Anastasia with a file which included the names, and information regarding her boards of directors.


    It¡¯s been four days since Anastasia was able to reim her properties and kick each member of the Harrison family out of her home. Within those four days, she¡¯d pleaded with Leo if he could still be with her while she ran thepany since she only had a few ideas regarding business management. And thetter was more than happy to help.


    "These are the top three board of directors with the most shares. Some are bearable, some are not," Leo informed Anastasia as they headed towards her office. "While I was here, they gave Robert and Jack a hard time. The two wanted to buy them out but their contribution to thepany is very important."


    Anastasia hummed in understanding as she read through the file, memorizing their faces like the back of her mind in case they tried anything funny.


    After half an hour had passed, Anastasia was informed the board of directors had all arrived and they wanted to begin their meeting immediately.


    "They are not happy," Leo muttered.


    "They weren¡¯t supposed to be. If they aren¡¯t satisfied with the change of CEO, they can just leave."


    Leo walked behind Anastasia as she headed towards the meeting room. As earlier, her aura gained her attention from the other employees who were lucky to see her.


    As soon as Anastasia opened the door to the meeting room, her eyes scanned through the people around before she parted her lips to speak. "Good morning, everyone."

 Chapter 200: Xastia Company

    Anastasia was shocked because the person who had just degraded her as a woman¡ªwas a woman herself.


    She didn¡¯t know if she should feel offended, shocked, or amused by the woman¡¯sment. She nced at Leo who had the same expression as her¡ªsurprised.


    Nevertheless, Anastasia still didn¡¯t speak. She waited for them to continue bbing out their thoughts, when they were done, then she would speak.


    As if they read her thoughts, they continued to speak. There were a total of 10 boards of directors and 5 people wanted her out and demanded Robert¡¯s presence in the office immediately.


    "You need to bring Robert here and let him clear this confusion for us because there¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting this woman run thispany!" Another dered.


    Anastasia sighed, her legs crossed above the other when she heard thatst sentence.


    "It seems none of you have been keeping up with the newstely..." Anastasia¡¯s voice cut through the quiet whispers in the room, causing them to fall silent. Every head turned toward her, confusion etched on their faces. She held their gaze, her expression hard.


    "Robert tried to kill me two years ago," she continued, her tone filled with bitter usations. "And you people want a murderer like that to be the CEO of thispany?" Her words hung heavy in the air, leaving them stunned and unable to respond.


    "He¡¯s not a murderer," Logan defended and Anastasia cocked an eyebrow at him in questioning. "You are still alive, so he didn¡¯tmit any murder."


    Leo, who was sitting beside Anastasia, frowned in disgust. He¡¯d always known that Logan was a strict businessman who cared so much about his money, but he had not expected him to be so cruel and senseless all at the same time.


    "That doesn¡¯t make any sense at all, Logan. Murder or no murder, he still tried to kill someone."


    The person who just spoke was thest top 3 shareholders of the Harrisonpany. His name was Christian Lorenzo, age 51. At first nce, one would think of him as a man of his principle, d in the most casual clothing in the meeting room.


    Anastasia didn¡¯t want to have high regard for him so soon, so she let him speak.


    "So, what you are saying now is we should let this girl be the CEO of thispany? Just like that?!" Rudy interjected a simr aggravated look on her face, just like Logan¡¯s.


    "I knew this would bring disagreements between all of us, but let me clear one thing," Anastasia said, eyes scanning through the room to be sure everyone¡¯s attention was on her.


    "I¡¯ve never managed apany before."


    "You see¡ª"


    "I¡¯m not done, Mrs. Ginger." Anastasia red at the middle-aged woman, making her message clear.


    Despite being infuriated, Rudy mmed her mouth shut.


    "Like I was saying, I¡¯ve never managed apany before, but I¡¯m looking forward to learning and cooperating with all of you if you give me the chance."


    They started mumbling to each other one more time.


    "However, if you don¡¯t want me as the CEO of thispany, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. Robert is nevering back as he¡¯s paying for his sins. If you don¡¯t like the way I run thepany, you are free to sell your shares and leave...the door is wide open."


    Silence enveloped the meeting room, and the online that could hear was the sound of the clock ticking.


    In the past, they¡¯d met Anastasia a few times when she came to the Harrisonpany and they¡¯d seen how much of a good girl she was.


    However, the person before themcked the feminine aura of the old Anastasia.


    They could see that her words were sincere, and not once did she beat around the bush with her words.


    "A woman can¡¯t be a CEO," Rudy said through gritted teeth, finally breaking the silence.


    "In that case, I guess a woman shouldn¡¯t be a shareholder also."


    "What do you mean by that?"


    "I¡¯m buying you out!" Anastasia dered and they gasped in shock. "I already said earlier, if you are not satisfied with the way I run things from now on, you might as well sell your shares and leave."


    "You can¡¯t do that! I¡¯m the third in position to have the most shares in thispany. You simply can¡¯t buy me out," she retorted.


    Anastasia ignored her and faced the rest of the board of directors.


    "I also want to change something important in thispany. The name..." A big frown settled on their faces as they waited for her to continue. "I want to rename the Harrison Company to Xastia Company."

 Chapter 201: Have Some Fun

    Still, they all shook their heads horizontally.


    "That¡¯s good. I will have Leo forward to everyone what will be changed in thepany, and if you have a problem with it, you can leave."


    No one said a word, yet still a few pairs of eyes red at her and Anastasia made sure to hold their gazes.


    "I hope we can have a good cooperation together," she wished, then stood up and addressed the meeting adjourned.


    Anastasia left the meeting room with Leo beside her, giving the board of directors the privacy to plot against her. She was ready for them.


    Anastasia went on to get thepany¡¯s name and logopletely rebranded. She didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with the Harrison name anymore.


    A few employees were impressed with the change of thepany¡¯s name, some felt neutral and some gossiped behind Anastasia¡¯s back.


    "Okay, it¡¯s already shown on the inte that Robert tried to kill her two years ago, but isn¡¯t rebranding thepany¡¯s logo and changing its name a little too much?" An employee whispered.


    "Beats me! Who knows, she might change our name also," the other answered.


    "We¡¯ve all known Anastasia as someone who¡¯s always calm and kind, even when her family mistreated her. I think she deserves to start anew. Changing thepany¡¯s name since she¡¯s the new CEO is a good decision. I wonder what you two don¡¯t like about it," another interjected, ncing around the changed desks and extra furniture with a beaming smile.


    "And who¡¯s talking to you?" The first employee questioned as she rolled back her eyes. "We were just saying our opinions."


    And just like that, they got into a bicker regarding whether what Anastasia was doing to thepany was right or wrong.


    Meanwhile, Anastasia was in her office, settling on her couch after walking around thepany, checking out things she could either change or leave the way they were.


    "Who knew changing a few things in apany could be so tiring? I haven¡¯t even had lunch yet," she mumbled to herself with a long sigh.


    Struggling, she reached out for her phone and checked the time.


    "It¡¯s already 3 pm!! I have to go..."


    Anastasia immediately scurried out of her office, giving Leo and the other secretaries a few instructions on her way out.


    Then she headed to Xavier¡¯s hideout.


    **


    "Can I start crafting on his body now?" Amanda asked with her high-pitched voice as she toyed with her big stuffed toy, while her gaze went through the mirror on the door, settling on the figure trapped on the chair.


    "How many times do I have to tell you, Amanda? This is not your toy," Mark replied to Amanda, and the girl pouted in disappointment.


    "I will just ask Anastasia when shees back," she mumbled under her breath, dragging her big stuffed toy before finding herself a seat behind the door.


    Mark could only release a tired sigh, then turned to Xavier and Kace who¡¯d been watching silently.


    "Where do you think she¡¯s going to start with him first?" Mark asked.


    Kace shrugged nonchntly. "I have no idea, but I¡¯m sure she¡¯s gonna make it painful for him."


    Not long after, Anastasia arrived at the hideout and marched towards Xavier and he wrapped his hands around her.


    "How were things at thepany?" He asked.


    "I have a few people to deal with, but it¡¯s no big deal." She waved at Mark and gave Kace a little pull of his locks and thetter slightly tugged at hers.


    In response, Anastasia threatened to kick him between his legs, and Kace instinctively closed his legs together.


    "If you need any help, let me know," he said to Anastasia who was already peering at Kace with a re. Turning to him, she pecked him slightly on the lips as a sign of reassurance.


    "I want to go in," she said.


    Anastasia entered the room Robert was kept in.


    As soon as the middle-aged man opened his eyes to see her, he started pushing his chair backward.


    "Are you ready to have some fun, Robert?" She asked the man whose eyes were already starting to tremble in fear.

 Chapter 202: Deaf Ears

    The atmosphere of the living room is suddenly tense and cold, and Anastasia marches towards her inws to wee them inside.


    Although she wasn¡¯t close with either of them, she still pulled a smile on her face as she greeted, "Wee, mother, father."


    Mrs. Wace smiled at her as she gave her a brief hug.


    "What about grandma?"


    "Are you asking about me?" They suddenly heard a woman ask. Mrs. Wace made way for the servant who was pushing old Wace.


    Anastasia¡¯s eyes widened in shock when she spotted old Wace in a wheelchair.


    "Grandma, what happened to you? Why are you in a wheelchair?" She asked.


    "Don¡¯t mind me. It¡¯s this woman you are seeing here," old Wace responded, pointing at Mrs. Wace with a side-eye.


    "Her legs are starting to get weak and I suggested she use a wheelchair even though she objected," Mrs Wace immediately defended herself.


    Old Wace mumbled something under her breath but still didn¡¯t say anything anymore.


    Anastasia weed them into the house. Jeffrey and Mr Wace exchanged handshakes which was as stiff as a tree. While Mrs Wace and Nora shared a hug which seemed surprisingly casual, unlike the handshake of the two fathers.


    "Was Ite?" They suddenly heard a voice that made them turn their heads back towards the entrance.


    Anastasia red at Richard as he walked into the mansion, looking better than she¡¯d left him months ago.


    When the both of them made eye contact, Richard red at her.


    Anastasia made eye contact with Xavier, and thetter was just as shocked as she was. They were never told Richard would being along.


    The rk family were a little bbergasted when they saw Richard. However, Nora still acknowledged him.


    "Pleasee in, Richard."


    Mr Wace exchanged eye contact with Xavier before they went to the dining table.


    Nora weed them to the dining table and everyone took a seat.


    "I¡¯m d to see that your family is finallyplete, Mr. rk," Richardmented at the awkward table. "And the fact that Anastasia has been posing as someone all this while. If I had known she was your daughter, I would have brought her to you myself," he added with a long sigh.


    The table went silent as the sound of the cutleries went faint.


    Tracie nced at Anastasia, Xavier, and Richard. Immediately, she knew someone was up.


    "And what¡¯s that supposed to mean?" She questioned Richard with a cocked eyebrow.


    Richard nced at Tracie.


    "I was just saying..."


    "It looks like you still have the mouth to speak rubbish, Richard. I made a mistake by letting you have that," Xavier interrupted coldly.


    Richard immediately felt the hair on his spine stand on their ends. Although he was seated causally opposite Xavier, eating his dinner, he wanted to stab Xavier with his fork and he loved that dream.


    Ignoring Xavier, Richard turned to Anastasia and asked, "How about Anastasia? You should havee to me and I would have brought you to the rk family. Don¡¯t you like that?"


    "Not only do you have the mouth to talk rubbish, you are also deaf," Tracie said, stabbing her meat before diving it into her mouth. "Are you forgetting you are in the rk mansion? Do you want me to teach you some lessons?


    "You children better not fight here," old Wace warned. "You can go ahead and fight after the meal is over."


    Both Richard and Tracie exchanged res, but no one spoke a word as they devoured their food inplete silence.


    After the family dinner, Jeffrey and Mr. Wace, together with Xavier, excused themselves to talk, while Anastasia hung with Kael, and Ezekiel with Tracie who¡¯d still not spoken a word to Anastasia since she arrived with Xavier.


    Nora and Mrs Wace were in the kitchen, discussing some stuff while they ordered some servants where to arrange the leftovers of their meal. Old Wace was also with them.


    Giving Tracie a side eye, Anastasia tapped Kael on the shoulder. "Hey, why did Tracie defend me like that?"


    "I have no idea. Maybe she¡¯s finally warming up to you now," he replied with a mere shrug.


    "What are the both of you talking about?" Tracie suddenly asked the both of them, making them flinch since they didn¡¯t expect she could have heard them.

 Chapter 203: Richard’s Mistake

    "Like you said, in the past," she sneered, her voice sharp. "Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever let you have your way with me again. Have you forgotten who did this to you?" She nodded toward his hands, now stumps, that had been cruelly chopped off. He could barely function, needing Mrs. Wace to feed him during dinner. "Or do you need a reminder?" Her words were like knives, cutting deep, as she stared at him with cold satisfaction.


    Richard¡¯s frown deepened, and without warning, he delivered a swift kick to Anastasia¡¯s belly. A painful yelp escaped her lips as she doubled over, clutching her stomach. But he wasn¡¯t satisfied. He kicked her again, harder this time, sending her crumpling to the floor in agony. The room filled with a tense, oppressive silence as she gasped for air, the pain radiating through her body.


    "You truly have grown wings, and you¡¯ve forgotten whom you are speaking with," he bit out. He attempted pulling her hair. Sadly, he didn¡¯t have the fingers to do that, while Anastasia grabbed her belly and she fought to stand. "Just because you are with Xavier now? Well, let me remind you. You are a whore and will always be a whore."


    He squatted to her level when Anastasia had already fallen on the ground. "You let your Mr Harrison, Jack and I have fun with you. You are a slut. And by the looks of things, I¡¯m guessing Xavier doesn¡¯t know about it.


    "Now, what do you think will happen when he finds out that you¡¯re a slut like every girl in the brothel, spreading their legs for men to do as they pleased?" He spat all over her face.


    He grinned when he saw Anastasia struggling to steady her breath. "You are still a weakling. Having Xavier by your side doesn¡¯t make a difference."


    "So what do you n to do? Tell him how you used me?" Anastasia questioned. "You never really learn your lessons, do you? However, I don¡¯t me you. It¡¯s my fault for showing you pity when I could have just roasted your body and fed you to the dogs."


    Anastasia smirked when she saw the smile on his face falter.


    "What? Are you scared?" She asked.


    Suddenly, the door burst open, and Tracie stormed into the room, her eyes zing with fury. Without hesitation, she clenched her fist and delivered a powerful punch across Richard¡¯s face. The impact sent him flying backward, crashing onto the bed beside Anastasia.


    "Who are you to say such things to her? So you are one of the monsters that made her life a living hell?" She questioned, sending punch after punch across his body, not giving him even the littlest second to catch his breath.


    Anastasia stood up, baffled to see Tracie hitting Richard, but she didn¡¯t interrupt.


    Due to the groaning sound made by Tracie as she continued to beat Richard up, the rest of the family hurried up to the room.


    "What the hell¡ª" Nora cursed while Mrs. Wace covered her mouth as she gasped.


    Ezekiel and Kael immediately rushed to separate Tracie from Richard which was a tough task since Tracie seemed to have vowed not to let Richard go.


    When they were finally able to separate the both of them, Richard¡¯s face waspletely bruised up. His nose and lips were painted with his own blood, as he red down at Tracie.


    "How dare you?!" Richard bellowed, attempting to attack Tracie but Ezekiel stepped between the both as he fired Richard a scowl which had thetter instinctively take a few steps back. "Oh I see, you people had nned to gang up against me for this bitch? This little slut right over here?" He pointed at Anastasia whose face was still etched with pain.


    "Say that one more time," Tracie growled, her voice trembling with rage, "and I promise you, you won¡¯t leave this ce alive!" She struggled against Kael¡¯s grip, trying to break free, her eyes locked on Richard with a deadly promise. Despite Kael¡¯s attempts to restrain her, the fire in her eyes made it clear she was ready to carry out her threat.


    Kael held a tired expression since he was unable to keep Tracie in one ce.


    Ezekiel was aware he couldn¡¯t let that happen. If Kael set Tracie free, she could kill Richard and use his skin as a human handbag. She was very much capable of doing that.


    "You people are all the same! Family of sluts!!"


    Tracie could only see red at the moment. With one hand, she set herself free from Kael¡¯s grip. But before she could reach Richard and quench her thirst for blood, Richard was already on the ground, his facepletely painted with blood this time around.


    Everyone¡¯s heads turned to stare at Xavier, whose fist was painted with his brother¡¯s blood.


    "For once, I thought you might use your brain," Xavier said with a sneer. "But I forgot¡ªyou¡¯ve got nothing up there." He strode toward Richard with calm precision beforending one final punch to his jaw, sending himpletely unconscious. Xavier stood over him, his eyes cold, as the room settled into an eerie silence.

 Chapter 204: I Will Slit Your Throat

    Richard had already caused a scene, and the current mood in the room was disappointing although his presence was no more.


    Turning to Jeffrey, he said, "I¡¯m d we were able to settle everything, Jeffrey. Once again, I¡¯m still deeply sorry for what happened in the past."


    "It¡¯s not a problem, Thomas," Jeffrey responded.


    Mr Wace pulled his wife away and the rest of the rk family escorted them out of the mansion.


    "That was some fight!" Kael eximed. Facing Xavier whose hands were holding Anastasia protectively on the waist, he added, "How were you able to move that fast? Can you teach me some moves?"


    Tracie pped him against his head. "Can¡¯t you see me standing here? Why not ask me instead?"


    "No way! Do you know where Inded when you set yourself free? You didn¡¯t even take pity on me knowing that I¡¯m not even half as strong as you," he mumbled.


    "I¡¯ve told you several times to start working out, but do you ever listen to me?" Tracie questioned. "Don¡¯t make me hit you the way I was nning on hitting that bastard just earlier," she threatened.


    "Oookay, you kids had better calm down," Nora warned.


    Kael red at Tracie while he hid behind Ezekiel for protection.


    Nora took Anastasia from Xavier¡¯s hold to help her apply ice where Richard had hit her.


    "Hey, you don¡¯t need to keep looking all the time. Mum is not gonna swallow her whole you know," Tracie said to Xavier, which earned her a frown from Xavier. When Xavier didn¡¯t respond to her, she sighed. "I want to speak with you."


    Xavier shot her a questionable nce. However, they excused themselves from the others.


    "What do you want to say?" He questioned her as soon as they reached the garden.


    "First of all, when Anastasia was cutting off Richard¡¯s fingers, why didn¡¯t you take the knife from her and stab him in the throat instead?" She asked. Xavier frowned at her. "I overheard their conversation before I attacked him. He¡¯s such a jerk."


    "Tell me something I don¡¯t know yet, Tracie."


    Tracie ended up sighing.


    "I want to amend my rtionship with my sister," she finally said, and a slow grin stretched on Xavier¡¯s lips. "I miss her, and I want to be by her side."


    "I knew you woulde around. You were just putting up an act as if you were all big and tough."


    "Shut up!" Tracie snapped, ring at Xavier who still had the grin on his lips. "She has been through a lot, and I thought I would be happy if I seeded in making her hate me. That¡¯s why I acted that way towards her."


    Xavier crossed his arms around his chest as he studied Tracie.


    "I¡¯m d you¡¯ve realized that your n was stupid," he said with a long sigh. "Anastasia has never had a real sister before, and I¡¯m hoping you will be a good one to her, Tracie."


    "You don¡¯t have to tell me that. I love her and want to protect her, especially from that bastard brother of yours. Argh¡ªhe still makes my blood boil even after so many years," she groaned as she waved her fist around to release the tension in them.


    "She¡¯s inside and if you want to, hug her. I¡¯m sure she would love that," Xavier suggested.


    Tracie went silent, considering that suggestion.


    In the blink of an eye, a knife was pressed against Xavier¡¯s throat. His breath caught, and he nced at Tracie, his eyes wide with shock.


    "I¡¯m going to settle things between me and Anastasia, and you¡¯re very much aware that I love her, right?" She asked but Xavier still kept silent, his eyes on the cold metal that had already made contact with his neck.


    "If you hurt Anastasia even in the slightest way, I will slit your throat, Xavier. That¡¯s a promise," she promised, eyes narrowed as she studied his expression.


    "You have nothing to worry about. I love Anastasia with my life and I will protect her no matter what. It¡¯s not something you need to remind me," he responded.


    Tracie studied him for a second longer before she took the knife away from his neck.


    "That¡¯s good."


    Xavier red at Tracie as a glint of fear passed through his eyes.


    Tracie was a very slick assassin, and for the first time in his life, he was worried for his life.

 Chapter 205: Bad Energy

    "Go on.... Where¡¯s your evidence?"


    "If I remember correctly, I wasn¡¯t speaking with you so don¡¯t you try butting in on our conversation," Olivia spat with clenched teeth.


    "And if I remember correctly, you were using someone of doing something when you didn¡¯t even have any evidence. Now, should I call you stupid or brain-dead?" Natalia retorted and Allison¡¯s jaws dropped in astonishment when she heard Natalie.


    The people nearby gasped when they heard Natalie also.


    Olivia could see that Natalie purposely increased the volume on purpose so that people would talk about her.


    Before Olivia could open her mouth to talk back, Allison immediately interrupted her.


    "You should just leave, Olivia. If you came here only to ask why I¡¯ve been ignoring you, I¡¯ve already told you the reason. You should go and hang with your girlfriends."


    "You aren¡¯t going to talk to that friend of yours?" Olivia questioned, pointing at Natalie who had a sly grin on her lips. "I¡¯m your best friend, Allison. How many times do I have to remind myself about that, or are you nning on deserting me and making this shrew over here your new best friend?"


    "I dare you to call me that again," Natalie dared, her hands clutched hard on the fork she was using to eat.


    Olivia felt threatened and immediately stood up to take a few steps back.


    Allison quickly went to calm Natalie down. She has been with Natalie for a long time to know thetter had a hot temper. And if she¡¯s not stopped, she could stab Olivia with that fork.


    "You call me a shrew, but you a slut, a whore!!" Natalie bit out when Allison got the fork from her grasp.


    Olivia¡¯s cheeks were painted red with embarrassment. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out, so she could only bite her lips as she red at both Allison and Natalie.


    "What¡¯s going on here?"


    Olivia¡¯s head turned to face Derek who¡¯d just arrived out of nowhere, an idea popping in her mind as she scurried to his side and wrapped her hands around his.


    "Allison and Natalie are ganging up against me," she used. "I was only telling Allison that she should stop avoiding me, but she and Natalie ganged up against me. I only wanted an answer. Then Natalie nearly stabbed me with a fork."


    It looks could kill, Olivia would have been six feet under the ground by now due to the intensity of the re Natalie fired at her.


    "Give me back the fork," Natalie demanded from Allison. "I didn¡¯t stab you with the fork earlier, but now I will," she promised.


    "That¡¯s enough!" Derek intervened, scowling at Natalie. "This is not some marketce."


    "That¡¯s so weirding from this school¡¯s number one bully," Natalia retorted. "Are you talking to me or rather talking to yourself?"


    Derek instantly became furious.


    He and Natalie only spoke to each other once in a blue moon, and just like Olivia, they despised each other.


    "You¡¯d better watch your tongue," he warned Natalie.


    "I think you should watch that little two-faced whore beside you," Natalie retorted one more time and Olivia¡¯s cheeks flushed red in embarrassment once again.


    Allison immediately pulled Natalie and forced thetter to take a seat, but she was too aggravated.


    "Can¡¯t you just shut up for a second? Why do you have to talk without stopping?" Olivia questioned, eyes med with rage.


    "Natalie, that¡¯s enough," Allison instantly interrupted Natalie before she could say anything else. Thetter fired her a re and she sighed in response. Facing Derek, she added, "I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already picked a side to believe, so I won¡¯t waste my time exining anything to you. Why are you here?"


    Derek¡¯s face waspletely scrunched up in anger. However, he didn¡¯t react the way Olivia had expected him to.


    "I want to talk to you," he responded.


    Without waiting for her to ask any questions, Derek pulled her away, disappointing Olivia. Natalie was tempted to follow behind them, but quickly halted her steps when she got a sign from Allison.


    The two girls scowled at each other, and Olivia took several more steps away from Natalie with the fear her life could be snatched from her in the blink of an eye.


    However, when she saw someone walking inside the cafeteria through the other door, she beamed.


    "Mr. Wace!!" She called.

 Chapter 206: Birthday Boyfriend

    Allison wasn¡¯t the least surprised when she saw Kace at the cafeteria. He¡¯d beening to the university so frequently one would think he was a student.


    Grabbing her bag, Allison excused herself to leave the cafeteria, and Kace immediately followed behind her.


    "What¡¯s up? Why do you look like you just got into a fight with your boyfriend?" Kace teased, as he followed behind her.


    "Today is Derek¡¯s birthday, and he¡¯s celebrating it at his house," she responded.


    Kace stopped a few steps from behind her. When Allison noticed she wasn¡¯t hearing his footsteps anymore, she turned to look at him.


    "Let me guess, you are going to that birthday party," He stated.


    "I have to."


    Kacebed his locks with his fingers as stared at the blue sky.


    "In that case, I¡¯ming too," he said.


    Allison frowned, "That would only bring trouble. You don¡¯t have toe. I can take care of myself."


    Kace cocked his eyebrows at her, and she tore her gaze from him as it was suddenly impossible to hold it.


    "We will see about that."


    Allison frowned in confusion, but didn¡¯t bother to ask him what he meant. It was obvious, he wasing and there was nothing she could do about it.


    **


    Allison arrived at Derek¡¯s house, loud music was booming around the area. Luckily for the invitees, the house was a few distance away from the rest of the houses on the block, so the neighbors weren¡¯t greatly disturbed by the noise they caused.


    Derek ced his arms around Allison¡¯s shoulder, making thetter jolt as he offered her a drink, but she objected.


    "Come on, aren¡¯t you going to drink even on your boyfriend¡¯s birthday?" Kyle, one of Derek¡¯s friends asked, before he sipped from his drink.


    "I don¡¯t drink. Derek knows that already," she responded.


    "That¡¯s prettyme in my opinion," Max, another one of Derek¡¯s friends added.


    "Well, I never asked for your opinion so you can keep it up yourself." Her sharp retort had them still for a second, trying to digest what she said.


    Irritated, Max mmed his cup on the counter of the kitchen, ring at Allison.


    "Seriously man, why did you pick this girl as your girlfriend? Look at this many hot bitches out here you can pick from."


    "Now you two had better watch it. That¡¯s no way you should talk to my girlfriend," Derek warned with a smile on his face, which had the two friends cackling like hyenas because they were aware he wasn¡¯t serious with the ownership he ced on Allison


    Allison was also aware of it, but it didn¡¯t hurt her at all. She never loved Derek to begin with, so he could use her to make jokes as much as he wanted. As long as he didn¡¯t go too far with it.


    Olivia arrived in the kitchen and shared a look with Derek which Allison noticed. Now she was curious to know what they must be nning.


    "Happy birthday Derek!!" She wished, moving Allison out of the way and hugging Derek¡ªnting her full chest on his as she wiggled a while.


    Allison noticed all her movements, but she stared at them like crazy people who were making a fool out of themselves.


    Allison went to a corner to watch them. She could have invited Natalie, but then thetter could have torn every strand of hair Olivia had, which would have caused amotion. However, deep inside, that was what Allison wanted Natalie to do.


    Sighing, Allison sipped her apple juice. She took it from the same container the others took from, in case Derek wanted to spike her drink.


    "Allison, I want to show you something upstairs," Derek said, grinning at her which creeped her out so much.


    Biting her lips, she followed behind him as she followed him upstairs.


    ¡¯Try nonsense today and I will give you a kick between your legs,¡¯ she thought to herself, following his every move.


    Reaching Derek¡¯s room, he opened it wide for her to enter.


    Allison entered the dark room, her hands clutched on the purse, ready to take out her pepper spray if needed.


    "What did you want to show me?" She asked him as soon as he flicked the lights on.


    "You know, Allison, I¡¯ve been watching that sex tape all night, jerking to it," he started, and goosebumps appeared on Allison¡¯s skin.


    "Sadly, I¡¯ve gotten tired of watching that one clip over and over again. I want us to make something new. It¡¯s been a while since west became intimate, and it¡¯s my birthday. Why not give me something special today as a gift?" he finished, taking two steps towards her, and she took five to create more distance between them.


    "I¡¯m not surprised you said something so stupid, Derek. But you¡¯re right, I should give you a gift, and I have the best kind of gift you would like," she responded with a smirk stretching on her lips.

 Chapter 207: Broken Head

    ¡¯I¡¯ve cried so many times because of this man, I¡¯m not crying anymore,¡¯ she thought to herself, biting her lips as she searched for the nearest object she could use to hit Derek with.


    Derek pushed her on the bed, cleaning his eyes with the back of his hand so that he could see her properly.


    "So, you think that you escaped from me? You¡¯ve been an ungrateful little bitchtely. But no worries, I¡¯ll put you back in your ce soon," he barked.


    ncing around, Allison¡¯s eyes caught themp near the bed. Tearing her eyes from it, she stared at Derek who was still busy trying to clean the pepper spray from his sight.


    "Now, you¡¯d better start undressing, and don¡¯t make me wait," he ordered as she started to undress himself. "Remember, I still have the sex tape. If you try anything funny, I will release it without batting an eysh," he recalled and Allison gulped down her saliva in fear.


    ¡¯I¡¯ve already sprayed him with pepper spray, what more if I broke his head with themp?¡¯ She wondered, ring at him this time.


    Sneakily, Allison reached for the pepper spray.


    When Derek was about to go down on her, she hit him hard with themp, making sure it caused him to bleed. Some of the sharp pieces of ss pierced her skin and forced out blood, but she paid it no mind.


    Derek yelled out in pain as he grabbed his bleeding head in agony, and Allison heard a littlemotion from outside.


    Tossing the pieces of themp away, Allison kicked off her feet as she rushed after the door.


    When she opened it and was about to escape, her head hit a hard object, more like a person when she opened her eyes to see the ck leather jacket. She recognized those leather jackets immediately.


    "Kace..." she breathed with a sigh of relief.


    "Don¡¯t tell me you had all the fun," he teased with a smile on his lips as he stared down at her before his gazended on Derek who was still screaming in agony.


    "We need to get out of here," Allison said.


    Kace sighed, grabbed her hand, and pulled her out of the room as the both of them headed downstairs with curious eyes pierced behind them.


    Suddenly, they heard, "Don¡¯t let them leave!!" The music stopped so everyone could hear Derek more properly. "Kyle, Max, and the others, make sure they don¡¯t leave!!" Derek ordered, grabbing his bleeding head and eyes.


    When everyone saw him, they gasped in shock.


    Allison made eye contact with Max, and a grin appeared on his lips. She pulled on Kace¡¯s hands, rushing both of them out of the house immediately.


    "Where is your car?" Allison asked when they were out of the house, while the voices of the people Derek sent could be heard from behind them.


    Kace wore a stoic expression as they crossed the street, helping Allison into the car and shutting the door afterward, but he didn¡¯t go to the other side of the driver¡¯s seat.


    "Where are you going? We have to leave here now," she reminded.


    "Just stay in here and let me handle this," he snapped, his voice cutting through her protests. The sharpness in his tone made her instinctively swallow the rest of her words. He clenched his fists, his eyes narrowing with a dangerous glint. "I¡¯ve been itching to beat someone up for a while now, and I finally got my chance."


    Allison stared at Kace with a dropped jaw, not sure if he was being serious or joking at the moment.


    She was about to say something, but then seven college boys were already in front of the car, along with Kace¡ªhis back facing her.


    The college boys all had broken pieces of bottles while some came empty-handed as they sized Kace up which was a mockingughter.


    "I always thought that bastard hadp dogs that obeyed his orders but I didn¡¯t think it to be true," Kace said, his hand scratching the back of his head as he gave them a cheesy smile.


    The party has already ended, and everyone inside the house hase out to witness the fight.


    "Shut up, skunk!" Kyle growled, his grip tightened on the piece of the wine bottle, charging at Kace.


    "This is going to be fun," Kace mumbled under his breath before he kicked the sharp bottle in Kyle¡¯s hands away with just one move. With his next move, Kyle was already on the floor, nose broken and head bleeding.


    The other six stared at Kace in terror.


    "Don¡¯t tell me y¡¯all are scared already," he mocked.


    With new motivation from out of nowhere, they all charged at Kace in one go.

 Chapter 208: Leaped Heart

    Derek tried to move from his spot, but his leg seemed to have been glued to the ground as he watched as Kace beat up hisckeys, while they tried to crawl away from him.


    "Get out of this car Allison!!" Olivia yelled, attracting his attention. He and Allison exchange eye contact.


    "Kace, let¡¯s go! That¡¯s enough!!" Allison said.


    Kace pped his hands clean, staring at the college students who were in pain.


    He went towards his car, got in, red at Derek who was still rooted on the ground.


    "Don¡¯t tell me you n on leaving this ce with Mr. Wace, Allison. Don¡¯t you have shame!! Look at what you did¡ª"


    "We will talk when Ie back," Allison interrupted her abruptly before Kace drove away.


    As if the chains that were used to hold him down had been unshackled, Derek was finally able to move as he chased after Kace¡¯s car. However, he had to stop when he was out of breath.


    "She has pushed me too far," he said to himself.


    **


    "Will you take it easy? Why do you have to press the cotton wool hard on the injury?" Allison questioned Kace with a re, and thetter dly red back.


    "What do you mean I¡¯m pressing too hard on the injury? I haven¡¯t even applied strength," he defended.


    "That¡¯s a lie."


    Kace huffed, then pressed the spirited cotton wool on Allison¡¯s injury.


    Instinctively, she pulled her hand away from him as she blew hair on the burning wound.


    "There, I finally pressed on the injury," Kace said with a goofy smile, which earned him a scowl from Allison.


    Suddenly, Allison¡¯s phone red with notifications. She had an idea who it could be. However, she took it to check the messages nheless.


    ¡¯As expected, it¡¯s from Derek and he¡¯s still threatening to release the sex tape,¡¯ she thought to herself.


    After reading the text messages, she sighed, silenced her phone, and threw it away.


    It hadn¡¯t been long since they arrived at Kace¡¯s house, and if Derek was serious about releasing the sex tape, he would have as soon as their car departed from his house.


    "It was your boyfriend, wasn¡¯t it?" Kace asked as he arranged the first aid kit box, pushing it aside when he was done so his full attention would be on Allison.


    "Of course. He¡¯s threatening to release the tape like he always does," she mumbled.


    When she realized what she¡¯d just said, she rephrased, "He¡¯s still troubling me as always."


    Unfortunately for her, Kace caught the first words she spouted.


    "What tape?" He asked. He could recall the two talking over the phone, and Allison mentioned a tape¡ªa tape he still wasn¡¯t able to find despite researching Derek uncountable times.


    "There¡¯s no tape."


    "There¡¯s a tape and he¡¯s threatening you with you," he stated, his expression nk and unreadable. "What kind of tape is it?"


    "I said there¡¯s no tape," she repeated.


    "We both know that¡¯s a lie," he responded. "If you¡¯re so bothered with this certain tape, I can help you get rid of it," he suggested, his tone holding concern this time as he stared at her trembling blue eyes.


    Allison rubbed her nose, sniffling loudly.


    Kace was willing to get rid of a tape he had no idea about. Due to how embarrassed she was talking about the sex tape, Allison needed Kace¡¯s help in getting rid of it, and she was well aware he was capable of getting rid of it.


    "What kind of tape is it?" Kace asked, his tone still holding concern.


    Allison gulped down her saliva, hands rubbing together to find the courage to talk about something she found embarrassing.


    "It¡¯s a sex tape," she replied. For a second there, she thought she saw a red glint pass through his eyes before it disappeared like it was never there.


    Taking a huge breath, Allison went on to exin everything that had happened, and how Derek got a hand on the sex tape.


    Kace didn¡¯t speak a word, and Allison couldn¡¯t help but wonder if heard all that she said.


    "Why didn¡¯t you tell me this earlier?!" He questioned after a few heartbeats.


    "I¡ªwell¡ªwe¡ª" she stuttered. "It was embarrassing, okay? What was I supposed to tell you? Hey, my boyfriend has a sex tape of me when he was fucking me, and now he¡¯s threatening to upload it if I don¡¯t be an obedient girlfriend?!" She fought back the tears that wanted to drop from her eyes.


    Kace sighed, his fingers running through his already disheveled hair, totally regretting not giving Derek a piece of his fist earlier at his birthday party.


    "I suppose you¡¯re right," he agreed, trying to act natural, but only he knew how pissed off he was at the moment. "I will take care of it."


    For some reason, Allison believed he would. Not because of his family background, but with the way he replied to her with assurance that he would take care of it.


    Allison¡¯s phone started to re with notifications vibrations, and she took it to read what Derek had sent.


    However, when she saw what was disyed on her phone screen, her heart leaped out of her chest.

 Chapter 209: Collapsed Mother

    "Yeah, I want to. How much for one night!!"


    "Just look at that plump ass."


    Kace locked the phone when his eyes couldn¡¯t read any more of those nastyments, asking Allison for a one-night stand.


    Allison broke into a sob, tears stained her face immediately, looking devastated and pitiful which had Kace instinctively rush towards her and wrap his arms around her.


    "He released that video!!" She yelled out, grabbing his shirt tight, and sobbing into it. "He did it!"


    Allison¡¯s phone continued to ring with many notifications¡ªnotifications from people tagging her in the post asking how much for one night as if she was some escort.


    Reaching for the phone, Kace turned it off so that the vibration wouldn¡¯t disturb them.


    Resuming to Allison who was still sobbing, he rubbed her back gently, trying to get rid of her difort. But he knew his actions didn¡¯t do much.


    "Listen, I know you are shattered with the post and thements, but you can¡¯t cry forever and let those people talk terrible things about you," he started, his hand still rubbing against her back while her head was buried in his chest. "I will get rid of the video permanently from the inte. Unfortunately, that¡¯s not where it ends."


    Allison stopped her crying to listen to Kace more properly.


    "What do you mean?" She asked.


    "I need you to tell me everything first. Why did Derek record you both when he¡¯s your boyfriend, and then upload it without batting an eysh?" He exined.


    Allison stiffened against his body, but he still held her tightly.


    "I want to know everything Allison," he finished.


    Allison released herself from his hug, wiping her face clean with the back of her palm and she sniffled back in the rest of her tears. Her eyes red and still trembling from crying so much earlier.


    "Tell me everything," he urged when she hadn¡¯t spoken a word yet.


    Allison took a deep breath, gathering herself before she parted her lips to speak, narrating everything to Kace. From when her mother got sick, her father¡¯s debt, and then Dereking into her life like a knight in <i>shining armor</i>, helping her with the bills while she paid off her father¡¯s debts slowly.


    Meanwhile, Kace listened attentively, already aware of the information about his father¡¯s debt and her mother¡¯s health condition. But one thing he didn¡¯t know was that Derek asked Allison to have one night with him, then he would pay off her mother¡¯s hospital bills. Unfortunately for her, he took a recording of their time together.


    Kace¡¯s hands were clenched together as he listened to the story, already thinking of six ways he could get rid of Derek, but not before making him payback for what he¡¯d done to Allison.


    "I¡¯ve wanted to break up with him, but he would always refuse, threatening to upload the video if I did so," she finished, biting her lips together to hold the tears that wanted to burst out of her eye hole.


    ¡¯That bastard made the biggest mistake of his life when he crossed my path,¡¯ Kace thought to himself, scooping Allison towards him and she instinctively wrapped her arms around him, bringing them closer. "I¡¯m d you were able to tell me everything. I will help you get rid of the video."


    "How?" She asked just as immediately as he finished talking.


    "I know a few people," he replied, reminding her of his status. "It will be taken down from the inte. However, that¡¯s not where it ends," he repeated.


    Allison released herself from his hold to look at him,pletely understanding what he meant.


    "He still has the video."


    "Exactly," he confirmed. "We need to get rid of that video permanently from hisputer or phone, wherever he¡¯s kept it saved."


    "But how are you going to do that?" She asked, slightly confused but still hopeful since he spoke with so much confidence.


    "Leave that to me. However, you¡¯re going to assist in getting rid of the video."


    Allison stared at him, eyebrows furrowed deeply with more confusion evident in her eyes.


    Kace excused himself to make a phone call, and Allison assumed he was contacting his people so they would get the video off the inte. She couldn¡¯t help but feel warmth in her heart seeing that he was willing to help her, even though they got off the wrong foot with her chasing him away earlier.


    Allison nced at her phone, contemting turning it back on.


    After so much thinking, she finally turned it back on, and as she¡¯d expected, more notification tag banners flooded her phone as soon as she¡¯d opened it.


    However, when Allison was about to turn it back off, a certain notification banner appeared on her phone. It was from Lily, her little sister.


    <i>¡¯Where are you? I¡¯ve been trying to reach you for the past half an hour! Mum just copsed. Hurry up ande back home!¡¯</i>

 Chapter 210: Stay With Me

    "It¡¯s because of you, sis."


    "What do you mean?" Allison asked confusedly.


    "That video," Lily replied, a scowl on her face as she lowered her head in shame. "She saw that video and because of it, she fainted."


    Allison grew quiet as her face paled.


    "What?"


    "That video is circting all over the inte. Do you know how many views it has on Instagram?" Lily questioned, pulling out her phone to show Allison the obscene video.


    Even so, she frowned deeply in confusion when she couldn¡¯t find the video anymore.


    "I can¡¯t find the video anymore," she said.


    "That¡¯s because it¡¯s been deleted off the inte," Kace replied. "Permanently."


    Lily stared at Kace, amazed he could do that, but she didn¡¯t ask questions.


    Her eyesnded on Allison. "I don¡¯t know if Mum will be happy when she wakes up. I think it¡¯s best you stay with your boyfriend for a while," she suggested, her eyes strained on Kace.


    "He¡¯s not my boyfriend," Allison corrected.


    Lily simply shrugged but didn¡¯t argue.


    Suddenly, the door to the bedroom Mrs Quinn was sleeping opened, and the middle-aged woman came out.


    "Mother!!" Both Allison and her mother said in unison, rushing to help their mother to a couch.


    "Was that you on the inte?" Mrs. Quinn asked, her voice hoarse. Lily went towards the kitchen quickly to grab her a ss of water.


    Allison couldn¡¯t bring herself to reply.


    Her silence answered Mrs. Quinn¡¯s question and the woman felt shattered.


    "Who would release such a video? How were they able to capture such a video?" She cried out.


    Derek had released the sex tape with an anonymous ount, so no one would know he was the one who released it.


    Allison could easily tell her mother it was Derek, but she hesitated. Her mother had already endured so much, especially after seeing the video. She didn¡¯t want to add to her burden, just like Mrs. Astor had suggested.


    "Mum, you need to rest. Lily, take her back to the room. She needs to rest."


    Lily took their mother back into the room, leaving Allison and Kace in the living room.


    "Come stay with me for a while," Kace blurted out, which earned him a frown from Allison.


    "What? I can¡¯t leave them here to stay with you. I don¡¯t think I need to stay with you. The situation is not that intense," she responded.


    "Do you think thosements are where those people are gonna stop?" He questioned, his eyes staring deep into her which had her subconsciously gulp down her saliva. "The video is deleted from the inte, but I¡¯m sure some horny pigs have saved the video, and if they want to take things too far, they cane here and start harassing you. So it¡¯s best you stay live with me in the meantime until everyone has forgotten about it," he reasoned out.


    Allison gave it a thought and realized Kace¡¯ got a point. Derek didn¡¯t love her, and there was a possibility of harassing her in her own home because of what she¡¯d done to him at his party. He was fuming red when they left, and he¡¯d let his emotions get the better of him¡ªgetting back at her by releasing the sex tape.


    However, staying with Kace was something that needed to be taken into discussion. They shared no intimate rtionship. Unfortunately, Allison did not even have enough money to book a room at a hotel. She was left with no other option but to stay in Kace¡¯s house.


    Allison went to her room to pack some of her clothes. When she was done, the both of them left the house.


    When they arrived at Kace¡¯s house, he showed her to her room, trying to crack some jokes that would distract her from what had happened that day.


    Although she smiled, her smile didn¡¯t reach her eyes one bit, and that alone made him feel regret for not beating Derek up.


    "If the clothes aren¡¯t enough, I can take you shopping," he suggested, trying to lighten the mood.


    "No, thanks. I¡¯m not going to stay here for that long. This should be enough. Thank you for allowing me to stay though," she appreciated.


    Kace stared at her, not saying a word and she wondered if she¡¯d said anything wrong.


    "You¡¯re tired, go to sleep." He stood up from the bed and left the room, baffling her. Before she could stop him, he¡¯d already disappeared.


    Behind the doors, Kace called someone.


    "Maxwell, I want you to arrange something for me as soon as possible," he said, his expression dark and devoid of the usual bubbly Kace.

 Chapter 211: Pay Back

    Thinking about the past torture only made him feel more worried for Allison. However, she was brave enough to want to face Derek alone, so he ced his trust in her, hoping she woulde out unscathed.


    Inside Derek¡¯s home, Allison pushed open the doors which weren¡¯t locked, and stepped inside. The quiet living room weed her. The interiors of the house looked familiar since that wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d been at Derek¡¯s house.


    Tearing her gaze away from the living room, she walked towards the stairs and climbed it, heading towards her main destination.


    However, whenever Allison took a step forward, her legs would tremble like she was heading towards a battlefield to fight a war. Her body started trembling all of a sudden, her knees weak, but she ignored all those feelings as she continued to make her way to his room.


    Suddenly, Allison halted¡ªthe familiar moan of a woman hitting her eardrums.


    "It¡¯sing from Derek¡¯s room," she mumbled to herself, her heart racing with adrenaline as she rushed towards the specific room, keeping her steps as light as possible¡ªmaking her presence unknown.


    The door to the room was slightly creaked open.


    With curiosity at her fingertips, Allison slightly pulled the door open and her eyes widened in utter disbelief when she saw the scene before her.


    It was Derek, banging an unfamiliar woman.


    Due to the angle the bed was ced, Allison couldn¡¯t recognize the woman, in addition to Derek¡¯s body whichpletely shielded her.


    Allison¡¯s hand was over her mouth as she gasped dramatically, her eyes still on them as the couple inside rejoined their body parts with a different style, finally allowing Allison to see the face of the woman.


    Allison¡¯s expression darkened, her fist clenching when she saw Olivia on the bed, enjoying Derek¡¯s pea-sized cock drive in and out of her like a screwdriver.


    ¡¯After releasing the sex tape, they had the nerves to do this? Just when he invited me to his house to talk!¡¯ She thought to herself.


    Then an idea popped into her head.


    Sex tape.


    Olivia and Derek.


    Without thinking, Allison pulled out her phone, silencing it immediately in case a notification rang out when she was about to do what she wanted.


    Allison captured the couple in their activity, getting every angle right just like Derek did with hers. Exactly the way Derek did with hers, the only difference was Olivia was the one who recorded Allison¡¯s¡ªand Allison was the one to record Olivia¡¯s.


    Once she was satisfied with what she¡¯d captured, Allison walked down the stairs and pretended to have just arrived, making her step heavy and loud so that they would know she was just arriving¡ªthinking they would act properly.


    However, when she was nearby, Olivia moaned louder than the dogs of their neighbors and Allison couldn¡¯t help but pity her vocal cords.


    When she saw them being intimate, she pretended to be surprised and disgusted. The disgusted part wasn¡¯t hard to forge since she did feel disgusted¡ªdisgusted with the air that smelled of sex.


    "Hi, bestie!! Please excuse us for a moment. I just can¡¯t seem to get enough of his¡ªahh..." Olivia moaned at the end of her words when Derek buried his dick inside her without an ounce of shame since someone was watching them.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I have all day," Allison replied, resting her body on the wall as they continued to fuck like animals while she tossed her phone in her hand, a yful smirk stretched on her lips.


    For security, she quickly forwarded the clip to Natalie and Kace. When her gazended on Derek¡¯sputer and phone, she grabbed the nearest seat and sat down close to it.


    <i>Two minutester </i>


    "Are you done?" Allison asked when she checked the time on her phone. "You are starting to waste my time honestly," she added.


    Olivia and Derek were still recovering from their orgasms. Even so, Allison¡¯s tone didn¡¯t bypass their ears.


    "How dare you talk to me like that? Do you want the beatings of your life? I can throw you on this bed and fuck you, have Olivia record it and upload it on the inte," Derek threatened, acting all tough when all he looked like was an over-steamed port meat.

 Chapter 212: Best Enemy

    "Because you wanted to force yourself on me!!"


    Allison¡¯s grip tightened on her phone, as she felt more anger roll through her feet, and all she wanted was to kick Derek in between his legs.


    Both Olivia and Derek stared at her as if she was speaking an unfamiliarnguage. She tore her gaze from them, realizing she had lost control of her emotions.


    For the past week, she¡¯d been in Kace¡¯s house, and just like thetter had predicted, some of the college boys had visited her home, asking for a one-night stand. Luckily, they didn¡¯t try to force themselves in.


    She couldn¡¯t go to sses because all everyone wanted was a one-night stand. She had to ask one of her coursemates to send her notes through Natalie, that was how she coped while ignoring Derek¡¯s call in addition.


    However, from the looks of things, Derek¡¯s ego seemed to have been bruised since he¡¯d imagined she would be knocking on his doors, asking him to take her back.


    But no, shepletely disappeared for one week and only reappeared when he wanted them to talk.


    "Remember I still have the video. If you don¡¯te back to me, I will upload it again," he threatened.


    Just when he finished his sentence, Allison received a text message from Kace. She read through the words, subconsciously sighing in relief.


    <i>¡¯It¡¯s done! The video is no more.¡¯</i>


    Looking up at Olivia¡¯s and Derek¡¯s curious gazes, she smirked, "Maybe you should check again, it might not be there anymore."


    They both stared at each other in confusion.


    Feeling suspicious, Derek opened hisputer, searching for the folder where he saved the video, but he didn¡¯t find anything. He searched through his phone too, but couldn¡¯t find it either.


    "How¡¯s this possible?!" He questioned no one in particr, still searching in both devices as if his eyes were ying him. "What did you do?" He attempted to catch her by the neck as he demanded an answer, but Allison waved her phone in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.


    "You¡¯d better be careful, Derek, because you see, since you have nothing to threaten me with anymore, I just happened to have something I can use to threaten you. Oops, not only you, but Olivia," she said, her gaze on Olivia who frowned in confusion.


    "What¡¯s that supposed to mean?" Olivia questioned, the burning cigarette hovering against her lips.


    "I have no idea what you two had in mind for having sex in front of me. But did you know I could have recorded the scene?" She asked with a yful tone, her heart giggling in satisfaction when she saw Olivia¡¯s pale expression.


    "You only just arrived now?" Derek pointed out.


    "That¡¯s right! But who knows, I might have already recorded a video of you two fucking like animals and uploaded it immediately on the inte to get back at you for what you did to me," Allison reasoned out, loving the baffled expression on Derek¡¯s face.


    "You wouldn¡¯t¡ª"


    Allison stretched out her hand to stop him from talking any further, pulling the video and ying it for them.


    She watched as they both stared into her phone screen, eyes widened in disbelief.


    "You have to get rid of that video immediately!" Derek demanded. Unfortunately, he had no right tomand Allison, and he seemed to be forgetting that.


    Allison gave it a thought. "I won¡¯t," she dered.


    "Allison, you can¡¯t do this to me. You are my friend. I¡¯m your best friend. I know we¡¯ve had our worst days fighting, but we can¡¯t forget the good moments now can we?" Olivia tried to persuade Allison, finally having themon sense to put some clothes on.


    "I don¡¯t understand a single word you¡¯re saying," Allison replied. "When have we ever been best friends? Do you suddenly have amnesia?" She questioned, her tone sharp. "I asked you for help, and what did you suggest to me? You asked me to sleep with Derek if I want my mother¡¯s hospital bills paid. And then you go behind my back to record everything?!"

 Chapter 213: Unwanted Visitor

    She shook her head vertically. "I will, but I will just let them think for now that I won¡¯t. They will get a taste of their medicines," she replied.


    Kace¡¯s smirk stretched further on his lips.


    "How do you feel?"


    Silence enveloped them one more time as Allison took her time to respond.


    "I feel neutral," she responded, jerking her upper body off the seat so that she could sit properly. "Kace, if I may ask, are you doing this for me because I¡¯m a friend?" She blurted out.


    Her eyes widened, embarrassed with how confident she blurted that out. A rosy hue painted her cheeks for a reason she was unsure of.


    "Since the first day I spoke to you, I¡¯ve always wanted us to be something more than a friend," he responded. He watched as her eyes widened, her iris nearly popping out of their holes which he found cute.


    Reaching his hands behind her, he cupped the back of her head, gently pulling her closer. Their faces hovered inches apart, and Allison let out a quiet yelp, caught off guard by the sudden intimacy of the moment. Her breath hitched, her wide eyes locking with his, uncertain of what would happen next.


    Kace stared at her lips, not sure what had gotten into him to make such a huge move. Even so, he was d he¡¯de clean with his feelings.


    "You¡¯ve always piqued my curiosity since the first time I met you, Allison. I¡¯ve always wondered what you had in you that made my heart flutter whenever you¡¯re around," he continued.


    Allison could hear her heartbeat drumming in her ears, and she believed Kace could hear it too. Either way, she still didn¡¯t move, staring back at him with a shocked expression.


    "Kace, I-i this I¡ª" she stuttered, lowering her head, her face looking as if she was painted with a red color when Kace suddenly moved his hand away from the back of her head, cing it on her chin, lifting it so he could look into her eyes. Her heart skipped several beats and she wondered if it was safe.


    Without further words being exchanged, Kace leaned in slowly and Allison instinctively closed her eyes.


    However, just when their lips were about to touch, Allison sneezed out of the blue, catching them both off guard. Due to her sneezing, her head collided with Kace¡¯s making them both yelp in pain.


    "What¡¯s with your head? Why is it as hard as a rock?" He questioned, rubbing his forehead to prevent any bump from forming up there.


    "Excuse you, it¡¯s a head, not some object¡ª" Allison¡¯s words were cut off when she felt Kace rub her head ever so gently, to prevent any huge bump from forming as well.


    Time seemed to have stopped as butterflies fluttered in her belly.


    "You¡¯re so clumsy, even when you¡¯re sneezing too?" He questioned. Although his words were supposed toe out as nagging, it felt like a warm breeze that caressed Allison¡¯s skin, turning it into the same color as her face.


    "That¡¯s enough!" She pushed his hand away from her forehead. "I think I need to move back into my house now," she suddenly announced, ncing at Kace, hoping she could forget what happened a second ago, although she greatly believed that mission was impossible.


    "Why?"


    She gulped down her saliva, parting her lips, "Since I have the video of those two, I doubt Derek would want to try anything funny with me anymore. So I want to move back with my family," she exined.


    Looking back at Kace, she felt a thorn prick her heart when she saw his saddened expression.


    "Can¡¯t you stay a little bit longer?" He requested, his tone soft and full of affection she wasn¡¯t sure she was willing to ept just yet.


    "I have to leave. I¡¯ve already informed my mother I would being home today," she responded.


    "Alright."


    Sticking her hand into her pocket, she gave him the device he¡¯d given to her earlier.


    "Thank you once again," she said, cing the device into his hands.


    The air in the car was suddenly chilly, and Allison could only wonder if Kace had increased the air conditioning in the car. However, she hadn¡¯t seen him press any button.


    Kace nodded, but didn¡¯t speak a word. He ignited the engines of the car and zoomed off towards Allison¡¯s home.


    They exchanged a few words before she carried her bag and stepped down from the car.


    When Kace zoomed out of the entrance of her house, she sighed, new emotions suddenly weighing down on her.


    Allison walked towards her house, ready to announce she had arrived when her eyes caught someone familiar, someone who ran away and left her to be the head of her family at the age of twenty, someone she didn¡¯t want toe back ever again.


    "What are you doing here, father?"

 Chapter 214: Unwanted Threat

    "Did you hear that mother? He only came here because he wanted some help. Not because he regrets leaving us for almost three years."


    Mr. Quinn pped his hands together in a pleading gesture, tears rolling down his eyes. "I¡¯m so sorry, Allison. I didn¡¯t know what I was thinking. The pressure was too much and leaving was all I could think of at that moment. I¡¯m sorry," he cried. Unfortunately for him, those tears didn¡¯t work on Allison as she stared at her father coldly. "I need some money."


    As soon as those words left his lips, he heard a scoffing from Allison herself.


    However, he continued.


    "I borrowed money from some people, but I can¡¯t pay back. They¡¯ve been after me, asking for the money but I don¡¯t have it. They¡¯re dangerous people, Allison. If I don¡¯t pay them back immediately, they will kill me."


    Allison couldn¡¯t believe her ears. She nced at her mother and Lily, and they all had the same expression as her. Baffled.


    "Father, some dangerous people are chasing after you because you owe them money, and the best thing you think you should do wase here, leading them here?" Lily questioned.


    "I had no choice, they areing after me. If I don¡¯t pay them back the ten million dors I borrowed, they will kill me." Turning to Allison who¡¯d been quiet since he started pleading, he added, "You have to lend me the money, Allison. I know you don¡¯t want me dead, right?"


    Allison scoffed slightly more coldly this time around, hoping deep down that her father must be joking.


    ¡¯He borrowed 10 million dors and squandered it in less than three years?¡¯ She wondered with a deep frown etched on her eyebrows.


    "Look at this house, just look at this house. Does it look like there¡¯s a ten-million-dor tree growing in here that I can just pluck out and give to you?!" She nearly yelled at him.


    She was suddenly regrettinging back home. If she¡¯d known, she could have stayed in Kace¡¯s home.


    Kace.


    Thinking about him just reminded her of how he almost kissed her in his car.


    Allison tore her gaze from her father, hoping she could get Kace out of her thoughts. This wasn¡¯t the time to be thinking such.


    The person who¡¯d been the reason she had to sleep with Derek if only he¡¯d just been man enough to take care of his family like every head of a family should do was before her. And she resisted the urge to p him hard against the cheek. She reminded herself he was her father, someone she should respect, however, he¡¯s lost that respect.


    "You¡¯vee to the wrong ce father, you need to leave," she said coldly, while Mr. Quinn¡¯s eyes widened as if he¡¯d been forsaken. "When you left us to fend for ourselves, you didn¡¯t bat an eysh. Because of you, I had to do things I didn¡¯t want to do. I had to take care of this family all by myself, and you dare toe here and ask for ten million dors as if you gave me the money to keep for you." Her tone was so sharp, it could cut through a piece of wood.


    Allison red at her father, reminding him she wasn¡¯t the same twenty-year-old he¡¯d left behind to shoulder the burdens of her family.


    The very day he left them, she¡¯d promised herself she wouldn¡¯t have anything to want to do to him if he ever returned. And she was going to fulfill that promise, even if it was seen as a wrong thing to do. He was the first to discard them all, she was simply following in his footsteps.


    "Allison, you can¡¯t do this to me! Do you want me to die?" Mr. Quinn asked, his shoulders shaking from tearing up so much already.


    "If you want to die, do it outside. Don¡¯t die in my house," she replied so coldly Mr Quinn¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, finally realizing that she wasn¡¯t going to give him anything.


    Mr. Quinn stopped his crying, his whole expression changing to something evil which had Allison take a few steps away from him.


    "So this is it? Ie to you for help and you don¡¯t help me?" He questioned.


    "You¡¯re forgetting you don¡¯t have the right toe to me for help anymore. Why? Are you hurt? You finally know how it feels right? Maybe in your next life, you should consider being more manly to take care of your responsibilities and not run away from them. Leave."


    Mr Quinn stood up from the ground with gritted teeth and marched toward the door. Suddenly, he halted.


    "You¡¯re going to regret this Allison. I¡¯ll make sure you do."


    Without looking back at them, he left the house.

 Chapter 215: Sibling Reconcile

    "Are you still at yourpany?" Tracie asked from the other line, her voice calm and neutral.


    "Y-yes¡ª" She quickly checked the time on her wristwatch. "I¡¯m leaving soon, why?"


    "I¡¯m waiting outside, I want us to go somewhere," Tracie replied, then she hung up on the call without giving Anastasia a chance to ask why she was at thepany.


    Quickly, Anastasia arranged her files, grabbed her bag, and zoomed out of the office after wishing her employees a good night.


    At the lobby, Tracie was seated on a chair, her legs crossed as she read a magazine.


    She wore ck pants, with an extrarge ck top, then a in ck baseball cap rested on the top of her head. In contrast with her dark makeup, one would think she was a school bully.


    In addition to her aura that attracted attention, no one dared toe close to her as she naturally chewed a gum, flipping through another page of the magazine she was reading.


    Feeling someone¡¯s gaze on her, Tracie raised her head to find Anastasia staring at her.


    "Why are you standing there looking at me for? If you want a picture then I can pose for ya," Tracie casually said, dropping the magazine¡ªuncrossing her legs, and fixing her cap as she pulled a smile on her lips whichpletely changed her demeanor.


    The employees who kept stealing nces at her nearly bumped into each other with just that action that almost blinded their eyes.


    Unable to resist, Anastasia pulled out her phone and took a picture of her sister. Tracie ended up posing a few more times until Anastasia was satisfied.


    Since the time Richard attacked her at the rk mansion, Tracie had softened towards her, which not only took Anastasia by surprise, but she wished it wouldst longer.


    "What are you doing here?" Anastasia asked as they stepped out of the building.


    "I came to pick you up. Besides, I want to take you somewhere," Tracie replied, her hands in her pocket, looking like a natural tomboy as she led Anastasia toward her car.


    "We¡¯re going somewhere?" Anastasia asked, her eyes widened in disbelief, and Tracie nodded.


    Anastasia tried to cup her excitement as she allowed Tracie to take them where she wanted to take her.


    However, as soon as they got out of the car, Ana¡¯s excitement died down.


    "Where¡¯s this ce?" She asked, ncing at the building before them.


    "Come in." Tracie led the way, ignoring her question.


    A few minutester, Anastasia was in a sleeveless white cotton vest, and a pair of ck pants with a gun in her hand. On her ears were ear protection and eye goggles rested on the bridge of her nose.


    "I thought we were going shopping," she mumbled under her breath when she looked at herself in the mirror.


    "Shopping? You should have said so and I would¡¯ve taken you shopping," Tracie replied, cocking her gun and making the first shot at the dummy before them.


    Anastasia grumbled some words under her breath while Tracie released a soft chuckle.


    "I spoke with Xavier today and he said you aren¡¯t that good at shooting. So, as a responsible elder sister I am, I¡¯ve taken it upon myself to do the needful. That¡¯s why I brought you to my shooting range to learn," Tracie exined.


    "So, in case those shareholders start giving you a hard time, you can just pull out your gun and give them a hole in the head. You don¡¯t have to worry about their bodies, I will take care of it," she assured, firing another bullet at the dummy.


    "You¡¯re something else," Anastasia mumbled, aiming at her dummy, then firing. Unfortunately, she missed it. "If I remember correctly a few months ago, all you wanted me to do was go and nevere back. You said it several times I was tempted to make it a ringtone of mine," she teased, chuckling but stopped when Tracie didn¡¯t follow along.


    "That was just me being foolish and all, thinking my n would work," Tracie said with a sad smile.


    "What n?" Anastasia asked with eyebrows furrowed in confusion.


    "I wanted you to hate me, that was my n. If I hadn¡¯t left your side to help Xavier kill the assassin that was chasing us that time, you wouldn¡¯t have disappeared¡ªyou would have been with us. We would¡¯ve never been separated."


    Tracie¡¯s face turned red and Anastasia got her bottled water immediately.


    After sipping, Tracie continued, "It was all my fault, and I kept ming myself for everything. That was why after you were found, I thought the only way I could feel better was if you hated me. I deserved to be hated anyway. I was so careless. I was the reason you disappeared."


    Without further warning, Tracie burst into tears and Anastasia quickly wrapped her hands around her to soothe her, gently patting her back.

 Chapter 216: Good Deal

    Together, the sisters continued practicing their shots with Anastasia nearly missing every aim but she didn¡¯t give up. Tracie assisted her by giving her some pointers on how to get a good shot after making her aim.


    Just like that, the two sisters got along better than they thought they would have since their misunderstanding had been cleared.


    For the first time in a long time, Anastasia was d she got a sibling who loved and cherished her. On the outside, Tracie was an interior designer. However, in the dark, she was a tough assassin who worked together with Ezekiel.


    They own an organization where they would interfere with the illegal and harmful weapons shipped into the city. When it came to killing some high officials who were involved in such a crime, Tracie came along. She never left any clue behind.


    During their practice time, Tracie would tell Anastasia some of the ways she would kill people without making a mess, and Anastasia was reminded of Amanda.


    **


    Allison was attending sses a week after she visited Derek¡¯s house, and those two had been avoiding her as if she was some bee that would sting them if they came too close.


    However, whenever she passed, she would always attract curious gazes from people who passed by. But none of them would make a move on her.


    "I saw that those two have been ignoring you. I mean, look at them," Natalie said pointing towards the counter where Derek and Olivia were standing ordering their lunch.


    "They ought to be. I still have the video after all," Allison replied.


    Both of them started talking about misceneous things when they saw a shadow beneath them.


    "Allison, we need to talk."


    The two girls heard someone say. They raised their heads to find Olivia and Derek standing behind them.


    "Talk about what? Is there something we need to talk about?" Allison questioned.


    "It¡¯s just a talk," Derek interjected, his usual cool-as-untouchable self looking bothered.


    Sighing, Allison stood up but Natalie pulled her back.


    "Don¡¯t go with them. You never know what these two snakes could be up to," she tried to stop her. "If you¡¯re going then I¡¯m going with you," she added, but Allison stopped her.


    "Don¡¯t worry about that. Here..." Allison gave Natalie her phone. "If I don¡¯te back in twenty minutes, upload the video."


    "Twenty minutes is not enough for what we have to talk about," said Olivia.


    "Then you¡¯ll have to be quick," replied Allison.


    She gave Natalie a reassuring smile before turning to Olivia and Derek who were already starting to fire res at her.


    They led the way to an empty hallway.


    "Allison, you need to delete that video," Olivia demanded as soon as they reached.


    "I won¡¯t."


    "We knew you would say that, that¡¯s why we¡¯ve nned something," she said, which earned her a frown from Allison.


    "For ten thousand dors, delete the video," Derek finally spoke and Allison¡¯s head turned to him.


    "For ten what?"


    "Ten thousand dors, delete the video," he repeated through gritted teeth.


    "What makes you think I would delete the video because you¡¯re giving me ten thousand bucks? What am I supposed to do with that money?" She sneered.


    ¡¯If they¡¯re willing to pay for the video, it¡¯s only wise I suck out more money from them,¡¯ she thought to herself.


    "Twenty thousand dors, Allison," said Derek.


    "That¡¯s too small¡ª"


    "Come on Allison! Is twenty thousand dors not enough for you? Do you think we are filthy rich like your current boyfriend Kace Wace?!" Olivia barked.


    "I would advise you to watch the way you talk to me, Olivia." Raising her wrist to her face, she reminded. "You have only ten minutes more to convince me to delete that video."


    "Thirty thousand dors. That¡¯s all I have," said Derek.


    Allison gave it a long thought which annoyed them further since time was already passing by. They knew Natalie hated them both, and she wouldn¡¯t bat an eysh before uploading it.


    "Send me the money quickly!"


    Derek didn¡¯t waste a moment to wire the money to Allison. However, just after he was done, he saw a notification banner tagging him to an unknown video.

 Chapter 217: Father Trouble

    "Listen to me Allison, call Natalie and tell her to delete the video immediately!!" Derek demanded, also spitting saliva like Olivia which made Allison wonder if it was their favorite hobby.


    "Why should I? She only saved me from the stress of doing it myself."


    Olivia parted her lips to say something, but the voices of some college boys behind them stopped her.


    "Isn¡¯t it the same Olivia we have here in this school? Isn¡¯t she the one over there with Derek?" He pointed in their direction.


    The other ones checked the video and nodded vigorously in agreement. "That¡¯s right! She¡¯s the one. I¡¯ve always wanted to see that naked ass, now I have something to jerk off to tonight."


    "Derek is the lucky one. First, it was Allison, now it¡¯s Olivia! His dick never gets a rest."


    "Scram!!" Derek barked and the two college boys immediately did so. Turning to Allison, he said, "You¡¯ve indeed grown wings since you started hanging out with Kace Wace. And somehow, you managed to get that sex tape of yours deleted from my devices."


    "I¡¯m d you¡¯re catching on, Derek!" Allison pped her hands together with a bright, mocking smile stered on her lips. "If only I could do worse, I would. But then..." she trailed off, her eyes sweeping over the surroundings.


    She noticed some students ncing between their phones and them, likely trying to confirm whether the two <i>wild animals</i> on their screens were the same people standing before them. "I don¡¯t want anything to do with you two," she added dismissively. "It¡¯d just be aplete waste of my time."


    Loving the pale expression on both their faces, Allison strode out of their sight to go back to the cafeteria where Natalie was waiting for her, and they could only stare at her back without being about to move or do anything to stop her.


    "So, do you like what I did?" Natalie asked with a goofy smile when she saw Allison approaching her.


    "You did a good job!"


    "You know what? I wanted to upload that video the moment you left with them, but then I decided to wait a while longer. How were their faces when they saw it? I bet they looked like people who had seen a ghost. They finally got what they deserved!!" Natalie jubted, and Allison couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at her friend.


    She¡¯d lost one good friend but was gifted with another¡ªNatalie.


    After they were done with their lunch, they went back to their afternoon sses.


    When they were done, Allison was the first to leave before Natalie who had a program to attend at college.


    Since Derek had wired thirty thousand dors into Allison¡¯s ount for the video which was uploaded still, Allison was in a good mood, so she decided to go grocery shopping and make a meal for her family.


    When she stepped out of the gate, she saw a familiar middle-aged man, wearing a different set of clothes from thest one she saw him in. Although they still looked dirty.


    Allison frowned deeply.


    Without bothering to acknowledge the man, she turned away and left but the man pulled her back by the wrist.


    "Don¡¯t touch me!!" She demanded.


    "I¡¯m still your father, Allison. You should know not to talk to me like that," he reminded her through gritted teeth.


    "Why not?" She questioned, yanking her wrist off his so they would no longer be in contact. "Have you forgotten all that I told you thest time you showed your face to me, or perhaps do you need me to remind you?"


    Mr. Quinn was short of words, his face etched with a mixture of disappointment and anger all at the same time.


    "I need your help!"


    "I¡¯ve told you several times that I won¡¯t help you. And stop texting me!!"


    For the past week, Mr. Quinn had been troubling Allison each day, reminding her to help him despite hisst words after he left their house the other day.


    Allison thought he wouldn¡¯t show his face anymore, but here he was, asking for help she couldn¡¯t provide.


    "Have you be so heartless?! You don¡¯t even care about my well-being!" He used.


    Allisonughed as if she¡¯d heard the funniest joke. "Care about your well-being? Don¡¯t try to be funny now father?"


    In a rage, Mr. Quinn grabbed Allison by her tightly, making her yelp in pain.


    "I know you have the money! And you¡¯re going to give it to me, I have debts to pay," he demanded.


    "Am I interrupting something?" They heard someone ask.

 Chapter 218: Did You Love My Gift?

    "I¡¯m sick and tired of having the same conversation with you," Allison snapped, her patience at its limit. "And now you want me to ask someone you don¡¯t even know to lend you money just so you can pay off your debts?"


    She inhaled deeply, trying to calm her raging thoughts. "In case you¡¯re forgetting something, it¡¯s <i>your</i> debt, not mine. If you don¡¯t know how to pay it off, figure it out yourself." Her voice was sharp, cutting through the tension like a de, her frustration clear as day.


    Allison stormed toward Kace with heavy steps without giving her father the chance to spout out more nonsense to her¡ªfueling her anger even more.


    "I came to pick you up," Kace said as they walked towards his car together.


    Allison got into the car. "Thank you," she replied, staring through the front ss as her father stared back at her, unwilling to leave the premises.


    Kace nced between Allison and her father in silence.


    "What did I miss?" He asked.


    Allison stared at him in confusion, and he darted his gaze towards Mr. Quinn, indicating what he meant.


    "He was just leaving," she replied, not wanting to give out more information.


    Kace gave a brief nod, also following along by not asking any questions.


    He dropped Allison at her home and shared a few words with the people he¡¯d asked to monitor her home and keep Allison¡¯s mother and sister safe when her sex tape had been released.


    After that, he drove towards the hideout.


    "So," he casually hung his hands around Xavier¡¯s shoulders before continuing. "Did you miss me, brother?" He asked with a cheeky smile.


    Xavier merely nced at him, then focused back on his monitor. "Get your hands off of me!"


    "You can¡¯t be affectionate to me, not once in your life," Kace teasingly used, grabbing a chair near and settling near Xavier. "I thought having Anastasia in your life would at least make you affectionate towards me, brother."


    Kace stopped talking when he felt the weird-looking gazes from not only Xavier but Maxwell and the rest of the men around.


    "Whatever! What happened?" He asked, looking into Xavier¡¯s monitor with a stoic expression.


    "Another massive kill, and this time, it¡¯s in mourwood," Xavier responded.


    Kace frowned. "mourwood."


    "Also, <i>he </i>wrote another message on the body of a corpse," Maxwellpleted.


    Xavier pulled up a photo filled with female corpses with cut-out body parts.


    "Coming," Kace read out loud. "The first one was <i>I¡¯m,</i> and now this one is <iing. I¡¯ming. </i>Does that mean <i>he¡¯s </iing?" He asked.


    "That¡¯s not all." Xavier pulled out another photo.


    "<i>For." </i>Kace took a deep breath before he howled. "Why can¡¯t <i>he </i>just write a single sentence instead of wasting our time like this? Each time he kills a person, <i>he</i> writes something on their body. What does he think we are? Puzzle solvers?"


    Maxwell shrugged, typing something on his keyboard. "From the looks of things, he¡¯s not going to stop until he¡¯s done writing his message, which only means more kill."


    "Which is bad news," Xavier added.


    Kace took another deep breath to calm his raging blood. "So far, we have <i>I¡¯ming for. </i>No doubt about it, he¡¯sing for Xavier. However, we can¡¯t just wait for him toplete his message before we start going after him right?" He asked.


    "There was an intel about a trade happening in Fameville. But then, it was canceled at thest minute," Maxwell informed. "We¡¯ve tried to get the hostages to talk. But they chose death instead of speaking."


    "We can¡¯t stop there. We should head out and start searching for him," Kace suggested, which earned him a side eye from Maxwell and a re from Xavier.


    "What is he? A five-year-old? Are you forgetting we¡¯re after a dangerous criminal?" Maxwell questioned. "We can¡¯t just take all our men and go searching for him. That would be very risky¡ª"


    Maxwell¡¯s words were cut short when a phone call interfered.


    Xavier pulled out his <i>other </i>phone, staring at the unknown number with a deep frown.


    Picking it up, he heard theughter of someone who sent chills to his body.


    "Hello, Xavier. Did you love my gift?"

 Chapter 219: He Called

    "I only wanted to check up on you, to see if you¡¯re waiting for my arrival," he responded. "I¡¯m sure you must miss me. Kace, you too right?"


    Kace didn¡¯t bother to respond, fully knowing well his patience was being tested.


    "If you want us to talk, give me an address, and we will talk," Xavier tried to bargain, although only he knew how much anger he had in him. If he ever saw the person from the other line, he was sure he would break his skull on the nearest wall.


    "Talk? I don¡¯t want to talk with you, Xavier. However...." He paused, checking his painted nails, his smirk stretching further. "Someone or something close to you has quite intrigued me. What¡¯s her name again? Anastasia rk, right?"


    The room Xavier and the others went silent¡ªno sound being made¡ªnot even the ticking sound of the clock could be heard.


    "Don¡¯t you dare go near her," Xavier warned, his tone low and carrying so many threats in that sentence alone. "I¡¯m going to kill you if you dare go near her!"


    The person from the other side of the phone chuckled one more time, as if mocking Xavier and his threats.


    "How are you going to kill someone you can¡¯t find?"


    Xavier nced at Maxwell and thetter shook his head horizontally.


    "I was only joking. Hmm... I wasn¡¯t." The sound turned serious and cold. "I¡¯m going to start by killing everyone close to you, talking everything you once took away from me Xavier, and I¡¯ll never stop until I¡¯ve taken everything away from you. I was just killing civilians you don¡¯t even know and you¡¯re this hurt? What if I killed Anastasia? How would you feel then?"


    "I¡¯m warning you, Xander! Don¡¯te close to my wife, else I will kill you without batting an eysh."


    Xavier heard him chuckle again before the call was hung up, and Xavier mmed the phone on the desk without a care in the world if it was broken or not.


    "Did you find anything?" Xavier questioned Maxwell, making thetter jolt.


    "Nothing at all. The call was untraceable which is why he took his time. He knew we wouldn¡¯t be able to trace it. It¡¯s most likely he¡¯s using a burner phone," Maxwell informed.


    Xavier nodded in understanding before storming out of the room.


    Reaching a quiet corner, he ced a call with his original phone.


    On the first ring, the call was instantly answered, and the soothing voice on the other end washed over him, calming him down almost instinctively.


    "My love, where are you?" He asked.


    At Xastiapany, Anastasia was flipping through some papers, her fingers threatening to fall off, while her eyes threatened to close down.


    "I¡¯m at the office. Why? Is there a problem?" She asked, noticing the little hint of worry in his tone despite how much he tried to conceal it.


    "No problem at all. I¡¯m sending Ito over." He checked the time on his wrist. "Let¡¯s go have lunch. Ito will drive you to the restaurant."


    Anastasia frowned. "Why will Itoe here?" She asked.


    "Nothing! Tracie told me those shareholders are giving you a hard time. They might already start getting some ideas," he responded, which wasn¡¯tpletely a lie.


    The shareholders still aren¡¯t happy with the change of CEO. Rudy has already been bought out by Anastasia. However, Logan and the others were in cahoots with each other, and he was sure they must be plotting something.


    "Get ready. I will make a reservation at a nearby restaurant so that we can have some lunch." He smooched her at the end of the call, not giving her a chance to protest.


    Anastasia dropped her phone, wondering what had gotten into him.


    The door to the office opened and Tracie stepped inside, carrying two cups of coffee.


    "Those employees of yours are starting to piss me off," she grumbled, cing the cups of coffee on the desk. "Whenever Ie here, they keep staring at me like they¡¯ve never seen my face before. I asked one for directions to your office today, and she ran away. Like what..."


    "Well, have you seen your face when you¡¯re walking? You look like you¡¯re going to war," Anastasia replied, surprised that Tracie was in her office. Thetter never texted her abouting there.


    Tracie merely shrugged, not caring to bother.


    Anastasia informed her of the lunch Xavier was nning, and the both of them left immediately with Tracie pulling Anastasia out of the office.

 Chapter 220: Let The Show Begin

    However, whenever her presence was felt, those people would walk away before she would open her mouth to speak to them.


    "What is she even doing here? Wasn¡¯t she canceled and cklisted after what her family did to her sister?"


    "I thought the same too. I wonder how she was even nominated in the best actress category. She has not been active for over a year already."


    "I guess the sponsors of this award invite just anybody now. Do they want to get a bad name for inviting someone like her?"


    "Her perfume is so strong, I can¡¯t breathe."


    One by one, those people murmured their opinions to each other, degrading Michelle wherever she went. Although their voices were low, Michelle could still hear everything they were spilling about her. And she couldn¡¯t help but want to go over there and give them a piece of her mind.


    "You people shouldn¡¯t bother to cover your mouths as you speak against me. I can hear everything you¡¯re saying to me," she said after she walked up to them.


    The actresses speaking against Michelle couldn¡¯t help but scoff when they heard her.


    "Who said we didn¡¯t want you to hear what we were saying? We wanted you to hear so that you can have some shame at least. Although I doubt you even know what that word means."


    "You have no right to talk to me like that?!" Michelle bellowed, feeling a surge of anger pass through her body as she red at the people before her.


    Due to the volume of her voice, she was able to gain unwanted attention from others around. However, luckily for her, they didn¡¯t pay too much attention before going back to her business and not poking their noses.


    "Your dress is rather...." Another drawled, sizing Michelle up and down. "You¡¯re not dressed like someone who came to win an award. Rather, it seems you came here to seduce the handsome men here. Am I right, Michelle?"


    Michelle took a few steps back as if she¡¯d been used of the greatest thing ever, pretending as though her ears couldn¡¯t believe her.


    The others ced their hands over their mouth as they gasped dramatically.


    "That¡¯s nonsense! You should think before speaking," she defended.


    Unable to handle their scrutinizing gazes, Michelle turned to walk away while their mockingughter stabbed at her back like a dagger.


    Just when she was about to take her seat, she bumped into someone.


    "Hi, Michelle! Long time no see," Anastasia said, a wide smile stretching on her lips. "Did you miss me?" She asked, staring at Michelle who seemed ufortable by her presence.


    "Anastasia..."


    "I can see you came to this event looking all dolled up. I mean, look at your dress, it¡¯s so thin and scanty it barely covers anything," Anastasia said, feigning concern. Then she hummed, cing her hand on her chin as she expressed her worries, "If you keep walking around like this, people are going to think you¡¯re trying to seduce men tonight. That¡¯s if you haven¡¯t already seeded and just want to seduce some more."


    "W-what are you talking about?" Michelle stuttered.


    Anastasia released a sigh, casually darting her eyes around the hall, before her eyesnded on Michelle again who¡¯d been on the edge since she went silent.


    "Look at yourself. You¡¯ve lost so much weight. Aren¡¯t the people you¡¯re staying with treating you well? Aren¡¯t they feeding you properly?" Anastasia asked, remembering to feign concern once again.


    "Stop spouting nonsense, Ana! You know nothing! So, stop acting like you do and watch me win that award." Michelle smirked when she thought she¡¯d gotten Anastasia on a soft spot. "Remember our bet? You shouldn¡¯t have messed with me from the first day, and now I¡¯m going to make you regret ever doing so."


    Anastasia had to bite her tongue just so she wouldn¡¯t burst out inughter, which would have people wondering what caused it.


    Still, she was amazed at Michelle¡¯s confidence.


    "Do you remember a year ago¡ªat this same event¡ªyou used me of sleeping my way to the top after I won?" She asked. "Michelle, you seemed to have taken your own words into consideration."


    Michelle frowned deeply when she heard Anastasia¡¯s words. When she was about to part her lips to ask what thetter meant, she was interrupted.


    <i>¡¯Please settle down everyone. The award show willmence in a few minutes.¡¯</i>


    "Will you look at that? The award show is starting." Turning to Michelle, she picked a strand of thetter¡¯s locks¡ªmaking her stiffen and tugged it behind her ears. "Go take your seat, and let the show begin, sis," she added in a low tone.

 Chapter 221: She Cheated!

    ¡¯Hurry up already!!¡¯ Michelle nearly snapped.


    "And the winner is...."


    Everyone went silent, their hearts hammering in their rib cage.


    "Michelle Harrison!!"


    Silence everywhere. The silence was so loud Anastasia was sure she could hear the cursing inner voices of the audience.


    "I won!!" Michelle imed, standing up from her seat and walking through the rows of chairs inrge strides as if impatient to get there already. "I won," she repeated, her voice the only sound that could be heard in the enormous hall.


    Michelle grabbed her trophy from the awkward emcee, took the microphone, and began.


    "Good evening, everyone! It¡¯s such a beautiful night, isn¡¯t it? Oh well, after losing this awardst year, I finally decided to work hard this year to get it. And thanks to all my fans out there, I was finally able to win it. Thank you so much!!" She praised, attempting the jump in joy but the rag she called a dress didn¡¯t permit her to.


    "What fans is she talking about? The ones she sees in her dreams or what?" The first emcee whispered to the other, still taken aback that Michelle was the one that won the award.


    The other one could only shrug as they exited the stage.


    "Come on. Everyone should cheer for me!!" Michelle demanded, not once feeling ufortable with the silence that reigned.


    "Cheer for you? Why should we cheer for you?! I¡¯m sure you did something improper to get that award in your hands," one person stood up and said.


    "I agree! Her parents were never taught right by their parents, so I doubt she¡¯s any good. I mean, look at what she¡¯s wearing. I can even see the redce panties she¡¯s wearing," another fumed.


    Michelle clenched her fist with gnashing teeth as she retorted, "You should keep in mind what you¡¯re saying to me. I¡¯m an A-list celebrity. You wouldn¡¯t want to mess with me," she threatened.


    "A-list celebrity my foot!! She slept with someone to get that award. She¡¯s a slut and she¡¯s willing to sleep with another to get whatever she wants!!"


    "That¡¯s right!"


    "She stole that award, I¡¯m sure of it!"


    And just like that, everyone started cursing and throwing things at Michelle. But no one tried to call the security to stop the raging audience.


    "I will remember all your faces because once I¡¯m out of here, I¡¯m going straight to the police to sue y¡¯all for harassment!" She threatened. Finally, the raging audience quieted down, feeling utterly scared of getting the police involved in their daily life all because of someone who disgusted them.


    "That¡¯s what I thought. You¡¯ve been using me of sleeping with men just so I can get this award. In that case, does anyone have proof of their im?!" She questioned, wiping a trail of a drink from her face. "No proof at all."


    "I have proof," someone suddenly said, making heads turn in their direction. "That¡¯s right, I have proof that Michelle slept her way to the top," Anastasia added.


    Michelle paled when her eyesnded on Anastasia because thetter had always been able to unveil most of her secrets in the past. So, she was worried she would be exposed to what she¡¯d been doing for the past months.


    However, when she remembered how careful she was with her acts, her heart settled at ease.


    "You have no proof, Anastasia! You can¡¯t prove anything, so it¡¯s best you just sit back down and shut up!" She yelled.


    Anastasia hummed in response.


    "Let¡¯s say that¡¯s the case, but then, won¡¯t you at least let me show what I have to the audience?" Anastasia requested with a broad smile and casual tone as if she were talking about a pink floral dress she saw at a store one time.


    Now, Michelle was left with no choice but to let Ana speak. Else, the audience would think she was hiding something indeed.


    "Well, then," Anastasia continued, taking Michele¡¯s silence as a go signal. "I would like to give the tech team in charge of this event a video to upload on the huge screen," she requested.


    Without wasting time, Anastasia was directed to the tech team backstage where she handed them her phone, and they connected it to the huge screen.


    Michelle¡¯s palm started to turn sweaty, as she waited for Anastasia.


    When Anastasia was back, she smiled at Michelle. "You can y it now."


    In less than a second, a familiar, unpleasant sound echoed in the event hall. People¡¯s faces scrunched up in disgust and irritation as their eyes glued on the screen.


    "That¡¯s Michelle and Mr. Theodore Perez!" Someone eximed.

 Chapter 222: Martha Ginelles

    "Come on now, Michelle. You wanted proof and I¡¯m giving you proof," she casually said. "So stand still and watch the screen. You can go ahead and defend yourselfter." Anastasia nced at Theodore Perez¡¯s high table where he was starting to sweat buckets while firing her a re.


    She only smiled at him and then refocused back on the screen.


    <i>¡¯Mr Perez, I heard you just arrived from Faznd</i>. <i>Your wife seems to be out of town, want me to keep youpany for the meantime?¡¯ Michelle asked over the phone, biting her lips seductively as she reached for his hand, but the middle-aged man moved his fingers back a little. </i>


    <i>Michelle didn¡¯t give up. </i>


    <i>¡¯For the past few months, I¡¯ve heard several things about you. Most of them being embarrassing things that can get a celebrity to get canceled," Mr Perez said, his eyes sizing her up.</i>


    <i>When his gazended on her chest, it lingered long enough for Michelle to notice. </i>


    <i>She smirked, taking the hint. She just needed to try a little harder and she would get him. </i>


    <i>¡¯I was just framed. I¡¯m innocent.¡¯ She stretched out her hand for him to hold once again, and he didn¡¯t intend to move his away anymore. ¡¯I can satisfy your needs if you¡¯re willing to do one thing for me.¡¯</i>


    <i>Mr Perez chuckled, loving her confidence. </i>


    <i>¡¯What are your demands?¡¯</i>


    <i>¡¯I want to win the uing best actress award.¡¯</i>


    Michelle couldn¡¯t believe her ears, but the evidence was in front of her, still ying.


    "You said you wanted evidence, and I gave you the evidence," Anastasia said.


    People started grumbling some words against Michelle,pletely forgetting she didn¡¯t have an affair with herself.


    Unfortunately for her, in a situation like this, insults would go to the woman for being shameless and sleeping with a married man, and the man would bepletely forgotten.


    Not only that, Mr. Theodore Perez was a powerful man, and the audience knew better than to try to provoke such an influential, powerful man. So, all their insults went to Michelle.


    Besides, they¡¯ve always hated the bitch and intended to make her pay for the price of what she and her family had done to Anastasia.


    "She¡¯s lying!! These pictures and videos are all fake!" Michelle defended.


    "Are you saying I hired an artist who managed to have the same voice as you, Michelle? Please grow up. Everyone here can see that you slept with Mr. Theodore Perez to win this award," Anastasia used.


    Michelle subconsciously shook her head, denying all evidence disyed on the screen.


    Anastasia didn¡¯t stop there.


    The screen continued to change with many pictures of Michelle taken with several recognizable influential men. It¡¯s either at a restaurant or at the entrance of a hotel.


    Due to the thin clothing Michelle was wearing in all pictures, one wouldn¡¯t need to think twice before concluding what she must have been doing with those influential men in those ces.


    "I¡¯m innocent!!" Michelle screamed out loud, pulling her hair in frustration since no one wanted to believe her. Not like there was something worthying out of her mouth that was worth believing.


    Michelle started thrashing everywhere, her madness bing even more evident as her tears ruined her makeup¡ªmaking her look like a walking dead.


    "Michelle, you know you can¡¯t use such ways to try to win an award. We could sue you." A woman, d in a fancy and enchanting dress stood up and spoke. "You should be ashamed of what you¡¯ve done."


    "There¡¯s nothing for me to be ashamed of," Michelle defended.


    The woman signaled the security to take Michelle away, which was quite difficult since she kept on thrashing, demanding to be free.


    Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t take on either one of those bulky men with her fragile body.


    Once Michelle was out of sight, Anastasia returned to her seat near Martha. The stage was cleaned and prepared for the resumption of the award show.


    "So sorry for the interruption," the emcee apologized.


    After a few minutes, the stage was cleared and everyone pretended no bug tried to destroy their evening like she did a year ago.


    "And the winner is..."


    Three actresses were nominated for the best actress category. They were Martha Ginelles, Michelle Harrison, and Anastasia Wace.


    Since Michelle was disqualified, the award belonged to one of the two. And the fans couldn¡¯t wait to hear which of their favorite two actresses was going to win the award.


    "Martha Ginelles!"

 Chapter 223: Looking Brutally Pained

    They were still celebrities. If they were seen badmouthing another person, be it a celebrity or no celebrity, they could be canceled for being disrespectful.


    After spending a few hours at the award show, Anastasia and Martha decided to head back home.


    "Sleep tight tonight." Anastasia bid both Martha and Liam goodbye¡ªwaving at them.


    They waved back before Liam¡¯s hands curled to rest on Martha¡¯s waist, which Anastasia noticed but didn¡¯t question.


    Her phone suddenly rang with a text.


    <i>"Where are you?"</i>


    "It¡¯s from Tracie," Anastasia mumbled under her breath.


    <i>"At the back of the building. The front is quite busy with paparazzi rushing people here and there," she replied. </i>


    <i>"I¡¯m driving there now. Wait for me."</i>


    A smile graced Ana¡¯s lips when she read Tracie¡¯s text.


    Xavier had recently gone on a mission, and ever since, Tracie had been her driver, protecting her as if she were her daughter, which gave them more chances to bond with each other.


    Anastasia sighed, tugging her phone back into her purse as she took a small stroll to free her head from the drama that urred a few hours ago.


    "You can¡¯t do this to me, Theodore!! You said you loved me!!"


    Anastasia halted her steps when she heard the wordsing from out of nowhere. She nced around but didn¡¯t see anyone.


    "We were never in a rtionship to begin with."


    Anastasia spotted the corner the voice could being from. Without wasting a single second, she pulled her dress up and marched over there while making sure her heels didn¡¯t make too much clicking sound on the tiled floor.


    Anastasia popped her head out, and her eyesnded on Michelle and Mr. Theodore Perez.


    Michelle¡¯s tears had already stained her makeuppletely, her chest heaving as she tried to breathe properly.


    "B-but..."


    "I¡¯ve already done enough for you, Michelle. The other organizers wanted to sue you for disrupting the event for the second time. But I had to step in and persuade them not to. Isn¡¯t that enough?" Theodore, his blonde hair shining in the dark.


    Michelle desperately held onto his hand as she teared up even louder than before, making Anastasia¡¯s ears bleed.


    "Y-you said that you loved me, Theodore. That¡¯s why you told me," she defended.


    "Loved you?" Theodore scoffed. "I could never love a woman like you. A woman who spreads her legs wherever on a golden tter. Maybe I was about to love you, but then after what I¡¯ve seen inside, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re worthy of loving," he spat all over her face, which had her take a few steps back as if he was a monster.


    "That¡¯s not true," she protested.


    Theodore ced his hands in his pocket, searching for something while Michelle continued to sob.


    Finding the stuff, he wrote down a few things, tore the paper, and handed it over to Michelle.


    "This is a cheque of two million dors!" nting it in her hand, he added, "Take it and leave me alone. I don¡¯t want to see your face ever again. Due to what Mrs. Wace revealed inside, I¡¯m in huge trouble with my wife. I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with you."


    His words felt like daggers that stabbed her heart one after the other so painfully she had to clutch her chest as if that could relieve the pain.


    "I hope we never see each other again," he finished and left without waiting for her to say anything.


    Michelle sobbed harder than Anastasia had ever seen her. Michelle had cried a few tears in the past. Most of them being crocodile tears after ming Anastasia for one thing or the other.


    Even so, this was the first time Anastasia had seen Michelle looking brutally pained.


    "Is this an act?" Anastasia questioned out loud which had Michelle jolting a few steps backwards when she heard the sudden voice.


    Instantly, Michelle brought her hands to her face to wipe away her tears.


    "What are you doing here?" Michelle questioned defensively.


    Anastasia nced at Theodore¡¯s retreating back before her eyes settled back on Michelle.


    "Was that an act? Why did you sound like you were in love with him?" Anastasia repeated.


    "That¡¯s none of your business!" Michelle snapped. Sniffling back the rest of her tears, Michelle red at Anastasia with red eyes. "Because of you, I lost everything once more. All because of you!"


    "Don¡¯t me me for your bad deeds, Michelle. You¡¯re the one who did all of this, all by yourself. All I did was watch from a corner and wait for when to expose you."

 Chapter 224: Miscarriage

    Tracie turned to Anastasia. "Did you take anything from her?" She asked.


    "I don¡¯t remember doing so. I only took back what she took from me, and now she¡¯s calling me a thief. Delusional much, Michelle?" Anastasia asked with mockery again which made Michelle¡¯s blood boil.


    Without thinking, she raised her hand and intended to smack Anastasia across the face. However, her hands were paused mid-air.


    "Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re stupid enough to think that I would stand here and watch you hit my sister?" Tracie threatened.


    Swiftly, she turned Michelle¡¯s wrist in an angle that made thetter hit herself across her own face.


    "Ouch!" She yelped in pain.


    "That¡¯s what you deserve."


    Michelle suddenly clutched her stomach as if she felt some kind of intense pain.


    "No no, this can be happening," she mumbled through gritted teeth while the two sisters stared at her in confusion.


    Michelle reached from under her dress and pulled it up. Instantly, she sighted a trail of blood trickling down her legs, and she paled. As if that wasn¡¯t enough for her to understand what was happening to her, Michelle ced her palm on the blood and rubbed it together to be sure she was seeing what she thought she was seeing.


    Anastasia and Tracie¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Michelle was pregnant!!


    "My baby!" Michelle cried. "You two killed my baby..." she immediately used as she continued to tear up.


    Both the sisters shared a look, not sure if Michelle was serious or if this was probably one of her many tricks.


    "You two killed my baby!!" Michelle used once again.


    Anastasia snapped back to her senses. "Tracie, we need to take her to the hospital, quickly."


    "Are you hearing yourself?" Tracie frowned deeply. "You want to take this snake to the hospital? What if she¡¯s pretending?"


    "Pretense or no pretense, we will have to find out after we take her to the hospital," Anastasia replied.


    Tracie huffed but agreed. Together they took Michelle to the car, and surprisingly, thetter didn¡¯t struggle out of their grip.


    Everyone got into the car and Tracie immediately drove to the hospital.


    Once they reached the hospital, a few of the nurses took Michelle to a room and started the treatment.


    "So, she¡¯s pregnant? That¡¯s amusing, judging she¡¯s sly. She still managed to get herself knocked up," Traciemented, a smile on her lips.


    The smile faltered when she saw the worried look on Anastasia¡¯s face.


    "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "I hope her baby survives," Anastasia mumbled, which had Tracie¡¯s eyebrows touch her hairline. "Michelle is a snake indeed, but I don¡¯t wish for her to have a miscarriage."


    "Isn¡¯t it better that the baby doesn¡¯t make it here on earth? That way, he/she doesn¡¯t turn out like their mother?" Tracie reasoned.


    Anastasia released a sigh,pletely unaware that Michelle was pregnant, or could be pregnant.


    She¡¯d lost a baby once in the past, but she doesn¡¯t wish for Michelle¡ªher mortal enemy to go through what she went through, even though Michelle was one of the people who caused her miscarriage years ago.


    "I¡¯m not that heartless," Anastasia mumbled again.


    Tracie could tell that something was wrong with Anastasia, so she pulled Anastasia towards her and gave her aforting hug.


    "What goes aroundes around! I wasn¡¯t present when they mistreated you, but I believe Michelle is only getting what she deserves. Maybe, that child was never meant to be born. You can¡¯t me yourself if that¡¯s how things turn out, Ana." She gently patted Anastasia on the back and thetter nodded in agreement.


    They stayed in that position for a little longer before they separated.


    The doctor came out, ready to tell them what they already knew.


    "Are you the patient¡¯s rtive?" The doctor asked.


    Tracie and Ana shared a look.


    "No! We were merely talking when all of a sudden, she started bleeding," Tracie replied.


    "I see," the doctor hummed. "Sadly, the patient had a miscarriage. She should be all right after resting a bit. You can go and see her now."


    Both of them nodded and the doctor left.


    "Don¡¯t tell me you want to see her?"


    Anastasia chuckled softly. "I don¡¯t want to. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m sure her people will arrive soon."

 Chapter 225: Titanus!

    Fortunately for him, all their attention was on Michelle.


    "What happened to you, dear? You just called us saying you were admitted to the hospital," Gary asked, taking a seat beside her bed.


    Michelle¡¯s hands gently went to her t belly as she rubbed it, feeling the emptiness since a life used to breathe there.


    "I lost the baby," she muttered in an inaudible voice. But somehow, they still managed to hear her.


    They shared a nce, wondering if they heard what they thought they¡¯d heard.


    "Can you say that one more time?" Jack asked her.


    "Anastasia killed my baby goddammit!!" Michelle screamed loud enough for people beyond the doors to hear her voice. "She killed my baby. She and her sister, Tracie rk. They both killed my child!!"


    Michelle¡¯s hands covered her face as she sobbed uncontrobly. "They both killed my baby in cold blood!!"


    The others nced at each other, trying to understand the words that spewed out of Michelle¡¯s mouth.


    "I was going to use that child to get Theodore to marry me, but they ruined my n by killing my baby," she continued to sob.


    The room went silent with Michelle¡¯s cry being the only thing that could be heard.


    "Wait a second, how did all of this happen?" Jack asked confusedly.


    Michelle wiped her tears before narrating the story of what unfolded that night from her own POV, which was of course Anastasia ruining her ns at the award show. And then ganging up on herter with her sister which led her to her miscarriage.


    "That whore doesn¡¯t know where to stop. I thought she was finally going to leave you alone," Amelia fumed, clenching her fist by her side although there was nothing she could do at that moment.


    She no longer had any sort of power that could be beneficial to handling the situation.


    All she could do was mourn the death of her unborn child in silence while keeping a grudge.


    "She¡¯s going to pay for everything, mother. I¡¯ve promised her that. When I get the opportunity, I will take back everything Anastasia has taken from me, including my child." Michelle¡¯s hands went to her belly to touch it one more time as more tears pooled in her eyes.


    "That will not be easy, you no longer have Theodore by your side," Gary finally spoke. "Does he know about the miscarriage?" He asked.


    Michelle shook her head, "I¡¯ll contact himter. Then we will talk about it," she responded.


    Gary nodded in understanding, regretting the fact that he couldn¡¯t do anything to help Michelle at the moment.


    Although he wasn¡¯t her father and didn¡¯t know where Robert was, he still wanted to fill in the position of being a good father to her. Unfortunately, hisck of resources and power made him look useless in her sight.


    "You should. Hopefully, he can help sue Anastasia and her sister for what they¡¯d done to you. He¡¯s in the same level of ss with them, so it shouldn¡¯t be difficult for him to do that for his child."


    "That¡¯s right," Michelle responded, wiping away her tears. "I¡¯m hungry. Can you help me get some food, Jack? I don¡¯t want hospital food. It only makes me feel more sick," she requested.


    Jack epted and left the hospital to go get her some food.


    After getting the food from a nearby fast food stall, he hurried to get back.


    However, he was stopped by a few men with baseball bats in their hands.


    "Long time no see, Jack! You got my money?" A man wearing torn clothes, the kind today¡¯s generation would call fashion, grinned, revealing teeth so yellow they could easily be mistaken for expired mustard.


    It was hard to tell where the gold teeth ended and the normal ones began. "You better have it this time, Jack. It¡¯s been way too damn long." His tone carried a mixture of impatience and threat, making it clear he wasn¡¯t in the mood for excuses.


    Jack gulped down his saliva in fear, immediately regretting going out and epting to buy food for Michelle. If only he¡¯d stayed in the hospital, then he wouldn¡¯t have bumped into these loan sharks.


    He hissed under his breath.


    "Titanus, I already promised you, I will pay you for every dime I owe you," Jack said to the man called Titanus."


    Titanus spat out some saliva and spoke in Jack¡¯s face.


    "Why are you making it sound like you¡¯re doing me a favor, boi? Are you forgetting something? You forgetting you were the one who came to me, asking for help with some money. And now after that, you just disappeared." Titanus spat out another saliva. "I guess I didn¡¯t beat you up properly the other day," he threatened.

 Chapter 226: Suing!!

    He¡¯d finally been able to pay back the fifty million debt he owed to Anastasia. But to do that, he had to ask for money from different kinds of notorious loan sharks.


    He couldn¡¯t find himself a job since the whole media was aware of what they¡¯d done to Anastasia. No one wanted to give him a job and he had to rely on Michelle, who was the only member of the family that earned a good amount of money by sleeping with all kinds of men.


    Even so, he couldn¡¯t pay off the seven million dors he owed to the loan sharks he borrowed money from.


    "You think I came here to y boi?!" Titanus questioned him, already feeling impatient.


    "Let¡¯s just beat him up. When he feels the pain, he¡¯lle to realize we didn¡¯te here to joke around," one of Titanus¡¯ckeys suggested and the others immediately agreed.


    A smirk pulled on Titanus¡¯ lips, and just before he could give out the order, Jack had already bolted from there, running so fast his legs neatly touched his shoulders.


    Instantly, they chased after him, without caring if they attracted any attention.


    Even if they did, no one would be interested in meddling. They were hoodlums after all, so the rest of the public tore their eyes from them and minded their business.


    Jack continued to run, throwing away the stic bag that contained the food he was supposed to give to Michelle. His main priority was to run and never let them catch him. Else, he would bepletely done for.


    As he ran, he ced obstacles in their way despite the fact his heart hammered against his chest¡ªaiming for a good escape.


    "Run faster, dammit!! He¡¯s getting away?" He could hear Titanus roar out another order.


    Thankfully for Jack, his long athlete legs came in handy. Not before long, he was able to outrun them¡ªhiding inside a trash can as he watched them run past him without sighting him.


    When he was sure they¡¯dpletely disappeared, he stepped out, watching his back before running back to the hospital.


    "I need to pay them back as soon as possible. Even if I have to steal, I¡¯ll do it!"


    Jack rushed back into the hospital, sighting two policemen outside Michelle¡¯s hospital. When the policemen saw him, they merely greeted him with a brief nod before he entered the room.


    "Why are there two policemen outside?" He questioned, taking in their unreadable faces.


    "Anastasia has charged both me and mother with a crime, so the police are here to arrest me," Michelle bit out in anger, her fist clenching the bed sheet.


    "What? What crime did youmit?" Jack asked in confusion.


    "When we beat her up years ago. She had a miscarriage, and now she¡¯s suing us for murder," Amelia was the one to respond this time around.


    Jack palmed his face in frustration.


    First, it was Michelle getting a miscarriage. Second, notorious loan sharks were after him. And now, both his mother and sister have been charged with murder.


    ¡¯When are these all going to end?¡¯ He wondered, resisting the urge to pull his hair in frustration.


    "You can call Theodore and exin to him that you¡¯ve lost the pregnancy and it was the fault of Anastasia and her sister," Gary suggested, also not happy with how things were turning out. "Anastasia should be the one in jail, not you since she was the one that killed your child," he reasoned.


    A smirk pulled on Michelle¡¯s lips as she came up with an idea.


    "Due to my health condition, they can¡¯t take me to jail now. They¡¯ve given me two days to recover and once that time is over, both Mother and I are going to jail." Michelle pulled herself to sit more properly on the bed. "You¡¯ve given me an idea, Gary. I can make Theodore believe that Anastasia and her sister were the reason for my miscarriage. And I can charge them for murder."


    Michelle reached for her phone, excitement buzzing in her chest as she dialed Theodore¡¯s phone number.


    ¡¯Finally, Anastasia.¡¯

 Chapter 227: Someone Must Go To Jail

    "There¡¯s no way I¡¯m sending a partnership contract to Nexera Enterprise so you can forget partnering with them," Anastasia dered one more time, ignoring their ugly displeased faces.


    "You say that the owner of Nexera enterprise is a criminal, but not once was any evidence revealed regarding what they did," one of the shareholders stated.


    "I¡¯m still not partnering with them," Anastasia replied.


    She nced at Christian Lorenzo, briefly nodding, stood up, and left the meeting room with Leo trodding behind her as she went to her office.


    "I can¡¯t help but wonder whom Jack and Robert have been partnering with since they were in charge of thispany for them to think it¡¯s alright to partner with criminals," she mumbled as Leo closed the doors behind him.


    "In the past records, it shows that this samepany has partnered with them. Maybe that¡¯s why they think it¡¯s alright to partner with them one more time," Leo reasoned, typing something on his tablet.


    Anastasia took a moment to sit down and digest everything.


    "That¡¯s right! You have a meeting in the next hour," Leo reminded her and she nodded.


    "I¡¯ll clear out this paperwork, then we can leave." She responded.


    Leo excused himself, leaving Anastasia to get to work.


    While Anastasia continued to work, she received a call from her office telephone.


    "What?"


    "Mrs. Wace, there are some police officers here to speak with you," Leo replied.


    A deep frown formed on Anastasia¡¯s forehead, wondering if it could be the officers she¡¯d sent to Michelle the other day.


    Checking the date, she remembered she¡¯d asked the officers to arrest Michelle in two days, which was today.


    If there are officers outside her office, it could only mean they weren¡¯t the ones she sent to Michelle.


    "Bring them in," she responded.


    After a few seconds, the door opened with four police officers, wearing a grumpy face with tight lips as if she¡¯dmitted an actual <i>crime. </i>


    Leo was behind them, also wondering what they¡¯de for.


    "Good day to you, Mrs. Wace. If you don¡¯t mind, we would like to take you to the police station for some questioning," one of them introduced.


    "I very much mind," Anastasia responded, ncing between them. "Because I don¡¯t see any IDs."


    The officers quickly took out something from their pockets and showed it to them.


    "Why do you want to take her to the police station," Leo questioned.


    "A case was filed against Mrs Wace here," another officer replied, which earned a frown from both Anastasia and Leo.


    "What case?"


    "Ms. Michelle Harrison used Mrs. Wace of killing her unborn baby. Since there was no evidence, we can only take Mrs Wace for questioning," the officer responded.


    ¡¯Come on, Michelle.¡¯ Anastasia thought to herself as she fought back a grin.


    "Please,e along now, Mrs Wace."


    Anastasia signaled Leo not to question the officers anymore, and she willingly followed them out.


    When they got to the police station, Michelle was already there along with her mother, Gary, and Jack. Mr. Theodore Perez was also there, ring at Anastasia as they brought her in.


    "Oh wow! You¡¯re also here," Anastasia beamed, loving where this was heading to.


    "You bitch! You¡¯re the one that killed my baby! You and your sister," Michelle immediately used. "Where¡¯s she?" Michelle questioned, ncing around and not finding Tracie anywhere.


    "I¡¯m right here," Tracie responded.


    Anastasia turned to find Tracie behind her.


    ¡¯Michelle is serious,¡¯ Anastasia thought as she muffled augh.


    Michelle even had to involve Tracie.


    "You two! You two killed my baby!" Michelle continued to use.


    Tracie bumped Anastasia on the elbow as she red at her sister.


    "You see what I was telling you? You try to be good and then it backfires on you. If only you¡¯d just left her there to die, maybe she wouldn¡¯t have had the mouth to use us of killing her child."


    Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but nod in agreement.


    "It was my fault for trying to save her indeed," she agreed.


    Theodore¡¯s eyes squinted, wondering what they meant.


    "But then, since we¡¯re at the police station, someone must go to jail now right?" Anastasia thought out loud.


    "What do you mean by that?" Michelle questioned Anastasia with tears in her eyes.

 Chapter 228: Which Officers?

    Amelia had already turned white as the officer watched the video from the beginning till the end, his eyes cold as theynded on her.


    "In case you need it, I have the bottle right here with me," Anastasia added.


    "Just shut the fuck up!!"


    Theodore immediately pulled Michelle back when she tried to attack Anastasia.


    "You need to calm down," he told her.


    "You have nothing to show¡ª" Amelia was forced to swallow the rest of her words when Anastasia brought out the bottle and showed it to everyone.


    She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Anastasia had already nned to get her jailed that day since she had the bottle that day.


    The officer took the bottle from Anastasia and gave it to another.


    "Get this bottle examined," he ordered. "ording to thetest news, Robert Harrison suddenly disappeared. Did you have a hand in it, ma¡¯am?" The officer questioned Amelia and she paled.


    "I didn¡¯t have anything to do with it. This woman..." She pointed at Anastasia. "That nasty little woman was the one who took him away months ago and not once were we ever able to set our eyes on him again," she finished, tears already pooling in her eyes.


    For the past few months, she¡¯d believed Anastasia had forgotten about what she¡¯d done or had no interest in taking her to jail.


    But now that she brought the topic from out of nowhere, Amelia was quite frightened. If the officer believed Anastasia, she was going to jail.


    Who would have thought Anastasia was waiting for a moment like this?


    "Is that true ma¡¯am?" The officer asked Anastasia.


    "Of course not. I have been wondering what happened to Robert. But you know what I think?" Anastasia asked, an evil glint passing through her eyes when her gazesnded on Amelia. "I think that Amelia got rid of Robert¡¯s body after she seeded in killing him."


    "SHUT UP!!" Amelia barked, starting to disturb the peace of other people at the police station.


    Behind Anastasia, Tracie couldn¡¯t help but silently chuckle at the situation.


    She¡¯d known Anastasia was cunny, but she never expected her to turn the story in such a way it would only get Amelia into much bigger trouble.


    "That¡¯s enough, madam!!" The officer ordered. "Constable, jail her now."


    "Wait wait, aren¡¯t we taking this a little too far, officer?" Gary finally interjected. "How can you arrest her just because of this video? We don¡¯t know if it¡¯s real or not!"


    "Don¡¯t you dare teach me how to do my job, sir? So, move else you will be behind bars with her," the officer threatened.


    It was with a great battle the constable was able to jail Amelia and put her behind bars.


    The woman continued to thrash like her daughter until she was finally locked up.


    "This can¡¯t be happening," Michelle mumbled to herself, finally realizing what she¡¯d done.


    ¡¯This is Anastasia¡¯s way of getting back at me just because I used her of killing my child,¡¯ she thought to herself, immediately regretting her decision.


    Michelle was well aware Tracie and Anastasia had only helped her to get to the hospital. However, her spiteful heart couldn¡¯t swallow the kindness without doing something evil to repay them.


    She also found it as an opportunity to jail Anastasia for all she¡¯d done to her.


    "Officer, you need to release her now," Theodore ordered.


    "Sir, you are a very influential man. But you must know that your status can¡¯t help in this kind of situation. You saw the evidence. She added the poison to the tea and served it to Robert. Also, he has been missing for several months already," the officer narrated as if Theodore wasn¡¯t present when themotion unfolded.


    Anastasia noticed Jack trying to hide behind Theodore¡¯s back. She smiled and tore her eyes away from him.


    She had nothing to do with him <i>unless</i> she wanted to.


    "That still can¡¯t be right, office!" Michelle pleaded. Cleaning her tears, she pointed at Anastasia. "If that¡¯s the case, you should arrest Anastasia for killing my child."


    The officer nced at the silent Anastasia and Michelle.


    "If I may remind you, you didn¡¯t present any evidence. We only brought Mrs. Wace here for questioning," the officer replied.


    Michelle gritted her teeth, her fist clenched as she resisted the urge to smack Anastasia¡¯s invisible grin across her face.


    But sadly, she was in the police station, and it would be a bad idea if she did something that couldnd her in jail with her mother.


    "Does that mean that the case she¡¯d filed against Michelle is also invalid since Anastasia has no evidence?" Theodore questioned.


    The officer frowned in confusion. "What case?!" He turned to Anastasia. "Did you file any case against Ms. Harrison?"


    "Not at all," Anastasia replied. "I didn¡¯t file a case against her."


    Michelle stared at Anastasia with eyes wide in disbelief.


    "Why are you denying it? Didn¡¯t you ask two officers to arrest me while I was still in the hospital? You gave them two days for me to recover!" Michelle¡¯s face was already as red as fire.


    "When did I send two officers over?" Anastasia questioned.

 Chapter 229: Mrs. Perez

    "You little sly..."


    "Watch your tongue," Tracie said, loving how the drama unfolded.


    Anastasia had intended to instill fear in Michelle and Amelia, by sending over two of Xavier¡¯s men to pose as officers so that she could see what Michelle would do about the situation.


    And just like she and Tracie had thought, Michelle wanted to use them both of killing her child.


    Anastasia got her chance to use the video against Amelia and got the middle-aged woman arrested. As for Jack, she doesn¡¯t know what to do with him yet.


    He was still hiding behind Theodore like a second skin as if the police station wasn¡¯trge enough for Anastasia to spot him without even asking Theodore to move.


    She lets him be, knowing he¡¯s already going through tough times with the loan sharks he borrowed money from to pay off his debt to her.


    She couldn¡¯t wait to see what his next step would be when he¡¯d been pressured enough by those hoodlums.


    "Officer, are you saying that Mrs. Wace still can¡¯t be arrested despite killing my child?" Theodore questioned.


    "Unless evidence has been ced, we can¡¯t do anything at the moment. In short, Mrs. Wace is free to roam around," the officer replied.


    Michelle¡¯s fist was clenched tightly by her side, as she took in a deep breath and released it, intending to calm her nerves and not lose the little bit of sanity she had left after what had urred in the police station.


    "You still haven¡¯t won, Anastasia. I¡¯ll find evidence against you and make sure you¡¯re put behind bars," she promised.


    Without waiting for Anastasia to respond, she pulled Theodore along with her and left the station.


    Jack, suddenly feeling naked by theck of his human barrier felt awkward when Anastasia¡¯s eyesnded on him.


    With his head lowered, he gave a brief nod and left behind them.


    Gary, saddened by the fact that Amelia had been imprisoned, was vexed. Sadly, he couldn¡¯t do anything but leave as well without being able to say a single word to Anastasia.


    Anastasia and Tracie left the police station and gazed into the sunset.


    "That was fun," Traciemented, popping a gum in her mouth. She stretched out her hand for Anastasia, and thetter took the gum in it. "Another member of the Harrison family down," she finished.


    "I will just wait to see what Michelle would want to pull off this time." Anastasia also popped the gum in her mouth. "She said <i>evidence</i>. Now, I wonder what evidence she¡¯s going toe up with." She chuckled at the end of her words in anticipation.


    Tracie scoffed. "She can bring it on."


    **


    Theodore dropped Gary and Jack at the house they stayed in before dropping Michelle at the penthouse he bought for her. A penthouse she didn¡¯t want to share with any of her family members because she didn¡¯t want them reeking up the ce, so she loved staying alone without their presence even seen or felt.


    "Are you sure you¡¯ll be able to stay on your own?" Theodore asked, his hands on her t belly¡ªcaressing it. "I can stay with you if you want. You¡¯ve already been through enough this evening."


    Michelle shook her head.


    "It¡¯s okay! I¡¯m alright," she responded, her voice barely a whisper. Theodore wrapped his hands around her and pulled her into a soft and gentle hug. "Besides, your wife must be looking for you by now." Her tone carried a slight tint of jealousy which earned her a chuckle from Theodore.


    "I¡¯ll be back tonight, then," he gave in. "Regarding the evidence against Anastasia, I will find something. If I have to check every camera surrounding the premises of the building, I will do that so Mrs. Wace can finally be behind bars," he promised.


    Michelle grinned in satisfaction, unable to wait to see Anastasia behind bars already since killing her off seemed like an impossible task.


    This was the reason she chose to be with Theodore instead of her other sugar daddies. He was of the same level of power as Anastasia and Xavier¡¯s family status. <i>Big influential people.</i>


    He could take care of the evidence if they wanted to. When he was done, she nned to inform him it was fake, so that they could manipte it. Michelle was willing to do anything at all as long as Anastasia was in jail.


    "Thank you."


    Theodore kissed her forehead, bid her goodbye, and left.


    Not long after he left, Michelle heard her doorbell ring from the living room.


    Thinking it was Theodore, she rushed to get it.


    "Did you forget something, bab¡ª"


    Michelle¡¯s eyes grew wide in shock when she saw the person standing before her.


    "Mrs. Perez!"

 Chapter 230: Beat Her Up!

    "I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about! That video is fake. Anastasia got it AI-generated," Michelle continued to defend herself, despite knowing Mrs. Perez wasn¡¯t going to believe her.


    Before she could part her lips to spill even more trash, Mrs. Perez had already smacked her across her face.


    "I¡¯m going to teach you a lesson today."


    Michelle held her numb cheeks, enraged when she felt the stinging pain.


    "Now, you¡¯re going a little too far, madam," Michelle said, her fear of the woman suddenly vanishing and reced with rage. "Have you never wondered why your husband left your side to meet me? Well, that¡¯s because I¡¯m younger and not some old hag like yourself!"


    Mrs. Perez was naturally offended by what Michelle had just spat in her face. She could see that the girl wasn¡¯t scared of her like she¡¯d expected her to be anymore.


    Out of rage, Mrs Perez attempted to hit Michelle across the face again, but thetter held her hand.


    "You¡¯re starting to cross your boundaries now." Michelle threw her hand away. "If you¡¯d satisfied your so-called husband in bed, given him all he wanted, do you think he would have eyes outside?" She questioned.


    Mrs. Perez¡¯s face red with both anger and embarrassment now.


    "Looking at you now, I understand why he left you. I wouldn¡¯t even be turned on as a man if I stared at that face for eternity."


    "Shut up!!" Mrs Perez demanded. "Are you forgetting that I can sue you?"


    "Sue me for what? I wasn¡¯t the one that cheated on you," Michelle replied, her face nose scrunched up in anger, mirroring Mrs. Perez¡¯s expression.


    "You have the nerve! You¡¯re such a slut and you should be treated like one." Mrs. Perez called for some people. "You cane in now."


    At the end of her words, Michelle could see some women the same age as Mrs. Perez. They wore fancy luxurious dresses that exposed that statue.


    "We¡¯re going to teach her a lesson today and she¡¯ll remember to stay away from married men in her next life," one of them said.


    The fear that¡¯s flown out of the window a few minutes ago had returned, and this time, it weighed heavy on Michelle¡¯s shoulders. The hair on her back stood on end. Swallowing her saliva felt as if fighting in a war now since she¡¯d finally realized Mrs. Perez didn¡¯te alone.


    She regretted not informing Theodore to either take care of his wife or make the security in front of the building stop her before she made a move.


    "Y-you¡¯re making a very big mistake. I-if Theodore sees any scratch on my body, you¡¯re not going to like it," she threatened, trying to find her way out of the mess.


    When she saw thest woman entering and locking the door with the keys, Michelle gulped down another heavy load of saliva before she resumed her threats, "I¡¯ll call the police."


    Without giving her any more chances to speak, the five women, including Mrs Perez ganged up on Michelle all at once, each of them hitting her left and right, trying to teach her a lesson for her immoral act that was uploaded on social media.


    Michelle screamed for help, but the penthouse had thick walls, so no one could hear her. Not even her nearest neighbor.


    After a few minutes of beating her and finally getting satisfied, they left Michelle bleeding on the ground.


    "Let¡¯s go! She can go ahead and call the police for all I care. She has no evidence after all," Mrs. Perez said, urging her friends to leave as she red down at Michelle¡¯s half-unconscious state.


    "We could have done more. I doubt she¡¯ll understand our message," one of her friends said.


    "Let¡¯s leave her. If she dies, that would be another problem I¡¯m not sure we would be able to handle," another one replied.


    And just like that, they left Michele to suffer on her own, closing the door gently and acting like they¡¯d just paid someone a kind visit.


    Meanwhile, Michelle struggled to get up from where she was, crawling to find her phone as she ignored the pain that burned through her entire body, tears streaming down her face as her trail of blood followed her.


    Finally finding her phone, she ced a call, her sobs getting louder by the minute.


    As soon as the call connected, she screamed, "Theodore!!"

 Chapter 231: Which Betrayal?

    "I can handle her well," Anastasia said confidently. "I just can¡¯t wait to see what she woulde up with this time around," she added, turning and nuzzling into his shoulders.


    Xavier was confident with her reply. She had always been able to handle things well.


    However, Michelle had Theodore Perez by her side. Due to the research he¡¯d done on him, Xavier could see the man came from a very influential family. The Perez family¡¯s connection stretched beyond their country¡ªreaching overseas and further.


    He couldn¡¯t help but be worried for her safety. Not only was his mortal enemy after Anastasia, but Michelle was still bent on ruining her.


    "I¡¯ll be assigning two bodyguards to be with you wherever you go," he suddenly dered.


    Anastasia didn¡¯t bother to argue with him, because her words would only fall on deaf ears.


    It was already following her around while making sure his presence didn¡¯t disturb her. And now, Xavier wanted to add two more bodyguards. She couldn¡¯t help but worry if he was protecting her only from Michelle and Theodore, or if there was more to it.


    Anastasia released a long sigh, knowing Xavier wouldn¡¯t tell her anything if she asked because he didn¡¯t want her to worry.


    "Xavier..." She called.


    "Hmm..."


    "You know we¡¯re married, right?"


    He hummed again, wondering where she was heading to.


    Anastasia pulled her face away from his neck so that she would be able to stare into his eyes. "So, you can share absolutely anything with me. You know that too, right?"


    "I share everything with you," he replied. Anastasia cocked an eyebrow.


    "Not all the time, because you fear I will worry." She ced her hand on his. "I don¡¯t want to be a burden¡ª"


    Her words were cut short when Xavier swiftly captured her lips into a sweet and passionate kiss.


    "You¡¯ve never been a burden to me. Where are you getting your thoughts from?" He questioned after he pulled away.


    "I¡¯m sure something is bothering you, Xavier, but you don¡¯t want to tell me."


    A smile grazed Xavier¡¯s lips when he heard her. "Nothing is wrong. If something is, I¡¯ll certainly let you know."


    Anastasia stared at him for a few seconds before nodding in understanding. Xavier nted a soft kiss on her lips before he lifted her off the bed and took her to the bathroom to get showered.


    After that, he took her to the dining table, chasing all the servants away and choosing to make her a delicious breakfast.


    When they were done, Xavier opted to drive Anastasia to work and promised to pick her up during closing hours.


    Just when Anastasia was about to step inside, she got a phone call from Tracie. She picked up the call.


    "Has that two-faced bitch revealed her so-called evidence?" Tracie asked over the phone.


    Anastasia smiled.


    "I¡¯ve not heard anything from her so far," she replied.


    "Well, in that case, if she does contact you, let me know immediately, okay?"


    "Okay."


    Anastasia sighed when she hung up on the call.


    Just when Anastasia was about to step inside the building one more time, she felt a gaze burn at her back. She turned but didn¡¯t see anyone who could be staring directly at her since everyone was going about their business.


    Frowning, she shrugged off the feeling she was getting and strodded inside thepany.


    In a fancy car that stood out from the other regr cars, a creepy smile stretched on the lips of a man as he watched the back of a certaindy disappear into the entrance of thepany opposite him.


    "I must say, Xavier sure has good eyes. Just look at how beautiful his wife is," the manmented.


    The man seated next to him nodded in agreement. "She looks very suitable for <i>it."</i>


    "Very suitable," the first man agreed.


    In Anastasia¡¯s office, as soon as she was about to take her seat and get started with the day¡¯s work, Leo knocked on the door.


    "I found something," he announced the moment he entered the office.


    "What?" Anastasia asked.


    An hourter, a meeting was scheduled.


    Anastasia entered the meeting room where all the shareholders were already waiting for her.


    As soon as Anastasia made her way in, Logan wasted no time and began, "You should know by now that scheduling a meeting at thest minute is uneptable. And then threatening us if we don¡¯t show up? That¡¯s incredibly childish of you, Mrs. Wace." His voice was sharp,ced with frustration, as he fixed his gaze on her. The tension in the room thickened as everyone waited for her response.


    "I assure you, Mr. Martins, this meeting will not waste your time," Anastasia said as she took a seat, crossing her legs with calcted poise. Her gaze swept across the room before she continued, her voice cold andmanding.


    "Now, which one of you betrayed thispany and signed a partnership deal with Nexera Enterprise without consulting me first?" Her words hung heavy in the air, and the tension deepened as the shareholders exchanged uneasy nces.

 Chapter 232: Buy Them All Out!!

    "I just realized I¡¯ve made a very terrible decision," Anastasia said out of the blue with a long sigh.


    Her words got the people present, including Leo, confused, as their eyebrows furrowed as they waited for her to continue.


    "You¡¯re right, Mr. Grey, I should have worked hard enough to get thepany stocks reaching at least 90% like you said."


    A satisfied smile stretched on Mr. Grey¡¯s lips as he and Logan shared a look.


    "How many of you were in support of Mr. Martins and Mr. Grey¡¯s actions."


    Thinking Anastasia approved of what they did, two people raised their hands in the air.


    "We approve of what they did. They have thepany¡¯s best interest at heart. Even though you¡¯ve already changed the name."


    "I see," Anastasia hummed. "However, I simply can¡¯t let this pass. You people have belittled me several times, and I¡¯d let that go. But you truly crossed the line when you people went behind my back and did something so unprofessional."


    The smile on Mr. Grey¡¯s lips faltered.


    "If I remember correctly, in the use, shareholders are not given the permission to act independently without the CEO¡¯s approval. So, because of that I¡¯m buying you all out!"


    "You can¡¯t do that, Mrs. Wace!" Mr. Martins stood up and dered, so did the other ones.


    "This is ridiculous! You can¡¯t be serious right now."


    "Mrs. Wace is absolutely right. Independently deciding for thepany¡¯s affairs is not part of the use," Leo said, interrupting them before they would go overboard. "I am certain this is not the first business you all have invested in, so you should have known better. Or did none of you read the use when signing your contracts!" He questioned, ring at them and making it known to them they were wrong.


    "This is absolute nonsense!" Mr. Martin said.


    "That is all for now," Anastasia stood up and said. "Mywyer will visit you all."


    "You can¡¯t possibly be serious, Mrs Wace. We are the strength of thispany. You simply can¡¯t just buy us out like that."


    Anastasia halted when she reached the door. "Watch me do it!" Then she left.


    **


    <i>At Aurora Heights college,</i>


    "Allison, you have to pass the ball to me."


    "No, Allison. Pass it to me!!"


    Allison huffed a breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly as sweat trickled from her damp hair, sliding down her jawline before dripping onto the ground.


    Her Jersey was all dirty from being nted on the ground several times.


    Quickly, Allison passed the ball to her fellow teammate, who swiftly shot in the ball directly into the goal.


    "Another goal!!" They cheered.


    The referee blew the whistle, signaling them it was time for their breaks.


    Allison rushed out of the field, while a certain person¡¯s re burned in her back.


    "You did great, Allison," Kace cheered for her as he handed her a bottle of chilled water which she grabbed and finished in under a minute. "Are you that thirsty?"


    "If you were water, I would drink you also," Allison replied, taking a seat near him.


    A smile grazed Kace¡¯s lips, but he didn¡¯t bother toment on it.


    Allison¡¯s eyesnded on Olivia, who was talking with her friends.


    Months ago since Natalie released their sex tape, Olivia had been avoiding her, and so was Derek.


    After a few weeks of the video being circted everywhere, a few rumors were released which shadowed the video a little.


    When the video of Michelle was released at the Best Actress Award, the video waspletely shadowed.


    But Allison wasn¡¯t the least bothered by it. She¡¯d gotten what she wanted.


    It was their college¡¯s sports day. Allison signed up for ser, joining an opposite team with Olivia.


    "I got you some ice cream pop," Natalie said, stretching her hand out and handing Allison the ice cream pop.


    Allison appreciated her and they all conversed in some frivolous conversation.


    However, they paused when Allison¡¯s father came out of nowhere and interrupted.


    "Allison, I need to talk to you," he said.


    The trio¡¯s heads turned as their eyes fell on the tattered looking man.


    "Now," he implied.

 Chapter 233: Mr. Nexera

    ¡¯If it¡¯s money he needs from her, I¡¯m sure Allison had already told him she doesn¡¯t have that much money on her to waste on someone like him,¡¯ he thought to himself.


    After the first day, Kace met him at the gate of the college months ago, he¡¯d made sure to do his research on him.


    "How dare you talk to me like that?" Mr. Quinn demanded.


    Kace raised his hand in surrender.


    "I apologize if you felt offended by my words. But no matter how you feel, Allison isn¡¯t leaving here with you especially if she doesn¡¯t want to," Kace responded.


    As if not understanding all that Kace had just said to him, the middle-aged man stared at Allison, but she ignored him as if he didn¡¯t exist.


    "Allison..."


    "Just go away before you embarrass yourself here," she replied, her gaze somewhere else.


    Mr. Quinn gritted his teeth and red at Allison and Kace before he departed from their presence.


    "What¡¯s his problem?" Natalie questioned as she ate her ice cream pop.


    Allison merely shrugged.


    "No idea."


    After the break, Allison continued her game, while Olivia tried to get her a red card by pretending to have been injured. Sadly for her, the referee was sharp enough to realize that Olivia was faking it all.


    Meanwhile, at the back of the college, Mr. Quinn¡¯s hands were sped together, trembling as he pleaded with a group of men. His voice wavered with desperation, eyes darting between their hardened expressions, sweat beaded on his forehead.


    "Where¡¯s the girl?" A man asked.


    "S-she¡¯s not in college today. Turned out she didn¡¯te today," Mr Quinn lied.


    "Are you messing with me today, Franco?" The first man asked as he red at Mr. Quinn. "You told us a moment ago the girl was inside, and now she¡¯s not inside? Do I look like a joke to you?"


    Mr. Quinn started shaking.


    "I didn¡¯t mean that. I thought the same since this is the college she usually goes to. But don¡¯t worry, when I see her again, I will give her to you immediately," he promised.


    The first man who just spoke took a few steps toward Mr. Quinn, brought out the tobo he was smoking, and said, "Your deadline is nearing, Franco. If you don¡¯t pay me soon, I will see to it I have your head instead," he promised, which made Mr. Quinn gulp down his saliva in fear.


    The man gestured for the other men to get in the car and they zoomed off.


    "Don¡¯t worry. When I get a perfect chance, I will inform you so that you cane take her," he said before theypletely zoomed off.


    When they werepletely out of sight, Mr. Quinn resumed gritting his teeth.


    "If I want to seed in my ns, I will have to wait for when she¡¯s alone. That guy could be a problem," he thought out loud.


    **


    In arge office, designed with furnitures that spelled out the word <i>expensive</i> boldly, Anastasia was seated opposite a slightly overweight man, who had long brown hair that could reach his shoulders. However, they were styled into a lower ponytail.


    His ck suit was neatly tailored, surprisingly flitting him despite his size with some diamonds adorned on it.


    With all the packaging, Anastasia doubted he dressed up so well just for this meeting.


    "So, Mr. Nexera, I found out just recently that some of the shareholders from mypany had signed a deal with you, without me being aware of it," Anastasia said.


    Mr. Nexera, the CEO of Nexera Enterprise, sized Anastasia up to down, liking what he was seeing as he nodded his head.


    "I want to terminate all the contracts they¡¯ve signed with you," Anastasia finished.


    "Come on now, you know that¡¯s not how business works, Mrs. Wace," he said, stroking his beard as a grin stretched on his lips. "You¡¯re not the one I signed the contracts with."


    "But it was mypany that was signed in partnership with yours against my approval, so I should at least have the right to terminate it. I don¡¯t want mypany to have anything to do with yours."


    A creepy smile stretched on his lips.


    "Like I said, that¡¯s not how business works, Mrs. Wace," he repeated, his tone firm as he continued to ogle her body.


    Anastasia had to clench her fist to resist smacking him across the face until he turned unconscious.


    "You signed a contract without the presence of the CEO. Also, you didn¡¯t bother to question the shareholders if they had the right to sign on my behalf. You¡¯ve been in this kind of business for decades, Mr. Nexera, so you should know that¡¯s not how business works," she responded, her tone cold and chilling this time around.

 Chapter 234: Evidence

    Thewyer stood, opened his bag and retrieved some documents, then handed it over to Mr. Nexera who wasn¡¯t so pleased with how things were turning out.


    "I¡¯ve stated everything that needs to be done to terminate the contract. However, if you don¡¯t understand a few uses that are written in here, you can contact yourwyer for further exnation," thewyer said.


    Mr. Nexera stared at the document presented on his table before his eyes locked with Anastasia¡¯s.


    "I would like to speak with Mrs. Wace alone for a moment, attorney," he requested.


    Anastasia nodded at her attorney to guide them to privacy.


    Once the attorney was no longer in sight, leaving only Mr. Nexera and Anastasia in the office, the man parted his lips to speak.


    "Isn¡¯t it because you have Mr. Xavier Wace by your side, that you believe you cane to my office with awyer and demand a contract termination?"


    "You should be d I wasn¡¯t taking you to court for what you and the others had done," Anastasia replied softly.


    Mr. Nexera stared at her, his gaze moving from up her thighs before itnded on her eyes again.


    "Let¡¯s be serious now, Mrs Wace. Why did youe to my office looking dressed like that? You want something for me," he dered.


    Allison wasn¡¯t a bit surprised when she heard Mr. Nexera¡¯s words. His actions alone proved he was some dirty nasty man.


    "Look at that dress you¡¯re wearing, you look so sexy in it," he continued, standing up from his chair and moving to stand behind her. "Are you here to seduce me?" He added, licking his lips as he stared at her back.


    Anastasia released a tired sigh and pinched the skin between her eyebrows in frustration, already predicting that was what the man would say.


    Anastasia stared down at her dress which reached below her legs, only releasing a bit of her long legs. But in the eyes of Mr. Nexera, she was there to seduce him.


    "We¡¯re both married, Mr. Nexera, and even if I wasn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t settle for a fucked up pig in the dumb just to get satisfied," Anastasia replied, sizing him up as he¡¯d done earlier.


    "I only came here for business. Now, go through that document and invite yourwyer next time for our next meeting. And when Ie, I hope we won¡¯t have any problems. If there¡¯spensation to be made, I will handle them respectively. Thank you for your time, sir."


    Anastasia picked up her bag and walked around him, making sure his strong perfume didn¡¯t touch her.


    "Also, wipe off that drool on your face." Then she left the office.


    As soon as Anastasia left the office, she released a long sigh of breath.


    ¡¯Why can¡¯t men like him think of something else except what¡¯s hidden under the skirt?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t help but wonder. ¡¯Maybe I should have kicked him between the legs.¡¯


    Anastasia sighed again, rushing out of the building after sharing a few words with herwyer.


    Since Anastasia had bought off four of her shareholders, she would need to advertise herpany to more potential shareholders to get them to invest in herpany.


    Anastasia suddenly got a phone call from Tracie, and Anastasia¡¯s eyes widened in shock when she heard what Tracie said over the phone.


    "Alright, I¡¯ll be right there," Anastasia responded then hung up on the call.


    Getting into her car, she told the two bodyguards Xavier had assigned to keep her safe.


    "Go to the police station."


    When she arrived, Anastasia got inside the station, sighting Michelle and Theodore Perez sitting in a corner.


    Tracie was seated with a bored look on her face, probably waiting for Anastasia.


    "I¡¯m here," Anastasia announced, already starting to feel drained. "So, what do you have?"


    "I have the evidence..." Michelle started with a smirk on her lips. "This is the CCTV camera that recorded when you and your sister had killed my baby."


    Anastasia¡¯s curiosity grew from the tone of Michelle¡¯s voice. There was a confidence in it that intrigued her, making her eager to see the video Michelle had mentioned.


    "I can¡¯t wait to see it," Anastasia responded.

 Chapter 235: Was The Child Yours?

    Now the officer couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Michelle was educated.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Miss Harrison. However, we can¡¯t arrest either of them just because you were pped across the face. What are we supposed to report in the FIR?" The officer asked Michelle which caused her confusion.


    "I was in a crucial stage of my pregnancy at that time, and they pped me which caused me to have a miscarriage. That¡¯s more than enough proof, isn¡¯t it?!" Michelle barked. Theodore had to ce his hand on her shoulder to calm her down. However, he doubted she would be calmed.


    Theodore was furious against Anastasia for releasing clips of Michelle at the event. Even though he wasn¡¯t the one suffering the most blow, he still suffered, and because of the humiliation she caused him at the award show, he took it upon himself to get his revenge on her. He also wanted to make her pay for being the reason behind Michelle¡¯s miscarriage.


    "Miss. Harrison. I¡¯m sorry to say but this is not enough proof to put them in jail like you intend to," the officer tried to say as respectfully as possible since he felt all that he was saying wasn¡¯t passing through the ears of thedy before him. He could also clearly see Michelle was truly hellbent on getting both Anastasia and Tracie behind bars.


    "That¡¯s nonsense! This is more than enough evidence!!" Michelle barked again.


    This was finally her chance to get back at Anastasia for all the torture thetter had caused her, and now, the officer was telling her he couldn¡¯t arrest Anastasia for anything at all.


    "Michelle, what happened to your face?" Anastasia asked out of the blue after keeping quiet for the longest time listening to Michelle b endlessly about getting her arrested.


    At the sound of Anastasia¡¯s voice, Michelle turned her head to face her.


    "You look like you¡¯ve been beaten up." Anastasia finished.


    Michelle¡¯s face turned red with embarrassment. Instinctively, she covered her face with the scarf she¡¯d used to cover her face earlier. However, it seemed that the scarf had fallen onto her shoulder, which gave Anastasia the chance to see the parts of her face that had been bandaged up.


    "Shut up!!" Michelle demanded.


    "She does look pretty beaten up," Tracie added. "Since your face was badly injured by whosoever beat you up, have you filed a case against them?" She finished.


    Michelle¡¯s face turned bright red, her fist clenched by her side as she bit her lips to suppress her rage at that moment.


    "That¡¯s enough!" Theodore interrupted. "What happened is none of your business."


    "You¡¯re right about that, but you two wanted to send us both to jail just because Michelle was pped and had a miscarriage. If she can be vexed so easily, she should file a case immediately to those who did this to her," Anastasia responded.


    Michelle huffed a huge load of breath, trying to calm her steam.


    "What? Can¡¯t she risk sending those people to jail?" Tracie questioned this time around. "If that¡¯s the case, then that can only mean the person who did this to you must be your wife."


    "That¡¯s right! Your wife already knows about your infidelity and must have beaten Michelle up," Anastasia added.


    Michelle felt embarrassed by what they¡¯d said, but she still managed to put herself together and not burst out in anger.


    "Let¡¯s go," She said, pulling Theodore along with her as they left the station.


    When they were about to leave the station, Theodore pulled her back.


    "You don¡¯t have to worry about hering to your penthouse anymore. I¡¯ve informed the security never to let her pass through," he assured her.


    Michelle subtly red at him but didn¡¯t say anything. She was just d Mrs. Perez wouldn¡¯t be paying her an unwanted visit anytime soon.


    "If you¡¯re still worried about the case, then I must see to it that Mrs. Wace goes to jail. I also suffered in that scandal and she must pay for it. But most especially, she must pay for the death of our baby," He promised, a reassuring smile on his lips as he stared at her.


    Michelle returned the smile, and then they both hugged, their minds cooking up a mischievous n against Anastasia.


    "I hate to interrupt the good moment, but there¡¯s something that just came to my mind just recently."


    The couple released themselves when they heard that voice.


    Anastasia wrapped her hand around her chest as she stared at them.


    "You know Theodore, I thought you would be angry at Michelle after finding out that she¡¯d been sleeping with several men before you two met."


    Michelle instantly became high on alert as she stared back at Anastasia.


    "What is your point?" She questioned.


    Ana simply shrugged.


    "My point is, how can you be sure the child she was carrying was yours?"

 Chapter 236: Trade Daughter

    Finally, after a few weeks, Anastasia was able to get capable and responsible shareholders that she knew she could trust, and herpany had been running smoothly for the past month.


    After the time they saw in the police station, Anastasia never saw Michelle again, and she couldn¡¯t help but wonder where thetter was, or what she could be up to.


    However, Anastasia didn¡¯t bother herself much with that as she buried her head in loads of paperwork.


    <i>At Aurora Heights College,</i>


    Allison was going about her day when she noticed her father staring at her from the gate. He¡¯d beening to the college longer than necessary these days, and she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what he wanted from her to be following her about each time.


    "What¡¯s he doing here again?" Natalie, who was standing beside Allison questioned, her eyes on Mr. Quinn. "This is the third time this week he¡¯de here."


    "His presence alone creeps me out. Plus the way he¡¯s staring at me as if I¡¯m some treasure," Allison said with a long sigh.


    Natalie patted her on the back gently.


    "Do you mind if I stay at your ce again? I¡¯m sure he¡¯s going to go back home and wait for me there," Allison requested, her eyes still on her father who hadn¡¯t moved from his spot.


    "Of course, I don¡¯t mind. You can stay as long as you want," Natalie replied.


    For the past few weeks since Mr. Quinn has beening to the college to see Allison, whichpletely creeped her out, she¡¯d decided to move in with Natalie for the meantime until he¡¯d stopped. Especially after she met him at home one time, talking with some strange men. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t hear them properly since she was a few meters away.


    Allison also had not seen Kace for the past few weeks, and he¡¯d always text back saying he was busy with work, which only got her wondering what he does.


    After staring at her creepy father for a few more minutes, Allison and Natalie went about their way, attending their next ss together.


    Meanwhile, Olivia had been listening to their conversations quietly while she pretended to speak with a few ssmates, nced at Allison¡¯s father, also wondering what he was doing at their university.


    When Mr. Quinn sighted her, he beckoned for her toe over, which creeped her out also.


    Just when she was about to leave, her curiosity piqued. She turned to face Allison¡¯s father again.


    Sighing, she moved her legs to walk over to him.


    "What?" She questioned, her tone sharp and firm.


    "I need you to help me bring Allison outside," he requested.


    Olivia frowned deeply.


    "Why can¡¯t you tell her that yourself? You saw her here a moment ago didn¡¯t you?" Olivia questioned with a tone of curiosity this time around.


    Mr. Quinn released a sigh, wondering if Olivia would assist him with his ns.


    "We had a huge argument, you see? So, she has been avoiding me. I want to talk things out with her but she has been avoiding me as you can see," he exined.


    Olivia cocked her eyebrows in confusion. She¡¯s been <i>best friends </i>with Allison since high school, so she was aware of the struggle Allison had to face in the past just to cater to her family, especially since she was a part of that struggle.


    Mr. Quinn continued when Olivia stayed silent, "Since the both of you are friends, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult for you to get her toe and talk to me right? I just want to exin myself to her before things escte."


    Olivia¡¯s eyes turned cold when she heard Mr. Quinn.


    "We¡¯re not friends anymore," she corrected. "If you need help with talking to her, then I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t help you with anything. Allison and I don¡¯t speak to each other anymore. You¡¯re on your own." Then she left without giving him a chance to try to convince her further.


    Mr. Quinn gnashed his teeth together in anger as she red at Olivia¡¯s retreating.


    However, he wasn¡¯t willing to give up just yet. He needed to trade Allison for the money he owed, or else he would lose his life.


    A few hourster, the sky was already dark as the buildings got emptier and emptier.


    However, Allison had not stepped out yet.


    All of a sudden, Mr Quinn got a phone call from the same man whom he owed debt to.


    "Do you have the girl with you, Franco?!!" The person roared from the other side of the phone.


    Mr. Quinn wiped off the sweat on his forehead, nodding his head as if the collector was present to see his action.


    "She¡¯s in her college, I¡¯ve seen her. You can send your men over so that when shees out, you can take her away immediately," he responded.

 Chapter 237: Evil Ex-Friend

    Mr. Quinn was too frightened to speak, so he only kept quiet.


    He wasn¡¯t sure at what level of hatred the two girls probably had for each other since they didn¡¯t speak anymore. However, Olivia was still Allison¡¯s friend at some point, so he was worried she might run off to inform them of his n.


    "It¡¯s not what you think," he tried to convince her.


    Olivia was curious again about what Allison might have possibly done to her father for the man to want to get rid of his daughter¡ªintentionally.


    "It¡¯s exactly what I think. And just so you know, I overheard your phone call a few hours ago," she dropped the bomb.


    Mr. Quinn¡¯s heart sank into his stomach, feeling it churn as he tried to think of words to say to defend himself. But no matter what he tried to say, he couldn¡¯t say a single word.


    "So, that was what you needed help with? You want Allison alone so that the goons you¡¯ve sent would kidnap her?" Olivia went on, scaring the man before her without even realizing it.


    The corners of her lips stretched into an undeniable evil smile as an unfathomable glint passed through her eyes, which Mr Quinn caught immediately.


    "You don¡¯t have to worry about anything, Mr. Quinn, I won¡¯t tell on you," she said, her smile still on her lips which had started to creep the man out already. "Although, you have to promise me something."


    **


    "Today¡¯s ss drained me," Natalie mumbled under her breath as she tried to stretch her aching back. The satisfying crack of her tense bones echoed through the room, and she let out a relieved moan. "Now, that¡¯s the stuff," she sighed, finally feeling a bit of tension leave her body.


    Allison giggled lightly.


    "Today¡¯s ss took longer than necessary because of that slow poke professor," she responded, following cue as she stretched her back also, relieving the bones. "Thankfully, we will be graduating in a few months. Then, we can throw our caps in the air and wave Mr. Slow Poke a bye-bye." Then she settled on her seat as they waited for the bus to arrive.


    "I doubt he would be quick enough to wave back in time. It would probably be the year 2100 before he does," Natalie replied.


    Allison giggled one more time, but it was immediately reced when a yawn came through.


    "When is this damn bus going to arrive?" Natalie mumbled again, fighting her eyshes to stay awake.


    Just when Natalie¡¯s eyes were about topletely close, she heard the most annoying voice in her life calling out for Allison.


    Her eyes snapped open, ring in red as she red at Olivia.


    "Even at night, you never forget to cluck like a chicken," she spewed.


    Olivia was instantly offended by Natalie¡¯s remark, however, she¡¯de with a very important mission. So, all she could do was gulp down her remarks and turn to Allison.


    "I want to talk to you about something," she said.


    In sync, a deep frown settled on the other two girl¡¯s faces as soon as Olivia¡¯s words dropped down from her mouth. They sized her up, immediately judging her.


    "Did you not hear me? I want to talk to you about something. And in case I wasn¡¯t clear, I want to talk to you in private," Olivia added when their silence stretched for too long.


    "And what could you possibly want to talk to me about?" Allison asked, her arms folded around her chest.


    "I want to apologize for what happened. For how I¡¯ve been treating you, but not in front of her." Olivia¡¯s eyes aggressivelynded on Natalie, making it known to thetter she was referring to her.


    "I¡¯m telling you, Allison, there¡¯s nothing good that¡¯s going toe out of her mouth once you leave with her. And also, why do you want to talk to her now? Why didn¡¯t you just talk when we were still in college?" Natalie asked, her tone sounding suspicious. A small line of sweat trailed down Olivia¡¯s back.


    ¡¯You ask too many questions. Maybe, when Allison is getting kidnapped, I can throw you into the van or whatever and get rid of you too,¡¯ Olivia thought to herself.


    Instead of responding to Natalie, her eyesnded on Allison who was giving her a scrutinizing gaze.


    "It¡¯s alright, Natalie, I¡¯ll go with her," Allison turned, giving Natalie a knowing look.


    Once thetter picked up the message, she rxed lightly.


    Together, Allison and Olivia walked further back where no one would hear them because Olivia suggested that was the only private ce that was near.


    "Let¡¯s cut to the chase, Olivia. You and I both know you¡¯re not going to apologize. So, what do you want from me?" Allison asked, her hands tightly wrapped around a certain object.

 Chapter 238: Big Booty

    However, just when she was about to walk away, Allison felt herself being pulled away with a stronger and tougher grip.


    When she turned to look at who was holding her, Allison instantly felt her heart fall into her stomach.


    "Let me go!!" She demanded from her father, trying to yank her wrist off his hold, but he held it too tightly as a creepy smile settled on his lips. The kind of smile Allison was sure she would have nightmares about.


    "You are not going anywhere today Allison," He dered, which earned him a frown from her.


    Behind him, Allison spotted two ck vans driving towards them with speed.


    Without waiting for the van to stop so she could see who was inside, Allison raised her knee and kicked her father in between his legs, which made him yelp in pain.


    Then, she brought out her pepper spray and sprayed it all over his eyes before he could find a chance to escape.


    "Allison, what are you doing?" Olivia questioned, her mouth hanging open as she stared at Mr. Quinn¡¯s condition in shock.


    Without paying attention to what Olivia was about to spew from her mouth, Allison ran away from there while the men she was sure were bad news ran after her.


    "HELP!!" Allison pleaded for help before the men would catch up to her.


    She was still a few distance away from Natalie, and there was only a slight chance thetter could hear her.


    "HELP ME!!"


    Her cries for help were muffled when her mouth was covered with a handkerchief.


    Even so, before she could inhale the content soaked with the fabric, Allison jabbed the strange man on his ribs, making him release her on default as he cried out in pain.


    For the past few months, Allison had decided to take a self-defense ss, just in case. And now, it seemed like that decision was paying off.


    "TF!!! She jabbed me in the motherfucking ribs!!"


    "She¡¯s just a girl. Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t handle just one girl!!" The main collector mocked, smoking tobo with a smirk on his lips as he watched his men chase after Allison, trying to get her to the van. "I didn¡¯t know you had such a beautiful daughter, Franco. She¡¯s worth the trade and even more."


    The collector took out a bag and threw it at Mr. Quinn, who was trying to get the pepper spray out of his eyes.


    "That¡¯s five hundred thousand dors I topped in for ya since your daughter is extremely beautiful," the collector said. "I can¡¯t wait to bring her to my home and do whatever I want to do with her."


    Mr. Quinn didn¡¯t bother with anything else the collector was saying since his eyes were focused on the money inside the bag,pletely forgetting his burning eyes.


    Meanwhile, Allison tried to fight off the men who were hell-bent on abducting her at midnight. Sadly, her unadvanced self-defense skills were no match against these men.


    After spraying a few with her pepper spray, they sessfully kicked it out of her hands.


    "Don¡¯te near me!" She demanded, taking a few steps back although they kept on closing the gap.


    "She¡¯s beautiful, that¡¯s a check! But who would have imagined she was so feisty?" A man, whoughed, revealing his damaged tooth expressed.


    "I was surprised also."


    Without further talking, they grabbed Allison, took her towards the van, and threw her in there kicking and screaming.


    Then the bag of money in Mr. Quinn¡¯s hands were snatched away.


    "You¡¯ll get this money back after we¡¯ve arrived and I know for sure no one will be following us as we drive to the location," the collector exined. "Put him in the van also."


    Mr. Quinn was thrown in a separate van while Olivia tried to enter.


    "Where are you going, girl?"


    "I want to go as well. I made a deal with Mr. Quinn and since money is involved, I¡¯m getting a share of it," Olivia responded.


    The collector nced at her, amazed with how bold she was.


    "Alright, get in there." He opened the door for her and she got in all in the name of money. While the collector¡¯s eyes were focused on her booty. "What a big booty." He mumbled.


    After they were in, the van drove away.

 Chapter 239: Goons!!

    "Go away, bastard," she cursed under her breath.


    "Oh my oh my, she looks so cute when she¡¯s mad, don¡¯t you think Ned?"


    The guy called Ned nodded in agreement. "Indeed she is. But I doubt she can keep up with that feisty attitude of hers when she stays a few days at her new home."


    ¡¯New home?¡¯ Allison thought, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.


    Even so, she didn¡¯t bother to ask them what they met.


    The van was dark¡ªjust like beyond the closed windows¡ªshaking due to the unsmoothened road, which only made Allison wonder how long they¡¯d been driving, and how far they were still going to go.


    As if someone had heard her inner thoughts, one of the men questioned the driver, "How long till we get to Silverwood?"


    "Five minutes more. We¡¯re almost there," the driver responded.


    ¡¯Silverwood. That town is very close to Radiantia,¡¯ Allison thought to herself, a little more relieved she wasn¡¯t far from Radiantia.


    But then, she wasn¡¯t going to let herself be dragged by unknown men however they wanted.


    She red at the top of Olivia¡¯s head. As though thetter could feel it, she turned to smile at Allison.


    "Don¡¯t worry, your life will get pretty interesting from now on," Olivia said.


    Allison silently gnashed her teeth in anger, waiting for the perfect moment she would be able to deal with Olivia more properly.


    Within the few minutes left, Allison tried toe up with a n so that she could escape from these people¡ªfrom her father. He needed to be punished for what he¡¯d done.


    "We¡¯re here," the driver announced, as the van moved in slow motion, probably parking somewhere.


    Allison immediately readied herself as she was dragged out of the car.


    When they got out of the van, Allison came to realize they were actually in the bush, in the middle of nowhere.


    "Let¡¯s go quickly, I¡¯m sure the boss will love to meet our new catfish. We caught a good one today, so he should give us a bonus don¡¯t you think?" The collector said, rushing to lead them.


    Allison suddenly realized the boss had a boss.


    ¡¯What kind of messed up shit is this?¡¯ Allison couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    "Hold up a second!" Olivia said, catching everyone¡¯s attention. "What about the money you were supposed to give to Mr. Quinn? You said if you arrive here without any hassle in case someone follows you, you would give him the money. Then from there, I can get my share, so where¡¯s the money?"


    The collector chuckled lightly.


    "I must say you¡¯re quite brave to follow us here since you don¡¯t even know who we are. You don¡¯t even know the kind of business we¡¯re into." The collector took a closer step toward her. "Since we¡¯re here, how about we take you as well? Although...." The collector trailed off, ncing between Allison and Olivia with squinted eyes as if he were measuring something. "This white-haired beauty is more beautiful than you. You¡¯re filled with stics."


    Allison¡¯s jaws dropped in shock when she heard the collector¡¯s words. This wasn¡¯t aughing moment but she couldn¡¯t help but sniffle outughter.


    Meanwhile, the other goons didn¡¯t even try to hold back. They roared like animals simr to the ones in the bush if there was one.


    Olivia scrunched up her nose, feeling utterly embarrassed, but she didn¡¯t remark.


    The collector was right anyway. She didn¡¯t know them.


    "You¡¯re right about me not knowing you, but did you think I would follow you people down here, without a single ounce of security all in the name of money?" She questioned, darting her eyes between them. "My dad is a policeman, and I¡¯ve sent him my location."


    The goons that wereughing instantly fell quiet, their bodies stiff as they immediately became alert.


    "I don¡¯t know what kind of business you¡¯re up to, but I certainly won¡¯t risk my life just for money. Which is why I sent my father my location, informing him I was going to a party. So in case I¡¯m homete, he knows where to find me," she finished.


    The goons nced at each other, realizing they¡¯d picked up the wrong kind of girl.


    "But you don¡¯t have to worry about any of that, I promise you. Well, as long as you torture her enough wherever you¡¯re taking her because she deserves it for everything she had done to me!"


    "Wait wait... your father is a cop?" The collector questioned Olivia.


    "Are you slow?" She questioned back. "If you¡¯re worried I might report to him regarding the illegal business I¡¯m witnessing, then you have nothing to worry about. Just make sure she doesn¡¯t live a peaceful life wherever you¡¯re taking her."

 Chapter 240: We’re Not In A Relationship!!

    Allison smiled at his back but didn¡¯t bother to call for him.


    In silence, the men dragged Allison to the main location.


    However, as they neared, they noticed there was not a single light in the building.


    "What happened? Why is everywhere so quiet today?" One of the goons questioned.


    "You three go check immediately," the collector questioned, leaving four men behind.


    Two held Allison tightly, ensuring she wouldn¡¯t escape.


    "I wonder what happened," one of the goons holding onto her wondered, his distracted brain unintentionally letting his hand go loose around hers.


    "And what¡¯s up with that smoke? Did the hideout get intruded?" The second person holding onto Allison wondered as well.


    When Allison finally got her chance, she jabbed the one on her left hard on the chest, and he staggered back beforending on the muddy ground.


    Before the goon loosely holding onto her right hand could react, she kicked him between the legs, before hitting a sensitive spot on the nape that made him lose consciousness instantly.


    "What the fuck¡ª!!" The collector cursed when he saw two of his men lying on the ground. One was unconscious and the other was bleeding from his mouth. "What did you do?!" He questioned.


    The guy standing beside the collector immediately rushed to Allison and pulled her hard by the hair, which made her yell in pain.


    "You¡¯re starting to annoy me now. Don¡¯t move an inch, else I¡¯ll slit your throat before we even get in there," the goon ordered, but Allison ignored his orders. Swiftly, she bent low, almost in a squatting position, reached from under her legs, and pulled him down, making him fall.


    Without giving him the chance to try to get back up, Allison reached for the nearest rock and hit it hard against his legs, making sure to crush his bones so he wouldn¡¯t be able to chase after her when she escaped.


    Although she was hellbent on escaping, she made sure to fight with the right mind.


    If she killed a person, now that would be another problem.


    The goon screamed while trying to escape from Allison but she continued to crush his legs.


    "Don¡¯t move," the collector suddenly said. Allison heard the clicking sound of a metal. She turned to face the collector, and immediately, she paled. "Or I will shoot," he finished. "Now, drop the rock and I wanna see your hands up in the air."


    Allison quickly dropped the rock. She¡¯d given it a thought one of them must be with a gun. They were criminals after all.


    "I knew you were tough, but I didn¡¯t know you were this tough. But did you have to beat my men up like this?!!" He demanded. "You¡¯ve been creating trouble for me today and¡ª-"


    Before he couldplete his sentence, the sound of a fired bullet could be heard in the area.


    The collector stared down at his belly where he was bleeding, unable to fathom what had just happened.


    Unfortunately for him, before he could turn to find out who¡¯d just shot him, he dropped dead on the ground, revealing his shooter.


    Despite being terrified by the fired bullet, the shock on Allison¡¯s face when she saw the person who shot the collector immediately reced it.


    "Allison!!" Kace called out to her, running towards her and immediately enveloping her in a deep, warming up.


    Her body instantly went stiff, as her head tried to calcte if Kace had reached her through the speed of light or hearing. She¡¯d not been sure if he would be able to save her, but he still made it.


    Now she couldn¡¯t help but wonder how he¡¯d gotten there so quickly.


    "I¡¯m so sorry for beingte," he quickly apologized, his arms going tighter around her body as he kept her close.


    When he released her, he didn¡¯t waste a second and captured her lips into a passionate kiss, his one hand ced around her waist, and the other at the back of her head.


    ¡¯We¡¯re not in a rtionship!!¡¯ Allison screamed in her head when she felt Kace slip his hot tongue into her mouth, her eyes slowly closing as she tried to push him away from her but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do so.

 Chapter 241: Passionate Kiss

    "Why do you have a gun? And how did you get here so quickly?"


    Kace didn¡¯t bother to hide the gun since Allison had already seen him use it.


    It turned out that when he got the beep on his wristwatch, which came from Allison¡¯s wristwatch, he noticed she was heading to the area where he was already. Silverwood.


    "Is this your girl?"


    Both of them suddenly heard the voice of a man d in a ck suit with a gigantic height.


    Allison knew she was short, but standing next to the man before her made her feel downright tiny. Compared to his towering frame, she might as well have been the height of an ant.


    Kace was already taller than her with almost a foot, but Xavier was so towering tall, that she had to crane her neck to look up at him.


    "Not at all, sir...."


    Xavier¡¯s gaze flickered from Kace to Allison whom he recognized to be Anastasia¡¯s makeup artist.


    "Your arms are bleeding. Kace, take her to the medic to get her injuries treated before it gets infected. I will have the others take care of the bodies here," Xavier said.


    Allison stared at both Kace and Xavier, wondering what they could both be doing there.


    From where she stood, she could see some women being taken to arge van, and her eyes didn¡¯t miss the guns the other men were carrying, including Xavier himself.


    She gave Kace a questionable look, but he only smiled at her but didn¡¯t exin anything.


    Gently, he took her to the same van where those girls were taken to get treated.


    When Allison saw the girls, their eyes were so shallow and empty that, for a moment, she almost mistook them for lifeless dolls. There was something haunting about their vacant expressions, as if the spark of life had been drained from them. It didn¡¯t escape her notice that they looked younger than her.


    What shocked her the most was when she saw a nine-year-old, having the same expression as the ones who looked older. However, they still looked like teenagers.


    Allison wanted to talk to them, but she stopped when she noticed their bodies shaking under the nket they¡¯d used to wrap around their bodies to prevent them from the chilling night wind.


    She looked down at Kace who was bringing out a first aid kit.


    As if feeling her gaze, he raised his head to look up at her.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I will tell you everythingter. For now, there¡¯s nothing you should be afraid of."


    He dabbed some cotton wool into the spirit bottle before cing it on her bruises.


    "I didn¡¯t know you could fight so well. You took three guys down so easily," heplimented.


    "I had to. I wasn¡¯t some kind of property to be sold," she said.


    Kace¡¯s hands paused on her wrist.


    "Tell me what happened!!"


    Allison sighed before she parted her lips to exin to Kace everything that had happened that day. How her father had sold her to some gang in exchange for some money. And then Olivia meddles by luring her away. And then how she¡¯d managed to fight her way out before he shot the collector.


    After speaking, Allison could see his jaws clench tightly.


    "It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re safe. I¡¯ll take care of the rest," he assured her as he continued to nurse her wounds.


    When he was done, he handed her a nket, gave her a cup of hot chocte to keep her warm, and patted her head like a child before he left.


    "I want to kill someone tonight," Kace vented as soon as he reached where Xavier was together with their men, inspecting the house they¡¯d just intruded to make sure there was no victim they¡¯d missed.


    "You¡¯ve killed a whole lot of people tonight, Kace. How many more do you want to kill?" Xavier asked him, his eyes under a shabby bed made of wood, making sure no kid hid under it due to the loud gunshots that had been fired earlier.


    "I want to kill someone in particr," Kace said, following behind Xavier and doing the same.


    Xavier stopped in his tracks, turned to face Kace with a cocked go eyebrow.


    "You sound mad," he stated. "Hmm...if you¡¯re that mad about this person, and you¡¯re sure they did you wrong. Go ahead and kill them," he finished.


    "I want to kill Franco Quinn, Allison¡¯s father. Can you believe he sold Allison just to pay his debt?"


    Xavier paused in his tracks again, looking very confused.


    "He sold her to the human trafficking ring?" He asked. "Intentionally."


    "I honestly don¡¯t know if he thought women are treated like princesses over here, but he has crossed the line this time."


    Kace found it hard to control his rage at that moment. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder what would have happened if he¡¯d been any secondte.

 Chapter 242: Comeback

    Regarding Olivia, Kace manipted the board of directors of the college to expel both Olivia and Derek permanently.


    Sadly for them, their graduation was around the corner. Kace also made sure no college, be it from Radiantia or any other city, would ept them as their student.


    **


    "You want to go back to being an actress?" Kace asked Anastasia, half of his attention on the sports game ying on the TV and the other half on her.


    "Yup!" She nodded enthusiastically. "Do you remember Director Jeunes? He had a movie proposal for me, so he gave me a role. I already miss being on set with my coworkers, reading scripts, and saying my lines..."


    She let out a long sigh, her eyes closing as she allowed herself to relive those moments. The memories of the excitement, the camaraderie, and the creative energy on set filled her with a sense of nostalgia.


    She¡¯d not thought about going back to her main career of being an actress since she reimed all of her properties and got her revenge. The problems with the shareholders, Michelle, and finding new investorspletely took all of her time and shining on stage never crossed her mind again until now.


    "What about yourpany? Who¡¯s going to be in charge?" Kace asked.


    "Leo will. I know he¡¯s capable and I trust he can handle thepany well. When I¡¯m less busy, I can go check thing over there," she exined.


    Kace simply nodded, stuffing his mouth with another load of popcorn which got Anastasia thinking, ¡¯Does he love popcorn that much?¡¯


    "How¡¯s Allison? Is she feeling better now?" She asked with concernced in her tone.


    "Much better than before," he reassured. "We¡¯re dating now," he announced, which didn¡¯t take Ana by surprise at all.


    "Took you long enough," shemented. Without warning, she smacked him on the head. "I¡¯m happy for you bro."


    Kace shot her a side re, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.


    "Kael!! Kace finally got a girlfriend, when are you getting one?!!" She yelled loud enough for Kael to hear from the kitchen.


    "I¡¯m not getting one!!" He yelled back.


    "That brother of yours is pretty shy," Kace whispered to Ana.


    "I heard that!!" Kael snapped, and the duo burst intoughter.


    Xavier came down the stairs, took a seat beside Ana, and gently pulled her close. He pressed a tender kiss to her forehead before lifting her chin, his eyes meeting hers for a moment, and then softly pecked her on the lips.


    "Urgh!! Do you have to do this here?" Kace mumbled, ring at the both of them.


    Hearing hisint, Xavier purposely deepened the kiss.


    "Alright, I¡¯m outta here." Kace carried his popcorn and walked off to the kitchen.


    "Congrats on your new movie contract," Xavier said, pulling out a box from his hand and handing it over to her.


    With excitement, Anastasia opened the box and saw the prettiest diamond ne she¡¯d ever seen before.


    Although she¡¯d been the brand ambassador for so many brands, Anastasia couldn¡¯tpare the diamond nes she¡¯d seen them produce with the one Xavier gave to her.


    It was elegantly adorned with clear, sparkling diamonds, each one perfectly set to catch the light. At the center, a striking ruby diamondmanded attention. Its deep, luxurious color stood out brilliantly against the surrounding stones.


    "Thank you so much¡ª-"


    Her appreciation was muffled when a kiss was nted on her lips.


    "I¡¯ve told you to stop thanking me."


    Xavier took the ne and wore it around her neck.


    "You look beautiful," heplimented.


    Allison had to bite her lips to stop the butterflies fluttering in her stomach.


    "I feel like barfing now." Both of them heard from the kitchen.


    "Don¡¯t barf when I¡¯m cooking, go somewhere else," Kael ordered, in his casual fit with an apron protecting his clothes.


    Kace red at Kael before kicking thetter on the butt.


    Together, they entered the kitchen to continue whatever Kael was cooking.


    Anastasia pulled out her phone to take a proper look at the cast of the movie she was starring in.


    She continued to scroll, but paused when her eyesnded on a familiar name.


    ¡¯Viviana Perez?¡¯ She wondered, collectively remembering the name sounded familiar. ¡¯It can¡¯t be that Viviana, right?¡¯

 Chapter 243: I Don’t Even Know You

    "The past is the past. The main important thing is that Anastasia was alive," the other producer said.


    Due to her real identity getting revealed, her name needed to be changed in everything she¡¯d signed it with.


    Since it was a legal contract, it took some time before it could all be finalized again.


    But after seeing the news themselves, thepanies she¡¯d signed contracts with using her fake name decided to take things easy.


    They decided to change the topic, speaking about a few things before the other cast members arrived.


    And then finally, the person Anastasia wanted to meet finally arrived.


    It was none other than Viviana Perez, the actress who starred in the same movie with Anastasia and Selene three years ago. Michelle¡¯s worshiper, but she doubted Michelle had any worshiper anymore after all she¡¯d done in the past.


    It was the same actress who used Anastasia of purposely stabbing Michelle on the set of <i>The Sinner</i> without any evidence.


    Anastasia could only hope Viviana wouldn¡¯t cause her any trouble at the set, especially since herst name was Perez, the daughter of Theodore Perez.


    Viviana exchanged a look with Anastasia, and thetter didn¡¯t fail to notice the hostility in them.


    ¡¯Wow! Another one I need to get rid of?¡¯ Anastasia wondered while releasing an inaudible long tired sigh.


    "Wee everyone, shall we begin?" Director Jeunes asked.


    Discussions were made regarding how the movie was to be produced and directed, the plots arranged, and how the personalities of the characters were to be portrayed.


    Then the scripts were shared.


    Throughout the meeting, Ana didn¡¯t fail to notice whenever she opened her mouth to speak, Viviana would rush her to it. And if she was speaking, Viviana would immediately interrupt her, making her voice louder so she could get the whole attention.


    Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but rub her forehead in frustration.


    ¡¯I¡¯m already starting to get a headache because of this girl.¡¯ She thought to herself.


    A few hourster, the meeting was adjourned and the schedules were shared.


    Anastasia grabbed her bag and intended to leave but she was called by Viviana.


    "Hi, Selene! Oops, I meant Anastasia," Viviana corrected, cing her hand over her mouth in a dramatic gesture. "How are you doing? I saw everything that happened on the news. Do you feel alright?" She asked as if she was the sweetest person around.


    Anastasia subconsciously yawned immediately when Viviana started bbing like an unscrewed tap.


    Since Xavier has returned, they¡¯d both been fucking like animals because they¡¯d missed each other so much. She couldn¡¯t wait toe home so they could resume from where they stopped.


    ¡¯Two can y this game.¡¯


    "I¡¯m very good actually. It¡¯s not been easy since I¡¯ve taken charge of mypany. How about you? I saw on the inte that your father, Theodore Perez cheated on your mother with Michelle Harrison. Are you okay dear?" Anastasia asked, her concern sounding so genuine, that anyone who heard her speaking would believe she cared for Viviana.


    Meanwhile, the girl¡¯s face had turned red in embarrassment. She nced around, making sure no one was around to hear what she was going to say.


    "Because of you, my family is on the brink of destruction. All because of you! Why can¡¯t you mind your own business for once?" Viviana¡¯s voice was sharp, her wordsced with anger, but they had no impact. Anastasia remained unfazed, her expression calm and unreadable as she stared back at Viviana, undeterred by the outburst.


    "Mind my business? Believe me, I¡¯ve tried, but how could I keep my mouth shut when Michelle was begging me to upload those videos? I mean, if she¡¯d been a good girl, there wouldn¡¯t have been any videos to upload in the first ce, would there?" Anastasia questioned back, covering her mouth with the back of her hand as she yawned.


    "You didn¡¯t even think about how this could have affected my family," Viviana nearly bellowed.


    "Bitch I don¡¯t even know you," Anastasia retorted. "But if your family is getting destroyed, that¡¯s none of my concern. It¡¯s not like I was the one who cheated with your father, or your father that cheated on your mother," Anastasia reminded, a mocking smile on her lips.


    "If you want to get back at the people that destroyed your family, leave me out of it. I¡¯ve been dealing with enemies for too long already, and I wouldn¡¯t want to add you to my bucket list."


    Anastasia pulled her bags close to her and left.


    Viviana¡¯s fists were clenched in anger, her pulse racing before she mmed the balled fist into the wall.


    "Since you destroyed my family, it would only be fair that I destroy yours too."

 Chapter 244: Michelle Has Disappeared

    The actors all cheered happily, pping their hands together for a few moments before they scattered to prepare for their scenes.


    Anastasia was shown her makeup room, finding Allison and Natalie there just as she¡¯d requested a few days ago.


    "I missed you two so much!!" She said enthusiastically, rushing to envelope them in a hug. "How was your graduation party?"


    The girls went on to fill her in on their graduation party which urred a few days ago as they got her hair and makeup done.


    When they finished, Anastasia got out of the makeup room, ready to walk to the stage to have her lines said.


    <i>Furry Veil </i>was a modern movie about a girl who lost her sister and her parents in a car crash. A few yearster, the girl finds out that the car crash that killed her parents wasn¡¯t idental, it was intentional because her parents knew the secret of a well-known politician who portrayed himself as an angel to the people.


    The female lead, Anastasia tries to find her sister and make the politician pay, but then she falls in love with the son of the politician.


    When the corrupt politician realized she was the daughter of the people he¡¯d asked his men to get rid of, he tried to get rid of her.


    Before they buried the female lead alive, she was able to spot the ex-girlfriend of the politician¡¯s son she was in love with, watching as they buried her under the ground without trying to save her.


    After she was rescued, she came back for revenge. Towards the end of the movie, the female lead finds out that the ex-girlfriend of the politician¡¯s son was the sister she¡¯d been looking for.


    In <i>Fury Veil, </i>Viviana is portrayed as the female lead¡¯s missing sister.


    Anastasia sighted Viviana speaking with a few casts but she was too far away to hear what they were saying. When they spoke, she could see them from the corners of their eyes, give her side nces before they wouldugh, and then their expression wouldpletely change to irritation as they sized her up.


    When it was time, director Jeunes red, "Action," nearly deafening the people beside him, including producer Michael who red at him.


    Anastasia tried to fight off with the men who were holding her off but then they were too strong for her to fight.


    Her character was still weak, so she tried not to use her actual strength to beat them up and escape.


    However, when the scene was shot, the director red through the microphone again.


    "That was great!" Martha praised when she reached where Anastasia was standing. "You did great as always."


    "Come on, she didn¡¯t even do half as good as I expected her to." They both heard Viviana say from behind them. "You don¡¯t have any talent at all, but somehow, you always manage to get a movie role with the big and influential filmmakers, and I keep wondering why. But I guess what Michelle said years ago was true, you do sleep with the filmmakers."


    Martha and Anastasia nced at each other, wondering how what they were talking about had initially involved Viviana for her to butt into their conversation without their permission.


    "And you¡¯ll continue to do so because you don¡¯t have any talent at all¡ª"


    "And I suppose you¡¯re the one who¡¯s got the talent?" Martha stated. "Well then..." She folded her hands around her chest. "Since you¡¯re so talented, have you won any award with it?"


    Anastasia spotted two girls behind Viviana, who muffled theirughter when they heard Martha¡¯s words, and they seemed to be around Viviana¡¯s age.


    Meanwhile, Viviana felt like a hot iron had just been used to smack her across the face. Her face turned red in embarrassment, her hands clenched on her dress as she red at Martha.


    "Sweetie, if you know you can¡¯t take a blow, don¡¯t bother throwing one first," Martha continued, enjoying the girl¡¯s expression.


    Viviana had wanted to shame Anastasia, but instead, she¡¯d been shamed by Martha.


    "I think you should get going now. Your scene is almost up. Go practice your lines or something and leave us alone," Anastasia said this time around.


    She patted Viviana¡¯s head like a child which only got thetter more annoyed.


    "You¡¯re only attacking the wrong person. Michelle was the one who ruined your family. I wasn¡¯t," she finished.


    "Michelle has disappeared," Viviana spouted with rage.

 Chapter 245: Diana

    "Like you said, your family was destroyed but it wasn¡¯t Ana¡¯s fault. You should be thanking her because she found out your father was cheating on your mother with another woman which could have broken your home anyway," she reasoned. Unfortunately, Viviana thought she was joking.


    "You have to be kidding me. Thank her? If she¡¯d just kept quiet then everything would have been fine."


    "It seems to me you¡¯re hellbent on ming my dear Anastasia for what happened to your family," Martha responded with a long sigh. "You were once a fan of Michelle and I think it¡¯s because of your loyalty as her fan you don¡¯t want to go after her even before she disappeared. So you went after Anastasia because you¡¯ve always despised her, am I correct Viviana?"


    Viviana¡¯s eyes squinted at Martha.


    "You just can¡¯t find anyone else to me except Anastasia which is quite childish honestly if you ask me."


    They heard the soft giggle ofughter from the girls behind Viviana once again.


    "But the past is the past and nothing can ever change the past, darling," Martha said sweetly as a soft smile stretched on her lips which didn¡¯t reach her eyes at all. "So instead of ming Anastasia for your father¡¯s mistake, maybe you should grow up and confront him since he¡¯s the cause."


    Viviana opened her mouth to intend to speak, but Martha beat her to it.


    "You remember what director Jeunes and producer Michael said today right?" She asked and Viviana could only bite her lips in rage as she scowled at the both of them.


    "Now, be a good girl and leave. I wouldn¡¯t want to taint my image because of a pesky little fly like yourself," Martha finished, her smile still evident on her lips as if they were merely talking about the weather and when was the best time to go have brunch.


    Viviana held the silent Anastasia at the back of her mind before she left, going back to meet her girls.


    "You sure have a lot of action in you I had no idea about," Anastasiamented after Viviana hadpletely disappeared from their sight.


    Martha shrugged.


    "I only told her the words she deserved to hear."


    "Hearing? I¡¯m sure she did, but I doubt she understood it," Anastasia replied.


    Martha chuckled lightly. "In that case, I better not waste my energy next time."


    Now Anastasia was the one to chuckle lightly.


    They went about their day, continuing to act their scenes.


    Since it was the first day of the movie being produced, so much had to be done.


    "Cut!!" Director Jeunes red through the microphone. "Diana, you¡¯ve gotten that part wrong several times. I¡¯ve told you repeatedly, that¡¯s not how you say the lines," he said to the young actress who was already starting to quiver under the scorching hot sun.


    "I-I¡¯m sorry, director J-Jeunes. I-I will do better," the young actress called Diana replied, her fingers ying with each other with anxiety.


    Director Jeunes sighed but still nodded anyway.


    "Action!!" He red once more.


    Diana took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and opened them as she red at Anastasia.


    "How can we ept a girl we don¡¯t even know? How can we trust her? For all we know, she might be working with the politician and betrayed him which was why shended in such a situation!" Diana yelled too loudly at her fellow cast members for her anger to sound real.


    In the movie, she was one of Anastasia¡¯s short-time antagonists who weren¡¯t going to make things easy for her after she was rescued.


    "CUT!!" Director Jeunes eximed, dropping his speaker with a sigh of exhaustion. "Let¡¯s take a quick half-hour break. And Diana," he continued, rubbing his temples, "You need to work on your emotions. You don¡¯t sound angry¡ªyou sound like someone who¡¯s afraid to be angry. Also, please don¡¯t yell like that. It hurts my ears."


    Hisment earned him a few side nces from the cast and crew, who found it ironic that the director¡ªholding the microphone and almost deafening everyone with his volume¡ªwasining about noise.


    The girl slowly nodded her head in understanding, her body still quivering.


    When director Jeunes left, she rushed out of there, heading to the restroom.


    Anastasia felt pity for her so she followed behind her.


    When she got to the restroom, she heard the cries of someone inside and she didn¡¯t need to guess to know who was tearing up in there.


    "Diana, you need to get a hold of yourself. It¡¯s alright to make mistakes, but you have to learn from them. Don¡¯t listen to what director Jeunes was saying, he was only exaggerating."


    "And how would you know? You¡¯re an icon who¡¯s loved by everyone..." Anastasia¡¯s mouth twitched. "You wouldn¡¯t understand the situation I¡¯m in."

 Chapter 246: Get His!

    "W-well...isn¡¯t it the reason you¡¯re doing so well?" Diana asked.


    A smirk pulled on Viviana¡¯s lips as she pulled out her phone and got ready to record the moment.


    "You¡¯re a newbie actress, and I¡¯d advise you to stop listening to rumors, especially when there¡¯s no proof," Anastasia said, her voice now devoid of emotion. "Maybe that¡¯s why you can¡¯t even say your lines correctly. You¡¯re too busy focusing on gossip instead of working on yourself." Her words were sharp and direct.


    "If you keep thinking this way, don¡¯t be surprised when a rumor is created about you, and another actress believes it¡ªjust like you did." Anastasia¡¯s cold tone left no room for sympathy, only hard truth.


    Immediately, Diana regretted all that she¡¯d said earlier.


    Her face lowered in shame as tears poured from her eyes.


    "I only wanted toe here to check up on you, not to get pped in the face with rumors from useless sources."


    Anastasia tore her gaze from the girl and sighed.


    "Thirty minutes is almost up. Hurry up ande out, else you¡¯ll get an earful from director Jeunes."


    Viviana quickly found a spot to hide as she watched Anastasia exit the restroom.


    She swung her phone in her hand, carefully ying with it as a grin continued to stretch on her lips.


    "Now, this is going to be interesting."


    She opened the phone and watched the video she¡¯d just recorded, which yed from when Anastasia scolded Diana and stopped before her tone softened.


    Without batting an eysh, Viviana created a new ount and uploaded the video on the inte while making sure to tag the people she¡¯d just recorded.


    Anastasia and her fellow cast members continued with scenes for the next few hours without anyone getting the chance to check the notifications ringing on their phones.


    <i>Later in the evening,</i>


    Anastasia sat in her makeup room as Allison and Natalie helped wipe her makeup and change into her casual clothes.


    "It¡¯s such a tiring day," Anastasia mumbled as she stared at herself through the mirror.


    After Allison and Natalie were done, they bid her goodbye.


    Then, she perched back on her seat, finally touching her phone to check her notifications.


    Anastasia immediately saw the videos she was recently tagged in by fans, however, one caught her attention the most. It was a video uploaded by an odd ount.


    Seeing it was an odd ount, Anastasia already predicted the video could be another shaming one like Michelle had done in the past.


    Anastasia tapped on it and watched the video from beginning till the end, and instantly, she had an idea of who might have uploaded it.


    Sighing in regret, Anastasia closed her phone and stepped out of the makeup room, where ring eyes found her and refused to look away.


    Anastasia concluded they¡¯d already seen the video.


    However, she didn¡¯t bother to exin herself, so she walked elegantly towards the gate where her husband was waiting for her.


    "Xavier..." She immediately wrapped her hands around Xavier, his nerve calming cologne filling her nostrils and she breathed it in more.


    "Sorry I got herete, there was a little bit of traffic on the road," he exined as he pecked her on the lips.


    "It¡¯s alright." She hugged him tighter, wishing she could just sleep in his arms already.


    Ignoring the prying eyes of the people behind them, Anastasia got into the car and left.


    Unbeknownst to her, Viviana had been ring at her back since she came out of her makeup room.


    "Is it just me or Xavier Wace only got more handsome with the years that have passed?" An actress asked from behind Viviana.


    "What are you saying? That man has always been handsome. The fact he¡¯s almost forty in a few years, and still looking that handsome makes me wet for his cock," another said.


    "I¡¯m so jealous of Anastasia. She¡¯s the one getting that all for herself. She could atleast share," the first one responded.


    "That cock, I will be the one getting it," Viviana interjected.


    The other two actresses stared at Viviana in confusion.


    "Anastasia was the reason for my family¡¯s destruction, and it would only be fair if I do the same thing for her, don¡¯t you think?" She whispered with a hushed tone, only for them to hear.

 Chapter 247: She Knows

    Viviana who was sitting across the table rubbed her forehead in frustration since it seemed they¡¯d forgotten she was sitting right across them.


    "Mom, Dad, you two need to calm down," she bit out, tired of the drama that always urred in the mansion every passing day.


    "You tell your mother that!!" Theodore ordered.


    Out of annoyance, Mrs. Perez took her napkin, wiped her mouth, and pushed her chairs to stand up.


    "Are you sure that Michelle disappeared? Because I think you hid her away from me because you¡¯re very much aware of what I¡¯m capable of doing?" She questioned, her eyes shooting daggers at her husband.


    "I didn¡¯t hide her," Mr. Perez replied, his tone filled with exhaustion as he couldn¡¯t wait for the matter to die down already.


    Mrs. Perez snorted as a grin pulled on her lips, obviously not believing what her husband had just said.


    Instead ofing up with other usations, she left the dining room, leaving Viviana and her father together to eat.


    "I think it¡¯s time for me to take a vacation until this matter has died down," Theodore said.


    Viviana released a long tired sigh.


    "You know father, I want to take revenge on Anastasia for what she¡¯d done to our family. Are you in?" She asked all of a sudden.


    Theodore¡¯s eyes narrowed, while his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.


    "Don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t understand what I mean now. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re mad at her for what she did to you. You¡¯re influential and even if you don¡¯t want to ept it, that scandal affected you deeply. So, because of that, I want us to take our revenge on her," she finished.


    "What¡¯s your n?" Theodore asked, sounding interested.


    **


    Anastasia arrived at the set, and from the gate, she could already feel the heavy stares on her.


    Due to the video that was released, people were starting to call her arrogant, selfish, and ill-mannered towards newbies she should take under her wing and mentor to be just like her.


    "Because she gained poprity in under a year, she thinks she¡¯s better than all of us."


    "Tell me about it! Just look at her acting like she can¡¯t hurt a fly. She can crush someone¡¯s dreams and still hold that smile on her face as if she¡¯s the sweetest person."


    "I bet her husband was the one to buy a way for her to get a movie role for this movie. She¡¯s just an empty barrel with no talent."


    Anastasia tried to ignore them, but her path was immediately blocked by a daring one.


    "Look at all that makeup she piled on to make herself look pretty, just to cover up the fact that she¡¯s a green snake hiding in the grass," one of the cast members sneered, stepping closer to Ana.


    She ced her index finger on Ana¡¯s face, intending to wipe off the makeup, but her expression shifted to confusion when not a trace of foundation stained her finger. Ana¡¯s wlessplexion remained untouched, leaving the woman baffled and speechless.


    "You think I¡¯m like you who wears all that makeup but still ends up looking like a clown in front of everyone?" Anastasia finally spoke.


    "How dare you...?"


    "Oh! Did I forget you act like a clown also?" Anastasia¡¯s tone waspletely mocking which embarrassed the actress.


    "You have the mouth to speak. You act like a good sweetheart in front of everyone and go behind our backs to insult newbie actresses?"


    "Please stop! All of you misunderstood the video." They suddenly heard someone speak.


    When they turned to see who it was, Diana appeared in front of them.


    "You don¡¯t have to defend this woman!" The actress snapped.


    "I¡¯m not defending her or anything. I¡¯m just telling the truth." Diana nced between the actress and Anastasia who wore a rather calm expression as if she couldn¡¯t bring herself to be bothered about the situation. "Ms. Anastasia and I were just talking and someone intentionally recorded only the part she scolded me to frame her," she added.


    Their eyebrows furrowed in confusion.


    "And who could that be?"


    "As far as I know, it could be any of you since you¡¯all don¡¯t like me. But whoever it is should better take down that video before director Jeunes arrives. It would be a shame if that person is disgraced in our presence, don¡¯t you think Viviana?"


    Viviana jolted in fear when she heard Anastasia call her name all of a sudden.


    "Y-yes, that¡¯s right," she agreed.


    ¡¯Does she know I was the one who uploaded the video,¡¯ Viviana wondered.


    She stared at Anastasia whose smile slowly crept on her lips.


    ¡¯Yeah, she knows.¡¯

 Chapter 248: Failed Plan

    "Don¡¯t tter me now," Tracie said, pulling Anastasia along with her as they headed to the main event.


    Anastasia sighted Viviana already seated in her seat. Viviana was recently the newest global ambassador of Klerene, which was why she was allowed toe to the fashion show.


    Viviana met Anastasia¡¯s gaze and thetter held it for a secondter before she tore her gaze away from Viviana to follow Tracie to go to their seats.


    Not long after, the show started with a breathtaking ocean-colored lights filling the room. The light roamed around the room before it settled on a figure. It was Ms. Klerene, the owner of the Klerene brand.


    She made a few speeches which included appreciating everyone seated foring to her fashion show.


    After cracking a few jokes here and there, the fashion show finally began.


    Anastasia stared at the marvelousdies who wore the beautiful pieces that made them shine so bright in the dimly lit room as they walked their way on stage, posed, and walked back with grace.


    Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but be awed at how well they were walking with those gigantic heels. She subconsciously felt the ache in her legs on their behalf.


    Towards the end of the fashion show, Anastasia received a phone call.


    She already knew who was calling since she¡¯d set apletely different ringtone most especially for that particr number.


    She whispered something in Tracie¡¯s ears and thetter nodded.


    Anastasia left the hall and went to a corner to pick up Xavier¡¯s call.


    "Is the fashion show over?" He asked as soon as the call connected.


    "Almost. Have you arrived at the hotel?"


    "Yeah! The bodyguards are already in the car waiting for you." His voice sounded naughty and Anastasia caught herself smiling like a fool.


    She hummed then hung up on the call. Unbeknownst to her, someone was already listening to her conversation.


    Just when she was about to leave, she suddenly felt dizzy, the background turned blurry as she tried to find her bearings.


    Quickly, Anastasia held onto the door until the dizziness had cleared.


    "What¡¯s happening to metely?" She wondered, gulping down her saliva as she suddenly felt the urge to throw up.


    After making sure she was better, she headed out.


    By the time Anastasia went back to the hall, the fashion show was already over. She nced around but couldn¡¯t find Viviana anywhere.


    She reminded herself she needed to escape before Ms. Klerene started looking for her.


    Once she sighted the woman, she hid behind someone. Then she found Tracie and whispered something in thetter¡¯s eyes one more time which got her giggling.


    "Alright, you can go. In case Ms. Klerene starts looking for you, I will tell her you have a stomach ache and you needed to rush back to the hotel."


    Anastasia appreciated Tracie for her cooperation and quickly left the hall to go down the lobby where her car and her bodyguards were waiting since she forbade them from following her into the hall.


    "Let¡¯s go back to the hotel," she instructed.


    When Anastasia got to the hotel, she suddenly felt dizzy again.


    If she hadn¡¯t been feeling sick for the past few days, she would have already concluded that Viviana might have spiked her drink. Even so, she recalled she didn¡¯t drink anything except water for the fear she would only get more sick.


    However, Anastasia continued to push herself until she reached her floor. When she did, she recognized a familiar figure standing in front of her hotel room¡ªwhere Xavier was waiting for her.


    Anastasia sized Viviana up, taking in the skimpy clothes thetter was wearing which waspletely different from what she¡¯d worn at the fashion show.


    Anastasia marched up to the girl and yanked her hair back, drawing out a painful scream from thetter.


    "What do you think you¡¯re doing here wearing that kind of dress?!" She questioned, not minding her reputation as she pulled Viviana¡¯s hair with a tight grip.


    Xavier opened the door, only to be shocked when he found Anastasia in a fight with an unknowndy.


    Quickly, he pulled her away and settled her beside him.


    The bodyguards assigned to Anastasia immediately held Viviana, stopping her from escaping if she nned to.


    "This bitch wants to seduce you, Xavier," Anastasia said, trying to calm herself down.


    "Are you crazy? Have you lost it? I¡¯m going to sue you for harassment," Viviana threatened, eyes shooting daggers at Anastasia.


    "I would love to see you try," Xavier growled.

 Chapter 249: New Joy

    Quickly, she rushed inside the bedroom and headed for the bathroom then threw her guts out into the basin, surprising Xavier.


    Gently, he pulled her hair away so it wouldn¡¯t soak in her vomit.


    "You¡¯ve been looking sick for the past few days now. We need to go to the hospital," he said, his voice sounding gentle and demanding at the same time.


    Anastasia shook her head.


    "It¡¯s just stress. My workload just increased since I resumed acting. I¡¯ll be fine." She tried to force a smile, but it came out weak and unconvincing.


    "We¡¯re going to the hospital. Now."


    Anastasia tried to blink her eyes open but they suddenly turned heavy.


    "Xavier..." She breathed, copsing on his chest and he caught her swiftly.


    "Ana!! Ana!!" Xavier called out to her, but she didn¡¯t open her eyes.


    Curing under his breath, he quickly gathered her in his arms and rushed out of the room, barking out orders to the bodyguards who¡¯d already arrived after getting rid of Viviana.


    **


    <i>At the hospital, </i>


    Anastasia fluttered her eyes open, only to be met with the blinding re of bright lights shining directly on her face. Squinting in difort, she quickly closed her eyes again, letting them adjust to the harsh brightness before slowly opening them once more, her vision gradually bing clearer.


    After adjusting, she searched for the one person that came to her mind, only to find him on the couch opposite her, an unreadable expression stered on his face.


    "Xavier... What¡¯s wrong? What am I doing at the hospital?" She asked as he stood up and settled on the seat next to the hospital bed.


    Xavier reached for her locks that came over her face and gently moved them away, his fingers gently caressing her cheeks without answering her question.


    "You scared me earlier," he said, releasing a sigh of relief which only confused her further.


    Before she could part her lips to repeat her question, the door pushed open with Tracie and a female doctoring inside.


    "Mr. Wace. It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re awake now," the doctor said as Tracie came to her other side, holding her left palm gently as if she were some delicate piece of art that needed to be held with care.


    Anastasia turned to Tracie, an eyebrow cocked in question as she stared at thetter¡¯s pleasant face¡ªher lips stretching further into her cheeks as her eyes turned into a crescent moon.


    Anastasia stared at Xavier, and his face seemed to glow.


    "What¡¯s wrong doc?" Anastasia asked this time with worry evident in her tone since she had no idea why her husband and sister were smiling as if she was some kind of treasure.


    "I ran a test on you when your husband here exined the symptoms you¡¯ve been getting for the past few days. And well, congrats Mrs. Wace, you¡¯re pregnant."


    Anastasia choked on her saliva when she heard the doctor which led her to coughing roughly.


    Xavier quickly brought some water to her side and helped her drink it, patting her back gently.


    "You should be careful," he scolded.


    Anastasia drank the water to her fill before she faced the doctor again.


    "One more time please?"


    "You¡¯re pregnant."


    "Can you pinch me so I can be sure I¡¯m not dreaming?" She asked, facing Tracie this time around.


    "Come on. This is good news and you want to joke around. You¡¯re pregnant sis, you¡¯re carrying me baby niece or nephew!!"


    Anastasia turned to Xavier, a smile stretching on her face, her blue eyes meeting his dark ones and for a second there, she felt as if the time had stopped.


    Xavier ced his hands on her belly. "We¡¯ll have a little Anastasia soon."


    A string of tears fell from her eyes, running through her cheeks before they dropped onto the bed, extreme happiness filling her chest she didn¡¯t know it was possible to experience.


    After finding her true family, getting everything that had once belonged to her, and getting rid of her enemies, Anastasia thought that was the highest level of happiness for her.


    But now....Now, there was a living human inside of her, growing until one day she could finally see the face.


    She ced a hand on her belly, her hand covering Xavier¡¯s.


    "I¡¯m pregnant."


    She wrapped her hands around his and buried her face in his shoulder as tears of happiness flowed from her eyes uncontrobly.


    The doctor sensed the couple would need some alone time. So, she decided toe backter.


    Tracie followed behind her, giving them the privacy they needed.

 Chapter 250: He’s In Zinland

    ¡¯Is it my eyes or did she just get more beautiful?¡¯ He wondered, feeling himself fall more deeply in love with her.


    "Yes, Xavier. Let¡¯s get remarried," she agreed.


    As soon as those words left her mouth, she felt Xavier capture her lips into a heartwarming kiss, slipping his tongue inside her mouth when she opened up for him and devouring her instantly without wasting a single moment.


    "I want to tell you something, but at the wedding," he said, brushing his lips against hers.


    "What? Tell me now else I won¡¯t be able to sleep," she urged.


    "At the wedding," he said, giving her a quick eskimo kiss.


    Anastasia red at him, wondering why he would give her so much suspense only for him to not tell her what he wanted to tell her.


    She was about to retort when her eyes caught what was being disced on the TV.


    "Isn¡¯t that Jack?" She asked, her eyes on the news.


    Xavier faced it, his gaze darkening when his eyes settled on the TV, identifying Anastasia¡¯s fake brother from the Harrison family, whose corpse was being brought out of the river by the Hazmat team.


    He seemed to have been stabbed continuously for a long time which tore his stomach open, his intestines falling out like an uncurled ball of yarn.


    The river was blocked since it had been infected with blood which would lead to all kinds of diseases if touched, talk more of letting to touch the lips.


    "Looks like the goons he owed money got impatient with him and decided to take their violence to a whole new level," Anastasia muttered to herself, her eyes still on the television without feeling a single ounce of disgust.


    "He only got what he deserved. Now he can pay in hell where he¡¯s going," said Xavier. Picking up the remote, he switched the channel to something else. "You shouldn¡¯t be watching those sorts of things. It will be bad for the baby."


    "The baby hasn¡¯t even been born yet," she quips.


    "Still!"


    Anastasia could only roll her eyes in amusement. However, with what she¡¯d seen from the TV, she doesn¡¯t know if she should be d Jack died or not.


    ¡¯It¡¯s a waste I didn¡¯t get the chance to even torture him for once like I did with Robert," she thought to herself.


    Robert was dead, Amelia was in jail and wouldn¡¯t being out anytime soon, Jack was dead and Michelle had disappeared for a reason no one knows.


    Then she found out she was pregnant. Anastasia smiled triumphantly at how things had turned out. The Harrison family was no longer in her life and they could never show their faces to her again.


    "Time for your medicine," Xavier said, breaking her out of her thoughts.


    The doctor had arrived a few minutes ago, after she left to give them privacy and had exined some Dos and don¡¯ts she needed to adhere to while still in her early stage of pregnancy. And she¡¯d also prescribed her some medicine she needed to take to continue to stay healthy till she¡¯d put to bed.


    Although she despised drugs, Anastasia took the medicine without batting an eysh.


    Xavier continued to stay with Anastasia at the hospital till the day she was going to get discharged arrived.


    He held her waist delicately, assisting her as they left the hospital when he suddenly halted.


    "What¡¯s the matter?" She asked, her eyebrows deepened in confusion as she stared at him.


    "It¡¯s nothing," Xavier replied, his tone casual but Anastasia wasn¡¯t buying it.


    His eyes roamed around the surroundings, feeling someone watching him but he couldn¡¯t see the person since the streets were bustling with people.


    Anastasia became alert, her eyes also roaming around, trying to find who was probably watching them.


    "Months ago, I felt someone watching me while I was entering mypany too. But I couldn¡¯t find anyone doing so. But I¡¯m sure someone was watching me, Xavier," she informed him.


    Thinking it was irrelevant or just her being paranoid, she didn¡¯t bother to inform him about that mysterious watcher.


    Xavier¡¯s eyes turned cold when he heard Anastasia¡¯s words.


    Instantly, he helped her to the car and closed the door after giving her some assuring words.


    Then he pulled out his phone, his eyes still scanning the surroundings.


    When the person from the other side picked up the call, Xavier said, "He¡¯s in Zind."

 Chapter 251: Two Months Later

    She releases a sharp breath. "Isn¡¯t it obvious? I¡¯ve gotten fat!" She bellowed.


    Tracie and Kael nced at each other before erupting into loads ofughter which earned them nothing but re after re from Anastasia.


    "You don¡¯t look fat to me at all," Xavier said, squatting down to her level. "You still look the same as always. Beautiful..." He kissed her forehead. "Charming..." He went for her cheeks. "And lovable all at the same time." He came down to peck her on the lips for a few seconds which painted her cheeks with soft rosy colors.


    "This is your fault," she mumbled, scowling as she faced the mirror again.


    It had been two months since she found out she was pregnant, bringing her pregnancy to nearly four months. In that time, her routine had be repetitious¡ªprogressing staying home or asionally visiting herpany to check on how things were progressing.


    Xavier had forbidden her from continuing with the movie after a discussion with Director Jeunes, who shared the stunt ideas they had nned for her role.


    Once the director learned she was pregnant, he immediately agreed with Xavier¡¯s decision for her to quit, understanding the risks. Together, they decided not to disclose the true reason to the public, keeping the details of her forfeiting the film private.


    As for Viviana, she never got the chance to show her face again, to either Anastasia or Xavier after what had happened at the hotel. Out of rage, Xavier had bought more than half of theirpany¡¯s stock, making them go bankrupt in under a day.


    The Perezpany owned the news for a few weeks, the press questioning each shareholder who sold their shares and left thepany.


    A grin pulled on Xavier¡¯s lips when he saw Anastasia¡¯s pouty lips while her squishy cheeks begged to be pulled. Unable to resist, he pulled them hard enough not to hurt her.


    "You¡¯re so cute."


    Anastasia tried feigned anger but couldn¡¯t bring herself to do so.


    Tracie came to her. "We need to leave. I already have the list of the baby things we need to get. I had Mother make it and she included everything you¡¯d probably need," she said.


    Anastasia released a sharp breath,pletely regretting scheduling her baby shopping on that day.


    All she wanted to do was nap the whole afternoon, but she needed to buy clothes for her baby.


    She stared at her baby bump that grew every day.


    "The wedding is in a week from now. We need to get everything ready. Soe on now, the baby won¡¯te out if you continue to stare at it like that," said Kael, holding her hand around his as he tugged it close to him as if she was a baby that needed to be kept within arms reach.


    Xavier pecked Anastasia one more time on the lips before Kael and Tracie pulled her away, regretting he couldn¡¯t go with them.


    As soon as they left the mansion, he ced a call as he went to his study room.


    "Were you able to find him?" He asked as soon as the call was connected. He opened hisputer, a series of codes almost blinding him but he typed his way in.


    On the other side, he could hear the sound of keyboards shing against the silence that followed after his question.


    "He made an appearance at a restaurant in mourwood," Maxwell replied, the reflection of hisputer screen appearing on his spectacles.


    "What the fuck is he doing in mourwood?" Xavier questioned through gritted teeth.


    "No idea. But from the looks of things, a trade might happen soon. But I doubt it¡¯s in mourwood since he¡¯d already left the city," Maxwell replied, zooming in on the camera that had captured the man they were looking for.


    With a click on the keyboard, he forwarded the picture to Xavier.


    Xavier stared at the picture before him, his expression grim and unreadable as he stared at his long-lost enemy who was seated at an outdoor restaurant, sipping a coffee like a regr citizen, waiting to be captured with a camera.


    "Any news on his whereabouts now?" He asked, remembering the call was still ongoing.


    "Not at all. I hacked into the airport system, but I didn¡¯t see anything that could help us find where he¡¯s now. He¡¯s disappeared again and we don¡¯t know when he will appear," Maxwell responded, sighing as he continued to click on his keyboard.


    "mourwood is only a few hours ride from Radiantia. Are there any chances he would visit here?" He asked, recalling Anastasia wasn¡¯t by his side.


    However, with Tracie and a few of the men he¡¯d sent along with him to keep her safe, he wanted to feel rxed. Sadly, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do so.


    "If he doese to Radiantia, it must be by yacht or some other form of illegal transport," Maxwell replied, adjusting his sses. "But I doubt our cameras will catch him, even if we¡¯ve doubled the surveince. He moves like a snake, slipping past them without even casting a shadow."


    Xavier¡¯s hands clenched together, resisting the urge to m it across hisputer.


    "I see. Continue to keep a watch out. He might be acting nonchnt now but he definitely won¡¯t y that game for long." Then he hung up on the call.

 Chapter 252: Abduct Her

    "N-no, I just felt like someone was watching me," Anastasia replied, subtly looking behind her.


    "What?" Tracie questioned, looking behind them, up the esctor near them, and the front, her eyes as sharp as a hawk without bothering to keep her movements precise.


    She continued looking for a few seconds, pausing when she caught the slight turn from a man who was a few meters away from them, dressed in a casual jogger and a T-shirt, fitting into the crowd as he pretended to examine the dresses in the adult female section.


    "It¡¯s nothing! You¡¯re just being paranoid, let¡¯s continue our shopping," Tracie said, her hands hooking with Anastasia¡¯s as she delivered a bright smile. "You¡¯re overthinking. Let¡¯s go," she urged.


    Anastasia slightly frowned, wondering if she was indeed overthinking and being paranoid. Unfortunately, this wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d felt someone watching her whenever she was out in public.


    "Could it be a fan who¡¯d already recognized me?" She wondered out loud, quickly adjusting her mask to make sure they were in ce.


    "Possibly," Tracie responded, pulling Anastasia along with her as they continued the shopping. When they reached another section, Kael kept her busy, asking her what she wanted to get which gave Tracie the chance to fetch out her phone and fire a text message to Xavier.


    ¡¯I feel someone is following us.¡¯


    Just immediately, Xavier replied.


    ¡¯You need to get out of there and take care of that person if you can.¡¯


    ¡¯You know I can¡¯t, Anastasia is right here. I don¡¯t want to make her worry.¡¯


    ¡¯In that case, you need to get out of there quickly. Come up with an excuse so she wouldn¡¯t think too much about it. I¡¯ll be sending more men over.¡¯


    Tracie quickly fired a message to Kael before locking her phone and keeping it back in her pocket, her body going slightly stiff as she monitored another man moving up closer to their section.


    ¡¯If you want to hire people to do a job for you, at least get the capable ones that don¡¯t blow their cover with their stench as soon as they enter, asshole,¡¯ she thought to herself.


    Walking up to where Anastasia and Kael were, Tracie made eye contact with Kael, his phone buzzing with a new text message.


    He read through it, fully understanding what to do.


    "Ana, I think I have a stomach ache," Kael said, moaning in pain as he suddenly clutched his belly, his face etched with torture and agony.


    "What...wait...now? What did you eat again?" Anastasia questioned, her worry evident in her tone as she grabbed Kael.


    "I can¡¯t remember. Let¡¯s go home now. You know my condition," he winced.


    Kael was known in the rk family for having the softest stomach, one that couldn¡¯t handle much food. Even when he managed to eat, he often ended up with a case of an upset stomach. He rarely ate out, sticking mostly to meals prepared by their mother or himself, which made his excuse believable.


    "Oh no! We need to leave now," Anastasia said as Tracie came over to help Kael so he could lean on her.


    Anastasia carried the basket as they headed to the counter to pay for their shopping so that they could take Kael back home and release himself.


    "Good job," Tracie said to Kael with a hushed tone so Anastasia wouldn¡¯t hear them. "Thanks to your acting, she bought it."


    Kael hummed. "How many men did you see?"


    "So far, only two but I believe there must be more. And the fact they¡¯re daring toe closer only means they have a fixed n."


    "To abduct her," Kael finished, feeling his heart fall to his legs.


    "Which is why we need to get out of here naturally without her suspecting anything else she will panic," Tracie exined, feeling the gaze of the second man she¡¯d spotted earlier on her back.


    "What are you two talking about?" Anastasia asked, lines formed on her forehead.


    "I¡¯m scolding this brat for eating just anything earlier. Now, we have to end our shopping," Tracie replied.


    "We can just reschedule it," Anastasia replied, carrying the bags after her card went through, then left for the open parking lot.


    Tracie quickly fired a text to the four bodyguards Xavier had sent to assist them who were in a separate car from them since Anastasia felt they would be too cramped up in one car.


    When they read the text, they quickly fired up the engine of the car, following behind Tracie as they left the parking lot.


    Kael continued to wince in pain while Anastasia tried tofort him.


    Tracie watched them from the rearview mirror, but her eyes caught more than just Anastasia and Kael.


    She noticed two cars driving behind them and not one car looked like the car the bodyguards were in.


    "Shit!" Tracie cursed under her breath, her feet hitting the pedal, driving the car at full speed.</subtxt>

 Chapter 253: She’s A Target

    Besides, the estate held enough security to stop the men chasing them.


    Anastasia only subconsciously nodded, her fingers on the ruby ne around her neck as anxiety shot through her fingers, tears threatening to pool in her eyes since she didn¡¯t know who could be after them.


    Quickly, Anastasia decided to call Xavier, not sure of what to want to tell him, but hearing his voice would calm her down possibly.


    At the mansion, Xavier was already on the road, tracking Anastasia through the GPS track he¡¯d installed on her phone in case a situation like this came up.


    All of a sudden, his phone rang with a phone call.


    "Ana, I¡¯m on my way. Everything is going to be fine," he said as soon as the call connected.


    "Xavier...who¡ª"


    Just as Anastasia was about to finish her sentence, a loud crash echoed through the phone, abruptly cutting the call. Xavier¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he stared at his screen, the silence on the other end deafening. The sound hadn¡¯t been just a simple crash¡ªit was something far worse, and he could feel it in his gut. His mind raced, wondering what could have happened.


    His grip tightened on the steering wheel, knuckles turning white as the veins on his hands bulged beneath his skin. If he clenched any harder, the steering wheel might snap under the pressure.


    "Are you there yet?!!" Xavier roared after cing another call.


    "Not yet sir," his men responded, their tone mixed with different kinds of emotions. Xavier hung up on the call, driving even faster, breaking the speed limit but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to be bothered about the consequences.


    He had a main goal in mind, and that was to reach Anastasia and their baby.


    Meanwhile, in the middle of the street¡ªthe shortcut Tracie had decided to take earlier¡ªtheir car tumbled over, the trio inside badly injured due to the impact from the car that had intentionally collided with them.


    "Anastasia," Tracie managed to call, wincing in pain as she tried to get rid of her seatbelt, tumbling just when she seeded, the pieces of the ss stabbing her hands. But she didn¡¯t pay them any attention. "Anastasia," she called Anastasia who was still sitting upside down, unconscious, her face painted with her blood.


    "Kael!!" Tracie called with all her might, waking up her brother. "We need to get out of here!"


    Instinctively, Kael took off his seatbelt also, repeating Tracie¡¯s move when she¡¯d undone hers while Tracie woke up Anastasia immediately.


    "Ana, we need to get out of here."


    Ana stared at her surroundings, everythinging back to her.


    ¡¯The chase...ident.¡¯


    Tracie assisted Anastasia in undoing her seatbelt so she wouldn¡¯t tumble over since she was pregnant.


    Tracie kicked the door open, pulling Anastasia out when she suddenly saw the men dressed in ck standing before them.


    "Hand over the girl and no one dies," the man who had a scar on his left eye demanded, half of his face covered with stubble.


    "In that case, get ready to die," Tracie responded, her eyes cold as she scanned through the men surrounding them.


    Half of her energy was already gone due to the car crash, including the injuries on her hands.


    Subtly, she stared at her bleeding arm, already feeling tired. But since her little sister was the target, she needed to stay awake.


    "Kael..."


    "Right here," Kael replied, in a defensive stance, ready to attack.


    "Since you want it the hard way, we¡¯ll do it the hard way," the man with the scar said. "Get the girl!!" He ordered, and the men surrounding them attacked all at once, more than half of them aiming for where Anastasia was but Tracie and Kael fought them from getting closer.


    One got brave enough to try to grab Anastasia, and Tracie grabbed his hand, took out one of the sharp pieces of ss that had pierced her, and slit his throat with it.


    Three men came for her all at once, trying to take her down, but she didn¡¯t give them a chance to.


    Anastasia, despite being pregnant, took out three men, still wondering who could want her. From the sound of Tracie¡¯s tone, thetter knew who could be the mastermind of everything happening at the moment.


    "Get the girl now!!" The man with the scar repeated the order, and more men came out from a car they didn¡¯t notice and surrounded them.


    Swiftly, Tracie brought out a gun she¡¯d tugged behind her pants before she¡¯d woken up both Kael and Anastasia earlier.


    Without wasting a single moment, she pointed it at them, threatening them toe forward if they wanted to waste their lives for an unworthy mission.


    "He wants her," the man with a scar said. "And there¡¯s nothing you can do about it. This is the moment he finally gets to have his revenge."


    "Fuck that shit!!" Tracie responded, firing the bullet and killing as many men as she could before the bullet ran out.


    "Xander wants her," the man with the scar said, finally adding a name.


    "You can tell him to go fuck himself!"


    Anastasia frowned, wondering who <i>Xander </i>could be.


    All of a sudden, she heard footsteps heading towards her. From the corners of her eyes, she saw one of the men running towards her with such a quick speed with a metal rod in his hands.


    Before she could try to defend herself, he¡¯d already hit her with it.


    Anastasia¡¯s eyes closed shut, and all she could see was ck.

 Chapter 254: Twin Brother

    Then he looked up at the man with the scar who held a gun at him, gunpowder smoke emitting from the metallic weapon.


    "Xander said we should bring her alive, and because of what you¡¯ve done, there¡¯s an 60% chance she¡¯s not going to survive that hit!!" The man with the scar said, firing the gun several times, emptying his bullet, and creating several holes in the body of his colleague who slumped on the ground after breathing hisst breath.


    The man with the scar opened his mouth to speak. "Carry her and get her treated immediately. Then we make our move. I¡¯m sure Xander would be waiting for us already."


    The men nodded in understanding, grabbing Anastasia off the ground and vanishing before people caught sight of their presence there.


    <i>A few minutester,</i>


    Xavier and his men arrived at the scene, only to find Kael and Tracie lying unconscious on the ground.


    "He has already taken her," Maxwell said, staring at the scene. "Tracie¡¯s car was crushed beyond repair which exined the injuries on both their bodies. But it seems they¡¯d gotten into a fight before they¡¯d seeded in taking her away," he added.


    Xavier walked towards the pool of blood that was pooled beside a corpse, sighting a shiny piece of jewelry gleaming on that spot. He picked it up, recognizing it was the congrattions gift he¡¯d given to Anastasia after signing her recent movie.


    Xavier¡¯s hands clutched the ruby ne, feeling his pause fluctuate due to how hot his blood was boiling.


    "This is Anastasia¡¯s blood," he said through gritted teeth.


    "We can¡¯t be sure about that. It could be someone else¡¯s blood," Kace said, silently hoping Xavier was wrong.


    Xavier huffed, his chest rising and falling, his anger palpable which he tried to contain, but it was a failed task.


    Anastasia had been kidnapped, along with his child and he was unsure of where he would start looking for them since he couldn¡¯t even find the mastermind of the kidnapping.


    All of a sudden, Xavier¡¯s traceable line rang with a phone call.


    The atmosphere turned cold since everyone was aware of who could be calling him.


    "Where¡¯s Anastasia?!!" He yelled into the phone as soon as the call was connected.


    A chilling coldughter filled his ears, the kind ofughter that would make him want to smash his phone, together with the person on the other side.


    "Now you know how it feels for your beloved to be taken away from you, right Xavier?" The person from the other side questioned, his tone mocking and sharp. "It¡¯s painful, isn¡¯t it?!!" He roared.


    "Don¡¯t you dare hurt her, Xander!! Touch her and you¡¯ll pay the price!"


    Xander chuckled, his voice loud enough for Maxwell and Kace to hear him even when the call wasn¡¯t on loudspeaker. They would be lying if they said they didn¡¯t feel the hair on their back stand on their ends.


    "Oh, my dear brother..."


    "Don¡¯t you dare call me your brother after kidnapping my wife!!" Xavier bellowed.


    Xander giggled, which hurt Xavier since he couldn¡¯t silence thetter.


    "Alright! You don¡¯t need to worry about me hurting her," Xander chuckled darkly over the phone. "I¡¯ll be doing far worse than that, Xavier. I¡¯ll have my revenge through her, and if you¡¯re lucky, you might see her again¡ªone day." His voice dripped with menace before he hung up, leaving Xavier no chance to reply.


    Without hesitating, Xavier threw the phone against the damaged car, shattering it to pieces.


    "Xavier, you need to calm down!!" Kace said to soothe him. "If you behave this way, how are we going to find her?"


    Xavier pulled his hair in frustration, veins popping on his hands as the muscles on his arms flexed.


    "We need to find him. I¡¯m going to Zind tomorrow," Xavier said all of a sudden, shocking both Maxwell and Kace, but they knew they couldn¡¯t say anything to stop.


    Although they had no leads on where Anastasia could be, they still needed to start somewhere.


    Both Tracie and Kael were taken to the hospital to get immediate treatment, while Xavier ordered his men to get rid of Tracie¡¯s damaged car.


    When Xavier informed Ezekiel of the incident, thetter immediately lent his help, ordering his men to secure their mansion in case Xander decided toe after them, and also searching as many hideouts as they could find in other cities, since Anastasia could be anywhere.


    Xavier drove the car to the airport, the air in the car was so tense and cold a fish didn¡¯t need to be in the freezer anymore to get frozen.


    "After many years, he decided toe back, and the one person he went after first was Anastasia. She had no involvement in what happened in the past," Ezekielined, his fist clenched by his side.


    "He still doesn¡¯t get it," Xavier muttered. "After all these years of surviving on his own, revenge has been festering in the back of his mind. But don¡¯t worry, Kiel." His voice turned cold, his eyes narrowing. "Xander might be my twin brother, but I won¡¯t hesitate to cut through his heart if I have to. Not even a blink," he promised, his words sharp and unwavering.

 Chapter 255: Who Are You?

    "She¡¯d better wake up soon, because I have big ns for her," he snapped, his voiceced with frustration. "I didn¡¯t go through the trouble of having her kidnapped and putting my own safety at risk just so she could sleep like a baby for two whole damn months!" His fists clenched as he resisted the urge to m them into the wall behind him.


    "I want her awake by the end of this week. Find some kind of medicine that¡¯ll do the job and inject it into her, no excuses." His tone left no room for negotiation, his patience clearly running thin.


    He red at her body onest before he exited the room, heading to where his people were waiting for him.


    "Still asleep?" The man with the scar who¡¯d aided the kidnap of Anastasia asked, polishing his gun as he chewed gum in his mouth.


    "Still asleep," Xander repeated.


    "Maybe you should just throw away her body and let the tigers eat her," another man who was seated beside the man with the scar suggested, licking a lollipop.


    "She¡¯s going to y a huge role in my revenge towards Xavier. For everything he¡¯d done to me in the past, I will vent it on his wife. I will make him regret not shooting me when he got the chance to years ago." Xander suddenly released a low chuckle. "He thinks sparing me was going to make me forgive him so easily? Hell nah..."


    The man with the scar nced at the one enjoying his lollipop, sharing a grin as an idea popped into their heads.


    "You¡¯re going to have fun with her?" The one with the scar questioned.


    "Worst!" Xander replied, his heart determined.


    Suddenly, Xander felt a presence towards them.


    Xander turned to stare at his woman, his grin stretching when he took in the clothes she was wearing.


    Thedy was wearing a skimpy short ck gown that was glued to her waist, leaving the two men behind Xander drooling when their eyes settled on her.


    Her steps seemed calcted, as she maintained eye contact with Xander who couldn¡¯t wait for her to be in his arms already.


    "Xander," thedy called wrapping her arms around him to form a hug. "Is she awake now? I want to see her," thedy requested.


    Xander stared down at his woman for a few seconds before he nodded.


    "If you want to see her,e on let¡¯s go," he responded.


    The mischievous smirk spread on thedy¡¯s lips, her arms still wrapped around his as they headed to the room Anastasia was in.


    In the room where Anastasia was recovering,


    "Does he think there¡¯s a drug that wakes people up from aa? If there was, wouldn¡¯t I have used it already?" The doctor questioned no one in particr before his eyes looselynded on the camera facing directly on the bed.


    Then he jolted, remembering that he could be watched and heard by Xander once he took a look at the CCTV.


    Quickly, the doctor made ast round of checkup on Anastasia, then left the room she was kept in.


    A few seconds after the doctor had left, Anastasia¡¯s eyes suddenly flew open, they instinctivelynded on the bound that¡¯d been used to hold her in ce, feeling the sharp pain since they were so tight it dug into her skin.


    ¡¯Where¡¯s this ce?¡¯ She wondered, her mind unable to understand the situation.


    She looked at the shabby walls, and then the medical equipment one could only find in the hospital. However, the space she was getting treated looked nothing like a hospital room.


    It looked more like a little toy house that could fit a bed and medical equipment. Then there was a little bit of space where people would stand.


    ¡¯Where the hell am I?¡¯ She wondered once more, her eyes darting around while her head banged so hard she almost thought a titanic had sunk in it.


    All of a sudden, the door opened, revealing ady in a ck dress and a man who stood by her.


    Both Michelle and Xander¡¯s faces expressed shock since Xander had just checked a few minutes ago, and she wasn¡¯t awake. But now she was.


    "Anastasia, you¡¯re awake!! You¡¯d slept so long we thought you wouldn¡¯t be waking up. Surprised to see me?" Michelle questioned, stretching her red-painted lips to her cheeks and fluttering her eyshes like a buffer fly would. "I told you you would pay for everything you¡¯d done to me," Michelle reminded darkly.


    But Anastasia still hasn¡¯t said anything yet.


    "What?! Did youra affect your brain?!" She barked, making Anastasia flinch.


    "W¡ªwho are y¡ªou people?" Anastasia asked, ncing between the both of them.

 Chapter 256: Welcome To Your New Home

    The doctor wasn¡¯t the least surprised when he heard Xander¡¯s statement.


    "It was expected since she got a severe injury at the back of her head because of the hit," The doctor exined before standing in front of Anastasia. "Is there any one of you she should remember?"


    "She¡¯s supposed to remember me. We were once....." She paused, looking up at Xander. "Sisters," shepleted.


    Anastasia frowned again, unable to believe what thedy d in a ck dress was saying.


    "I don¡¯t have a sister," she said with a weak voice which was slightly inaudible but they managed to hear her still.


    "You don¡¯t know because you¡¯ve lost your memories!" Michelle snapped.


    Anastasia became even more confused.


    Not only was she in an odd room, but she¡¯d also lost her memories, which made it difficult to remember the people before her.


    Although she¡¯d lost her memories, it didn¡¯t mean she¡¯d lost her senses.


    The bounds used to hold them in bed signals they didn¡¯t want her to escape or anything. Also, she didn¡¯t fail to notice the gun hanging on the waist of the man who was standing behind thedy in ck.


    Only one thing came to her mind.


    These were bad people and they must have kept her hostage.


    "How long will it take for her to recover her memories?" Xander questioned.


    "I will have to run some more tests on her to find that out. But since she can¡¯t even remember her name, it¡¯s going to take a while," the doctor responded.


    A smirk pulled on Michelle¡¯s lips when she heard the doctor.


    ¡¯Anastasia has truly lost her memories? This is perfect. At least she has no idea some people are looking for her,¡¯ Michelle thought to herself.


    "So, a permanent amnesia then?" Xander asked his hand on his chin, loving Anastasia¡¯s current medical condition.


    "Possibly," the doctor responded.


    Anastasia continued to watch them converse about her medical condition, while the man and woman before her watched her like some kind of prey.


    Her head hurt when she tried to recall anything, anything that could help her remember herself. But she only saw blurry faces which didn¡¯t help at all.


    "Who are you people?" She repeated her earlier questions which had been ignored. "Are you kidnappers?" She added, staring at them warily.


    Michelle scoffed, her arms wrapped around her chest.


    "Oh sweetie, you don¡¯t need to worry. We are not bad people," Xander assured, but the evil smirk dancing on his lips told Anastasia otherwise.


    She didn¡¯t believe a single word that came out of his mouth.


    Doctor Dan interrupted. "I¡¯ll run a test on her quickly, and have her brain scanned. But I don¡¯t have the medical tools here. I would need to take her to the hospital and have her brain scanned there."


    "And then risk us getting discovered?!" Michelle bellowed.


    "Of course not..."


    "You don¡¯t need to have her brain scanned or anything. I don¡¯t need that. She has amnesia and that¡¯s obvious. Even if she does recall everything tomorrow, she still can¡¯t escape so it¡¯spletely useless. You can leave now," Xander ordered the doctor, who wanted to protest. But he knew better than to do so. So, he simply bowed his head slightly and left.


    Anastasia stared at thedy and the man, wanting to question them where she was, but she doubted they would give her a correct answer.


    "Since you¡¯re awake now, I suppose we should be going home, right Xander?" Michelle asked.


    ¡¯Xander?¡¯ Anastasia thought to herself.


    "Of course," Xander replied.


    Xander called back a few of his men to assist Anastasia to the car. Thetter couldn¡¯t fight to be released since she was still bound as they took her to the car. And even if her arms weren¡¯t tied, she didn¡¯t know where to go.


    Her body still felt weak. Even while walking, she needed to be assisted.


    After two hours of being on the deserted road, unable to recognize the street names, they finally arrived at their destination.


    Anastasia stared at the building in front of them.


    It was a good-looking two-story house, almost looking like a home but the sounds she hearding from the house made her skin crawl.


    She saw some girls who looked so skinny that if the wind blew harder than it was blowing, they would probably be hanging at the top of a tree.


    Something told her she was in danger. Something had been telling her she was in danger since she woke up


    "Wee to your home, Anastasia," Xander said, surprising her with the name he¡¯d just called her with.


    ¡¯Is that my real name?¡¯ She wondered.


    Either way, Anastasia didn¡¯t feel weed at all. She wanted to run away from there.


    As if reading her thoughts, Anastasia felt someone grab her hand with so much strength, she thought her wrist was going to snap.


    She turned, only for her gaze tond on the man who had a scar on his face.


    "Don¡¯t you want to see your new home?" The man asked her.

 Chapter 257: Arriving

    "Get out of here and go clean yourself or something," He ordered, his voice stern and firm which left no room for argument.


    They nodded in unison before dispersing, their gazending on Anastasia for the briefest moment before theypletely disappeared from the living room, taking their foul smell along with them.


    Michelle huffed then went to the couch to lie on, changing the channel of the program to something else.


    "What a long ride," she sighed, while the other two men who had arrived with them settled on the couch also. "Samantha!! Where are you?!!" Michelle called,pletely startling Anastasia with her loud tone.


    Anastasia could feel Xander¡¯s eyes stabbing into her back, only fueling her fear and anxiety.


    A few secondster, ady stepped out of a door. She had beautiful charming bright red ginger hair that flowed gracefully down her shoulders. Her eyes looked empty but cold all at the same time.


    Anastasia noticed her ring at Michele for a few seconds before those cold empty green eyesnded on her, making Anastasia feel a cold chill down her back.


    "She¡¯s the one?" Samantha asked, her eyes sizing Anastasia up which made Anastasia feel cautious.


    "She¡¯s the one. You know what you have to do," Xander said, giving her a knowing look.


    "She can be sold for quite a good few bucks. Her beauty is the type that makes men rush to her feet," Samanthaplimented, watching as Anastasia¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    ¡¯Sold?¡¯ Anastasia thought to herself. ¡¯They are going to sell me?¡¯


    "Although she needs to be in good health before she joins the other girls in training," Samatha added, picking Anastasia¡¯s hand with just a slight pinch as if thetter was some dirt she didn¡¯t want staining her, and then letting it fall weakly.


    "At least we don¡¯t have to worry about weight loss. We only need to take care of that belly fat, feed her some vegetables for three days and she should be good," she finished, her eyesnding on Anastasia¡¯s big belly.


    Anastasia concluded that they were indeed bad people, and they were into human trafficking. Human trafficking sold people for money, and she was going to be sold too.


    Her head felt empty, with not a single thing she could remember. Her body felt like it would be copsing soon since she¡¯d been standing for too long already, and no drugs had been prepared for her to take since she was just waking up from aa, which left herpletely vulnerable.


    Despite not remembering anything about her past, Anastasia already concluded she despised being vulnerable.


    "Michelle will help in setting her straight if you need to. Make sure you do your job well," Xander said, giving her another knowing look before he left the living room.


    Samantha¡¯s eyes strained on Xander¡¯s back before hepletely disappeared from the living room.


    "Now you..." Samantha said, her eyesnding on Anastasia with a re. "Come with me. I¡¯m going to show you to your room."


    Without giving Anastasia the chance to even blink, Samantha left but paused when she noticed Anastasia wasn¡¯t following behind her as shemanded.


    "Did you not hear me?" Samantha questioned.


    Anastasia nced at Michelle who kept looking at her like she was some kind of prey.


    Then her eyes went to the door that had been closed already.


    Anastasia was well aware she needed to escape from the unknown ce she was kept. However, the security she met with at the main entrance when they were driving in looked like something she couldn¡¯t handle. Let alone her weak body allowing her.


    "Girl, I¡¯m talking to you!!" She heard Samantha¡¯s stern voice.


    ¡¯I need to recuperate first,¡¯ Anastasia thought to herself before she moved her legs to walk behind Samantha.


    They walked past some doors before they finally stopped at one.


    "This is your room," Samantha said, her hands on the doorknob, revealing a small-sized bedroom with a bunk bed. "Go in."


    "Anastasia immediately went inside the room, her body jolting when Samatha banged the door close, leaving her alone in the dimly lit room.


    Quickly, Anastasia found the light switch. Although the lights were switched on, it made no difference at all, only making the room look even more gloomy.


    "I need to recover and get out of here as fast as possible," she promised herself.

 Chapter 258: The Puppets!

    With rage, she pulled the nket off the bed, revealing a naked girl who had Anastasia shriek, her voiceing out high-pitched as she frowned at the naked woman, whose hair stood on their ends as if thunder had struck it.


    "Don¡¯t mind me," the girl waved her hand in her face, shamelessly standing up from the bed and walking towards the closet to bring out some clothes to wear. "I¡¯ve been the only one staying in this room for the past few months after my roommate died," she exined. "So I don¡¯t bother wearing clothes when I¡¯m in here."


    After putting on her top, the strange girl walked towards Anastasia, stretching out a hand for a friendly handshake.


    Anastasia cautiously stared at the hand, considering shaking it.


    "You probably don¡¯t want to shake my hands because I creeped you out earlier..." The girl trailed out, bringing her stretched-out hand to her hair as she gave it a little scratch.


    "What did you mean earlier? When you said I can¡¯t get out of here," Anastasia questioned, her eyes narrowing at the girl.


    "I said what I said. You can¡¯t get out of here. It¡¯s impossible. Unless you want to die like the other girls here have..." The strange girl walked past Anastasia and settled on her bed, leaving thetter to take in her words. "You must be the girl Ms. Michelle was talking about joining us a few days ago. You¡¯re pretty," sheplimented, but Anastasia didn¡¯t bother to appreciate her for it.


    She had no idea about her whereabouts, and now she believed she was going to escape from wherever she was, a sudden strange girl warned her not to.


    "What¡¯s your name?" The strange girl asked.


    "They call me Anastasia," Anastasia replied after a few beats, earning a frown from the girl.


    "They call you? Don¡¯t you know your name?" The girl asked, acting confused.


    Then her gazended on the bandage wrapped around Anastasia¡¯s head.


    "You lost your memory?"


    Whenever <i>that </i>word came up, Anastasia felt weak and vulnerable. She didn¡¯t know anything about her past self, or what her past self would do in a situation like this.


    It was like she was reborn and given the chance to make new memories¡ªmemories she could already foresee wouldn¡¯t be good ones.


    "Wow! Now, isn¡¯t that interesting?" The strange girl sang.


    "There must be a way to escape from here¡ª" Anastasia¡¯s words were cut off when the strange girl covered her mouth with her palm,pletely silencing her.


    "There¡¯s a camera in this room," the strange girl whispered, her voice low and urgent. "They¡¯re watching and listening to every single thing we say." Her eyes darted up, pointing subtly toward a small hole in the ceiling. "You have to be careful, girl," she added, her expression tense with warning, as if every word could cost them.


    There was a small red dot glimmering light there, signaling the camera was turned on and was recording.


    Anastasia gave a slow nod, then the girl released her.


    "I know you don¡¯t know if you have any family out there. But as long as you¡¯re here, you need to forget about them even though you already have...." The girl chuckled at the end of her words,ughing at herme jokes. "Or rather, should I say you should give up getting back together with them?" She scratched an itch on her hair again. "Either way, you know what I mean."


    The girl settled back on her bed, pulling the nket up to her face.


    "You said your roommate died months ago. Was she trying to escape? That¡¯s why she died?" Anastasia questioned, confusion evident in her tone.


    "Trying to escape is not the only way to get yourself killed out here. There are many more ways to die here, but the most famous one is getting gang raped to death." The strange girl giggled at the end of her words as if she¡¯d just said something sweet. "Good night."


    Anastasia stared at the girl, wondering if she¡¯d already fallen asleep after giving her such scary information.


    ¡¯Getting gang raped to death?¡¯ She thought to herself, feeling her stomach churn when she recalled hearing some screams when they¡¯d just arrived earlier. Not a short while after, the scream was lost.


    Anastasia¡¯s eyesnded on the girl, who seemed to be asleep. And now she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if what thetter had said was true¡ªabout her being naked in the room all because she didn¡¯t have a roommate.


    ¡¯Could she have been...¡¯


    "You need to get some sleep. The bathroom is over there. Once done, get to bed since Samantha already said she would be waking us up early tomorrow," the girl suddenly said with her eyes still closed.


    "Waking us up early for what?"


    The girl chuckled lightly, opening her eyes as she made serious eye contact with Anastasia.


    "This is a human trafficking ring. What do you think tomorrow holds for us, the puppets?"

 Chapter 259: Xander Wallace

    When he found it, he inmed the tip and ced it in his mouth.


    "Until I found out you had a beef with Xavier¡¯s wife, so I thought you might be the perfect person to teach her a few lessons." Then he turned to her. "You also turned out to be a good fuck. So don¡¯t feel special, Michelle. I could change my mind anytime and decide to put you up for trade." He took a few drags of the cigarette in between his fingers and released the puff of smoke in her face.


    "We¡¯ve been together for two months already. I¡¯m sure I¡¯m more than just a good fuck to you Xander," Michelle defended, looking at Xander who lookedpletely the same as Xavier.


    The day he¡¯d rescued her from her ident which nearly took her life, she¡¯d thought it was Xavier. However, when he revealed himself to be Xander Wace, she didn¡¯t know what to think since the Wace family had never revealed Xavier had a twin brother.


    When Xander tore his gaze from her, his back facing her this time, Michelle took the opportunity to creep at his back, rubbing his skin ever so gently.


    "You know I¡¯ve always wondered what happened between you and the Wace family. We¡¯ve been together for a few months and you¡¯ve refused to tell me any¡ª" Michelle didn¡¯t get the chance toplete her words when she suddenly felt her hand being pulled by a strong force.


    "How many times have I told you to stop meddling?" Xander questioned, his eyes darker than the night as he red into her soul. His grip tightened on her wrist, making her yelp in pain.


    "You think because Ie to your room every night we¡¯ve grown some kind of bond for you to question me about my personal life however you like?" He added, his grip only turning tighter which made Michelle believe he was going to snap her wrist into two in a few seconds.


    "I-I¡¯m sorry, p-please let me go," she cried.


    "You¡¯re a slut and that¡¯s what you¡¯ll continue to be, do you understand?" He yelled, his tone sharp enough to slit her throat. Immediately, Michelle nodded.


    Xander threw her wrist away from his sight, which resulted in her falling onto the bed.


    "Perhaps I¡¯ve been too lenient on you, making you feel special and all. But this had better not repeat itself," he warned, standing up from the bed and wearing back his clothes.


    Michelle watched him with teary eyes but didn¡¯t dare to retaliate.


    Xander didn¡¯t even spare her a single nce before he left the room.


    As soon as he was out of her sight, Michelle wiped off her tears, her hands clenched on the quilt in anger as she gnashed her teeth.


    Xander adjusted his clothes as he headed downstairs. He suddenly felt the eyes of someone on his bed.


    He turned to find Samantha leaning on a door as she studied him up and down with an unreadable expression.


    "What? Are you taking in how handsome I am?" He quipped, his lips stretching to form a grin.


    "You smell like you just had sex," she blurted out which earned her a slight frown from Xander. "He wants to see you."


    "What could he possibly want this time around," Xander asked, taking a few steps toward Samantha.


    "No idea," she responded, taking in his ruffled outfit with her dark green eyes, scanning every detail before she looked away. "Regarding Xavier, for the past two months, he¡¯d been tearing down every hideout his men have been able to find. It wouldn¡¯t take long before he finds us here."


    "Are you forgetting we¡¯re in apletely far location? Xavier can never find us here since the satellite can¡¯t even track us here. I made sure of it," he replied.


    "Haven¡¯t you gotten a little too cockytely?" Samantha asked, which earned her a cocked-up eyebrow from Xander. "Never mind. He still wants to talk to you, and I don¡¯t think your confidence in thinking Xavier won¡¯t find us is helpful at the moment. He¡¯s still raging."


    "Who wouldn¡¯t be raging? If I was in his position, I would also be raging. Imagine finding out your wife has been kidnapped with your unborn baby and you don¡¯t even know if they¡¯re alive. Unfortunately for him, only one of them survived."

 Chapter 260: Bruce Vlarie

    "I¡¯m not, and I never will," she responded, her green eyes shing with his dark ones. The room fell quiet, and Samantha tore her gaze from him as if unable to hold it for that long.


    "Good. I¡¯ll be going to see my old man now. You know what you have to do regarding Anastasia. Make sure she suffers," he requested.


    Samantha gave a slight nod in acknowledgment. "I will," she promised.


    Xander gave her a pointed look before turning his back to her. He left the house, scanning the area first and sighting his men at work. Huge guns were mounted on their shoulders, as they walked around the space, making sure no one who wasn¡¯t supposed to be outside wasn¡¯t outside.


    Xander gave the men a few instructions before he entered the car and zoomed out of the gates.


    After driving close to an hour, Xander arrived at the gates of a house where hefty men lifted guns just like he¡¯d seen in the house he¡¯d left a few minutes ago.


    Once they recognized his car, the gate automatically spread open, allowing him to drive inside.


    "Where is he?" Xander asked the man who opened the car door for him.


    "He¡¯s in his liquor room," the man said, leading Xander into the house.


    It was already dark outside, but as soon as they entered the house, more darkness greeted them.


    The room was so dark the man leading Xander inside had to switch on the shlight, as they headed to the liquor room.


    "You still love darkness I see," Xandermented when they entered inside, the man closing the door behind them.


    At the counter table, a man who seemed to be in his mid-fifties gulped down thest content in his ss before mming it down onto the wooden tform, giving a gasp and a shudder as he felt the hot liquid burn his throat.


    "Drinking in darkness gives me some kind of eerie feeling which you probably wouldn¡¯t understand since you barely drink," the man said, turning to fix his dark green eyes simr to Samantha¡¯s on Xander. His silver hair was ruffled and settled by the side of his face.


    "Which is surprisingly the only thing you and your brother have inmon. In the past, I¡¯ve never seen that boy drink. Although, I don¡¯t know now. He might have been drinking after you kept his wife from him for so long." The manbed his fingers through his hair before opening another bottle and pouring it into his ss.


    "Don¡¯tpare me to that bastard," Xander threatened.


    "He was a nice kid, always loved by everyone. But you..." The man trailed off,pletely ignoring Xander¡¯s threat. "You were just like your father. Stupid, bratty, and most importantly...you were heartless. Which is why I like you more."


    "I didn¡¯t want you to like me," Xander said through gritted teeth.


    "Come on now. Don¡¯t make what I said sound weird¡ª"


    "Samantha said you wanted to see me. I suppose it must be something important. So, don¡¯t waste either of our time talking about somethingpletely useless," Xander said, his face nk as he scowled at the old man.


    The man stretched out his hand which contained a spare ss of alcohol knowing fully well Xander didn¡¯t drink. The man revealed a small grin when he saw Xander¡¯s scowl deepen, meaning he¡¯d seeded in taunting him.


    "Watch this..."


    Xander¡¯s eyes were confused on the television hanging on the wall opposite them.


    It was news regarding Anastasia¡¯s disappearance. Her disappearance covered every media station, mostly because she was a celebrity.


    Xavier was shown in a few clips, looking all tattered and uposed.


    "Look at what you¡¯ve done to your brother," the old man said.


    "Why are you showing me this?" Xander questioned as the clips shown on the TV switched from one footage to the other.


    "No reason. I was just checking if you¡¯d softened up or something," the man merely shrugged which earned him a confused expression from Xander.


    "You know, <i>Bruce, </i>if you have something to ask me, just go straight ahead. Don¡¯t go beating around the bush."


    <i>Bruce</i> didn¡¯t say anything. He simply poured more drink for himself, and gulped down the content before his eyes refocused on Xander.


    "One of the men we have made deliveries to has refused to pay up," Bruce finally said.


    "Even after he and his family got the baby?"


    "After he and his family got the baby," Bruce repeated. "Get the bnce from him, and if he tries to struggle, torture him. No one owes Bruce rie money and runs away with it."


    "That¡¯s not a problem. Will get it done immediately."

 Chapter 261: Picky One

    Angelina gave Anastasia a stiff smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes before she entered the bathroom.


    Anastasiapletely understood what Angelina meant by her words. However, she didn¡¯t want to wait until that moment.


    Also, she had no idea what was in store for her. But from the way Angelina looked at her with eyes filled with pity, it could never be something good.


    A few minutes after Angelina was done taking her bath, Anastasia jumped right in. Then walked towards the small sized closet which was filled with plenty of ragged clothes that weren¡¯t suitable for wearing at all. Unfortunately for her, she had to make do with what she had.


    As soon as Anastasia was done wearing her clothes, the door suddenly banged open, startling the two girls inside.


    "What are two still doing here? Didn¡¯t you hear the bell?!" Samantha bellowed, ring at the both of them as if they were some piece of dirt.


    "We¡¯re sorry, Samantha. It won¡¯t happen again," Angelina apologized, her head lowered meekly in defeat.


    Anastasia followed suit, not wanting to cause trouble and make things more difficult than it already was.


    Samantha continued to re at the both of them before she said, "I¡¯ll let you go this time around. But the next time you turn tardy, I will make you wish you didn¡¯t."


    Then she left, expecting them to follow behind her.


    As they walked out of the room, Anastasia found Michelle ring at her with a sly smirk on her lips. Then she remembered what Xander ordered the both of them to do to her.


    "Don¡¯t you think we should starve her so that belly fat can be reduced?" Michelle suddenly spoke, making Samantha halt. "Instead of giving her only vegetables which will make it only bigger."


    "Xander left me in charge of her, and you don¡¯t need to tell me what to do," Samantha retorted, mirroring Michelle¡¯s re.


    "It seems to me you¡¯re forgetting I¡¯m in this house because Xander wants me to make her life a living hell," Michelle retorted back and then gasped suddenly. "And to warm his bed of course."


    Samantha stared at Michelle with a in expression, itching to smack thetter across the face. But she didn¡¯t want to stain her palm so early in the morning.


    Anastasia nced between the both of them and could already sense they despised each other.


    Samantha didn¡¯t say anything anymore to Michelle. She simply left and they followed behind her to what looked like the dining table.


    The table was already filled with at least twenty girls, all looking weak and empty.


    When Samantha sat on her chair which was at the end of the dining table, their eyes settled on her.


    "This is Anastasia, she will be joining us," Samantha introduced and the eyes of all the girls came to settle on Anastasia.


    Their eyes looked so hollow Anastasia nearly thought there was no life in them.


    Angelina and Anastasia went to take their seat to eat their breakfast. And when her eyes settled on the food on the te, she nearly barfed in disgust.


    "What is it?" Samantha snapped.


    "Are we going to eat this?" Anastasia asked, feeling the eyes of the other girls on her. "It looks disgusting." Instantly, Anastasia regretted what she¡¯d said because she felt Angelina¡¯s hands on herp, signaling her to stop talking.


    "What did you just say?" Samantha questioned, on her feet this time around as she walked towards Anastasia.


    "It¡¯s nothing," she mumbled weakly.


    However, Samantha didn¡¯t let it go. She stared at the te of cold vegetables and poured it on Anastasia¡¯s body which caused thetter to immediately stand up and adjust her seat backwards.


    "You¡¯ve only just arrived yesterday and you¡¯re turned picky. Do you think this is a restaurant where you can order whatever you like?" Samantha questioned her, taking the ss of water and emptying everyst drop on her.


    "I told you she would be difficult to handle," Michelle spoke frompletely out of nowhere. "You should have just left her in my care and you can take care of the other girls."


    "Stay out of this Michelle!"


    "I mean she lost her memories and can¡¯t remember a single thing about herself. She doesn¡¯t even know she had a miscarriage in the ident that brought her here to us," Michelle finished, ignoring Samantha¡¯s warnings.

 Chapter 262: Lifeless Body—Warning!

    However, Anastasia didn¡¯t stop there. She carried the poorly looking empty ss cup and aimed it at Michelle once again, this time with a more precise aim, silently hoping to herself she didn¡¯t miss. And she kept to her promise when the cup shattered on Michelle.


    Her actions were so daring and unexpected that the girls who looked stiff as if they were being controlled by some remote controller, finally showed some reaction.


    They¡¯d never met someone that ever stood either against Michelle or Samantha. But Ana was brave enough to take them both on.


    Now, they couldn¡¯t help but fear for her life on her behalf.


    "You animals!!" Anastasia growled, aiming for Samantha this time around, pulling her hair hard. "You killed my baby?"


    "Tibo, Turac,e here quickly!" Samantha ordered through a strangled voice, as she tried to remove Anastasia¡¯s hand that was pulling her hair.


    The two bulky men Anastasia had seen the previous day she¡¯d just arrived came absolutely from nowhere and pulled Anastasia away from Samantha.


    With rage evident in her face, Samantha struck Anastasia across the face twice, while Tibo and Turac held her in ce.


    "You bitch! Who do you think you are to act like that? Do you think this is your house?" Samantha questioned, striking Ana across the face one more time, forcing blood out of her mouth while the two smelly men held her in ce.


    Anastasia felt her cheeks burn in pain, and she was sure it was already painted red as it continued to sting her.


    Her eyes itched with the urge to cry, and she squeezed them shut, trying desperately to hold back the tears. But the pain was too overwhelming, too much to bear. Despite her efforts, she felt the warm, unmistakable trail of tears streaming down her face, betraying the emotions she had tried so hard to contain.


    Samantha grabbed Anastasia¡¯s chin, only adding more pain as she forced her eyes open.


    "You¡¯re a ve here, and when a ve does something wrong, they must be punished. Do you hear me?" Samantha questioned, her green eyes turning darker than usual before she removed her hands that were pinching Anastasia¡¯s chin. "Deal with her. Now!!"


    Anastasia felt her heart fall to her feet when she heard Samantha¡¯s orders.


    "You can¡¯t be serious! You are monsters!!" Anastasia said as she struggled to be free from both Tibo and Turac¡¯s grip. But they were at least three times her size, making her escapepletely impossible.


    Even if she does manage to be free from their grip, she has no idea where to run to or whom to run to. She was all alone.


    "I can see you still have the mouth to speak," Michelle said, her hand on her head that was bleeding profusely, a damage that was caused due to the ss cup Anastasia had thrown at her.


    Anastasia continued to struggle, but their grip on her only tightened. Then she looked at Angelina and the other girls who didn¡¯t dare to say a word.


    More tears streamed from her face, having to realize no one was by her side.


    "You think after getting married to Xavier, you¡¯ll never find yourself back in the past?" Michelle questioned, her face painted with rage and blood while veins popped all over. "Well, let me tell you something, Anastasia. You¡¯re a slut and you¡¯ll forever continue to be one."


    Michelle¡¯s words felt like a dagger that stabbed Anastasia¡¯s skin despite the fact that she didn¡¯t know what Michelle meant by saying those things to her.


    She continued to struggle from the heavy pigs but was easily taken away to a ce only God knows where.


    When she was finally out of sight as her scream became slightly fainted until it waspletely gone, silence enveloped the dining table.


    "What are you all looking at?!" Samantha snapped, making the girls jolt in fear all at once. "Eat your food quickly!!" Her orders left no room for argument as the girls scurried back to their chairs, sat down and began chewing¡ªdowning the food despite the awful taste.


    One of the girls frowned as she continued to force feed herself. ¡¯What is Anastasia Wace doing here? How did she end up here?¡¯ The girl wondered, her stomach twisting with dread. She suddenly felt the urge to throw up but she quickly resisted it, knowing what would be of her punishment if she did so.


    Samantha red at the girls before leaving the dining room, but Michelle made sure to follow her.


    "You really have to keep a watch on Anastasia," she suddenly said, making Samantha halt.


    "Do you think you have to tell me that?" Samantha questioned, her eyes squinting in disbelief as she studied Michelle. "Are you perhaps forgetting who¡¯s in charge around here?"

 Chapter 263: Recognized Her

    "What, my dear Anastasia? Are you feeling sad and dejected?" Michelle questioned with a mocking tone. "What happened? I thought you were calling us monsters. What happened to that sharp tongue of yours? Did the cat catch your tongue?" She continued to taunt, only trying to fuel Anastasia¡¯s anger which would get her into more trouble.


    Meanwhile, Anastasia was too focused on getting back on her two feet, so she simply ignored Michelle and her words filled with mockery.


    "Come back here," Michelle pulled Anastasia back when she noticed thetter was nning on ignoring her. "Don¡¯t walk out of me when I¡¯m talking to you! I can call back those two pigs and have them teach you a few more lessons! Don¡¯t test my patience."


    "Do I look like I have the strength to test your patience?" Anastasia questioned Michelle, her voice suddenlying out cold and distant. It was almost like she was talking to Michelle before thetter had lost her memories. "I can see all you want to do is punish me for something I don¡¯t even remember doing. And the fact you killed my child...."


    A grin appeared on Michelle¡¯s lips. "Do you think that was the first child you¡¯ve lost?" Michelle dropped the bomb which had Anastasia stiffen for a second. "Oh, that¡¯s right! You¡¯ve lost your memories and you can¡¯t remember anything regarding your past. But let me be a good person today and tell you a few things," Michelle added, taking a few steps toward Anastasia.


    "This..." She started, ring down at Ana¡¯s big belly. "This isn¡¯t your first miscarriage. I had a hand in killing your first baby. Sadly, I don¡¯t have a hand in this one. It would have been satisfying."


    Then Michelle scoffed, her grin stretching even more, and Anastasia was tempted to wipe it off her face.


    Her anger was fueled again, especially after finding out she¡¯d lost two babies. Her stomach churned for different reasons.


    "What did I ever do to you?" Anastasia asked, her voice timid and weak as tears pooled in her ears but she blinked them back. This was only her second day here, and she was tempted to give up on escaping. However, something in her mind told her not to.


    "What did you do to me? You stole everything I ever owned. Everything that ever belonged to me. You stole the man I was supposed to marry, stole the family that belonged to me, and stole my identity!!" Michelle howled.


    Then sheposed herself by fixing her hair and wiping the remaining blood on her face with a napkin she¡¯d picked up earlier. "So, don¡¯t judge me for treating you this way. You don¡¯t deserve to be happy."


    Michelle sighed, then breathed in some air as if to calm her raging nerves.


    "This is just the beginning, so don¡¯t get tired yet. A lot is going to happen," she sang as she walked away, leaving Anastasia in utter despair.


    Anastasia red at Michelle¡¯s back before thetter disappeared. Heaving some breath, she made her way to her room and quickly took a shower before she changed her clothes.


    A girl came up to call her to where they were. When Anastasia arrived at the room, she realized it was a makeup room. The word brought some blurry images in her mind, and when she tried to recall something deeper, everything would suddenly disappear, leaving her mindpletely nk and empty.


    "Finally you¡¯re here. I thought I needed to call the boys again before you woulde down."


    Anastasia kept mute, before she took a seat beside Angelina.


    Samantha red at Ana for not uttering a single word, but she let her go and focused on the girl whose face she was patiently ever so elegantly.


    "When you apply your contour, make sure you aren¡¯t pouting too much so you don¡¯t end up looking like a fool in front of your master," Samantha instructed, her gaze shifting to Anastasia from time to time.


    Then she suddenly got a phone call and excused herself.


    "Continue doing that. I¡¯ll be right back," she said before she left to answer the call.


    "Next time, just eat your food and don¡¯tin about anything," Angelina said as soon as Samantha was out of sight.


    "Don¡¯t you know where you are girl?" A girl suddenly asked. She had pale blue eyes simr to Anastasia¡¯s but eyebags were settled under her eyes as if they were paying some kind of rent there. "In this ce, you don¡¯t talk unless you¡¯re spoken to."


    Another girl added, "I recognize you, you¡¯re Xavier Wace¡¯s wife, Anastasia Wace." The girl¡¯s words got Anastasia to turn her head as her eyes settled on the girl, finally finding hope.


    "Who are you?" Anastasia asked.


    "I¡¯m Elizabeth. I met you at Dreamscape Entertainment once when I wanted to audition for a role in a movie."

 Chapter 264: No Patience!!

    "That¡¯s a good thing you¡¯ve told her. She shouldn¡¯t cause trouble if she doesn¡¯t want to be raped in front of everyone next time," she spat with such venom it caused Anastasia to shiver in fear against her will.


    However, despite the sharp tone, Anastasia kept her mouth shut and didn¡¯t dare to retaliate, which only caused the smirk on Samantha¡¯s lips to stretch even further.


    **


    "Where¡¯s the money?" Xander questioned the man who was kneeling on the dirty ground with his own two feet, two of his heavy men pushing him down so he wouldn¡¯t start getting any kind of ideas.


    "X¡ªXander, I¡¯ll pay soon. I-I promise I will pay soon," the man said, his body shivering in fear as Xander walked up to him.


    "You nned to pay soon? Then howe we had to catch you at the airport? What were you doing there? Were you nning to run away?" Xander questioned, taking out a dagger that was secured at the back of his hands.


    Then he took out a napkin from his pockets and cleaned off the dagger, readying it for what was toe.


    The man who was still needed quivered, his shoulder shaking, his mped hands used for pleading shook as well.


    "I wasn¡¯t trying to escape. I promise you that....i¡ªI already sold my casino just so I could pay you back," the quivering man said.


    "Is that so?" Xander said, amusement evident in his tone. He took out the lollipop he was licking, squatted to the level of his debtor, and continued, "Then why didn¡¯t youe straight to me to pay off the debt after selling your casino for that same reason?"


    The quivering man couldn¡¯t speak. He opened his mouth to defend himself but nothing came out. It was as if he¡¯d suddenly turned dumb and unable to speak anymore.


    "What was that?" Xander questioned, leaning towards the man to hear him properly even though he didn¡¯t say anything. "Did you suddenly go mute?" He questioned, holding the knife towards the debtor.


    "I-I will pay off the debt! I will," the debtor pleaded, struggling to be free from the men holding him down. "Please don¡¯t kill me."


    "Oh, I know that. I¡¯m not gonna kill you, Mr. Han. If I do that, then I¡¯ll never get my money. So, instead of that, I¡¯m just going to leave you with a warning." The debtor¡¯s tears stopped pouring as a little sparkle of hope twinkled in his eyes.


    The debtor parted his lips to appreciate Xander.


    However, before the debtor could say anything to Xander for being so <i>kind</i>, he felt a sharp pain on his cheeks and all he could taste was blood in his mouth.


    Xander held the blood dagger stained against him, his eyes darkened as he red at the corner of the debtor¡¯s lips he¡¯d just t with the sharp metal.


    "That¡¯s my warning," he said to the debtor, her menacing smile stretched on his lips, making the debtor¡¯s blood turn cold.


    The debtor thrashed around, unable to endure the pain of the sharp cut. He wasn¡¯t in his right senses, but he was sure he despised Xander already.


    "I expect the money in two weeks. If you¡¯re not able to provide that, I¡¯m taking your daughter as a form ofpensation," the debtor¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. He tried to speak. Unfortunately, the pain was unbearable to do it. "Get him out of here!"


    The two men holding the debtor down picked up as his trail of blood followed them as they kicked him out of their location.


    Xander threw away the lollipop he was licking earlier and popped out a cigarette from his pocket.


    "What a night!" He sighed, flicking the light at the tip when he suddenly got a phone call, and by the sound of the ringtone, he already knew who could be calling. "What could that old man want now?" He wondered, taking out his phone call.


    "What?!" He questioned as soon as the call was connected.


    "When is the trade happening?" He heard Bruce¡¯s question from the other side. "It¡¯s been two months already since youmenced a trade."


    "Listen, with Xavier running around looking for Anastasia, it will be quite difficult to do one now."


    "I heard from our men that he has infiltrated another one of our hideouts."


    Xander sighed, running his hand on his face in frustration. "That brother of mine. So impatient. I will have to contact him soon before he burns down the world just to find his worthless wife!"


    "Not like it¡¯s going to make a difference. But still do it. Ask Samantha which of the girls are qualified to be traded, and which ones should be transferred to the factory. We¡¯re running out of money already." Then the call was hung up.


    Xander stared at his phone which had a beeping sound before he sighed again.


    "So old but still no patience at all," he mumbled.

 Chapter 265: Meet Up!

    "Where is she?" Xavier questioned, his tone low and threatening it sent chills down Kace¡¯s spine, and the others near him. But never Xander. Xander was a maniac!


    Xavier heard Xander cackle over the phone one more time as if he¡¯d heard a funny joke.


    "Do you want to see her so badly?" Xander asked, despite knowing what Xavier¡¯s answer would be.


    "Where is she?" Xavier questioned.


    "I see you¡¯re desperate to see her," Xander sneered. "Don¡¯t worry, since you haven¡¯t seen her in two months, you¡¯ll get your chance soon. Besides, I¡¯m not as heartless as you think I am." He paused for a moment, the sound of a keyboard clicking in the background filling the silence.


    "There! Check social media. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll appreciate what I¡¯ve sent you." His voice dripped with malicious satisfaction, leaving Xavier with a growing sense of dread.


    Xavier frowned in confusion but wasted no time. He hung up the call and immediately checked social media. As soon as the first video popped up on his feed, his heart stopped for a moment. He couldn¡¯t believe his eyes.


    His pulse quickened, heart hammering against his ribs, as he struggled to keep himselfposed. Whatever he had just seen rattled him to the core, igniting a storm of emotions he could barely contain.


    On his screen was ady who was ced on the table with two men aggressively manhandling her.


    The video was grainy, presented in monochrome, and slightly blurry, but despite its poor quality, anyone familiar with the woman would recognize her instantly.


    Her movements, her figure¡ªeverything about her was unmistakable. Xavier¡¯s breath hitched as he stared at the screen, the image sending a chilling wave of disbelief through him. There was no denying it¡ªit was her.


    Anger surged through Xavier¡¯s body, as Anastasia¡¯s scream for help flooded his ears. He wanted to do something. He wanted to rip Xander from wherever he was hiding and stab him until he had no more flesh left to call his own.


    He was desperate to do many things to Xander.


    Xavier quickly scrolled past the video, unable to continue looking at it as those two heavy men raped her like they were some animals.


    Then his phone rang again.


    "Did you enjoy the video?" Xander asked, chuckling one more time.


    Veins popped on Xavier¡¯s skin, as the thirst for blood raised. But this time, he wanted Xander¡¯s blood.


    "She was kicking and screaming in that video, thinking she could fight those men all on her own. Unfortunately for her, she¡¯s just a weak little fickle thing and that¡¯s what she¡¯s going to be for the rest of her life. But you don¡¯t have to worry, if you miss her again, I will upload another video then you can feel as much closer to her as you want."


    Xander grabbed the phone tightly, his teeth gnashing together as he demanded, "Where is she, Xander?!"


    "I don¡¯t know," Xander responded. He could hear Xavier¡¯s heavy breath through the phone and he couldn¡¯t help but be satisfied with how things had turned out for him.


    "Xander, let¡¯s meet up. Decide a location and bring my wife along with you, that¡¯s if you¡¯re bold enough to do so...." Xavier threatened.


    The huge grin that was ying on Xander¡¯s lips faltered to a huge scowl.


    "You know you¡¯re in no position to make such vacuous demands," Xander spouted. "You remember what happened years ago when I asked for your help? What did you tell me?"


    "That doesn¡¯t mean you get to send all your hatred towards my wife! You¡¯re mad at me, aren¡¯t you? Then let¡¯s meet up and fight things out if you know you aren¡¯t a coward!!" Xavier bellowed.


    Xander went silent for a second, and Xavier had to check to make sure the call was still connected.


    "Let¡¯s meet up then," Xander responded, then hung up on the call.


    A few secondster, Xavier got a text from a weird number.


    Quickly, he went to Maxwell and had thetter copy the number for tracing.


    "Are you going to meet him?" Kace asked concernced in his tone as he stared at Xavier.


    "I have to. It¡¯s the only way we can end things," Xavier responded.


    Maxwell nced between the both of them, something flickering in his eyes before it disappeared as if it had never been there.

 Chapter 266: Strange Girl!

    "Why not? Don¡¯t tell me you enjoy the hellhole of a house we are living in right now. Don¡¯t you want to leave and go back to your family?" Anastasia questions, her anger surging through her body and threatening to slip through her fingers.


    That was what Angelina had told her. And now Elizabeth...


    For the past week, Elizabeth had narrated all she knew about Anastasia and her celebrity life. And she didn¡¯t forget to inform her how her rtionship with Michelle had been for the past few years. Starting from when she changed her identity to Selene Jones, to getting all of her properties from the Harrison family.


    Everything felt like a boulder ced on Anastasia¡¯s head which she needed to memorize, hoping they would finally be able to help her regain her memories. But her shoulders always sank in disappointment.


    For the past week, Samantha has been making them do all sorts of things. If not how to work a dildo, then it would be how to touch themselves in ways that would please their masters/their buyers whichpletely irritated Anastasia. And it¡¯s been a week since she¡¯dst seen Xander, her supposed husband¡¯s twin brother and <i>brother-inw. </i>


    "Believe me when I say you can¡¯t escape from here. The security is tight. Stepping out from this house alone is difficult," Elizabeth tried to change Anastasia¡¯s mind but thetter wasn¡¯t buying it.


    They were currently in a salon designed for them. They were to learn how to make their hair and style it to look as pretty as possible so they would be able to satisfy their masters.


    Anastasia stared at her reflection in the mirror, then her gaze settled on the little bandage on her head.


    "Who is nning on escaping?" One of the girls asked, his tone hushed as she red up at Anastasia who could see her through the vanity mirror. "You¡¯re nning on escaping? If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t even think about doing that."


    "Do you want toe with me?" Anastasia asked, catching the girl off guard. "We can escape together."


    "Escaping from here means death, and I don¡¯t n to die." The girl waved her hands in front of her with a gesture of refusing the idea.


    "If you stay here, you¡¯re still going to die anyway," Anastasia said, deadpan.


    The girl didn¡¯t give any scared reaction. Instead, her eyes were focused on the ceiling, as if having a wild daydream.


    "That¡¯s not true at all. We¡¯re going to be sold soon and then all of our problems wille to an end. As long as I can get a charming master who would buy me and treat me right. I don¡¯t even mind if I¡¯m a mistress in his home," the girl responded.


    Anastasia was speechless.


    "I don¡¯t mind that either," the other girls responded and something finally dawned on Anastasia.


    The girls were willing to adjust to whatever kind of lifestyle they met with when they were finally sold. They were too rxed for her liking which hit a sensitive nerve in her body that tempted her to smack them back to their senses because it was obvious they weren¡¯t thinking right.


    Anastasia decided to drop the topic of escaping since the people she was sharing her ns with had onepletely different from hers.


    Anastasia faced her vanity mirror, bringing her hair straightener, and ced it on her hair to straighten the locks.


    ¡¯For a human trafficking ring that can¡¯t even provide healthy clean food for us, they sure can afford to buy an expensive-looking straightener,¡¯ she thought to herself.


    Anastasia ced the straightener down, took some of her locks, and dressed her hair into a bun while some of her strands stubbornly fell on her face. Her lips were red and juicy as she stared at herself through the vanity mirror, her blue eyes staring back at her.


    ¡¯Xavier Wace.¡¯ That name echoed in her mind. ¡¯Xavier Wace.¡¯


    An image simr to Xander¡¯s face appeared in her mind. Her hands clenched together as she forced herself to recall anything useful.


    The room suddenly went silent, all the images from her disappeared and she was the only one there.


    Those blurry memories flew around her, attacking her with strange voices she had never heard before. But one thing was sure, these were the voices of people she knew.


    Anastasia came back to her senses when she suddenly heard a sound that nearly deafened her.


    She looked down at the hand that was nted on her drawer, a wave of goosebumps traveling through her body in disgust when she saw the ck dirt on the nails.


    Then she looked up at the girl who had just mmed her fist on her drawer.


    Anastasia¡¯s blue eyes met with the girl¡¯s empty ck ones. It was so ck it felt like she was looking into a ck hole that would swallow her up soon if she didn¡¯t move away from it. The girl¡¯s eyes were the most empty Anastasia had ever seen.


    "You¡¯re too loud. Keep it down!!" The girl said without a single emotionced in her tone.

 Chapter 267: Avery

    Anastasia¡¯s heart sank as she listened, the horror of Angelina¡¯s words settling over her like a suffocating weight. She nced back at Avery, who now seemed even more fragile, her pale form a testament to the cruelty she¡¯d endured.


    Anastasia shuddered in disgust, goosebumps rising on her skin as she felt the urge to throw up again.


    "That¡¯s disgusting," she managed to say, recalling the trail of blood she¡¯d seen on Avery¡¯s legs earlier.


    Anastasia¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but ache for the girl for she¡¯d been through a lot.


    As if sensing Anastasia¡¯s gaze, Avery¡¯s head suddenly snapped around, locking eyes with her. The abruptness of it startled Anastasia so much that her heart jumped, fear creeping up her spine.


    Avery¡¯s hollow, lifeless stare made it even more unsettling, as if she could see right through her. The intensity of the moment left Anastasia frozen, unsure of what to do or say.


    "My goodness," Ana sighed, cing her hand on her chest as she felt her heart thump hard against her ribs.


    "You might feel bad for her, but you¡¯d better stay away from her. She¡¯s nothing but trouble," Angelina said.


    "You don¡¯t need to tell me twice," Anastasia mumbled.


    A few minutester, Samantha came into the room, long heels assisting her with a towering height which had Anastasia wondering if her ankles ever hurt her.


    "A new trade will be happening soon, and all of you have been qualified to participate in <i>The Crimson Hunt. </i>I¡¯m sure most of you here already know what that is."


    As soon as those words left Samantha¡¯s lips, Anastasia noticed the girls share nces, terror evident in their eyes as it trembled.


    "The crimson hunt will bemencing in a month from now. So girls, try your best to do good in this game so you can be with your masters."


    The way Samantha spoke with so much joy and enthusiasm would make any deaf person think she was talking about a new brand of phone that could make the moon turn pink.


    Sadly, it was apletely different story.


    Samantha¡¯s eyes fell on Anastasia for the briefest second before she looked away.


    Then Samantha carried on with her task by checking the hair they had styled by themselves. After an hour, they were finally allowed to get some sunshine, but of course with the armed men watching them carefully.


    "What is <i>The Crimson Hunt</i>?" Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but ask once they settled on a bench.


    Both Angelina and Elizabeth were by her side, and their faces looked as if they¡¯d just seen a ghost.


    "It¡¯s a very dangerous game," Angelina started. "I don¡¯t know much about the game since I¡¯ve only been here for six months, but from what I¡¯ve heard, it¡¯s a game between life and death."


    Anastasia subconsciously gulped down her saliva in fear.


    "From what the other girls who¡¯ve stayed here long said, thirty-five girls were qualified for the game thest time, but only thirteen survived."


    Anastasia¡¯s heart sank in her stomach.


    "Thirty-five girls!!" She nearly screamed.


    ¡¯Then that means this is a big game. This is my chance to escape,¡¯ Anastasia thought to herself as an idea popped into her head.


    "The rules will be exined when the dayes. But for now, we have little time to stay alive," Angelina finished.


    Anastasia nced around, trying to take note of the CCTV cameras. Angelina¡¯sst words made her heart prick for an unknown reason. Even so, she needed to leave on that day.


    Anastasia¡¯s ears suddenly closed with Avery¡¯s and the girl stared at her like a dead soul, as if she wanted to read what was going on in Anastasia¡¯s mind.


    Then a creepy smile stretched on her lips, which nearly freaked Anastasia out.


    Anastasia tore her gaze from the girl and focused on something else. But then, she saw a figure walking towards her. From the clothes, she already knew who it was.


    "Come with me. We¡¯re going somewhere," Michelle said, ring down at her as if she were some piece of trash.


    "Where?"


    "Don¡¯t ask questions and just follow me!"

 Chapter 268: Meet-Up!!

    A few minutester, a car drove by, looking all ck¡ªblending into the night. The windows were heavily tinted which would have been difficult for any person to see who was inside. Fortunately for Xander, he had a good guess who that person was.


    The car slowed to a stop as the driver spotted Xander leaning casually against the wall. Half of his face was cloaked in darkness, while the other half was bathed in the soft, eerie glow of the moon.


    Xavier stepped out of the car, and Xander couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of an unknown feeling vibrate in his heart. It was something he¡¯d never felt for over two decades already.


    Xander merely shrugged to get that odd feeling off his shoulders, his gaze on Xavier as their simr dark eyes shed on each other.


    "Well, hello there, brother! How are you doing?" Xander asked but it was evident he didn¡¯t care at all how Xavier was doing. Instead, his tone was carried by mockery that threatened to make Xavier¡¯s patience slip through his fingers as he red at his brother.


    "Where is Anastasia?" Xavier questioned, closing the gap between them with merely three strides as he wrapped his hands around Xander¡¯s cor shirt, yanking him upwards with force.


    "My my....You don¡¯t seem to miss your elder brother at all. Have you perhaps forgotten I¡¯m older than you?" Xander questioned, not feeling the least threatened since he was sure the gun was safely secured at the back of his pants.


    He was also sure Xavier had brought his weapon with him since it would be unusual if he didn¡¯t have weapons on him.


    "Where is she?!" Xavier questioned one more time, as he felt the anger and impatience slip out of him as his grip on Xander¡¯s clothes tightened.


    "You might want to let go of my clothes, Xavier. These are my favorite shirts and I don¡¯t like the way you¡¯re ruffling them. Also, Anastasia is here, but if you anger me, I won¡¯t give her back to you," Xander said, ring back at Xavier.


    Xavier scowled at Xander, several thoughts running in his hand as to where his psychotic brother could have kept his wife.


    With gritted teeth, Xavier let go of Xander and thetter casually straightened his clothes back.


    "Now, that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about," Xander mumbled under his breath.


    Xavier gave him all the time that he needed until he was done.


    "I noticed you deleted the video I posted on the inte. Now aren¡¯t you a caring husband....Hmm?"


    "Stop testing my patience and tell me where Anastasia is..." Xavier demanded, his fit clenched together.


    "I have no idea¡ª-" Before Xander couldplete his sentence, he felt his jaw flying as a sharp and nearly unbearable pain electrocuted his body. And the next second, Xander found himself on the ground.


    Xavier picked him up by the cor and lifted him. "I warned you not to test my patience, now where is she?" Xavier demanded.


    A deep sound vibrated in Xander¡¯s chest as he wiped away the blood that painted his lips with the back of his palm.


    "You¡¯re still the same. Still as hot-tempered as before. Or could it be because Anastasia is with me? What¡¯s so special about that wife of yours anyway?" He questioned, a grin on his lips. "Maybe I¡¯ll need to get back and find out then upload it¡ª"


    Again, another punch flew across Xander¡¯s face, sending him flying as his back crashed against the wall.


    Instead of feeling pain, the foolughed like a fucking maniac.


    "Now you know how it feels when something that belongs to you gets stolen, right?" Xander growled, struggling to push himself to his feet. He spat a mouthful of blood-tinged saliva onto the ground, his body shaking with fury. "Remember in the past when you would take everything from me? EVERYTHING I COULD CALL MY OWN, YOU STOLE!" His voice boomed, each word dripping with raw, festering rage.


    His face twisted in anger, but despite his outburst, Xander¡¯s tone grew eerily calm as he continued, "And now, it¡¯s my turn." The menace in his voice was unmistakable, a chilling promise of revenge.


    "If everything that¡¯s happened in the past had hurt you a lot, then maybe you should have juste to me directly instead of going after my wife."


    "An eye for an eye, Xavier. An eye for an eye," Xandr sang.


    Without giving Xavier the chance to attack him one more time, Xander kicked off his feet and ran away from there as fast as he could, shocking Xavier.


    "Now!!"


    Xavier heard Xander¡¯s chilling order, and from the corners of his eyes, he caught a glimpse of a rapidly blinking red light¡ªan ominous warning that sent a chill down his spine. In the next heartbeat, the house erupted into chaos, a deafening roar filling the air as mes and debris spewed outward in all directions.

 Chapter 269: Xattlewood

    But Xavier didn¡¯t give up. He didn¡¯t care if Xander died or if he didn¡¯t. All he cared about was Anastasia and their unborn child. He wanted to see her, hold her in her arms as he cuddled her to sleep.


    Xavier couldn¡¯t even remember thest time he had slept in his mansion since Anastasia¡¯s kidnapping. His every waking moment had been consumed with thoughts of her, and now, seeing the man responsible running down the empty street,ughing maniacally, it was as if his very blood turned to fire.


    Xander¡¯s crazedughter echoed in Xavier¡¯s ears, fueling the uncontroble rage coursing through him. His vision blurred with fury, thoughts of blood and revenge clouding his mind.


    Xavier steadied his aim, hands shaking slightly from the intensity of his rage. His finger hovered over the trigger, his breathing out in visible puffs of steam against the frigid night air. Every fiber of his being screamed for him to pull it, to end this nightmare once and for all.


    Meanwhile, Xander wondered why Xavier had suddenly stopped chasing him.


    Just when he turned, he suddenly felt a sharp and excruciating pain on his nape.


    His heart sank.


    Just when he crossed a little line he¡¯d ced to help him familiarize himself with the abandoned street, his men jumped out and started firing at Xavier, who immediately looked for shelter behind a house that wasn¡¯t in good condition.


    Something shed in Xander¡¯s eyes as he searched for Xavier, but he couldn¡¯t find him.


    His men stopped firing when they realized the person they were firing at had suddenly disappeared.


    Then they suddenly heard the sound of an engine that could only possiblye from a car. Before they could blink two times, two cars had already stopped in front of them, immediately aiming at them.


    "Xander!! Just tell me where the fuck you kept my wife. That¡¯s all I ask of you," Xavier pleaded.


    The men were ready to shoot, but they waited for themand from their bosses.


    Xander¡¯sugh echoed in the empty dark street, his hand on his nape that had been bruised by the bullet Xavier had fired at him.


    "I know I was wrong for what I did in the past, and I¡¯m truly sorry for it," Xavier continued, his fist clenched on the gun.


    He¡¯d never nned to apologize, but he was desperate now. If Xander was to escape, only God knew what he¡¯d do to Anastasia once he reached where he kept her.


    He was desperate to see his family again.


    "I¡¯m begging you."


    Xander¡¯s chuckle suddenly stopped, and Xavier had to leave his hiding spot to see Xander.


    "I¡¯m also sorry Xavier, because no matter what you do or say, Anastasia is nevering back. I¡¯m d you¡¯ve finally realized this is all your fault and I¡¯m notpletely a bad person. I¡¯m only giving you a taste of your own medicine, but it seems to me you don¡¯t like it."


    Xavier gnashed his teeth together in rage as he red at Xander.


    Before Xavier could say anything, the opponents started firing bullets at them, so he quickly dodged and went back to his hiding spot.


    From there, he saw Xander entering a car. With the little hole there, Xavier positioned his arm on the wooden tform and fired two bullets, hitting Xander right in the legs as blood spluttered while thetter hissed in pain.


    They both shared eye contact, spitting fire against each other.


    Once the opponents saw their boss was gone, they decided to make a run for it too. Catching them off guard, they threw a bunch of tear gas on them, which made it hard to see.


    However, Xavier¡¯s men didn¡¯t stop, they continued to shoot which ended up killing at least two men before they could all escape.


    But Xavier could only care less about their death. The one he wanted was Xander so he could give him back his wife.


    As the car zoomed off in the streets, surpassing the speed limit, Xander tried to endure the pain that shot through his leg till it touched his brain.


    "That bastard brother of mine must love my legs, that¡¯s why he keeps shooting them. The fuck!" He cursed, biting his teeth as he tried to sitfortably. But that was a difficult task especially since his blood had coated the seats with its color.


    "Boss, you don¡¯t have to worry. We¡¯re almost at the hospital," the driver said.


    "Why would you take me to the hospital?" Xander barked, his anger palpable. "Take me back to the hideout."


    "B-but boss...Xattlewood is almost a day¡¯s travel from Radiantia."


    "Take me back up Xattlewood," Xander repeated, deadpan.

 Chapter 270: Julian De Luca

    Anastasia stylishly pulled her dress down since the length only covered up to the base of her buttocks. With the slightest move, her panties could be revealed.


    She still wasn¡¯t sure what she needed to do. But she went with the flow anyway.


    "Good day, sir. Would you care for a wine?" She asked a man who seemed to be in his early thirties. He was d in a strikingly dark suit which Anastasia believed must have been personally tailored since it had an angelic pendant design that was of the same shape as his tie and shoes. And they fitted him exquisitely well.


    His hair was tied into a ponytail, however, it still touched past his shoulders.


    He had a pair of gold earrings that shimmered under the glowing chandelier light above them, making him look like a model.


    But Anastasia knew too well to be admiring a man who was involved in sex trafficking.


    The unknown man tore his gaze from his partner whom he was sharing a few words to cast his gaze on Anastasia. His re was intense, as if annoyed at Anastasia who had just interrupted him.


    Gently, Anastasia took half a step back in case she¡¯d done the wrong thing.


    "And you must be?" The man asked, sizing her up with an unreadable expression.


    Anastasia wasn¡¯t at all affected by his actions. After all, she was a sex ve who wasn¡¯t supposed to have emotions, so she gulped down her fear and acted soft and timid like she¡¯d been taught to for the past week.


    "I¡¯m Anastasia, sir," she responded as respectfully as she thought she needed to be, her head lowered as a sign of surrender, refusing to make eye contact with him.


    "Anastasia hey..." he repeated her name several times as he felt the letters smoothly roll off of his tongue, his gaze still on her before it finally settled on the tray of drinks she held with her hands. He reached out and took one. "Look at me," he demanded with so much authority Anastasia didn¡¯t think twice before she did what she was told.


    The consequences of her actions the second day she¡¯d arrived at the house still lived rent-free in her memories, and she didn¡¯t wish to cause trouble in a ce where she knew no one would stand up for her.


    "Who brought you here?" He questioned, and without wasting any single second, Anastasia pointed at Michelle who was checking up on the men and asking if they werefortable.


    Something dawned on her. Michelle was the head of the <i>party? </i>Or was she just helping out?<i></i>She still wondered how Michelle had gotten so much power especially after Elizabeth told her she¡¯d taken everything Michelle owned in the past.


    Although her gaze was on Michelle, Anastasia could feel the unknown man¡¯s gaze on her instead of looking at the person she was showing to him.


    Slowly, the unknown man tore his gaze from


    Ana looked at Michelle and a small frown settled on his face.


    ¡¯You¡¯ve got to be kidding me,¡¯ the man thought to himself.


    "Come have a seat with me, Anastasia," he ordered.


    "I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯ll have to decline such an offer, sir. I need to offer this wine to everyone else," Anastasia replied.


    "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll drink them all," he said, catching her off guard.


    The way he looked at her made her feel ufortable as if he wanted to read every one of her thoughts. He studied her like an open book.


    Unfortunately for him, for the past week, Anastasia has learned how to mask her feelings and emotions. It took her one week to realize she needed to hide everything she felt to look unaffected.


    "Come sit," the unknown man said, patting a space for her to take a seat.


    Anastasia silently ced the tray on the table and took her seat as he¡¯d wanted her to, his gaze still on her which crawled on her skin like a worm.


    "I¡¯m Julian De Luca, and it seems you must be new because I¡¯ve never seen you here before. You¡¯re one of the girls Xander brought it to recently, Anastasia Wace." He didn¡¯t ask but stated, which had Anastasia wondering how he knew her supposedst name.


    ¡¯Does he know who Xavier Wace is?¡¯ She wondered as she stared at her shoes.

 Chapter 271: Ready For Sale!

    When Michelle heard her name being called, she turned to them, a smile stretching on her lips.


    "Do you need anything, Julian?" She asked when she reached them, giving Anastasia a small re.


    "Anastasia here....is she up for the crimson hunt?" Julian asked, which made Anastasia flinch for a second.


    "Yes, she is. Do you wish to buy her?" Michelle asked.


    Julian nced at Anastasia for a brief second before he nodded. "Indeed. I will be participating in the crimson hunt to get her," he dered.


    Michele¡¯s smile only stretched further on her lips when she heard his words.


    Meanwhile, Anastasia was quiet throughout the whole conversation as they discussed her purchase as if she were some object.


    "You¡¯ve made a very good pick, Julian. I will inform Xander about it and you two can discuss further regarding the price," she said and Julian nodded once more before Michelle left to return to the other men she was attending to.


    "Is this how it¡¯s always been?" Anastasia couldn¡¯t stop herself from asking, loud enough for Julian to hear her. "I know the world is cruel but is it really this cruel?" She asked.


    "If you think this is the highest level of cruelty the world can be, then you¡¯re mistaken. Besides, after what your husband has done to Xander in the past, he was only right to get revenge through you...." Julian paused when he realized something. "Oh, that¡¯s right! You¡¯ve lost your memories, so I don¡¯t think you can remember the reason behind this betrayal. That¡¯s if Xavier had told you anything before you lost your memories."


    Anastasia clenched her fist in anger with the urge to take one of the wine sses and stab it in the head of Julian. They saw her as an object to be used to atone for someone else¡¯s sin. And although she hadn¡¯t met her husband yet, she wished he was there so she could p some senses into him.


    ¡¯Is this supposed husband of mine even looking for me?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    She¡¯d been hidden for one week, and no one hade to save her. And now, she was going to be sold soon.


    "But you know what," Julian continued, his hand on herp now, caressing the tender skin there. "You don¡¯t need to worry about anything. I¡¯m a good man and I can take care of you. All you just need to do for me is spread your legs whenever I want you to and neverin. I¡¯m a very easy going man, but if you do something that upsets me, I¡¯ll make you pay for it!" He whispered-yelled in her ears, his grip on herp tightened with his nails digging into her skin as she muffled a pained whimper.


    ¡¯I¡¯ve got to get out of here before the crimson bullshit event,¡¯ she thought to herself.


    After taking a few drinks, Julian intended to take Anastasia to bed. Surprisingly, Michelle stepped in and stopped him, reminding him it was against the rules to sleep with a sex ve before purchasing them.


    Anastasia was quite stunned by Michelle¡¯s words since thetter had promised to make her life a living hell. However, Julian didn¡¯t insist any longer.


    A few hourster, the party was over. Although Julian had alreadyid his im on Anastasia, that didn¡¯t stop Michelle from advertising her. However, when the other men found out Julian was already interested in her, they immediately backed away. Which got Anastasia curious to know what kind of background Julian had for himself.


    But she wasn¡¯t going to wait to find that out.


    Just like how Michelle had brought Anastasia blindfolded, she also took her back blindfolded so that she wouldn¡¯t see.


    As they entered the hideout, a wave of heat greeted them, thick and stifling, as if the air itself had just been cranked up a few degrees. Xander sat sprawled in the living room, furious for an unknown reason. While the others paused, exchanging puzzled nces. Anastasia, however, didn¡¯t even blink. Her eyes swept the room, knowing full well there was no air conditioning to exin the sudden change.


    Once Xander¡¯s eyes settled on Anastasia, he walked towards her with his weak limbs and pulled her hair hard enough she could feel them ripping right out of her scalp.


    "That husband of yours is starting to piss me off, you know!!! All because he¡¯s looking for you!!" With her hair still in his hands, he threw her on the ground, forcing her to nt her face on the ground.


    However, he didn¡¯t stop there.


    Xander fisted her locked and forced her to face him, his gaze darting to the blood stain on her head before his gaze met her trembling blue ones.


    "He must love you so much for him to attempt to kill me today!!" He barked in her face,pletely forgetting he¡¯d almost killed Xavier as well with the explosion.

 Chapter 272: Sad Thorns

    "Samantha! Let go of me, else..." he warned. His tone carried so much fury it could put the house on fire.


    "You need to control yourself, Xander!" She yelled back at him, ignoring his threat and ring at him¡ªeye to eye. She made it obvious with her words she wasn¡¯t the least scared of him.


    Xander¡¯s gazended on the blood dripping on her forehead, and his gaze softened for the littlest second before he pushed himself off the ground, away from trembling Anatasia who hugged her knees to her chest.


    "Julian has already made his im on her. And I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t want to see bruises on her either," Michelle added when she took the hint that the show she was starting to enjoy wasn¡¯t going to continue anymore.


    "Julian?" He questioned, his brows furrowed in confusion.


    "Yes, Julian! I took her to the party on the outskirts of Xattlewood, and he loves her. He wants to buy her after hunting her down in the crimson hunt," she exined.


    The room fell into silence as both Xander and Samantha stared at her with a huge frown on their face.


    "And who told you you could take Anastasia to the party? Did I ask you to do that, Michelle?!" Xander roared. Samantha had to take a few steps away from him since her head was already starting to spin.


    Michelle nced between the both of them, wondering what she could have done wrong.


    "W-well, Samantha mentioned today she would be participating in the crimson hunt that would be happening in a month from now. So, I thought I would help by taking her to the party and finding her a potential buyer. Besides, Julian is your¡ª"


    Michelle didn¡¯t get the chance toplete that sentence of hers when she suddenly felt a stinging pain on her cheeks that made it go numb.


    "I never asked you to do anything for me, Michelle! Stop acting like you know how you run a business like this better than me," Xander bellowed, his eyes flooded with palpable rage. "If I wanted Julian to be her buyer, I would have taken her to him already. I¡¯ve warned you already, Michelle. Stay in yourne and stop trying to do better than the people here."


    He red at her for a few seconds before he departed from there, dragging his weak limb along with him.


    But Michelle made sure to return the gesture by ring at his back until he¡¯d disappeared.


    "Get out of here!!" Samantha barked at Anastasia and thetter quickly ran up to her room. It was alreadyte at night, and with how quiet the house was, she concluded the others must have retired to their rooms.


    After Anastasia had left, Samantha turned to Michelle whose hands were still on her cheeks.


    "You really should stay in yournes, Michelle. Don¡¯t forget you¡¯re still a ve here, and with a snap of my fingers, I can convince Xander that you¡¯re useless and worthless," Samantha spouted.


    Samantha¡¯s insult felt like a thorn had pricked into Michelle¡¯s skin, drawing out blood from the room, and she made sure to reply with the same tone.


    "And you¡¯ll only do that because you¡¯re jealous, aren¡¯t you dear Samantha?" Michelle questioned. "You¡¯re jealous Xander spends the night with me most of the time hees here and he doesn¡¯t even bat an eysh in your direction. It must hurt, doesn¡¯t it?"


    "Don¡¯t bite off more than you can chew, Michelle," Samantha warned, her emerald eyes darkening with fury. "Sure, you spread your legs for him whenever you want¡ªthat¡¯s all you¡¯ve got to offer." The invisible thorn in Michelle¡¯s chest twisted deeper. Samantha took a step closer, her voice dripping with disdain.


    "But when ites to brains? You¡¯re miles behind. Just look at that pathetic stunt you just pulled¡ªit proves there¡¯s nothing going on upstairs. So don¡¯t even think ofparing what Xander and I have to whatever it is you think you have. You¡¯re just a tool, and you always will be."


    With a final nce at Michelle¡¯s stricken face, Samantha adjusted her grip on her bleeding head and walked away, satisfaction flickering in her eyes.


    In the hall close to Anastasia¡¯s room, she was about to push down the door knob so that she could enter the room, only for someone to creep behind her and touch her shoulder, eliciting a startled cry from her.


    Quickly, Anastasia turned to see who it was.


    "You must be hurt," she heard Avery say.


    Anastasia ignored the girl and intended to push the door open, but Avery stopped.


    "I¡¯m sure with what you faced downstairs, you would want to escape from here," the girl continued, which had Anastasia stiffen for a second.


    "Why are you telling me this?" Anastasia questioned without looking back at Avery.


    "Because I can help you get out of this ce if you want," Avery sang.

 Chapter 273: Free Plans?

    Avery¡¯s clothes were changed, and there wasn¡¯t any trail of blood on her legs anymore. Her hair was neatlybed back as they cascaded gently on her shoulders.


    However, those eye bags remained there, in contrast with her pale skin they made her look like a ghost.


    "Look, you must have misunderstood something, but I don¡¯t want to escape from here¡ª"


    As soon as those words left her lips, Avery chuckled at her.


    "Oh please, Anastasia. After what happened today, I¡¯m sure you want to escape. Besides, who wouldn¡¯t want to..." She trailed off, her hand on her hair as she twirled it between her fingers. "Leave from here?" She finished.


    Anastasia wasn¡¯t sure if Avery was going to help her out. The girl looked creepy, but there was something in her face that made it unreadable to understand her words.


    "Why would you want to help me escape from here?" Anastasia questioned.


    "Because you need it. You¡¯ve lost your memories, and from the looks of things, Xander and Michelle are out to make you suffer to pay for the crimes of your husband, whoever he is..."


    Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but wonder how Avery already knew so much about her when she had just been freed only a few hours ago.


    "And I also n to escape from here. So from the goodness of my heart, I want to help you."


    "Why should I trust you?" Anastasia questioned.


    Avery chuckled lightly. "I¡¯m not asking you to trust me. I don¡¯t even need your trust. But it¡¯s all up to you. I¡¯ll give you time to decide. If youe with me, we can both escape from here on the day of The crimson hunt. It¡¯s a busy day, so escaping shouldn¡¯t be difficult. But of course, that will be if you¡¯re willing toe with me," Avery finished.


    Anastasia stared at Avery with a dark expression, but deep inside, she was eager to leave the ce but also curious to know if Avery was really going to help her out.


    "How long have you been in here?" She asked.


    Avery looked slightly taken aback by Anastasia¡¯s question, but she sighed and regained her posture.


    "I¡¯ve been here for two years. And before you ask, I¡¯ve been sold a few times, but returned because my buyers can¡¯t handle my craziness in bed," she replied.


    Anastasia grimaced, then mped her mouth shut.


    "Think about it, Anastasia. When you¡¯ve made your decision, we can both escape from here," Avery concluded, then walked towards her room which was opposite Anastasia¡¯s, and went inside, leaving her alone in the hallway.


    Anastasia sighed, her head running a thousand miles as she tried to understand what had just happened.


    She gave Avery¡¯s door onest nce before she walked inside her room.


    **


    "Xander, you need to stay still so that I can treat the injuries properly," Samantha said as she held onto Xander¡¯s foot where Xavier had shot him early.


    Without further warning, she dabbed the spirited cotton swabs on the outeryer of the skin, cleaning the blood before digging it inside the hole the bullet had created.


    "What the fuck Samantha!!" Xander swore, instinctively taking his foot back as he hissed in pain. "You did that intentionally," he used and she didn¡¯t bother to defend herself.


    "I did!" She agreed. "You acted like some animal today so I thought I should teach you some lesson, don¡¯t you think?"


    Xander¡¯s gaze softened when it fell on the blood stain on her forehead.


    "It hurts, doesn¡¯t it?" He asked as his thumb made contact with the skin but she ended up flinching in pain. "I¡¯m so sorry," he whispered.


    "It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ve long ago gotten used to your bad temper. This is nothing." She shrugged.


    Silently, she took Xander¡¯s foot and bandaged it up while his gaze still lingered on her, watching her.


    "You should think of what to do with Michelle. She¡¯s starting to do things on her own and if she¡¯s not careful, I¡¯ll be the one to slit her throat," she warned, and Xavier released a chuckle. "I¡¯m not joking. She¡¯s starting to test my patience. She only came here about six months ago, and you¡¯ve given her so much privilege."


    "She thinks she¡¯s untouchable just because I allowed her to stay here and do whatever she likes. But you don¡¯t have to worry about that. Once I¡¯m done with her, I¡¯ll throw her away like trash."


    Samantha kept silent for a few seconds, wondering if she should say what was on her mind.


    Without a second thought, she blurted out, "Stop sleeping with her too."

 Chapter 274: Never-Ending Plan

    Her tone carried so much venom it could have poisoned a snake.


    Without waiting for Xander to reply¡ªnot like she intended him to, she left the room, wishing him a good night as she carried the trays of the first aid kit and other materials she¡¯d used to clean up his injuries and left.


    Samantha released the breath she didn¡¯t know she was holding, her chest heaving a sigh of relief before she decided to leave and clear the tray in her hands.


    A few steps away from the living room, Samantha saw Michelle watching some fashion show.


    Ignoring her, she headed straight to the kitchen.


    "I heard everything you said to him," Michelle suddenly said, standing up and following Samatha to the kitchen. "Are you that threatened by my presence here in this house, dear Samantha?" She added, her hand folded on her chest while her eyes stared at Samantha in mockery.


    Samantha paused her actions as she turned her head to make eye contact with Michelle with a nk expression. "What did you say?"


    "So insecure," Michelle sighed, ignoring Samantha¡¯s question. "If you¡¯re so jealous, I can let you have one night with him and I promise not to add some snakes under the bed."


    Samantha scoffed, unable to believe what she was hearing.


    From what she heard Michelle saying to her, she already concluded thetter no longer feared her like she¡¯d done when she first came.


    "Do you intend for me to be the one that kills you, Michelle?" Samantha asked, her voice as calm as the weather before the storm. "Because it seems to me that is what you truly desire at the moment."


    "And so what? Don¡¯t talk as if you can touch me because you can¡¯t. Not before long, I¡¯ll be the newest madam of this ce, and I¡¯ll be the one getting rid of you and not the other way around."


    Samantha was beyond shocked by Michelle¡¯s words. She¡¯d always known thetter was stupid, but certainly not to this level. It made her feel regret for actually thinking Michelle had anything in that ball hanging over her neck.


    However, no matter what Michelle said, Samantha was still in perfect control of her emotions, because this wasn¡¯t the first time she was battling with a fly.


    "I¡¯ve always ignored your nuisance, Michelle but don¡¯t push it. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be forced to put snakes under your bed like you n to do with mine. I have an uncle who specializes in snakes and I¡¯ll make sure to get the one that¡¯s simr to you. You wouldn¡¯t mind sharing a room with a long-lost cousin, right?" Samantha asked, her tonecking any humor. Instead, it wasced with an underlying threat that had Michelle subconsciously take a step back.


    "You¡¯re all talk but no action. Don¡¯t get in my way ever again, Michelle, or else I¡¯ll be forced to do something bad to you. Remember, you don¡¯t know anyone here. We¡¯re still mere strangers, so don¡¯t underestimate me."


    Samantha¡¯s tone was carried with an undeniable sense of warning, and Michelle felt the hair on her back stand on their ends.


    She wasn¡¯t going to deny herself the truth. They were indeed strangers even though she¡¯d been staying in the house for six months already after the night that Mrs. Perez, the wife of Theodore Perez nned to kill her by crashing into her and tumbling her car.


    Despite all of that, Michelle was jealous of Samantha for having someone like Xander by her side. Michelle finally got her chance to love in her fantasy. Sadly, it had to be with Xavier¡¯s twin brother and not Xavier himself.


    So, she nned to steal Xander away from Samanthapletely, because she feared if Samantha seeded in convincing Xander to prove she needed to be treated like every other ve, then it would be over for her.


    "What are you looking at me for? The cat finally caught your tongue?" Samantha questioned, her gaze settledzily on Michelle who was struggling to speak.


    "Shut up!" Michelle snapped.


    "I suppose I didn¡¯t need to teach you to mind your tone when you¡¯re speaking with me. Don¡¯t make me correct you next time."


    Samantha¡¯s lips twitched with a smile before she turned, and faced the tray she¡¯d already ced on the counter before throwing away the blood-stained cotton wools in the trash,pletely ignoring Michelle like she never existed.

 Chapter 275: Flashback

    <i>Two decades ago,</i>


    <i>At the Wace mansion, Xander and Xavier were in the study room designed by their father as a study area where they would get their homework done without any kind of disturbance.</i>


    <i>Xander peered at Xavier from under hisshes, watching as his twin brother focused on the homework as if he were some pro, which he was.</i>


    <i>"Don¡¯t you ever get tired of doing homework?" Xander finally asked, resting on the back of his chair as he released a tired grunt coupled with a long sigh. "We¡¯ve been here for four hours already. Don¡¯t you think we need a break?" Before Xavier could reply, Xander beat him to it. "I need a break."</i>


    <i>"You do but I don¡¯t. I can¡¯t seem to get this calction right," Xavier responded, his dark eyes settled on the paper before him as he tried to get some calctions correct. "You can go ahead if you want. Will be behind you once I find a way to resolve this," he added, his gaze still on the paper which earned him a deep frown from Xander.</i>


    <i>"This must be why you¡¯re dad¡¯s favorite. You¡¯re so serious when you are getting your assignment done. Plus, you¡¯re getting good grades even though we just started the semester." There was a bitter edge to his tone which Xavier missed.</i>


    <i>"Don¡¯t tter me now. Sometimes, I do feel tired of studying too. But what to say, we have to be a good example to Richard and Kace when they grow up," Xavier shrugged, finally raising his head to make eye contact with Xander.</i>


    <i>¡¯Yeah right,¡¯ Xander thought to himself.</i>


    <i>"Alright then. I¡¯ll go to the kitchen to get some juice boxes. You want some too?" He asked and Xavier nodded.</i>


    <i>With onest nce at Xavier, Xander left the study to go bring the cool juice boxes for them. And grab any avable snacks.</i>


    <i>While he was heading to the kitchen, he passed his father¡¯s study, but stopped when he heard his name being mentioned for an unknown reason.</i>


    <i>Xander first nced around to be sure there was no one nearby who could catch him eavesdropping on his father¡¯s conversation since it was against the rules Mr. Wace hadid out for him and Xavier to get used to.</i>


    <i>Usually, whenever Xander overheard his name from his father¡¯s mouth, he would believe it was nothing but bad news since all his father got wasint afterint from school.</i>


    <i>Xander sighed, deciding to just go about his way since it would probably be another principal calling in about another shenanigan he¡¯d caused in school.</i>


    <i>However, when he was about to leave, he heard, "Xander is useless. He never does anything right!" </i>


    <i>Xander felt his heart sink into his stomach at his father¡¯s cruel words. </i>


    <i>He¡¯d known for the longest time that he wasn¡¯t the best son, but was that how his father saw him? He couldn¡¯t help but wonder.</i>


    <i>"Xavier is so much better than Xander. You know that already," Mr. Wace continued, oblivious to the person behind his closed doors. "Xander has always failed his sses and from the look of things, he¡¯s going to continue failing them. I wish he¡¯d never been born."</i>


    <i>Thest sentence felt like thest blow that hit Xander straight in the heart, causing it to bleed profusely. He tried to breathe, but it felt as if his lungs had been blocked by some invisible barrier. </i>


    <i>He couldn¡¯t believe his father would say something like that about him since he would always try to encourage Xander to do better. </i>


    <i>Perhaps...he was already tired of wasting his time on Xander.</i>


    <i>Quickly, Xander fought back a tear that threatened to fall from his ears. When he realized it was already toote, he wiped the liquid with the back of his hand.</i>


    <i>Unable to stand there and continue hearing all the bitter words his father was throwing at him, Xander decided to leave and go to his earlier destination.</i>


    <i>"So that¡¯s what he thinks of me?" He mumbled under his breath, feeling the taste on his tongue turn bitter with hatred. He ignored the servants who bowed down to him since he was their first young master. "In that case, I might as well be that son that you truly want me to be," he finished, a creepy smirk stretched on his lips.</i>

 Chapter 276: Arabella

    <i>Xander¡¯s gaze lingered on Xavier for a little while longer, several thoughts running in his mind. Thoughts he was starting to entertain and he couldn¡¯t wait to act on them.</i>


    <i>"Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re sneaking out of the house to party with your friends?" Xavier asked, concernced in his tone. "Can¡¯t you see that those friends of yours are only talking to you because of our family background?"</i>


    <i>"And so what? I¡¯m paying them to be my friends and they¡¯re doing their job quite well. So, why are youining?"</i>


    <i>Xavier shook his head, clearly exasperated. "You¡¯re going to get dad furious again tonight..."</i>


    <i>"I don¡¯t care..." He mumbled under his breath. It¡¯s been two days since he overheard his father talking dirty about him. He¡¯d thought of changing a new leaf, but since his father had already imed him to be useless, he was going to leave it as that.</i>


    <i>They spotted some of Xander¡¯s friends sprinting toward them, flouting the school¡¯s number one rule. At this elite institution for heirs to powerful families, propriety was expected. But the boys dashed forward with reckless abandon,ughing and ignoring the countless warnings they¡¯d already brushed aside. If they broke the rules once more, they wouldn¡¯t even bat an eye. The teachers might notice, but who would dare confront them? The consequences would be too much to handle, and everyone knew it.</i>


    <i>"Xander, you¡¯re finally here. Is the party still on?" Mack, one of Xander¡¯s so-called friends asked. </i>


    <i>"Of course, it¡¯s still on! Have I ever canceled a party before?" Xander asked, slightly irritated by Mack¡¯s question. </i>


    <i>Meanwhile, Mack could only smile sheepishly as he took a couple of steps back in case Xander was offended. </i>


    <i>"That¡¯s great! Can¡¯t wait," Paul, the other guy chimed.</i>


    <i>Xander nced at Xavier and thetter immediately understood the silent question.</i>


    <i>"You know I don¡¯t like to party, Xander," Xavier replied.</i>


    <i>"Your loss."</i>


    <i>Xavier could only shrug as his worry for his brother could only deepen. They were still minors and weren¡¯t allowed to do some things which very much included partying in a club with some fake ID as if they were already adults.</i>


    <i>Between the twins, Xander had always been the outgoing, most extroverted one. They may be the most popr twins in the school, but Xander had more friends than Xavier could count on his fingers and toes all joined. </i>


    <i>Xavier wasn¡¯tpletely introverted, but he had a couple of friends and despised partying since it was always louder than the raging sound of a volcano. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder how they hadn¡¯t lost their hearing ability yet for partying almost every day.</i>


    Xavier could only sigh when he heard Xander¡¯s words. Talking him out of doing somethingpletely unnecessary has started to be a problem.


    <i>Together, they walked toward their sses and waited for their teacher to arrive once it was time.</i>


    <i>And just as expected, once their shadows graced the ss, the girls were already squealing like they were pinched by some sharp object which caused them to do so. While the guys tried to invite them to one ce or another. </i>


    <i> And just like they did earlier, they ignored them like they never existed and silently prayed the teacher woulde and divert the attention somewhere else.</i>


    <i>Amid their waiting, Xavier decided to do some revision on his own while Xander could only snort by his side. But his gaze quickly tore from Xavier when his eyes caught someone by the corners of his eyes.</i>


    <i>"Arabe? You¡¯re justing in now? What if the teacher had been here before you? He could have kicked you out of the ss," Xander said, the structure of his eyes turning from dark to pretty doe eyes as if he¡¯d just seen his favorite candy.</i>


    <i>"What are you saying, Xander? Have you forgotten that in this school, the teachers are not allowed to raise their hands on us, talk more kicking us out of the ss? Do you know how I paid for these sses? They¡¯re so expensive," the girl called Arabe replied, flipping her hair to one side as she rolled her eyes. "Any teacher that dares to do that will kiss the back of my shoes," she unknowingly threatened, earning a chuckle from Xander.</i>


    <i>Xander knew all that, but he only wanted to find a way to exchange words with her even if it meant embarrassing himself a little.</i>


    <i>A smile graced Xavier¡¯s lips, realizing the only time Xander seemed normal was when he was talking to Arabe.</i>

 Chapter 277: Monitor Him

    <i>Xavier noticed Xander¡¯s gaze on Arabe throughout the ss and thetter didn¡¯t bother to scribble anything in his book. Xavier tapped Xander on the shoulder to remind him to pay attention in ss, but his words flew into Xander¡¯s ears and out from the other.</i>


    <i>The teacher didn¡¯t bother with Xander. This wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d not paid attention in ss. He couldn¡¯t kick him out so he just let him be. He also couldn¡¯t afford to lose his job so he let him be.</i>


    <i>A few hourster,</i>


    <i>The sses were over and the teacher released them to do other things.</i>


    <i>"Be," Xander called when he saw her stepping out of the ss. "I¡¯m having a party at the usual club. If you¡¯re free, you cane along..." He trailed off, anxiously waiting for her answer.</i>


    <i>Arabe sighed. "Xander, you¡¯ve invited me several times and what has been my answer whenever you do?" She asked back and he kept mute. "Those ces are too loud and you¡¯re not even of age to go to such parties," She reminded.</i>


    <i>"Age is just a number," he blurted out. "And if you have a problem with the noise, I can have the DJs reduce the volume to your satisfaction."</i>


    <i>Arabe chuckled, her bunny teeth showing in disy. "You¡¯re something, Xander. But sorry to disappoint, I don¡¯t only have a problem with the noise. Your friends..." she said, her eyes on Mack and Paul who stared back at her with raised eyebrows. "They¡¯re something else."</i>


    <i>"What did you just say?" Paul questioned but quickly silenced himself from spewing out the rest of his words when the corners of his eyes caught Xander¡¯s re.</i>


    <i>Arabe sighed one more time. "Thanks, Xander. But I can¡¯te."</i>


    <i>She gave him a quick smile before she gave them her back as she headed for her next ss.</i>


    <i>"Look at what you¡¯ve caused," said Mack, smacking Paul on the nape. "You could have just kept quiet while Xander tried to convince her toe."</i>


    <i>Xander ignored his friends and walked away. </i>


    <i>"You shouldn¡¯t sulk yet," Xavier teased as he followed behind Xander.</i>


    <i>"Just leave me alone."</i>


    <i>Xavier ignored that request and continued. </i>


    <i>"Valentine¡¯s day ising soon. Maybe you should ask her out since you have a crush on her."</i>


    <i>"Who said I have a crush on her?" Xander questioned instantly, his cheeks warming up in the process.</i>


    <i>"Don¡¯t even bother to hide it. I¡¯ve seen everything and there¡¯s nothing for you to hide anymore."</i>


    <i>"What do you mean?"</i>


    <i>"Isn¡¯t it obvious? You have a crush on Arabe. Earlier in ss, you kept staring at her and the teacher even called you a couple of times to focus before he gave up. And before you use me of hallucinating, this isn¡¯t the first time it¡¯s happening. I¡¯ve caught you several times. I can¡¯t count how many times you¡¯ve stared at her like someone in love."</i>


    <i>Xander scoffed as if he¡¯d just heard ame joke. "If you¡¯re not hallucinating then you¡¯re most definitely overthinking the situation brother. Because there is no way I¡¯m in love with Arabe. That¡¯s the highest level of absurdity, brother," Xander immediately defended himself.</i>


    <i>"You do know it¡¯s alright if you have a crush on her?" Xavier asked, passing a few of the students who called them out. "You¡¯re of the age to have crushes and stuff¡ª"</i>


    <i>"Oh please! Can you just stop? I don¡¯t have a crush on her and that¡¯s final. You¡¯re just overthinking things."</i>


    <i>Xavier shrugged, giving up. "Alright then. However, I heard she was going out with a senior. I don¡¯t know how true that is, but I¡¯m just saying. Maybe..."</i>


    <i>When he saw he¡¯d finally caught thetter¡¯s interest, he walked past Xander when he stopped to hear him say the rest of his words.</i>


    <i>"Wait! Where are you going? Finish what you were about to say. Come on, don¡¯t leave me hanging," said Xander as he chased after Xavier who¡¯d started quickening his steps.</i>


    <i>Unbeknownst to the brothers, someone had been watching them since they arrived at the school.</i>


    <i>The unknown person pulled out their phone and made a phone call.</i>


    <i>"You were right, sir. He looks like he¡¯s capable of such a job." The stranger said to the mysterious person on the other side of the call.</i>


    <i>"That¡¯s great. Keep watching him and his brother."</i>

 Chapter 278: Illegal Business

    <i>"Everyone peeksat us all the time. It¡¯s not something new," he replied.</i>


    <i>Xavier wasn¡¯t wrong at all. They weren¡¯t even celebrities but they already had such a fanbase even actual celebrities would be envious of them.</i>


    <i>Xander nodded, epting he was just being paranoid. It wasn¡¯t a new urrence at all.</i>


    <i>"I¡¯m just overthinking. Let¡¯s go," he said and they resumed their destination.</i>


    <i>The strange man sighed in relief when they hadn¡¯t spotted him, else it would have been quite a big problem for him. His boss would have fired him and butchered him so he never lived to reveal the secrets he knew.</i>


    <i> A few hourster, Xander went to the club to party with his friends even after Xavier attempted to stop him.</i>


    <i>**</i>


    <i>In a deste expanse littered with the remnants of crumbling structures, two men in ck suits stood beneath an umbre held by imposing figures nking them like statues. The heavy rain fell from a gloomy sky, its mournful cries echoing in the stillness around them, soaking the ground and adding to the somber atmosphere.</i>


    <i>"When will our product get delivered, Mr. Wace?" The man opposite Mr. Wace questioned, rage evident on his face although it was shadowed by the glooming cloud. But Mr Wace could feel the dark aura emanating from him. "Bruce isn¡¯t here and he hasn¡¯t been answering any of my phone calls."</i>


    <i>"You need to calm down, Luca. It¡¯s going to get delivered and it will be delivered. I promise."</i>


    <i>"I don¡¯t want your promises, Thomas," the man called Luca barked, his saliva mixing with the rain. "This is business and promises are worthless. I paid for something and I expect to see it very soon. I don¡¯t need to remind you that this isn¡¯t the very first business I¡¯ve handled, and you know how I¡¯ve handled them," Luca warned.</i>


    <i>Mr. Wace could only release a grunt in frustration. </i>


    <i>He¡¯d known Luca for a very long time, and thetter wasn¡¯t one anyone could mess with any time they pleased. He was only waiting for a signal from Bruce, but the man hadn¡¯t shown up at all.</i>


    <i>"The guns will be delivered soon, Luca. All I just have to do is get in touch with Bruce and have things figured out," he replied.</i>


    <i>Lucxa regarded him for a few seconds before huffing and left with the help of his men since he couldn¡¯t walk without some kind of assistance.</i>


    <i>When Luca¡¯s car hadpletely zoomed out, Mr. Wace released an even heavier grunt.</i>


    <i>"He thinks he can threaten me just because he has suddenly be sessful?" Mr. Wace barked. Then pulled himself together a secondter.</i>


    <i>His phone vibrated in his pockets, and he fetched out to see it was the same Bruce he¡¯d been thinking about was calling him.</i>


    <i>"Meet me at the usual ce," said Bruce as soon as the call was connected. Then, he hung up as if he¡¯d not just called.</i>


    <i>Mr. Wace gritted his teeth, his hands balling into fists as he resisted the urge to m it somewhere where he could vent his pent-up anger.</i>


    <i>"Let¡¯s go."</i>


    <i>His men nodded before they oiled the car door open and waited for him to enter before they closed it.</i>


    A few minutester, they arrived at the supposed ce which was quietly booming in the deserted area.


    <i>It looked like a regr club where there were dancers, and indeed it was. Except that even darker businesses were dealt with in the said club regrly than amon club which includes sex trafficking.</i>


    <i>Mr. Wace entered the club and showed the mark on his chest. It was a pass. If anyone didn¡¯t have such a mark on his chest, they would immediately be killed, so they don¡¯t live to inform the cops of what they¡¯d seen.</i>


    <i>When the bouncer cleared the path for Mr. Wace, he immediately spotted Bruce sprawled in their regr booth but he wasn¡¯t alone. Three girls surrounded him, sweet talking in his ears as they stylishly undressed him which he didn¡¯t try to stop them at all.</i>


    <i>Anger surged through Mr. Wace¡¯s body and he walked over to the booth writhing heavily steps.</i>


    <i>"Get out!! Right now!!" He bellowed, which caused the girls to flinch in fright. Without waiting for Bruce to even permit them to disperse, they instantly ran for their lives.</i>


    <i>"Have you always had this kind of bad temper, Thomas? You didn¡¯t even give me the chance to suckle on the nipples of either of the girls," Bruce whined as he buttoned up his shirt.</i>


    <i>"Shut up!!" Mr. Wace snapped. "You¡¯re here enjoying yourself while I handle our business associates who¡¯re waiting for the approval of their goods. When is it going to be delivered for goodness sake?"</i>

 Chapter 279: Greatest Mistake

    <i>Bruce simply nodded nonchntly. </i>


    <i>"Well, the president didn¡¯t reveal a name but he has asked that we stop the shipping of illegal weapons. I even threatened to reveal his secret to the public that he has a few young girls he¡¯s been juggling with despite having a wife. But he doesn¡¯t care at all. He believes Jeffrey will ruin him even more."</i>


    <i>"Jefferey will ruin him more," Mr Wace agreed, his eyes so wide as if he¡¯d just seen a ghost pass by. "So what do we do now? The president is the only one with the official permit who can help us snuck weapons inside the country without getting stopped by the customs officers."</i>


    <i>Bruce mmed the ss in his hand on the table as he released a heavy sigh. </i>


    <i>"We¡¯re going to have to start another business now, and just refund Luca and the others their money back if we don¡¯t want any of their troubles," he replied. </i>


    <i>Mr. Wace¡¯s fists were so clenched together, that the knuckles turned white. </i>


    <i>He and Jeffrey don¡¯t speak anymore since the time Mr. Wace had gone to him for help, asking Jeffrey to lend his men over to him so he could destroy Bruce. </i>


    <i>If only Jeffrey knew that was just a plot for him to give up everything he had so that Mr. Wace would seed in his revenge on Jeffrey rk. </i>


    <i>After elder Wace¡¯s death¡ªMr. Wace¡¯s father¡ªthetter had decided to expand his empire and gain more wealth, even if it meant involving himself in something illegal. </i>


    <i>His father was dead anyway, so he could finally do whatever he wanted. His mother, old Wace, wouldn¡¯t even interfere. </i>


    <i>If only his other son Xander would just act right for the first time in his life and make things much easier for him. </i>


    <i>Once the image of Xander appeared in his mind, his mood only turned sour. </i>


    <i>¡¯That boy is so useless.¡¯</i>


    <i>"I was thinking we should start sex trafficking. And I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll excel well if we do things right," said Bruce, this time his hand on his chin as he tried toe up with better ideas. </i>


    <i>"Sex trafficking? That¡¯s even worse than importing illegal weapons into the country." Mr. Wace couldn¡¯t believe his ears. He¡¯d always wanted more power, so he would be able to exert his revenge, but the ideas Bruce kepting up with were more dangerous than thest. </i>


    <i>Bruce went ahead to exin, "I have a friend of mine who was involved in such a business in a faraway city. He¡¯s very rich now. Just get beautiful girls and everything should work out well. We¡¯ll get young underage girls since men love underage girls more. Those that haven¡¯t been touched yet."</i>


    <i>Mr Wace wasn¡¯t sure if he should feel disgusted or bumped up with the brilliant n Bruce had juste up with. </i>


    <i>He was aware of sex trafficking rings where both young and mature girls were sold for money but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to get involved with it since he didn¡¯t have a daughter himself who could be in a situation like that. </i>


    The reason he loved his wife so much was because she only gave him sons and not some weak woman with a soft heart that would put his reputation in jeopardy.


    <i>"It¡¯s not a bad idea," he mumbled under his breath. "Anything that can bring in more money into my pocket."</i>


    <i>Bruce nodded, then called back the girls Mr Wace had chased away when he arrived earlier. </i>


    <i>"Don¡¯t bring them near me, else I¡¯ll snap their necks," he threatened, ring at the one who stopped in her tracks as soon as she heard the threat that intentionally slipped out of his mouth. </i>


    <i>She nced at Bruce as if asking for a go signal to still go near him. She wouldn¡¯t want herst day on earth to be when she was simply doing her job by providing service for a customer. </i>


    <i>"You still not over Nora yet?" Bruce teased as he suckled on the nipples of the girl who was seated on hisp, gesturing towards the girl standing like a statue to go away since Mr Wace didn¡¯t want either of them near him. </i>


    <i>"Don¡¯t start," Mr Wace warned. </i>


    <i>"You know, I can¡¯t help but wonder what you saw to like her so much. Sadly, at the end of the day, she still chose your best friend, Jeffrey over you." Bruce ignored Wace¡¯s warning and continued to add salt to the injuries. </i>


    <i>It was one of his favorite hobbies. </i>


    <i>"When I get her back, she will know whom she belongs to. Jeffrey probably blinded her with some expensive gifts that I didn¡¯t think of so that he could win her. He knew I loved Nora but decided to propose to her before I even did. </i>


    <i>"Unfortunately for him, that was the biggest mistake he made in his life because I¡¯m going to make him pay for everything he¡¯d done," he promised, a red scary glint passing across his eyes, and a grin only stretched on Bruce¡¯s lips. </i>

 Chapter 280: New Plan

    <i>"Where¡¯s mother?" He asked, referring to old Wace. </i>


    <i>"She fell asleep after I gave her the medicines," she replied, her handnding on his shoulders which jolted him awake. "You¡¯re too tired. Go and wash up and sleep."</i>


    <i>"Wait, before that, can you call the twins down for me? I need to tell them something quickly."</i>


    <i>Mrs Wace became curious. In situations like this, it was mostly because he was going to scold Xander for misbehaving in school again. </i>


    <i>"The boys¡ª"</i>


    <i>"I¡¯m not yelling at Xander this time around. In fact, only call Xavier. Yes! He¡¯s the one I want to talk to," he requested, heading to the couch. </i>


    <i>Mrs Wace gave him a pointed look before she headed over to their rooms. </i>


    <i>Even though the boys were grown teenagers that should have separate rooms, they didn¡¯t give in to the idea when their parents came up with it. </i>


    <i>So, instead of continuing to sleep in their bunk beds when they were a lot younger, their parents changed it into a king size bed and broke some walls to make the bedroom bigger than it usually was with each of them having more than enough space to store their belongings without fighting for any. </i>


    <i>Mrs Wace called for Xavier and he rushed out of the room. </i>


    <i>"Father, you called for me?" He asked when he arrived at the living room with his mother standing behind him, as more curiosity arose in her mind as to what Mr Wace could possibly want to tell Xavier but not Xander. </i>


    <i>"Xavier my boy, you¡¯re all grown up now," said Mr Wace, cing his hand on the boy¡¯s shoulder and he immediately caught the waft of the alcohol smell dripping from his breath. "You will be of legal age in the next few years and there are some things I want to teach you."</i>


    <i>Xavier instinctively took a step back, mildly bumping into his mother when he couldn¡¯t endure the strong alcohol breath from his father. It was starting to suffocate him. </i>


    <i>Meanwhile, behind a pir opposite them, Xander was well hidden, his gaze boring into Xavier¡¯s back before it shifted to his father who looked so drunk he was sure the old man couldn¡¯t differentiate between one from two. </i>


    <i>"I was your age when my father started teaching me the nature of our family¡¯s business and he was also the man who made me so strong..." He continued. </i>


    <i>Mrs. Wace frown deepened, knowing exactly where the discussion was heading to. But she kept quiet so as to let him finish. </i>


    <i>"Since you¡¯re doing so well in ss, I can see that you¡¯re going to be the future CEO of the Wace enterprise in the next few years. But not only that, I also want to make you stronger. I want to teach you how to fight like a man."</i>


    <i>While he was driving home, Mr Wace suddenly realized that he hadn¡¯t started training either of his sons¡¯ ways to run their empire. He¡¯d dealt with some dangerous people in the past, and now he felt he needed to buckle up. </i>


    <i>What if the dangerous people attacked his family? None of his sons know how to defend themselves yet. What if something had happened to him? He hasn¡¯t taught either of his sons how to run the empire. </i>


    <i>So tonight, Mr Wace believed he needed to train Xavier to be the next CEO of the Wace enterprise. </i>


    <i>"Xander is your eldest son, Thomas! He¡¯s supposed to be the heir of the Wace enterprise, not Xavier. The both of them are supposed to work hand in hand, so if you¡¯re going to pick Xavier, you¡¯re also going to have to pick Xander as well," Mrs Wace shared her thoughts. </i>


    <i>For the past few days, Mr Wace had decided a few times he was going to give most of his properties to Xavier, share a reasonable equal amount to both Richard and Kace, and leave whatever was left for Xander, which didn¡¯t seat well with Mrs Wace at all. </i>


    <i>"Xander is a useless son!" He imed. "There¡¯s only one thing he can do in thepany, and that¡¯s to run it down!"</i>


    <i>"Don¡¯t be preposterous now, Thomas. I can¡¯t believe that¡¯s how you think of your very own son! Think for once in your life. Are you doing the right thing?" She questioned, ready to face him head on that night as they both mirrored each other¡¯s expression. </i>

 Chapter 281: Some Punches

    <i>Everyone in the room was so frightened by his actions because they¡¯d never seen him react that way before. He was always calm and collected until his father died, making him the head of the household and everything that belonged to the Wace family. </i>


    <i>"What is wrong with you?!" Mrs Wace bellowed. "Is it because you¡¯re drunk you can¡¯t even think straight anymore?"</i>


    <i>She wanted to understand the situation, but the way her husband was acting towards Xander couldn¡¯t help but make her wonder if he truly despised his son. </i>


    <i>Xavier intended to help Xander off the ground but thetter swatted his hands away. </i>


    <i>"I don¡¯t care what you say, but there¡¯s no way Xander is going to get a share of my properties. And that¡¯s final!!" And then he stumbled his way inside the room, ending the conversation before Mrs. Wace could spew out anything anymore. </i>


    <i>But the wife was insistent on pushing some sense into her husband¡¯s head. She followed behind him, leaving Xander and Xavier in the living room. </i>


    <i>"Don¡¯t mind anything dad just said. He¡¯s drunk," Xavier said in a way to make him not think too much about their father¡¯s words. </i>


    <i>The living room felt awkward for a reason and the air was bing too tense. </i>


    <i>"But they say people tend to tell the truth when they¡¯re drunk! Isn¡¯t that right?" Xander questioned, his eyes peering up at Xavier with a cold re that had thetter instinctively take a few steps away from him. "Dad¡¯s right," he agreed, shocking his brother. </i>


    <i> "What do you mean?" Xavier asked, confusedly. </i>


    <i>"You¡¯re dad¡¯s favorite, and you¡¯ve been favored by him all the time. Even before Grandpa died, he favored you more than me. Grandma favors you even more." Xavier was not liking Xander¡¯s tone but he kept mute to listen to him properly. "Every freaking damn person on this earth favors you and I¡¯m sure you must love all that attention."</i>


    <i>He red at Xavier as if he¡¯d tried to steal something from him intentionally. </i>


    <i>Xander was about to walk off, but Xavier held him back. </i>


    <i>"Why are you talking so bitterly? You¡¯re talking as if I was the one who chose this kind of life."</i>


    <i>Xander scoffed. "As if you don¡¯t enjoy the attention you¡¯ve been getting all this while."</i>


    <i>"Do you even know the pressure on my shoulders just because Dad expects so much from me? All because you can¡¯t put your mind down and do something right!" Xavier bellowed this time around, mirroring Xander¡¯s expression. </i>


    <i>"It¡¯s either the teachers call to report you for some shenanigans you know you SHOULD¡¯NT</i><i>do which will grab Dad¡¯s attention, or you go attend some stupid damn party when you have an exam the next day. In the end, you still fail it. I wouldn¡¯t me Dad if he found you as a disappointment because that¡¯s the only thing you¡¯re proving to him...."</i>


    <i>"How dare you!!" Xander punched Xavier across the face which caught thetter off guard. </i>


    <i>The both of them have had their disagreements in the past with some yful punches but never a real painful, bone-shifting punch. </i>


    <i>Despite the attack, Xavier stood calm and collected while the corners of his lips dripped blood. </i>


    <i>"Did that hurt?" Xavier asked, yanking away Xander¡¯s fist that was wrapped around his cor. "That¡¯s because it¡¯s the truth."</i>


    <i>Xander gritted his teeth in rage, ready to hit Xavier again but thetter caught his fist in the air. </i>


    <i>"I think you¡¯ve done enough," said Xavier as she wiped off the blood on his lips with the back of his palm. "If you¡¯re raging because of what I said, then that¡¯s because of what you¡¯ve done. If Dad wants to make me the CEO of the family¡¯spany, then so be it. You¡¯ve proven to be useless anyway," he spat out. </i>


    <i>He knew his words would hurt, but he internally wished Xander would buckle up and act like a man instead of wasting his life all the time. </i>


    <i>He found a twinge of pain pass through Xander¡¯s eyes and he knew he¡¯d hit a spot. Now, he can only hope Xander will change for the better. </i>


    <i>Without any more words being exchanged, Xavier walked away, leaving Xander to fume alone in the living room. He caught the shadows of their butler in the kitchen area, and that was when he realized they might have been a little too loud. </i>


    <i>However, Xavier ignored the butler and went his way. </i>


    <i>Xander¡¯s fist clenched so hard his knuckles turned white. </i>


    <i>¡¯So that¡¯s how it¡¯s going to be?¡¯ He thought. </i>

 Chapter 282: Who’s This Grandpa?

    <i>Xander¡¯s heart sank when he recalled that Valentine¡¯s Day was truly around the corner, and he hadn¡¯t asked Arabe out yet. His palms turned sweaty. </i>


    <i>The annual sportspetition was held every year with other schools and their schools have always carried the trophy back. </i>


    <i>"If the date of thepetition is the same as Valentine¡¯s Day, a lot of students aren¡¯t going to pay attention to the on-going matches. It¡¯s not going to work out unless thepetition is held a day after Valentine. That way, some boys will be in a good mood to show off to their girlfriends, don¡¯t you think?" He asked her, silently wondering if he should ask her out for a date. </i>


    <i>Just her presence alone spiked something in him. </i>


    <i>Arabe¡¯s index finger was on her chin, as she considered his idea. "I suggested something simr like that. They said they would consider it. When they make a decision, they will let us know," she replied and Xander heaved a sigh of relief. </i>


    <i>If there was apetition, he was definitely participating. He just didn¡¯t like the idea of going on a date and participating in apetition all on the same day. </i>


    <i>"I hope they do change their mind." Raising his hand, he scratched the back of his hair with a shy smile spread on his lips. "By the way, do you have a date on Valentine¡¯s Day?" He asked. </i>


    <i>Arabe was quite taken aback by his question, and her silence made Xander believe she did. </i>


    <i>He wouldn¡¯t bat an eye to rip off the hands of any senior she was currently hanging out with, and bury him somewhere even his father would never find. </i>


    <i>"I¡¯m sorry¡ª"</i>


    <i>"Not at all, Xander. Why? Do you want to take me on a date?" She asked, as her eyes squinted teasingly at him while a yful grin settled on her lips. </i>


    <i>If it had been other girls, they would probably be squeaking like rats that just found cheese under the table. However, Arabe looked calm and collected with a little hint of excitement in her tone. </i>


    <i>"W-well, I was...." Xander immediately mped his mouth shut when he realized he was starting to stutter. When did he start stuttering? </i>


    <i>He coughed elegantly to get the bile down his throat before he parted his lips to continue. </i>


    <i>"Yes, I would like to take you on a date. Would you go out with me, Arabe?" He asked. </i>


    <i>Arabe¡¯s smirk stretched further on her lips, then she nodded. </i>


    <i>She¡¯d only seen Xander as a friend. The kind that would always stand by your side when you have some troubles. But now he was asking her out so romantically, she couldn¡¯t help but see him so differently now. </i>


    <i>"Yes, I would love to go out with you Xander."</i>


    <i>It felt as if a bang had just been fired in the sky, releasing beautiful fireworks. </i>


    <i>Despite the speed his heart hammered against his ribcage, he tried to cool it off. </i>


    <i>"That¡¯s right! I¡¯lle pick you up on that day¡ª"</i>


    <i>"If the school changes the date of thepetition..." She remembered, then chuckled. </i>


    <i>After exchanging a few more words they decided to part ways. </i>


    <i>Xander continued to ignore Xavier as if thetter never existed. </i>


    <i>"What¡¯s wrong with him?" Maxwell asked when they got to the cafeteria. </i>


    <i>"Family issues," Xavier replied, his gaze on Xander who¡¯d refused to sit in their regr spot. </i>


    <i>When school was over, Xander was about to get into his car. Both he and Xavier hade in different cars and the driver was already waiting for him. </i>


    <i>However when he was about to leave, the car before his honked at him, startling him as the windows rolled down, revealing a man who seemed to be the same age as his father. </i>


    <i>Just recalling he had such a father left him feeling exasperated for the nth time since the day began. </i>


    <i>"Hey there, son!" The unknown man d in a sparkly fancy white suit called, revealing a smile that made his wrinkles pop like a balloon. </i>


    <i>Xander already identified him to be a wealthy man from the car he was in.</i>


    <i>¡¯Who is this grandpa and why¡¯s he talking to me?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but wonder. </i>


    <i>Despite seeing the impatient look on Xander, the man continued. </i>


    <i>"I¡¯m Bruce rie, an old friend of your father. If you don¡¯t mind, I would like to share a few words with you."</i>

 Chapter 283: Useless?

    <i>"He¡¯s a tough one...like Thomas said," Bruce said nonchntly. </i>


    <i>"He sure is, sir," the man seated in the driver¡¯s seat responded, ncing at his boss through the rearview mirror. "I also saw him with a girl earlier, and from what I saw, he seems to be infatuated with that girl," the man added. He was the one Bruce had sent to keep an eye on the Wace twins¡ªrather, on Xander. </i>


    <i>"Hmm..." Bruce hummed in amusement as he stroked the little stubble on his chin. "I¡¯m not surprised. Continue observing him. I have a feeling he has more potential than that Xavier boy."</i>


    <i>"Of course, sir." The driver responded. </i>


    <i>From the corners of his eyes, Bruce sighted Xavier walking towards his car, eye wandering from one ce to another, probably wondering if Xander had already left. </i>


    <i>Once Xavier got into his car and the driver zoomed off, Bruce scoffed. </i>


    <i>"That little one might bring trouble."</i>


    <i>A few days passed with Xander assisting Arabe and the other students with the school¡¯s Annual sportspetition. The teachers and board of directors for the school finally announced it would be better to have thepetition after Valentine¡¯s Day and everyone was excited. </i>


    <i>"Is he still avoiding you?" Maxwell asked, nudging Xavier slightly with his elbow to get his attention. </i>


    <i>"Leave him," Xavier mumbled. </i>


    <i>He¡¯d thought with the way he spoke with his brother, Xander would at least try to turn a new leaf. </i>


    <i>Their father had ignored their mother¡¯sints and had decided to have most of the properties shared between Xavier, Richard, and Kace which seemed to have angered Xander a lot more, and he¡¯d chosen to not say a word ever since. </i>


    <i>All he did was wake up, eat breakfast, and go to school on weekdays then go to clubs before heading back home. </i>


    <i>Mr Wace didn¡¯t care at all about how Xander was holding up with his criticism. He felt that Xander was hellbent on destroying his family¡¯s name, so he didn¡¯t care at all. </i>


    <i>The only ones who asked about Xander¡¯s wellbeing were his mother¡¯s bad grandma. </i>


    <i>The day Xander took Arabe out for a date finally arrives. </i>


    <i>"You look as beautiful as always," heplimented. </i>


    <i>"Thank you," she mumbled, feeling a lot more shy than she thought she would be from hanging around with Xander. </i>


    <i>Since the past few days, they¡¯d gotten closer with Xander buying some pretty gifts she wished she could reject, but they were just too cute to do so. </i>


    <i>They were at the park which was decorated beautifully to celebrate the lover¡¯s day for the public who also wished to spend their time there. </i>


    <i>All of a sudden, Xander snapped his head back to look at something. </i>


    <i>"What¡¯s wrong?" Arabe questioned, worry evident in her tone. </i>


    <i>"It¡¯s nothing...." He trailed off, his eyes still scanning the area. </i>


    <i>For the slightest moment, he felt someone¡¯s gaze on him. This wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d started feeling like this. </i>


    <i>For a second, he thought it could be that Bruce man who imed to be his father¡¯s friend was keeping an eye on him¡ªwatching him. </i>


    <i>But Bruce hasn¡¯t visited the school since the first time he asked to speak with Xander and thetter refused. </i>


    <i>"It¡¯s nothing," he repeated, assurance evident in his tone this time around. </i>


    <i>He shrugged off that feeling and refocused on her instead. </i>


    <i>**</i>


    <i>"Did you know that your son is actually in love?" Bruce asked Mr. Wace as he quickly kissed a girl who was seated on hisp,pletely half-naked and ready to be taken. </i>


    <i>"Xavier is not in love with anyone," Mr Wace imed, ring at the same girl that had intended toe near him the other time he¡¯de to the club. </i>


    <i>A deep sound rumbled in Bruce¡¯s throat as he chuckled. </i>


    <i>"When did I say Xavier? I meant Xander, he¡¯s the one in love."</i>


    <i>As soon as the name slipped out from Bruce¡¯s mouth, he found it unable to gulp down his drink peacefully. </i>


    <i>"If you think Xander has done something worthy, then you must know that the girl is from a middle-ss family."</i>


    <i>"I have many questions and I¡¯m not going to dy asking them. Why are you spying on Xander?" Mr Wace questioned. Bruce was not new to hisints whenever Xander did something terrible. Mr Wace would alwayse to vent his frustrations to Bruce. </i>


    <i>"I needed to see this useless son of yours you spoke about giving you a headache all the time," Bruce replied nonchntly. </i>


    <i>The girl seated on theirp, together with the one seated on his left side started making out and he was tempted to join in. </i>


    <i>"And I must say, he looks anything but useless to me," Bruce added, keeping eye contact with Mr Wace this time. </i>

 Chapter 284: Someone Like You

    <i>"We¡¯re going to start kidnapping them. But, we can¡¯t have someone who has a family. If the families of the girls start makingints, then trouble is going to stir up. So, we have to go with orphans."</i>


    <i>Mr Wace gave it a thought. Orphans didn¡¯t have any family members who could want to check up on them after they¡¯d been kidnapped. </i>


    <i>"Orphans are good...." He muttered, subconsciously sipping his drink when the wordsing from the television interrupted him from his thoughts. </i>


    <i>In unison, Bruce and Mr Wace¡¯s head snapped towards the television hanging on the wall so everyone could see what was being disyed on it. </i>


    <i>However, when their eyes recognized the person on the television, extreme fear that froze their bodies gripped them. </i>


    <i>"The president has been caught," Bruce mumbled. </i>


    <i>It was the president of Radiantia, the one who had allowed them to begin their first business of importing illegal weapons into the city. </i>


    <i>Unfortunately, it turned out he¡¯d been used of other crimes whose allegations had been proved right. </i>


    <i>It turned out the president had been caught in an odd-looking abandoned business that his men had been guarding and there, they found two young underaged girls. </i>


    <i>The reporter went on to show the two girls who were so skinny it seemed they lost weight with every single carbon dioxide they released. </i>


    <i>"He told us if we didn¡¯t do everything he wanted us to, he would kill our parents and kill us too," the first girl struggled to say as tears streamed down her eyes. </i>


    <i>"We told him to stop, we didn¡¯t like it but he kept on going," the second girl who seemed younger than the first girl added as she hugged the first girl. </i>


    <i>From their facial simrity, it was obvious they were siblings. </i>


    <i>The camera was taken away from them and the reporter returned to the screen. </i>


    <i>"I¡¯m sure Jeffrey is the one behind this," Mr Wace said. </i>


    <i>"We are not sure about that, Thomas. It could be anyone," Bruce replied, but deep down he had the same thought as Mr Wace. </i>


    <i>Mr Wace could easily call Jeffrey and ask him if he was the one responsible for the arrest of the president, but since the disappearance of Ava, coupled with the lie he¡¯d orchestrated against Jeffrey, they didn¡¯t speak with each other anymore. </i>


    <i>"We would need to be careful about Jeffrey, he¡¯s been more activetely and if we¡¯re not careful about him, we might be the next ones to appear on the television."</i>


    <i>A chill ran down Mr. Wace¡¯s back when he heard Bruce¡¯s words because those words were true. </i>


    <i>**</i>


    <i>Xander opened the door for Arabe as she got out of the car. </i>


    <i>"I never knew you had this gentlemanly attitude in you," she joked as he chuckled. </i>


    <i>Their date was over and he¡¯d offered to give her a ride home especially since he kept feeling that unknown gaze at his back. Even currently, at her home, he could still feel it which caused his blood to boil in anger. </i>


    <i>He didn¡¯t want to believe one of the girls in their school was following them out of spite which would put Arabe in harm¡¯s way. </i>


    <i>"Goodnight," he said, pecking her on the cheeks since it would be too inappropriate to kiss her on the lips. </i>


    <i>"Goodnight."</i>


    <i>Xander waited for her to get inside her house before he got into the car and the driver zoomed off. </i>


    <i>As soon as Arabe got inside her living room and locked the door, she saw her mother and father sitting on the couch, probably waiting for her. </i>


    <i>"It¡¯s so long. Why did youe backte?" Her mother questioned with concernced in her tone as she stood up and marched towards Arabe, pulling her onto the couch to sit in between her and her father. </i>


    <i>"Xander took me to a restaurant and he got us dinner," she responded, showcasing the bag of food in her hand with enthusiasm but her parents didn¡¯t reciprocate it. </i>


    <i>"Arabe..." Her father called her, making her turn to face it. "We¡¯re worried that this rtionship you have with Xander might bring you nothing but trouble."</i>


    <i>"You said it yourself. He came from a rich family. Have you thought of what would happen if his parents find out their son is dating someone like you?" Her mother¡¯s words felt like a dagger that had stabbed itself into her heart. </i>


    <i>"Someone like me?" She asked, confusion etched in her expression. </i>

 Chapter 285: Leave Him Alone

    <i>"I just feel like something bad might happen if you two don¡¯t break what you have now before it¡¯s toote," said her mother and she subconsciously started crying. Arabe gently wiped off the tears on her mother¡¯s cheeks and smiled. "You¡¯re our only child and we don¡¯t want to lose you."</i>


    <i>"You don¡¯t have to worry about any of that, mother. Xander and I both know what we want. Besides, he¡¯s the one I¡¯m dating, not his parents..." She tried to assure them, but it was obvious from the look they were giving her, they didn¡¯t rx one bit. </i>


    <i>If anything, their worries only grew. </i>


    <i>The living room fell in silence as they nced at each other. </i>


    <i>"Why¡¯s everyone looking at themselves like that?" </i>


    <i>They suddenly heard someone question from the door, and they were surprised to see Maxwell standing at their front door with a chocte box in his hand and a food container in the other. </i>


    <i>The living room was so quiet enough that they should have heard himing in. Yet still, they didn¡¯t. </i>


    <i>"And Aunty, why are you crying?" He asked as he dropped the chocte box and food container and rushed over to Arabe¡¯s mother. "What did you do to make her cry now?" He questioned Be. </i>


    <i>Although he tried to ignore it, he could feel the heavy air in the living room as if some terrible argument had just urred. </i>


    <i>Maxwell was Arabe¡¯s cousin from her father¡¯s side and he lived just across the street with his parents. </i>


    <i>"Can you talk some sense into your cousin? She¡¯s dating Xander and¡ª"</i>


    <i>"Mother, I¡¯m not going to break up with Xander just because of our family¡¯s different status. We only started dating today and it would be weird if I just texted him saying I want to break up with him," Arabe told her mother. </i>


    <i>"Wait...you and Xander are already dating?" Maxwell questioned with a louder voice that got all heads to turn to him. "You know the kind of reputation he has in school, Arabe. Why would you go and date him?" </i>


    <i>Arabe sighed, already tired of the conversation. </i>


    <i>"I¡¯m tired, I¡¯m going to go to sleep now," she said and left for her room. </i>


    <i>As soon as she disappeared behind her doors, Maxwell faced Arabe¡¯s mother. </i>


    <i>"She¡¯s dating that guy?" He asked. </i>


    <i>Arabe¡¯s mother nodded in response. "She is, and I¡¯m worried something might happen to her when the boy¡¯s family finds out about it."</i>


    <i>Maxwell frowned slightly. </i>


    <i>Arabe¡¯s mom sighed before she parted her lips to exin her worry and Maxwell¡¯s frown only deepened. </i>


    <i>"That¡¯s not possible, Aunty. I¡¯ve met Mr and Mrs Wace personally myself and they don¡¯t seem like the ones to think in such a way, especially Mr Wace himself," he exined as he chuckled lightly. </i>


    <i>Since Maxwell was closer to Xavier than Xander, it was only normal that he¡¯d been invited to the boy¡¯s mansion sometime to hang out. </i>


    <i>"I think you¡¯re thinking too much about this, Aunty. Xander is a good guy despite his shenanigans sometimes, and I¡¯m sure he will take care of Arabe. You¡¯re worrying for nothing," he assured her, and she smiled at him. </i>


    <i>If only he knew that the worry was still ced in the woman¡¯s heart. </i>


    <i>Arabe was in her room as she worried about her mother¡¯s words. </i>


    <i>She¡¯s seen in movies where the family of the rich guy wouldn¡¯t want their son to have to do anything with the girl. But this wasn¡¯t a movie...it was reality. </i>


    <i>Arabe took off her bracelets as she recalled Xander ncing around ces, probably trying to find out who could be watching them. </i>


    <i>Arabe was not immune to stares¡ªso she was able to sense someone watching them from the park to the restaurant and then back home. </i>


    <i>But she¡¯d pretended not to be alert to not spoil their first date. </i>


    <i>A smile graced her lips when she remembered how he pecked her cheeks. Realizing she was smiling like a fool, she quickly shook her head to get rid of the butterfly that fluttered inside her belly. </i>


    <i>Then her phone suddenly vibrated with a message from someone. </i>


    <i>Arabe picked it up, wondering if it was Xander. </i>


    <i>However, it wasn¡¯t him. </i>


    <i>It was a text from an unknown number who boldly wrote out the words: LEAVE HIM ALONE IF YOU KNOW WHAT¡¯S GOOD FOR YOU!!</i>

 Chapter 286: Scored A Goal

    <i>"Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s still because of our argument you suddenly want to change from our team!"</i>


    <i>"What¡¯s it to you?" Xander questioned, scowling at Xander. </i>


    <i>"You¡¯re starting to act like a child, Xander," Xavierined. </i>


    <i>"Just leave me alone..." And Xander walked away without giving Xavier a chance to say a few more words. </i>


    <i>The stadium was filled with people wearing different colors of jerseys while some energetic music was ying in the background. </i>


    A few secondster, an announcement was made and the ser team was first to y.


    <i>Arabe stared at both Xavier and Xander with as her heart thumped in her chest. She¡¯d always known that both of them were having some issue, but the look on Xander¡¯s face earlier had just frightened her. </i>


    <i>She¡¯d never seen Xander react in such a way before. She wasn¡¯t new to seeing him and his brother banter, but recently, it seemed to have gotten worse. </i>


    <i>Arabe sighed as she tried to take her mind off it when she suddenly heard someone murmur her name from behind her. </i>


    <i>Arabe turned, only for her to make eye contact with the most popr girl in their school. The girl had knowingly made eye contact with Arabe¡ªmore like ring at her before she cackled like a hyena with her girls. </i>


    <i>Arabe decided to ignore them and face her front. </i>


    <i>She recalled the text message from the previous night in her mind. The wording felt immature, like something only a girl¡ªor someone their own age¡ªwould send.</i>


    <i>Arabe remembered some past events whereby the popr girl had publicly confessed her feelings for Xander. Unfortunately for her, he openly rejected her without batting an eysh which caused the girl to feel embarrassed. </i>


    <i>She became aughing stock for the whole day, and she had to stoping to school for a few days until themotion died down. </i>


    <i>Now, Arabe couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the girl was the one following themst night, and if she was the one who sent her a text. </i>


    <i>Sighing, Arabe decided to divert her thoughts elsewhere. The match was beginning and she needed to focus and let the girls discuss whatever they wanted. </i>


    <i>The referee blew the whistle for the match to begin and both teams started chasing after the ball. </i>


    <i>Since both Xavier and Xander were one of the best yers they had, some of their team members didn¡¯t bother to work as much and they only focused on sending the ball to either of the twins. </i>


    <i>Paul kicked the ball towards Xander and thetter wedged it with his legs. </i>


    <i>Before he knew it, the opposing team had already gathered around him, leaving him no one from his team he could pass the ball to. Also, if he didn¡¯t act, they could take the ball from him and score. </i>


    <i>Xander spotted Xavier ahead, who was gesturing to him to pass him the ball. He was the closest to the goalpost.</i>


    <i>"Pass it!!" Xavier yelled but Xander was still unyielding. </i>


    <i>The opponent team was starting to close in on him. However, he didn¡¯t want to pass the ball over to Xavier. </i>


    <i>One of the team members from the opposite team attempted to snatch the ball from Xander, but thetter was quick. </i>


    <i>With one swift movement, Xander passed the ball to go throw under the opponent, then he kicked off his feet, rushing towards the goal post. </i>


    <i>His heart thumped in his chest and he avoided the opponent team that tried to get in his way. </i>


    <i>He could still hear Xavier¡¯s voice calling out to him but with how loud his heart was beating, Xavier¡¯s voice turned distant. </i>


    <i>Xander continued to run when suddenly a member of the opposing team appeared by his side and intended to snatch the ball from him with physical force. He even had to go as far as pulling Xander¡¯s jersey. </i>


    <i>Sensing he would be taken down soon, Xander kicked the ball with all the energy he had left, and just then, he felt his head kiss the green grass with an abrupt force, so he didn¡¯t get to see where the ball was going. </i>


    <i>Fortunately for him, the next second, he heard the crowd cheering. </i>


    <i>Xander stood up from the ground to look at the scoreboard. </i>


    <i>They¡¯d scored a goal. </i>


    <i>His team members lifted him as they jubted their goal. </i>


    <i>When Xander made eye contact with Xavier, he saw thetter pping his hands for him with a satisfied look on his face. </i>


    <i>But from Xander¡¯s point of view, it was more like Xavier was underestimating him. </i>


    <i>¡¯You¡¯re not the only one who¡¯s good at something,¡¯ Xander thought to himself as he smirked at Xavier who slowly stopped pping. </i>

 Chapter 287: Fiona

    <i>Just as Bruce had said, Xander did seem to have a little someone in his life. </i>


    <i>He¡¯d decided not to bother himself with whatever Xander was up to. However, he was still his son, and if thetter did something unspeakable, he would have to be the one to clean up the messter on. </i>


    <i>He¡¯d always cleaned up after the boy¡¯s mess and he was tired of doing so. </i>


    <i>If only there was a way to get rid of him, he would have chosen that path without batting an eysh. </i>


    <i>His eyes scanned through the photo and took in the postures and how the girl was dressed. </i>


    <i>From afar, with her tinum blonde hair, one would think she was from some influential family. However, Mr Wace knew too well that looks could be very deceiving. </i>


    <i>He cropped out the picture and sent it to a particr person with a task to find out information about the certain girl. </i>


    <i>A few minutester, his phone dinged with a notification, and he picked it up in a sh of lightning. </i>


    <i>When his eyes settled on the information he received from the unknown person, his expression immediately turned sour and ugly, with a hint of disappointmentced in them. </i>


    <i>His eyes darkened further when he saw the hellhole of a house she was living in. Out of rage, Mr Wace mmed his fist on the table, causing the objects on it to shake from the impact. </i>


    <i>"She¡¯s a nobody," he mumbled through gritted teeth. </i>


    <i>As an influential and powerful man, he only wanted people who were just as influential and powerful to hang around him and his family. </i>


    <i>Although he was one of the most influential in Radiantia and beyond, he was still greedy and wanted to be the number one. </i>


    <i>And now, his useless son was associating himself with a nobody¡ªaplete nobody. </i>


    <i>He had wondered why Xander was all smiles the previous night, and how he knew why. Thetter had gotten himself a girlfriend. </i>


    <i>If she was from a powerful background, then he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to finally acknowledge Xander. But no! His unfilial child just had to go do what he does best¡ªdisappoint Mr Wace. </i>


    <i>The man gnashed his teeth together as he tried toe up with ways he could destroy their rtionship because there was no way he was letting a ssless girl hang around his son. </i>


    <i>Back in the stadium, the game had already resumed and Arabe decided to go use the restroom. </i>


    <i>When she was about to leave, she saw Fiona, the most popr girl in their school from earlier, whispering something in the ears of one of her girls as they sized her up beforeughing again. </i>


    <i>Arabe sighed, unable to keep quiet this time around. It was obvious they were gossiping about her, and there was no way she was going to keep quiet about it this time. </i>


    <i>"Do you have a problem with me?" Arabe questioned with arms folded around her chest. "Because to me, it seems you have a problem."</i>


    <i>Fiona shot up one eyebrow in question as she sized the Arabe figure one more time. </i>


    <i>"Did you guys hear something just now?" Fiona asked her girls whose faces were so dolled up it seemed they used all the foundation in every cosmetic factory. "Is there another fly buzzing around here?" Fiona continued to ask as she nced around to find this supposed fly. </i>


    <i>Arabe simply stared at her with a faint smile on her lips. </i>


    <i>"I know you¡¯re the one that sent me that textst night. So, since I¡¯m right here in front of you, why don¡¯t you tell me exactly what you want? Who knows, I might be willing to fulfill it."</i>


    <i>Fiona was slightly bbergasted when Arabe already caught up she was the one who¡¯d sent her the text. However, she didn¡¯t bother denying it. </i>


    <i>"Are you willing to leave him alone?" Fiona asked with an expectant expression, hoping Arabe would hold true to her words. "You know you don¡¯t deserve him. He¡¯s so out of your league. I¡¯m the one that deserves to be his girlfriend."</i>


    <i>"Yet, he didn¡¯t choose you." Arabe¡¯s words felt like a p that¡¯d been gifted to Fiona¡¯s cheeks. "I mean, for you to follow us about the previous night just shows how desperate you are. Sadly, you¡¯re not Xander¡¯s type."</i>


    <i>"You little...."</i>


    <i>"Don¡¯t think because you¡¯re from an influential family, I won¡¯t hesitate to p you in the face," Arabe warned, which got not only Fiona¡¯s girls but Fiona herself to flinch in fear. "That text you sent was not only childish, but it also shows how empty that skull of yours is. How old are you, 12? Grow up!"</i>

 Chapter 288: Regret!

    <i>"You think no one saw when you pushed me?" The boy from the opposing team questioned, mirroring Xander¡¯s expression. </i>


    <i>Xavier tried to pull Xander away but thetter wasn¡¯t yielding at all. </i>


    <i>Earlier, while they were ying their ball, Xander had been cornered one more time by the opposing team. And just like the first time, Xavier had signaled him to pass the ball over to him, but Xander had refused. </i>


    <i>They were ying against a powerful team from the same influential elite school. </i>


    <i>Although they¡¯d scored the first goal, it wasn¡¯t some excuse to y around and not be serious. </i>


    <i>Xander ignored Xavier and decided to score on his own just as he¡¯d done the first time, and the first guy who¡¯d tried to stop him the first time had toe and try his luck again. </i>


    <i>He pulled Xander by the shirt to try to stop him from scoring, and from out of nowhere, he just fell. </i>


    Xander was able to seed, kicking the ball into the without the goalkeeper leaping to catch onto it. However, the goal was considered null and void.


    <i> Xander had tried exining himself but the referee wasn¡¯t believing him. </i>


    <i>The referee in charge of their match had to go watch the VAR to be sure he would be making the right decision by giving Xander a red card and canceling their goal. </i>


    <i>Unfortunately, with the angle the game was taken, the referee couldn¡¯t quite figure out whose fault it was. He had to check several other VARs in the stadium, but the result came out the same. </i>


    <i>"You see my leg bleeding, don¡¯t you?!!" The opposing team member questioned Xander, ready to punch him in the face. However, Xavier quickly jumped in between them to try to stop things. </i>


    <i>"You boys have caused enough trouble. I¡¯m going to have to give you a red card!!" The referee dered, raising his red card in the air and blowing his whistle. </i>


    <i>The crowd gasped in a state of shock as the stadium went quiet for a few seconds. </i>


    <i>Xander wasn¡¯t happy with how things had ended. </i>


    <i>He¡¯d only wanted to do things on his own because he didn¡¯t want to partner with Xavier, although they were on the same team. </i>


    <i>But it seemed he had forgotten he was in the same team as Xavier and he needed to bury whatever indifference they shared outside the stadium. </i>


    <i>Now, he was feeling regretful. </i>


    <i>"Wait! We can still talk about this..." Xavier tried to convince the referee. "Earlier, you saw him..."Xavier pointed to the devilish opposing team member because he didn¡¯t know his name. "You saw him when he was pulling Xander¡¯s clothes, trying to stop him from scoring the goal. You know that¡¯s against the rules!"</i>


    <i>"Are you now trying to teach me my job?" The referee questioned, his eyes boiling red with anger. "Get out of my field!!" He dered. </i>


    <i>The coach had to step up this time around to try to talk the situation down. </i>


    <i>Xander stomped out of the stage with heavy steps. </i>


    <i>When he made eye contact with the guy who¡¯d caused him his red card, he found thetter grinning at him before the medic took him away due to his bleeding leg. </i>


    <i>After that, Xander shared a look with his twin brother before thetter tore his gaze away from him. And it was at that moment Xander realized he¡¯d fucked up. </i>


    <i>A pang of regret hit his chest as he recalled his attitude towards Xavier hadpletely changed. </i>


    <i>Sighing, he walked to get his clothes changed and waited for thepetition to end since he wouldn¡¯t be ying in other sports. </i>


    <i>He felt someone¡¯s shadow cover him as the person sat down beside him. Without looking, he already knew who it was. </i>


    <i>"I fucked up," he mumbled loud enough for Arabe to hear him. </i>


    <i>She acknowledged his words by simply nodding. </i>


    <i>"I¡¯m d you finally realized that," she replied. </i>


    <i>"I¡¯ll fix things," he promised, closing his eyes shut for a second before opening them. "I¡¯ll fix things."</i>


    <i>"Yeah you better do it, else I¡¯ll smack you in the face," she joked to reduce the tense atmosphere. </i>


    <i>Luckily, Xander released a chuckle. </i>


    <i>They stared like that for the longest time, enjoying the sports when Arabe felt Fiona¡¯s re from her back, digging into her skin as if she¡¯d just stolen someone¡¯s husband. </i>


    <i>Swiftly, Arabe turned to meet Fiona¡¯s re with a taunting smile. Then she mouthed, ¡¯Go fuck yourself,¡¯ slowly so Fiona would be able to grab the words correctly. </i>

 Chapter 289: Get Out Of My House!!

    <i>"Did you hear me or you did not hear me?" Mr Wace questioned, making Xander realize he hadn¡¯t answered his father yet.</i>


    <i>"I¡¯m not going to break up with Arabe," Xander dered without batting an eysh.</i>


    <i>Xavier could only silently sigh tirelessly. </i>


    <i>They¡¯d just returned home after thepetition was over. Although they lost in ser, the other students from their school performed well in other sports so they were able to bring the trophy back to the school.</i>


    <i>All he wanted to do was finish his dinner and hit the sack. Unfortunately for him, it seemed his father had something to say and from Xander¡¯s tone, thetter was ready to take him on tonight.</i>


    <i>"Thomas, why do you want Xander to break up with his girlfriend?" Mrs Wace couldn¡¯t help but ask.</i>


    <i>Although she was just learning that Xander got himself a girlfriend, she didn¡¯t find anything wrong with that.</i>


    <i>"Because that girl came from the slums. I can¡¯t have anyone who came from the pit hole to associate themselves with my sons," Mr Wace dered.</i>


    <i>This was probably the first time Mr. Wace acknowledged Xander as his son, however, it was for the wrong situation so Xander didn¡¯t feel the least touched.</i>


    <i>"Such a girl would bring nothing but bad luck to this family." Then Mr Wace turned to face Xander one more time as he continued. "You¡¯re going to break up with that girl and that¡¯s final."</i>


    <i>"And I said I¡¯m not going to break up with her. I never asked for your permission if I could date and believe it or not, you don¡¯t have the right to tell me who I can and cannot date!"</i>


    <i>Xavier was beyond shocked by what was happening, but he was even more shocked by his father¡¯s reasons Xander should break up with Arabe.</i>


    <i>Xavier had known about Xander and Arabe dating because Maxwell informed him about it, but now his father was asking Xander to break up with her for the most stupid reason he could ever think of.</i>


    <i>Mr Wace abruptly stood up from his chair when he heard Xander¡¯s words, anger palpable in his expression. </i>


    <i>"You don¡¯t have any right to defy my orders!" Mr Wace barked. "For all we know, that girl could only be hanging around you because of our family background."</i>


    <i>"Wow, Dad! Thanks for the concern, but you can keep it to yourself because I don¡¯t need it," Xander replied with a sarcasmced in his tone. "But I¡¯m not sorry for disappointing you one more time. Since you¡¯re the one who has a problem with me dating Arabe, that¡¯s none of my business. I¡¯m not going to break up with her just because of your selfish reasons!" Xander dered. </i>


    <i>He might not know how his father found out about his rtionship with Arabe, but he certainly wasn¡¯t going to listen to whatever his old man told him.</i>


    <i>The temperature surrounding the dining table became oddly tense.</i>


    <i>Mr Wace was immediately vexed at how Xander kept defying his orders.</i>


    <i>"Don¡¯t you dare talk to me like that!!" Mr Wace warned. "You¡¯ve been an unfilial son and now you want to embarrass this family?" </i>


    <i>Xander couldn¡¯t help but stare at his father in confusion. </i>


    The old man had never really bothered much with whatever Xander was doing, and now, he wanted him to break up with his girlfriend when their rtionship was only a day old.


    <i>"If you don¡¯t call that girl now and break up with her right now, you¡¯re going to leave my house."</i>


    <i>"Thomas!!" Mrs Wace finally intervened. "What had gotten into you? You¡¯re going to ask Xander to leave this mansion because of some girl?" She questioned.</i>


    <i>"Father, you¡¯re taking things too far," Xavier added.</i>


    <i>"Am I taking things too far? This useless brother of yours is bent on disgracing me outside. There¡¯re so many girls from influential backgrounds that go to that school and he had to go pick some nobody." </i>


    <i>Mr Wace was now spitting saliva as anger raged through his body.</i>


    <i>"Fine!" Xander suddenly said with a clenched fist. "Since you want me out of this house just because I love someone whom you don¡¯t approve of, then I¡¯ll leave this house."</i>


    <i>"That¡¯s nonsense!! You¡¯re not leaving this house." His mother tried to stop him.</i>


    <i>"He can leave for all I care. He¡¯s useless anyway."</i>


    <i>Xavier and his mother did not like where the situation was heading since his father was talking like a drunk man.</i>


    <i>Usually, when Xander had done something wrong, their father would only leave him with a warning.</i>


    <i>However, this situation waspletely different.</i>


    <i>"Leave now. I want you to leave this house at this moment and don¡¯t even think of taking anything with you." Mr Wace called the guards and asked them to kick Xander out.</i>


    <i>Xavier immediately tried to stop his dad but it seemed he¡¯d made up his mind to kick his very own son out of the mansion.</i>

 Chapter 290: Bandit

    <i>They both heard Mr Wace demand from the front door as their mother¡¯s tears streamed down her face. </i>


    <i>She quickly rushed to hug Xander and he cleaned her face. </i>


    <i>"Come back inside, son. Don¡¯t listen to your father. He¡¯s just overreacting," she said, pulling his arm so he coulde back inside but Xander wasn¡¯t moving one bit. </i>


    <i>"If you dare step foot inside this house, I will gun you down!!" Mr Wace threatened. </i>


    <i>From the looks of things, it seemed Mr Wace had always wanted to kick Xander out of the house, but was simply looking for an opportunity, and now he finally found one. </i>


    <i>"What¡¯s wrong with you Thomas? Are you going to kick your very own son out of this house because of something so frivolous?" Mrs Wace questioned him. </i>


    <i>He tore his gaze away from her and continued to pay deaf ears to her pleadings. </i>


    <i>"You don¡¯t have to worry about anything, mother. I¡¯ll be fine," he assured her with a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes. </i>


    <i>Although he was given the worst father, he was given a caring mom who looked out for him. </i>


    <i>He took his mother¡¯s hands from his face as he tried to keep his smile from faltering. </i>


    <i>"I¡¯ll be fine," he promised, then left the mansion without turning back for ast nce. </i>


    <i>Xander walked till he reached the gates of the estate. </i>


    <i>He quickly searched for an ATM stand and redrew as much money as he could. Because knowing his father, he would freeze all his ounts. </i>


    <i>Internally, he hoped his father would call him back and apologize for how he¡¯d treated him. It¡¯d only been fifteen minutes since he left the mansion. That was more than enough time for Mr. Wace to regret his actions and decide to call him back so that he would apologize and talk things out. </i>


    <i>However, Xander had received nothing. </i>


    <i>Sighing, he pocketed the money inside his pocket and decided to look for a hotel. With the money he had, he would be able to book a small room and sleep for the night. </i>


    <i>While he was walking to get a cap, Xander noticed four men who seemed to have been following him for a while now. </i>


    He recalled seeing them at the ATM stand where he¡¯d redrawn his money. He¡¯d been focused on his thoughts about his father to realize they were monitoring him.


    <i>Tapping the fat wad of cash in his pocket, Xander immediately realized what was happening. </i>


    <i>He was far from the estate where he could probably get some security. Now that he was alone in an empty street, he feared those men would do something to him. </i>


    <i>"Hey, there kid!" </i>


    <i>He heard one of them call for his attention, but he didn¡¯t stop to listen to the rest of his words. If anything, his step only quickened as if his life depended on it, which it did. "Hey kid, I¡¯m talking to you!" The same man repeated, and then the other three men chuckled. </i>


    <i>Xander nced down at his smartwatch. It was expensive, and it was worth a lot more money than the fat wad of cash in his pocket. </i>


    <i>"I don¡¯t want any trouble," he said, taking off the smartwatch. "Take this and leave me alone."</i>


    <i>Although he was replying to him, his legs were still covering distances. </i>


    <i>"Hey boy, I¡¯m talking to you," the same man from earlier said, pulling Xander by his hood. </i>


    <i>His hair was brown and dirty all the same time which would leave one confused and unable to differentiate the color from the dirt. His teeth were as yellow as cheese, he could be a suitable candidate to make a toothpastemercial. </i>


    <i>The man grabbed the smartwatch from Xander and grinned at his men. </i>


    <i>"Now, isn¡¯t he a sweet little thing? Giving us his stuff without us needing to ask?" The man turned to Xander. "Sadly, we see more on you than this smartwatch."</i>


    <i>Xander counted the equipment in their hands and what most of them carried was some wood they would use to beat him up. </i>


    <i>Xander had been going to a martial arts ss but he wasn¡¯t strong enough to take down four grown men all by himself. </i>


    <i>"I have nothing more to give to you. So, please just take the smartwatch and leave me alone," he pleaded this time around. </i>


    <i>The same man scoffed as he took a step towards Xander with a challenging gaze. "And what if we don¡¯t?"</i>

 Chapter 291: Is He Kidnapped?

    <i>"I told you this kid was rich. Just look at how much money he withdrew," said the first man with the cheese-colored teeth. "He made us super rich tonight. Check the other pocket. He should have his phone in there."</i>


    <i>The one that brought out the money intended to slip his hand into Xander¡¯s pocket to bring out the phone, but thetter stopped him abruptly. </i>


    <i>Before the bandit could question him, Xander had alreadynded a punch in his gut that nearly sent him kissing the ground. </i>


    <i>It was obvious the others were shocked by what had happened. </i>


    <i>When he ran away, they already concluded he was some weakling and it would be easy to rob him of his things.</i>


    <i>Xander needed his phone to text Arabe and keep in touch with a few things, which was why he couldn¡¯t let them get the phone. </i>


    <i>Xander had to fight three of the bandits all at once and unfortunately for him, he was getting beaten up instead of doing the beating. </i>


    <i>The bandits didn¡¯t pity him at all and hit the wooden stick they had with them on his head, and body and made sure they beat him mercilessly. </i>


    <i>Xander tried to handle them, but he failed. </i>


    <i>By the time they¡¯d finished with him, he was already looking like a mess, his blood coated around his body like a new skin. </i>


    <i>"Come on, let¡¯s get out of here," the first man with the cheese-like teeth urged as soon as he took Xander¡¯s phone. </i>


    <i>Without wasting a single moment, they ran away, leaving him there to bleed to death. </i>


    <i>But Xander has refused to give up. They¡¯d take his phone, but he wasn¡¯t going to let his life be taken away from him. </i>


    <i>The road was still empty. Then, he suddenly saw a car drive by without even stopping to check the person on the ground.</i>


    <i>They probably thought he was some kind of bandit himself and it was a trapid for them. </i>


    <i>Xande fought against the pain that surged through his body, making his knees go weak to the point he couldn¡¯t even stand on his own two legs anymore. </i>


    <i>But that didn¡¯t stop him from getting up. </i>


    <i>His supposed father had disowned him, all because he didn¡¯t do as he wanted him to.</i>


    <i>The sudden urge to cough arose, and more blood poured into his hands. </i>


    <i>Just when he was about to take one more step, he felt all the rest of the energy in himpletely drain from his body, as he slumped on the ground. </i>


    <i>He mouthed the word HELP but no one was around to help him. </i>


    <i>Xander believed this was the time he was going to leave the world. </i>


    <i>Just when his eyes were about to close shutpletely, he saw lights. They were so bright yet blurry, and from the sound of the engine, it was from a car. </i>


    <i>He heard the car door open and close, and right there, his mind shut downpletely. </i>


    <i>**</i>


    <i>In apletely furnished bedroom that was ready to live in, a figure was lying unconsciously on the bed. </i>


    <i>The person¡¯s eyes fluttered open as he woke up to meet the new environment he was in. The bed was so soft it tempted him to continue sleeping. But he had no idea where he was. </i>


    <i>Xander jumped out of bed and immediately regretted it due to how hard his head banged against his skull. </i>


    <i>"Where am I?" He wondered, recalling thest thing he saw before hepletely lost consciousness. "Was father the one that brought me here?" He wondered again. </i>


    <i>But the Wace mansion didn¡¯t have a room like this. A chill ran through him as he silently hoped it had been Mr. Wace who found him in the street. If not, he had to face the unsettling possibility¡ªhe might have been kidnapped. Yet, there were no restraints on his wrists, no signs of captivity.</i>


    <i>The door suddenly creaked open and Xander waited for Mr Wace¡¯s face to pop up. </i>


    <i>However, it was an unexpectedly recognizable face he saw. A face he¡¯d only seen once. </i>


    <i>"Hey there, son. I see you¡¯re awake," Bruce said, his tone gentle butced with concern. The softness in his voice made Xander uneasy, his mind racing as he wondered if he was truly in safe hands.</i>

 Chapter 292: Welcome!

    <i>When Bruce¡¯s question reached him, Xander shifted his gaze from Bruce to the wallpaper lining the room. The space exuded a dark, mysterious aura, and despite himself, Xander found his eyes tracing the intricate patterns, momentarily captivated by the grandeur. </i>


    <i>Silently, he shook his head, ignoring Bruce¡¯s question. </i>


    <i>"Thanks for your help, sir. But I¡¯ll need to leave," he said, attempting to pull the covers off his body but he was stopped by Bruce. </i>


    <i>"You don¡¯t need to go anywhere," Bruce said, his words freezing Xander in ce. "This room is yours. I called your father while you were out, and he told me he kicked you out of the house. Judging by those bruises, it¡¯s clear you¡¯ve been through a lot. You need rest, so stay here until you¡¯ve healed. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re not kidnapped." Bruce chuckled at the end, but the sound only made Xander¡¯s stomach twist. Nothing about the situation seemed remotely amusing to him.</i>


    <i>He stared at the middle-aged man with a in expression, which was hard for Bruce to read his thoughts. Likewise how Xander himself wasn¡¯t able to read Bruce¡¯s thoughts. </i>


    <i>He didn¡¯t have anywhere to go to. </i>


    <i>His card, phone, and money were all stolen from him by those bandits. If he dared to leave, he was certainly going to starve to death. </i>


    <i>However, for someone who imed to be close to his father to help him was very suspicious. </i>


    <i>"And before you wonder why I¡¯m doing this, it¡¯s because I consider you as my son. I feel bad for you because of what you¡¯ve gone through."</i>


    <i>Bruce could hardly believe it when Mr. Wace responded. He knew the man harbored resentment toward his son, but he hadn¡¯t realized it ran this deep. The cold indifference in Mr. Wace¡¯s voice left Bruce stunned, unable toprehend how a father could abandon his own child so easily.</i>


    <i>"We don¡¯t even know each other well," Xander interjected.</i>


    <i>"Well, we have the time to know each other now, don¡¯t you think?" Bruce asked, settling on the bed. </i>


    <i>Xander couldn¡¯t help but wonder what Bruce could be up to. He doubted the middle-aged man would be willing to give him a roof over his head, and wanted to get to know him just like that. </i>


    <i>"I¡¯ll give you some time to think about it. I¡¯ll get the butler to serve you your breakfast, then you can go ahead and get some rest. You need it." Bruce stood up from the bed and walked towards the door while Xander¡¯s gaze lingered on his back. "If you need anything, just make a phone call. It will go directly to the butler and he¡¯ll get you whatever you need."</i>


    <i>Without further words being exchanged, Bruce opened and closed the door behind him with a soft click. </i>


    <i>Xander waited, holding his breath until Bruce¡¯s footsteps faded down the hall. The moment silence settled, he swung his legs off the bed and strode toward the heavy curtains, yanking them aside. Sunlight poured into the room, flooding it with warmth and offering a sharp contrast to the shadowy confines he felt trapped in.</i>


    <i>"It¡¯s already morning," he mumbled, slightly shocked. He checked the time on the clock that was nted on the wall, which was telling 7 am. </i>


    <i>Hastily, he walked towards the door of the room and opened it. He peeked his head outside just enough for him to see outside. </i>


    <i>The hallway was huge, empty, and most especially, so quiet one would hear a needle fall to the ground. </i>


    <i>"Just how big is his house?" He mumbled under his breath. His eyes caught several closed doors by the sides and an open one, but he wasn¡¯t that curious to check it out. </i>


    <i>Quickly, he rushed back inside to take a shower and change his clothes. There weren¡¯t many clothes in the closet, and Xander wasn¡¯t even surprised. </i>


    <i>When he was done, he opened the door and was ready to step outside when he nearly bumped into a little girl with red hair and green eyes just like Bruce¡¯. </i>


    <i>The girl hade out of nowhere, startling him with her white cloth; he nearly thought she was a ghost. </i>


    <i>Xander had to ce his hand on his chest to calm his thumping heart that nearly leaped out of his chest. </i>


    <i>"You must be Xander," she stated with a boring expression as she sized him up as if she was contemting if it was worth speaking to him any longer. </i>


    <i>He sized her up as well. She was shorter than him and looked like a preteen. </i>


    <i>Then from out of nowhere, a broad smile as bright as her clothes stretched on her lips. "Wee, I¡¯m Samantha rie. Nice to meet you."</i>

 Chapter 293: You’re A Nobody

    <i>Xander spotted Bruce already seated at the dining chairs that had been arranged beside the fountain that shaded them from the sun but also kissed their skin warmly. </i>


    <i>On their way to the garden, Xander had made sure he¡¯d paid attention to every detail just in case a situation arose when he would need to run away. </i>


    <i>Although that wasn¡¯t enough, he nned to scout the mansion in the future. </i>


    <i>"You may have a seat," the butler urged, and that was when Xander realized he¡¯d been standing the whole time, ncing around the garden. </i>


    <i>He nodded before pulling out a chair for himself. </i>


    <i>"Do you like the garden?" Bruce asked and Xander responded by nodding his head. "You cane out here anytime that you want."</i>


    <i>"Thank you, sir," he replied. </i>


    <i>Then all of a sudden, they heard the sharp sound of shattering sses. It turned out that Samantha had broken a ss of juice that the butler had handed over to her earlier before he left. </i>


    <i>Samantha¡¯s hands were shaking as she stared at the shattered sses with terror. </i>


    <i>"Can¡¯t you do anything right?" </i>


    <i>Xander heard Bruce¡¯s question without a single ounce of emotionced in his tone. "It¡¯s just a ss of juice and you broke it! You truly can¡¯t do anything right!"</i>


    <i>Xander was beyond shocked. </i>


    <i>Although he never believed Bruce was his father¡¯s friend. Well, now he does. </i>


    <i>Hearing those wordse out of Bruce¡¯s mouth made him realize the man was no different from his father who¡¯d thrown him out of the house and deserted him. </i>


    <i>Samantha¡¯s hands were still shaking and Xander had to grip it to try to calm her down. </i>


    The butler quickly came and got the mess cleaned up.


    <i>"Get out of here!!" Bruce ordered, his tone carrying an edge so sharp that it could cut the flowers in the garden instantly. </i>


    <i>Without a second thought, Samantha vanished from there, running into the house faster than her legs could take her. </i>


    <i>Turning to Xander, Bruce said, "I¡¯m sorry for that! You can continue to enjoy your breakfast."</i>


    <i>Although Bruce had changed his tone, the tense atmosphere still lingered in the air. </i>


    <i>**</i>


    <i>Arabe was all ready to head out of her house for her weekend part-time job when she suddenly saw an unfamiliar-looking car parked just right outside her gate. </i>


    <i>She studied it in case it could be Xander who was waiting for her. However, if he was waiting for her, he could have just called her. She¡¯d sent him several text messagesst night but he wasn¡¯t responding to any of them. </i>


    <i>Arabe shrugged her shoulders, concluding the person could have mistakenly parked in front of her house. </i>


    <i>"You must be Arabe."</i>


    <i>The girl suddenly heard someone say from behind her. </i>


    <i>She turned and her gazended on Thomas Wace. She immediately recognized the man. </i>


    <i>"Mr Wace," she greeted, feeling awkward with her look. She was only dressed in a knee-length skirt with a top. It was just a casual style but it made her feel awkward with how Mr Wace was ring at her with an unpleasant expression. </i>


    <i>"I¡¯m going to make it quick, so listen carefully." His tone demanded her to listen with another pair of ears if she had one. "Leave Xander alone. I don¡¯t care if there¡¯s anything special in your rtionship, but don¡¯te near him ever again. You¡¯re just a lowly middle-ss girl and I can never allow someone like yourself to be associated with either of my sons."</i>


    <i>Arabe was beyond confused when she heard Mr Wace¡¯s words. </i>


    <i>She turned speechless as several words weighed down on her tongue which made it heavy to lift. </i>


    <i>"S-sir..." she stuttered. </i>


    <i>"I know what the both of you share must be some kind of a fickle thing, but as a reputable man, I can¡¯t afford my son associating himself with a nobody like yourself. Although I and Xander don¡¯t have a good rtionship, he still carries the Wace name."</i>


    <i>Now, Arabe was greatly offended by Mr. Wace¡¯s words and she didn¡¯t intend on keeping quiet about it. </i>


    <i>"Please sir, can you speak more politely to me? I may be a nobody but I¡¯m still human. With no offense, you¡¯re old, so I expect you to be wise enough to know you can¡¯t just talk to anybody like that."</i>

 Chapter 294: Met With Her

    <i>"Believe me, sir," Arabe cut in, her voice firm. "I¡¯ve got more homework than I know what to do with, and it eats up all my time. I don¡¯t have the slightest chance¡ªor even the desire¡ªto start any rumors."</i>


    <i>At first, she never expected to meet the father of her boyfriend in front of her gate. Secondly, she didn¡¯t expect him to be part of those reputable men who think associating with people of a lower ss than them is an abominable sin. </i>


    <i>Mr Wace clenched his fist in anger as he scowled at her. </i>


    <i>He might have kicked Xander out of his house, but he wanted to meet the girl to make sure she didn¡¯t get any kind of ideas when Xander contacted her. He also intended to scare her away. </i>


    <i>Unfortunately for him, Arabe didn¡¯t fear him one bit. She responded to him with the same sharp tongue he used to address her. </i>


    <i>"How much do you need?" He questioned, which stunned Arabe. "Fifty thousand dors? Hundred thousand? I¡¯ll pay any amount as long as you promise not toe close to either of my sons."</i>


    <i>"Mr Wace, I¡¯m not epting any money from you," she dered. "It¡¯s obvious you¡¯re not understanding anything I¡¯m saying but I¡¯ll just give you one simple answer," she added. </i>


    <i>Never in her wildest dreams did she believe someone like him fathered Xavier and Xander. They were so polite and never treated people differently just because of their ss. </i>


    <i>"Xander and I are not going to break up because you want us to. If you feel threatened because he¡¯s hanging out with someone like me, then please go take a nap."</i>


    <i>Every time she opened her mouth to speak to him, he always felt insulted and that made his blood boil. </i>


    <i>"If you excuse me, I¡¯ll be leaving now," she said, fetching her phone inside her bag. But then she noticed it wasn¡¯t there. </i>


    <i>She hissed under her breath before she passed him and went into her house to fetch her phone from where she¡¯d left it. </i>


    <i>Arabe got into her empty house and fetched the phone she left on the dining table while she was preparing to leave. She locked the door and silently hoped Mr Wace had already driven off. </i>


    <i>She wouldn¡¯t want to face him. </i>


    <i>When she got down from the stairs, she saw him still standing at the gate, but his back was turned to her and it seemed he was on a phone call. </i>


    <i>She tried to sneak away so he wouldn¡¯t see her but she mistakenly overheard his conversation. </i>


    <i>"Have you sessfully kidnapped the girls?" Mr Wace questioned over the phone. </i>


    <i>Bruce was in his study, looking at the pictures of the girls they would use to start their first sex trafficking business. </i>


    <i>"They are," she replied. </i>


    <i>"What about the location we would be using to start the sex trafficking business?"</i>


    <i>Arabe froze in shock when she heard the words that came out of his mouth. </i>


    <i>Before she could make any sound, she quickly hid somewhere to listen in on his conversation with the unknown person as her heart hammered against her ribs. </i>


    <i>"That ce has also been set," Bruce responded, strolling to another set of pictures. "We should start in a month after confirming the girls are healthy."</i>


    <i>"That¡¯s wonderful. We¡¯re going to sell them for a good amount of money to our trusted business associates." Then Mr Wace sighed, rubbing his forehead in frustration. "I have a feeling this Arabe girl is going to bring me trouble."</i>


    <i>Bruce scoffed. "Just get rid of her if you have to."</i>


    <i>"I tried money but that didn¡¯t work. Looks like I¡¯ll have to find a different option," said Mr Wace. </i>


    <i>Arabe had to cover her mouth with her palm as she stared at Mr Wace¡¯s back with eyes widened in shock. </i>


    <i>Mr Wace hung up on the call, and that was when Arabe decided to leave while pretending she didn¡¯t just overhear his conversation. </i>


    <i>Mr Wace sighted Arabe¡¯s back in the street and couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she¡¯d overheard his talk with Bruce. </i>

 Chapter 295: Insecure

    <i>The book had a dark cover with some skull realistic designs that screamed morally gray with explicit smut scenes. He recognized such books because he¡¯d seen Arabe reading something simr to it one time.</i>


    <i>"Why are you reading this?" He couldn¡¯t help but ask.</i>


    <i>"Because I like it." Her reply was short as if it was something obvious.</i>


    <i>Samantha didn¡¯t waste a second before she grabbed the book off his hands.</i>


    <i>"How old are you?"</i>


    <i>Samantha stared at him for a few seconds, wondering if she should tell him her age. "I¡¯m twelve."</i>


    <i>"You¡¯re too young to read that book. Does your father know about this?"</i>


    <i>Samantha scoffed silently as she rolled her eyes backward.</i>


    <i>"He doesn¡¯t know. And even if he does, he wouldn¡¯t care," she responded.</i>


    <i>Xanderpletely understood where the girl wasing from since he was in the same situation.</i>


    <i>He watched as Samantha walked towards a chair and took a seat.</i>


    <i>"I¡¯m an only child so I don¡¯t have anyone to talk to but the servants, and sometimes, I read books. That¡¯s it! If you want to, you cane read with me," she offered, patting the empty seat beside her.</i>


    <i>Xander cringed at the thought of reading explicit scenes where the male and female would act out porn throughout the book all in the name of plot. Whenever he saw Arabe reading such books, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder how she was getting entertained.</i>


    <i>"No, thanks! I have somewhere to go quickly," he replied.</i>


    <i>"You¡¯re leaving?" She asked, suddenly curious.</i>


    <i>"Yes, I¡¯m going to see someone, but I¡¯ll be back soon," he said, waving her goodbye as he nced up at the wall clock.</i>


    <i>When he got downstairs, he found Bruce giving the butler some instructions, which had Xander wondering where his wife was.</i>


    <i>"I want to go out to see someone real quick," he said, waiting for Bruce to prevent him from leaving the house.</i>


    <i>Bruce only gave him a pointed look before he nodded. "Ask the driver to take you anywhere you want to go. Remember not to exert yourself. You¡¯re still recovering," he reminded.</i>


    <i>Xander left the house in the car Bruce had suggested.</i>


    <i>It was already close to evening, and he could only hope the person he wanted to meet was still where he expected them to be.</i>


    <i>After a few minutes of being on the road, Xander finally arrived at his destination.</i>


    <i>"I hope she¡¯s still there," he mumbled under his breath as he thanked the driver and got out of the car.</i>


    Xander ran to the hair salon and what he saw next stunned him, forcing his legs toe to a halt as he felt a dagger digging into his chest.


    <i>"What¡¯s going on here?" He demanded.</i>


    <i>At the entrance of the salon, Arabe was a part-time hair stylist too, she was in an awkward position with Xavier¡¯s hand tightly wrapped around her waist to prevent her from falling.</i>


    <i>The position looked so intimate any onlookers would think they were a couple.</i>


    <i>When they heard Xander¡¯s voice, their heads whipped to look at him.</i>


    <i> "Arabe nearly fell¡ª" Xavier didn¡¯t get the chance toplete his sentences when Xander¡¯s hard fist kissed his cheeks.</i>


    <i>Arabe gasped in shock. Xander¡¯s actions hadpletely caught her off guard.</i>


    <i>"Xander, you need to stop," she said when she saw him grab Xavier by his cor, intending to smack him across the face one more time but Xavier was quick to dodge the blow and deliver one of his one, leading Arabe to gasp one more time as she covered her mouth with her hand in a state of shock.</i>


    <i>"You need to calm down," said Xavier, wiping the blood off his lips.</i>


    <i>"Arabe is my girlfriend. What gave you the right to touch her?" Xander questioned, ring at Xander with so much animosity Xavier had never seen before. "You¡¯ve always been the one in the spotlight and despite everything you have, you¡¯re still not content?"</i>


    <i>"You¡¯re getting the whole situation wrong, Xander," Arabe said, tears already streaming down her face. "I slipped but Xavier caught me before I could fall," She tried to exin but from Xander¡¯s facial expression, it seemed as if he didn¡¯t hear what Arabe was telling him.</i>


    <i>"I should have known you would try to take Arabe away from me. You¡¯re Xavier Wace after all, your father¡¯s son," he spewed.</i>


    <i>"Can you even hear yourself?" Xavier question. "You¡¯re talking like a maniac. Arabe nearly fell and all I did was to catch her."</i>


    <i>"Yeah right! You think I¡¯m going to believe that?"</i>

 Chapter 296: Suspicious

    <i>"Xander only came to tell me about what your father had done to you yesterday," she added, her eyes finally settling on the bandages around his body. "What happened to you?"</i>


    <i>"It¡¯s nothing," he replied as fast as that question flew out of her mouth. </i>


    <i>"Where did you spend the night?" Xavier questioned with concernced in his tone. </i>


    <i>Xander tore his gaze from Arabe to meet with Xavier¡¯s. Thetter truly sounded concerned but after remembering what he¡¯d just witnessed a few minutes ago, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to believe Xavier was concerned about him. </i>


    <i>"At a family friend¡¯s house," he replied.</i>


    <i>Confusion clouded Xavier¡¯s expression. "Whose?"</i>


    <i>Xander ignored Xavier and refocused on Arabe. </i>


    <i>"It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll help you get close to the shop," Xander offered. </i>


    <i>The girl nced between him and Xavier, understanding that their rtionship had deteriorated even more.</i>


    <i>She nodded and began cleaning up while Xander assisted in whichever way he could.</i>


    <i>When they were done, he dropped her at her house in Bruce¡¯s car, while Xavier drove right behind them. He still had questions he needed to ask his brother.</i>


    <i>Xander waved goodbye, and Arabe returned the gesture, though her smile faltered under the weight of what she¡¯d overheard their father discussing earlier. The knowledge pressed heavily on her chest, desperate to be set free. Her hands trembled ever so slightly as she struggled to suppress the fear simmering in her heart.</i>


    <i>Even so, she casually waved him goodbye and entered her house.</i>


    <i>"Where did you spend the night and how did you get these many injuries on your body?" Xavier asked as soon as Arabe¡¯s back disappeared behind her door.</i>


    <i>"That¡¯s none of your business," Xander responded, his tone sharp. "You must be happy because I¡¯m no longer living in the house. You¡¯re dad¡¯s favorite and all of his attention will be on you. You must like that, right?"</i>


    <i>"You¡¯re being a dickhead again," Xaviermented. "I know you won¡¯tply but¡ª"</i>


    <i>"I¡¯m nevering back home." Xander rejected the idea even before Xavier could finish the sentence. "I was attacked by some bandits and met one of Dad¡¯s friends. His name is Bruce rie. He took me in and I¡¯ll probably be living with him until God knows when."</i>


    <i>"Mother is worried about you and she wants you toe back home." Xavier tried to convince him but Xander looked like he wasn¡¯t having it.</i>


    <i>"I¡¯lle visit her if need be. Now, about the little charade you disyed in the salon earlier, don¡¯t ever try it again," he warned and Xavier could only scoff.</i>


    <i>"You¡¯re making it seem like I kissed her or something. Arabe is just a friend to me. I don¡¯t harbor such feelings like that towards her," he tried to exin, but Xander only believed what his eyes saw. </i>


    <i>He hoped that Xavier didn¡¯t have any feelings for Arabe and that he was only just trying to save her from falling t on the ground.</i>


    <i>All his life, he¡¯d always felt overshadowed by Xavier and he could only hope that Xavier didn¡¯t have such feelings towards his girlfriend. He would really despite fighting his brother over a girl, although he¡¯d already done so. </i>


    <i>Xander red at Xavier before he turned to head back towards the car. But then he halted. "I won¡¯t be attending school any longer," he said.</i>


    <i>Xavier¡¯s eyebrows furrowed in confusion but Xander didn¡¯t exin anything any longer as he got into the car and vanished.</i>


    <i>Xavier could only shake his head in disappointment. He was disappointed in his father for what he¡¯d caused. They were so happy and close before, that one would think an invisible glue had been applied on them.</i>


    <i>But now, they¡¯d started to fight, throwing punches at each other. </i>


    <i>Xavier sighed, knowing there was nothing he could do, especially since Xander acted like he didn¡¯t need any help at all.</i>


    <i>He got into his car and the driver asked, "Are you going somewhere else, sir?"</i>


    <i>"NO! Just take me home."</i>


    <i>Mr Wace nced at the window wherehe assumed would be Arabe¡¯s room before looking back at Xavier¡¯s departing car.</i>


    <i>"That girl must have bewitched my sons to have them wrapped around her fingers like that, with no shame at all," he thought out loud, his grip tightening on the steering wheel.</i>


    <i>Mr Wace had been unsure about Arabe overhearing his talk with Bruce in the morning, and he feared that she might have already told someone, especially Xander.</i>


    <i>However, from their interaction, he concluded she hadn¡¯t told him anything. </i>


    <i>"But not for long. I¡¯ll have to get rid of her before she leaks out my secret to the public," he added. "Most especially to her parents."</i>

 Chapter 297: Being Followed

    <i>Xander had memorized Arabe¡¯s phone number for the longest time, so it was easy for him to puncture the figures on the dial and save it. </i>


    <i>Xander stared at the text message. It¡¯s been delivered, but not read. He sighed, pocketing it once more. </i>


    <i>Meanwhile, Arabe was walking home after her night ss, her thoughts wandering from one ce to the other. </i>


    <i>Xander was kicked out of his father¡¯s house because he refused to break up with her. Then, Xander and Xavier got into a fight because of her. Now, she found out their father was involved in an illegal business such as sex trafficking and he could be nning on getting rid of her. </i>


    <i>Arabe aimlessly walked on the road, her thoughts flying above her head as she wondered what she should do in such a situation. </i>


    <i>All of a sudden, the honk from a motorcycle startled her from out of nowhere. And that was when she realized she was about to hit her head on a pole. She released a tired sigh as she started walking in the right direction when she realized a car was following behind her. </i>


    <i>Arabe shook her head, thinking she was being paranoid again, so she resumed walking. </i>


    <i>She could have simply taken a bus home but she decided to walk instead to clear her mind. Her area wasn¡¯tpletely local as there was a security post right up ahead, so she doubted she would be attacked by a thief. </i>


    <i>Arabe suddenly stopped, and so did the car. She resumed walking and the car continued driving slowly behind her. </i>


    <i>This time, Arabe didn¡¯t want to believe she was being paranoid. Someone was indeed following her. </i>


    <i>Thanks to the streetlight, she was able to take a quick photo of the license te as she ran for her life, and just immediately, the one who drove the car increased the speed, chasing behind her. </i>


    <i>Arabe ran like her life depended on it. The car was heavily tinted, which made it impossible to know who could have been behind those wheels.</i>


    <i>But something in her mind sang it was none other than Mr. Wace. </i>


    <i>Arabe was forced to take another direction different from her house because she didn¡¯t want to put her family¡¯s life in danger. </i>


    <i>The direction she took was a longer route. Even if she did seed in losing the person following her, it would take her a longer time to get home. </i>


    <i>But she didn¡¯t care. </i>


    <i>If it was Mr Wace who was behind those wheels, then no doubt, her life was definitely in danger. </i>


    <i>Arabe quickly hid herself at the back of a closed shop, her hands and legs shaking out of fright as she tried getting her phone right out of her pockets. </i>


    <i>Her face was coated with her own sweat, her hands trembling as she tried to steady her breath. The phone slipped out of her hands due to how badly they were shaking. </i>


    <i>Arabe hissed, gulped down her saliva with force before she picked it back and dialed Xander¡¯s phone, he wasn¡¯t picking up. </i>


    <i>"Pick up," she mumbled under her breath. </i>


    <i>After calling Xander a few times and he didn¡¯t pick up, she gave up and decided to send him a text instead. </i>


    <i>Just then, she heard the car pull over on the other side of the street. </i>


    <i>"Where did she run off to?" She heard a voice ask. </i>


    <i>Instinctively, Arabe mmed her palm against her lips to keep herself from making any sound that could lead them to her. </i>


    <i>"I think she ran in this direction. She should be somewhere around here."</i>


    <i>Arabe peeked at them while her head hammered against her ribs. However, Mr Wace wasn¡¯t in sight. </i>


    <i>Then all of a sudden, her notification rang, immediately alerting them of her whereabouts. </i>


    <i>Arabe hissed under her breath when she realized she¡¯d forgotten to silence her notification. </i>


    <i>Without reading the text, she began running for her life again. However this time, she didn¡¯t have anywhere to run to but the thick bush behind her. </i>


    <i>She jumped past the restriction banner that¡¯d been put up to stop people from entering the bush since the government was nning on having it constructed. </i>


    <i>"She¡¯s over there," one of the men yelled loud enough for the others to hear, and her heart instantly sank into her stomach. </i>


    <i>Arabe quickly hid behind a thick trunk that was able topletely cover her shadow. She checked her phone, reading the text from Xander, asking her for her whereabouts, but she wasn¡¯t looking at the street names while she was running. </i>


    <i>Then, the worst thing that could possibly happen in that situation urred. Her phone was almost out of battery. </i>

 Chapter 298: Your Ring

    <i>Xander tried to call Arabe several times but her call wasn¡¯t going through. </i>


    <i>He dialed Xavier¡¯s number. Although he was hesitating about calling thetter, he needed to find Arabe. He was several miles away from her, and Xavier was the closest to her. </i>


    <i>All he needed to do was call Xavier. </i>


    <i>Keeping his frustration aside, Xander called his brother and exined everything to him, including sharing Arabe¡¯s location. </i>


    <i>By the time he¡¯d already ended the call, he was already in the car. The driver had already retired for the day and Xander had no intention of going to call him. Neither was he nning on telling Bruce where he was heading. There was simply no time for him to do anything except reach where Arabe was before it was toote. </i>


    His mind had already started to wonder what could have happened to her. He tried calling her number once again, but it resulted in the same thing.


    <i>mming his fist hard against the steering wheel, Xander zoomed out of the gate, startling the security guards. He was still underaged and needed a driver¡¯s license to drive freely on the road. </i>


    <i>Quickly, one of the men went to Bruce¡¯s office to inform him of the situation. </i>


    <i>Xavier zoomed past several cars. From the urgencyced in Xander¡¯s voice when he¡¯d called him earlier, he already sensed that the situation wasn¡¯t good. </i>


    <i>Just like Xander, he didn¡¯t have the time to ask for his regr driver. </i>


    <i>When Xavier arrived at the location, he searched around but couldn¡¯t find her anywhere. </i>


    <i>"Be!!" He called her name, but he got no response. </i>


    <i>It was getting close to midnight and there was no one out whom he could show her picture and ask if they¡¯d seen her. </i>


    <i>Xavier decided to venture deeper into the bush, while silently hoping he doesn¡¯t get attacked by some wild animal. </i>


    <i>Without knowing, his feet kicked an object and he lost his bnce and fell. He quickly got up and searched for his shlight. However, the next he saw sent chills down his spine. </i>


    <i>Xander arrived at the location with the car looking scratched. It turned out he got into an ident on his way, but he didn¡¯t stay to get it resolved. </i>


    <i>He called Xavier, but thetter didn¡¯t pick up. </i>


    <i>He cursed under his breath, now wondering what could have happened to Xavier. Arabe still wasn¡¯t picking up her phone. </i>


    <i>"Where could she be?" He wondered, ncing around. </i>


    <i>Just like Xavier, he decided to venture into the forest. </i>


    <i>However, just when he stepped his foot inside, he saw a light shining from a distance. Without thinking, he quickly followed it. </i>


    <i>As soon as Xander reached the light and saw the person lying down on the ground, he stiffened. </i>


    <i>It was as if all the active nerves in his body had refused to cooperate with him so he could react. He was as stiff as a statue as he continued to gaze upon the lifeless Arabe. </i>


    <i>Then his eyes shifted to Xavier who was just as shocked as him. </i>


    <i>"What did you do?" He questioned Xavier, finally able to move his hands and the first he did was to grab Xavier by the cor of his shirt. "What did you fucking do to her?" He spat. </i>


    <i>Xavier stared at Xander with an even more shocked expression, trying to understand what thetter was saying. </i>


    <i>"W-what a-are are you talking about?" Xavier stuttered. </i>


    <i>Xander bit his tongue as he tried to suppress the anger surging through his body. </i>


    <i>Xander pushed Xavier away and squatted on the ground, tears threatening to fall from his eyes as he stared at Arabe. </i>


    <i>Her eyes were still wide open, staring up at the sky but they were empty. Her shirt was stained with her blood, with some of it still dripping from her lips. </i>


    <i>Xander¡¯s gaze ventured down to her stomach, where she¡¯d been mercilessly stabbed. He could see some of her intestines popping out from her belly, and the tears he¡¯d been trying to hold back streamed down his cheeks. </i>


    <i>She wasn¡¯t blinking anymore and he knew she was already gone. However, he didn¡¯t want to ept that yet. </i>


    <i>He shut his eyes as he gulped down his saliva in regret. "I¡¯m taking her to the hospital," he said. </i>


    <i>Just when he was about to pick her up, he noticed something glimmering where her hair was sprawled. He picked up the object, studying it before his gazended on Xavier with bloodshot eyes. </i>


    <i>"This is your ring, isn¡¯t it?" He questioned. </i>

 Chapter 299: She’s Dead

    <i>A secondter, they heard the sirening from nearby. They called out for help, leading the medics to where they were. </i>


    <i>When they were found, they quickly put Arabe in a stroller and took her back to the ambnce. Xander hopped in with them as they headed towards the hospital, while Xavier followed behind them with his car, his mind still wondering how his ring could have gotten there. </i>


    <i>Although they were out of the bush, the pungent smell of blood was still strong on him since he¡¯d been there, staring at Arabe¡¯s dead body for almost half an hour. </i>


    <i>As soon as they arrived at the hospital, the medics took Arabe to the operating room. </i>


    <i>Xavier strode slowly towards the ward when he saw Xander pulling his hair with a frustrated grip. </i>


    <i>He was sobbing, and Xavier couldn¡¯t help but feel the same way as well. </i>


    <i>"You killed her." Xander suddenly used, slowly making eye contact with Xavier. "You murdered her in cold blood."</i>


    <i>"That¡¯s a ridiculous usation, Xander," said Xavier. </i>


    <i>He and Xander hadn¡¯t settled their differences yet, but he didn¡¯t expect his very own brother to use him of killing his girlfriend. </i>


    <i>"If this is about the ring you saw there, it could be a coincidence the killer has the same ring. Do you think I could kill someone, Xander? I¡¯m your brother for goodness sake!"</i>


    <i>"Brother my foot!" Xander barked back, on his feet now. "You¡¯ve always had better things since we were children, and everyone¡¯s attention has always been on you. But now that I¡¯ve finally found someone I could call mine, you decided to take her away from me. You¡¯re very despicable." </i>


    <i>Xander¡¯s voice dripped with venom, each wordced with a hatred so fierce it bordered on deadly. Fury zed in his eyes, the urge to kill pulsing just beneath the surface. Only the sliver of hope that Arabe might still be alive restrained him¡ªbarely. The medics had said nothing on their way to the hospital, leaving him clinging to that fragile 1%.</i>


    <i>"You took away the only one who ever loved me." Tears were now streaming down his face, his fist clenched by his side as he resisted the urge to strangle Xavier at that moment. "You¡¯re a murderer!" He said, deadpan. </i>


    <i>Xavier would also be lying if he denied he wasn¡¯t hurt by Xander¡¯s usation. He wanted to believe it was due to the rage from the past that caused Xander to use him of such a crime. However, from how things were looking, he doubted Xander was ever going toe back to his senses and realize he wasn¡¯t the killer. </i>


    <i>When he¡¯d gotten back up from falling while he was still searching for Arabe, he¡¯d seen her and, just like Xander, he¡¯d been shocked to find her in such a condition. </i>


    <i>He didn¡¯t find any footprints while he was searching for her. There was also no CCTV camera stationed in the streets so there was no way to find out her true killer. The realization of the depth of Arabe¡¯s case only made his stomach churn. And worst of it all, Xander believed he was the one that killed her. </i>


    <i>Xavier decided to keep his mouth shut. Besides, nothing would make Xander believe anything that came out of his mouth. He could only wipe the tears that pooled in his eyes as he found himself a seat while Xander¡¯s re monitored him. </i>


    <i>A few minutester, the doctor came out from the operating room.</i>


    <i>Xander wanted to ask how Arabe was doing, if she survived, and if she would be alright. </i>


    <i>But the expression the doctor had on discouraged him. Although the doctor hasn¡¯t said anything yet, he already knew what the man wanted to say. </i>


    <i>"She couldn¡¯t make it."</i>


    <i>That one sentence felt like a death sentence that made Xander suddenly feel he was getting executed. </i>


    <i>"I¡¯m sorry," the doctor apologized, tapping Xander on the shoulder with a sigh before he left. </i>


    <i>Xavier wanted to console Xander, but he doubted he wanted him close to him. </i>


    <i>He wasn¡¯t shocked by the news the doctor had given them. They¡¯d seen iting since she¡¯d stopped breathing while they were still in the bush. </i>


    <i>"Xander!!" They suddenly heard someone call. It was Arabe¡¯s mother, together with her husband and Maxwell running behind them. "Where¡¯s Arabe?" The woman cried. </i>


    <i>Xander gave Xavier a questionable look, but thetter turned his head away. </i>


    <i>While they were on their way to the hospital, Xavier called Arabe¡¯s parents to inform them about what was going on. It was alreadyte at night, and without a doubt, they would start to look for her. </i>


    <i>"Answer me, where is she?!" She demanded, filling the ward with her sobbing. </i>


    <i>Xander was speechless, but he needed to be strong. </i>


    <i>He quickly wiped off his tears, as he stared at the woman, her husband, and Maxwell who was silently waiting for him to talk. </i>


    <i>Maxwell nced at Xavier, the silence between them making his heart skip a beat in fright. </i>


    <i>"She¡¯s dead," Xander replied. </i>

 Chapter 300: You’re A Murderer!

    <i>He¡¯d only texted her a few hours ago asking if they could meet up, and now, she was dead. He could only wish if this was a dream, he would wake up and find her beside him. </i>


    <i>After a few moments, he pulled out his phone to make a phone call. </i>


    <i>"Mr. rie..."</i>


    <i>A few minutester, Bruce and Mr. Wace arrived at the hospital at the same time and Xander couldn¡¯t help but wonder how long he¡¯d left Bruce¡¯s mansion, because he was sure the old man had been in his study. </i>


    <i>¡¯Could they have met up for a drink?¡¯ He wondered. </i>


    <i>However, that wasn¡¯t the main issue at hand. </i>


    <i>Before they opened their mouths to question him, Xander beats them to it. "Arabe is dead and the one who killed her is Xavier," he said, shocking both the men standing before him. </i>


    <i>"What sort of ridiculous usation is that?" Mr Wace demanded, his eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. </i>


    <i>"Are you shocked, father? Well, sorry to disappoint you, but your favorite and perfect son isn¡¯t so perfect anymore. I found Xavier¡¯s ring on Arabe¡¯s hair after she died, and now, he ims he didn¡¯t know how it got there." Xander finished by pulling the ring out from his pockets and showing it for everyone to see. </i>


    <i>Xavier could have easily lied; he wore the ring while he was leaving the house, and it must have slipped out of his fingers when he fell down, but that wasn¡¯t going to reveal who the actual killer was. </i>


    <i>He concluded it was either the killer had the same ring, or the killer had intentionally framed him. But Xander wasn¡¯t calm enough to think things through at all. </i>


    <i>Mr. Wace nced at Xavier, who still refused to say anything before his gaze returned to Xander. </i>


    <i>"Xavier is not the only one that has such a ring. You can¡¯t use your brother of murder just because you saw his ring at the crime scene. If you want to know the actual killer, fingerprint tests will be done," said. Mr Wace. </i>


    <i>Xavier¡¯s eyes snapped to look at his father. He¡¯dpletely forgotten about having a fingerprint scan done. That way, they would be able to know who the actual killer was. </i>


    <i>"Fine! Let¡¯s get her body scanned for fingerprints," Xander agreed. Then he took two steps closer to Mr Wace with eyes filled with vengeance. "But if Xavier¡¯s fingerprints turn out to be on her, get ready to send your precious son to jail."</i>


    <i>"I never touched Arabe¡¯s body when I found her. I never evenid a finger on her," said Xavier. </i>


    <i>Xander scoffed. "We¡¯ll see about that."</i>


    <i>The cops were called and the case was reported immediately.</i>


    <i>The fingerprint scan was taken on Arabe¡¯s body. Her body had been cleaned earlier by the doctors when they were trying to revive her, so the chances of getting any fingerprints on her were low. </i>


    <i>Thankfully, the nurses didn¡¯t allow her parents to touch her with their bare hands. They didn¡¯t even allow the old couple to go near her corpse. </i>


    <i>After the scan, a few fingerprints were shown on her body. </i>


    <i>No one left the hospital that night except Bruce and Mr Wace excusing themselves to make a few business rted phone calls. Maxwell had to go back to Arabe¡¯s home to get some clothes for the old couple. </i>


    <i>Twelve hourster, the owner of those fingerprints was detected. </i>


    <i>"Who owns those fingerprints?" Xander demanded from the officer who was in charge of the case. </i>


    <i>The officer sighed, his expression unreadable. </i>


    <i>"We found two fingerprint palms on her neck. It seemed she¡¯d first been strangled before she was stabbed in the stomach multiple times with a dagger. Not only that, we also found some fingerprints on the sides of her cheeks. It seems she¡¯d been pped out of anger by her killer. Her nails were cut off probably before she could use it to scratch her attacker."</i>


    <i>Arabe¡¯s mother wailed in pain when she heard the officer¡¯s words, while her husband tried to console her. </i>


    <i>"My poor child. Who could do such a thing?" She demanded. </i>


    <i>The officer sighed one more time, leaving the suspense to hover above them, before he parted his lips to speak again. </i>


    <i>"ording to the fingerprints we found on her body, the only person that showed up on our device was Xavier Wace," the officer replied. </i>


    <i>The entire ward fell silent as if time had stopped. Heads turned to re at Xavier but Xander wasn¡¯t satisfied by just ring at him. </i>


    <i>He walked up to Xavier and punched thetter across the face. </i>


    <i>"I wasn¡¯t the one who killed her!" Xavier yelled. He had no idea how things would turn against him in this kind of situation. He was sure he didn¡¯t touch Arabe¡¯s body when he¡¯d found her. And even if he did, it wouldn¡¯t be all over her body. "You need to stop!" </i>


    <i>"You killed Arabe in cold blood and you dare to deny it?!!" Xander questioned, while the officer held him back. "I never would have believed it if someone had told me this! You¡¯re a murderer!" </i>

 Chapter 301: End Of Flashback

    He was his son and he would do anything and everything to help him out of prison.


    <i>Meanwhile, they don¡¯t know when Arabe was being chased in the bush by those armed men, someone had spotted them while she was getting killed. But the unknown person had refused toe out to testify about the murder they¡¯d witnessed. </i>


    <i>Xander continued to loathe Xavier each day that passed, and the urge to make his brother go through the same thing he went through increased. </i>


    <i>Bruce got his chance and promised Xander his revenge on Xavier if he became his adopted son, and helped him with his business until he was powerful enough to face Xavier and his father all by himself and exact his revenge. </i>


    <i>However, a monthter, Arabe¡¯s parents were involved in a car ident that wasted their lives. </i>


    <i>End Of shback</i>


    <i>**</i>


    It was finally the day of <i>The crimson</i><i>hunt </i>game. All the girls were being taken care of properly for the first time in a while. They were given the best meals to eat. Samantha gave them as many portions as they¡¯d like and they devoured as if they hadn¡¯t eaten anything solid their entire life.


    Being fed something solid and filled with fiber felt like a dream since all Samantha mostly gave them was wet vegetables so they wouldn¡¯t gain any weight.


    After that, their hair was done and they were given pretty dresses before their photo was taken.


    "Is this how things here are treated? It¡¯s like they¡¯re giving us thest treatment before we take ourst breath," Anastasia said, as she removed the hair clips that¡¯d been buried in her hair.


    "During the previous set of girls that were selected for the crimson hunt, they were also treated in the same way," Elizabeth replied. "And yes, we might be taking ourst breath today," she added, wiping off her lipstick.


    After they were done with getting their photos taken, Samantha instructed them to wipe their faces clean and get ready for midnight, which was when the game wouldmence.


    "Aren¡¯t you scared?" Anastasia asked Elizabeth. The girl had been expressionless, despite knowing today could probably be thest time they would see thest sunset. It was frightening to know that a game would determine if you would stay alive or not, but Elizabeth didn¡¯t seem that shaken by that fact.


    Instead, she was the only one who had an unreadable expression on her face¡ªapart from Avery of course.


    The other girls were excited and couldn¡¯t wait for the game to start so they would leave with their new masters, without even being sure if they wouldst a day outside of these walls with someone they don¡¯t know.


    "Scared?" Elizabeth repeated, her hands pausing on her lips. "I¡¯m not scared. Besides, I know that after tonight, I¡¯ll be free."


    Her words only earned her a confused expression from Anastasia. She wanted to ask Elizabeth what she meant by her words but decided against it.


    Anastasia nced at Avery whose gaze was already on her with a faint grin on her lips that still creeped her out.


    It¡¯d been several days since they had their talk about escaping the hideout. And today was finally that day.


    Although Elizabeth and Angelina had asked Anastasia to stay away from Avery, she needed to escape from the hideout as soon as possible which resulted to paying deaf ears to their warnings.


    Avery had been in the hideout longer than every girl up for sale, so she had more ideas on how to escape from such a ce.


    Avery stood up from her chair and walked out of the room. Anastasia followed suit. Samantha was <i>kind</i> enough to let them get some sunlight.


    While some girls were still taking off their makeup, the ones that¡¯d sessfully done so were outside ying a few games, while the rest were chatting as the area was filled withughter.


    Anastasia nced at them, and a sudden feeling wrapped around her heart. It was as if she wouldn¡¯t be seeing them ever again since they¡¯d rarely been this happy before.


    Avery took a seat and Anastasia followed suit.


    "So, what¡¯s the n?" She mumbled.


    Anastasia had asked Avery to tell her the ns for their escape a few days earlier so she would be prepared for what was toe. But Avery insisted she told her on the day of the crimson hunt which left Anastasia wondering why.

 Chapter 302: The Crimson Hunt

    Anastasia immediately recalled Julian mentioning on the first day they met he wanted to buy her and he was supposed to be her master in a few hours. She needed to be respectful instead of challenging him with a eye contact.


    Briskly, she turned her head away with such speed it would have snapped.


    "Now girls, introduce yourselves," Samantha said with a huge smile on her lips.


    She was dressed in a red gown that entuated all her curves. Her corbone and earlobe were adorned by fancy jewelry that Anastasia o was sure would be diamonds. And as always, she was standing on four-inch corset heels that made her look taller than she was.


    Her appearance was breathtaking even the men were beginning to drool at her feet.


    The girls started introducing themselves, and all the whole, Anastasia could feel Julian¡¯s eyes on her.


    The rules of the game had not been mentioned yet, and Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but feel fear creep into her heart. Then, it was time for her to introduce herself.


    "I¡¯m Anastasia," she said, and the eyes of the men settled on her. Julian¡¯s gaze was unreadable but the gazes of the other men were quite readable.


    The way they sized her up lustfully made her feel like digging a hole in the ground and jumping into it. But most of all, she resisted the urge to throw up.


    When the girls were done introducing themselves, Samantha came forward.


    "I¡¯m sure that we¡¯ve all been waiting for this special day¡ªThe Crimson Hunt¡ª and today, you would all be going home with your ves if you win the game." She winked at the end of her words and Anastasia¡¯s heart immediately sank into her stomach.


    Adrenaline surged through her body as the feeling of overwhelming excitement began flowing through her mind when she remembered she would be escaping from that house that night.


    She couldn¡¯t wait for the game to start already, but it seemed Samantha wanted to take her time before she continued.


    "This isn¡¯t the first time we¡¯ve been hosting this kind of game and most of you here know the rules," she continued and the men cheered by raising their sses in the air in acknowledgment. "But I¡¯ll still recite the rules." They cheered even louder.


    Anastasia nced at the forest where Avery had already informed her the game would be starting. However, someone looked different around it. It was dark, making it difficult topletely understand what she was looking at.


    Samantha gestured for the men and the girls to follow her to the table that was standing alone in front of the forest, where several bows and arrows with what seemed to be night vision goggles.


    "The hunted will not be given any weapons. So they¡¯ll make any kind of weapon from scratch," she said, looking at the girls, reminding them they were the hunted. "The hunted that reach the finish line will be crowned the winners and sold to their buyers. Any hunted that crosses the forbidden barriers will be killed because these barriers mean you¡¯re not supposed to cross them. Thest and the newest of our rules..." She drawled, keeping them in suspense. "Any hunter that draws blood with his arrow must finish the kill."


    Anastasia was sure she wasn¡¯t the only one who stiffened in shock after hearing what Samantha said because Elizabeth who was standing beside her also reacted in the same way.


    While Anastasia had been preparing for the game, she¡¯d inquired from the rest of the girls and they never mentioned anything simr to thest rule Samantha had just mentioned.


    Samantha locked eyes with Anastasia, a grin on her lips as if mocking her.


    Even the men were shocked, but not like how the girls were because their lives weren¡¯t on the line. They could kill any girl and wouldn¡¯t get punished for their actions because it was part of the games.


    Anastasia could feel Julian¡¯s hot gaze on her, and this time, despite not knowing the man except he wanted to buy her, she wished he wouldn¡¯t pull his arrow at her. But who was she to make such a wish? The men were the hunters and the girls were the hunted.


    However, while the girls were still shocked, wondering how they would escape the men until they reached the finish line without the hunters drawing blood from them, Anastasia didn¡¯t find Avery looking the slightest disturbed by the new rule. If anything, she only looked eager for the game to start.


    "The game may begin!" Samantha urged.

 Chapter 303: Finish A Kill

    From a near distance, Anastasia could see a slight shadow from someone thanks to the moonlight. She didn¡¯t want to take any chances by waiting to see if it was a girl, so she quickly jumped on the nearby branch, her heart thundering in her chest as she gripped the branch hard the way her life depended on it.


    The person behind the shadows came out and Anastasia confirmed it was one of the hunters. Her heart nearly sank into her chest as she silently prayed for the man to leave that spot already.


    If she slipped or even made the slightest sound, she was done for. The man would shoot her down until she was dead. Just the thought of dying when she was close to escaping made her cold chill run down her spine.


    "Hey, kitty kitty kitty..." The man sang, confirming he was a lunatic. "I know you¡¯re here. Just show yourself to me and I won¡¯t hurt you."


    Anastasia believed the man thought he was probably talking to a child.


    "Come on now, show yourself to me already."


    Anastasia silently cursed. Her grip on the branch was starting to loosen as sweat glistened on her forehead. All of a sudden, she felt a slithering thing around her hand.


    Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when she saw the slithering snake, curling around her hand that was gripped hard on the branch. She suddenly felt like crying her eyes out as tears pooled in them. The snake didn¡¯t make any attempt to bite her¡ªit was just there, and it probably didn¡¯t sense she could be a threat.


    Anastasia looked down at the man who was still singing for her to show herself. His arrow was pulled back, reading to shoot at anything moving.


    Then she heard the tree branch snapping a little¡ªit was soft but not loud enough for the man to hear¡ªand her heart sank even further.


    His arrow was pulled even further when he seemed to have heard some footsteps, and in the next second, Anastasia found Angelina standing in front of the man, her eyes trembling when she realized she was standing in front of the hunter.


    "There you are," the man sang, and although Anastasia couldn¡¯t see his face at the moment, she could feel the grin stretching on his lips.


    Angelina was now trembling with no attempt to run.


    The branch snapped further, signaling it couldn¡¯t build her weight anymore.


    Anastasia decided to intervene, she couldn¡¯t stay hanging and watch Angelina get killed.


    She pulled herself down with the branch, gaining their attention. The man looked shocked for a second before he tried to fire the arrows in her direction. But she didn¡¯t give him the chance to do so.


    Swiftly, Anastasia took the branch and hit him across the face, drawing blood from him instead. Then, she palmed his mouth before he could scream.


    They heard the snake that had fallen on the ground hiss before it ventured further into the forest.


    "You little piece of shit!!" He cursed, ready to push her away, but she hit him across the face again with the branch, this time, harder.


    "It says to finish a kill once you¡¯re able to draw out blood. It would only be wise if I followed that rule, don¡¯t you think sir?" She asked, hitting him one more time on the head with the branch and he fell t on the ground, still conscious but his grip had loosened on the bow and arrow.


    She quickly grabbed the weapon, and pulled the arrow at him as he tried to get up.


    His eyes widened in shock when he saw the arrow pointed at him.


    "WHA¡ª!!" He didn¡¯t get the chance to finish his sentence when Anastasia shot him with the arrow that sharply drove into his chest, killing him on the spot.


    Angelina gasped, her hand over her mouth while Anastasia took a quiver from the dead man after recovering from the shock she¡¯d just killed someone.


    "We are going to get in deep trouble when they find out we¡¯ve killed one of the hunters."


    Anastasia was a little touched when Angelina said <i>We </i>instead of just <i>You</i>, but there was no time to start feeling emotional. She¡¯d killed someone because she needed to protect herself, else, she would have been in the same position her victim was if she hadn¡¯t acted fast.


    "Let¡¯s go," she said.

 Chapter 304: Collided

    Then they suddenly heard a branch snap, and their heart dropped to their legs. Anastasia pulled the arrow, reading to kill again.


    Luckily, it wasn¡¯t a human she saw. It was a white bunny. When the creature saw her with the bow, it stiffened, as if identifying the object in her hand to be a threat to its life.


    Anastasia slowly lowered the bow, still high on alert for any sound as she watched the bunny hop away.


    Then she nced around, assured no one was nearby before she released a sigh of relief.


    "I¡¯m an orphan, and I don¡¯t have anyone who could be waiting for me outside this fence. Unless myndlord, because my rent is due and I suddenly disappeared." She chuckled lightly at the end of her words but Anastasia didn¡¯t find anything funny. "As ugly as it may be, getting sold to a man here is the only way I can find happiness."


    Anastasia froze, unable to believe what she was hearing from Angelina.


    "You can¡¯t be serious." Anastasia wished Angelina could be joking but the girl didn¡¯t chuckle as she¡¯d silently hoped she would. "You know what it¡¯s like to live in that house. They treat us like animals, and they¡¯re currently hunting us down like one."


    "I¡¯m aware," said Angelina, wiping the tears that¡¯d subconsciously flowed down her cheeks. "But...." She suddenly drawled, her eyes strained on a tree behind Anastasia as she tried toe up with a word that would exin her decisions. "I don¡¯t know what the future holds for me, but if this is how my life will turn out for me, then I might just ept it. I might get chosen by someone who has a good heart, and he¡¯ll take care of me."


    "Do you think any of these men have the conscience of treating you like a human?" Anastasia questioned her hands on Angelina¡¯s shoulder now, resisting the urge to shake her back to her senses. "Look around, they¡¯re hunting us like animals."


    "But....I just can¡¯t..."


    Anastasia sighed. It was obvious Angelina had made her decision and it seemed there was nothing else she could do to convince thetter, but only hope she got the man she wanted even though it was impossible since they were being hunted by these same men.


    Anastasia sighed once more, patting Angelina before heading to the forbidden area where she was supposed to meet with Avery.


    Then all of a sudden, she heard the shriek echo in the forest. One of the girls had been caught and if blood had already been drawn, she would get killed.


    Anastasia didn¡¯t stop in her tracks, instead, her speed only increased.


    She looked behind her to be sure no one was chasing her and also to be sure she wasn¡¯t leaving any steps behind for tracing when she suddenly collided with something solid, forcing her butt to kiss the muddy ground.


    "You should watch where you¡¯re going Ana."


    That voice sent shivers down her spine, and she was forced to grit her teeth silently before raising her head and making eye contact with Julian De Luca.


    He nced at the quiver behind her back and a smirk stretched on his lips.


    "You killed one of them?" His expression was etched with amusement¡ªsomething Anastasia didn¡¯t think he should be feeling at that moment. "I¡¯ve always known you were different. From the very first day, I just knew you were tough."


    "Tough enough to kill you?" She asked, scowling at him as her hand clenched her bow and arrow.


    While Samantha was exining the rules, she¡¯d never mentioned the hunter and the hunted could engage in a conversation. Now, she wondered why Julian wasn¡¯t pulling his arrow and shooting her dead.


    Despite his weird behavior, she was d he hadn¡¯t shot her dead yet.


    Julian scoffed at her remark, and Anastasia noticed his grip loosen on his arrow. "You could try, but I won¡¯t guarantee you would seed."

 Chapter 305: Narrow Escape

    But nothing confused her more when he still hadn¡¯t threatened to kill her yet or sang as the man she¡¯d killed had done earlier.


    "Why haven¡¯t you killed me yet?" She asked, confusionced in her tone.


    "Why would I kill you?" He questioned back, and Anastasia was tempted tobel him as an unserious and confused man. "I want to buy you after all. I¡¯m not going to kill something I¡¯ll be spending money on."


    ¡¯His response makes sense,¡¯ Anastasia thought to herself.


    "How about this? I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t see and you get to continue running for your life until the game ends. But if I catch you again, I¡¯ll kill you." A grin pulled on his lips at the end of his words, forcing Anastasia to gulp down her saliva in fear.


    He¡¯d just said he wasn¡¯t going to kill what he was spending money on. But now, he was going to pretend he didn¡¯t see but threatened to kill her once he saw her again.


    The way he spoke only confused her.


    "In the rules, Samantha mentioned, the hunter and the hunted can¡¯t work together," she reminded, but he didn¡¯t react much.


    "No one will know about it."


    He didn¡¯t give her a chance to say anything else, before he disappeared into the trees, leaving her standing there like a statue.


    Anastasia snapped her head left and right to be sure she hadn¡¯t just hallucinated Julian¡¯s words before he disappeared.


    At first, she¡¯d thought she was going to get killed by him, but now that he¡¯d left her only to chase after her again, she kicked off her feet and disappeared.


    While on her way, Anastasia heard a familiar scream that made her heart skip a beat recognizing who owned that voice. It was none other than Elizabeth.


    A tear threatened to fall from Anastasia¡¯s eyes, but she fought it back and continued her journey.


    When she sighted the line that marked the forbidden area, her heart became light with relief. However, Avery was not there yet.


    She¡¯d thought with the amount of time she¡¯d wasted on the way, she would already be there, waiting for her. But she didn¡¯t see the girl anywhere.


    Anastasia¡¯s heart thumped hard against her chest as her mind floated with reasons why Avery had not arrived yet.


    Had she been killed? Is she still in hiding? What could have happened?


    Anastasia decided to quickly climb a tree and wait for Avery while silently praying there wasn¡¯t a snake hiding in there.


    Anastasia continued to hear the screams of the girls and some faint voices, causing her to palm her ears instantly so she wouldn¡¯t hear them anymore.


    Then she saw a man pulling the hair of a girl whose face Anastasia couldn¡¯t see well. However, she recognized the girl wearing clothes simr to Elizabeth¡¯s.


    Anastasia nearly gasped when she saw Elizabeth¡¯s face stained with her blood with an arrow sticking out from her shoulder.


    The girl wailed in pain but the man still pulled her with no mercy.


    As soon as they vanished from sight, Anastasia decided she was done waiting. Avery hadn¡¯t shown up, and a gnawing feeling told her something was wrong. Whatever had happened, she couldn¡¯t ignore it any longer.


    Anastasia dropped from the tree with a soft thud,nding lightly before vaulting over the taut strip of sellotape stretched between the trees¡ªa makeshift boundary line daring her to cross. She barely hesitated, her focus fixed ahead as she moved beyond the limits set for her.


    An overwhelming smile bloomed on Anastasia¡¯s face. She was finally going to get out of there and she couldn¡¯t wait to do so.


    She looked back at the other side where most of the girls were getting hunted and killed, and her heart pinched in pain at how much bloodbath had urred just this one night.


    With a sigh, Anastasia turned her back and slipped into the forbidden area. She moved quickly, each step carrying a growing sense of urgency, as if eyes were following her every move. She paused, ncing around, but the shadows revealed nothing¡ªonly deepening the unsettling feeling that someone was out there, hidden in the darkness.


    The game had started at midnight, and it would still take a while before the sun came up.


    Anastasia ignored the feelings, thinking she was being paranoid because she sessfully escaped Xander and Samantha¡¯s clutches.


    A sudden snap of a twig shattered the silence, so close that Anastasia¡¯s heart jolted. She was certain that if she reached out, her fingers would brush against someone¡ªor something¡ªlurking just beyond her sight. Her pulse quickened, and she strained to listen, questioning if it was truly a person... or something else entirely.

 Chapter 306: Caught

    Since the game began, Anastasia hadn¡¯t noticed the chill in the night air. But now, it crept over her skin, raising goosebumps as an uneasy awareness settled in, reminding her just how alone¡ªand exposed¡ªshe truly was.


    "Where do you think you¡¯re going?" The person questioned her, his voice deep and full of threats that did nothing but only ignite more fear in her. "I¡¯m asking you a question!!"


    Anastasia was still frozen and unable to part her lips to speak.


    Avery had told her earlier that no one would be walking around this part of the forest, so she was beyond shocked to find a man¡ªsomeone who was working for Samantha and Xander, without a doubt¡ªout here.


    Anastasia¡¯s hands gripped further on the arrow, and without a second thought, she shot the arrow and it punctured the legs of the man, forcing him to fall to the ground.


    Without wasting a single time to attempt to close his mouth so he wouldn¡¯t yell, Anastasia ran for her life while the man screamed, signaling to others that they¡¯d found her which got Anastasia confused.


    It could only mean that they knew she was going to escape, and they were already waiting for her. Her breath hitched at that thought, fear threatening to slow down her speed but she fought through it and ran as fast as she could.


    The leaves rustled, and the men chased after her with their long legs that nearly caught up to her.


    A tear slipped from Anastasia¡¯s eyes at the thought of getting caught in no time and not being able to fight back.


    As she ran, she reached and took another arrow from the quiver and fired it at the one who was getting closer to her, then he fell dead.


    Although she¡¯d killed one of them, they didn¡¯t even stop to check on him. Their main focus was to catch her and her heart thumped hard, fighting to rip out of her chest.


    "You¡¯re not going to get far from here. We¡¯re going to get you, and when we do, you¡¯re going to be severely punished for trying to escape," one of them promised.


    As she ran, unseen branches wed at her skin, sharp edges tearing into her arms and legs. She winced, the sting of each scratch fueling her desperation to escape.


    Blood trickled down her face, hands, and legs, but she ignored it and continued chasing after the freedom she hoped would be granted to her if she was able to escape from those men.


    However, the hope to get that freedom closed when she felt a huge hand grip her and pull her back with so much force, shended on the ground with a yelp when she felt a pointy object sticking deep into her back.


    "We finally caught you."


    "She thought she could run away from us."


    All their words turned faint as Anastasia tried to get the branch that¡¯d just stabbed her back out of her skin. When she seeded, her blood flowed like water.


    The men saw it, but they had no business with that.


    "Let¡¯s get her back to Samantha. She¡¯ll know what to do with her."


    "No please, wait." She pleaded. "Please, I don¡¯t want to go back there. Please! Let me go and I promise I won¡¯t tell anyone about what goes on in here. I promise."


    The men nced at each other before they threw their heads back and mocked her withughter.


    "She thinks she can plead her way out of here."


    "Let¡¯s get going now."


    They lifted Anastasia and dragged her back while she continued to plead they should let her go. She tried to fight them off but their grip on her was too tight.


    She suddenly couldn¡¯t move her legs much and her back had gone stiff, probably because of the branch that stabbed her there. Her blood was spread all around her body while the men dragging her on the muddy ground like she was some bag of potatoes didn¡¯t do much to help her predicament.


    They continued to drag her until they got out of the forest. Samantha was ring down at her, and Michelle had a smirk on her lips.


    Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but wonder where she¡¯de out from because she hadn¡¯t seen her earlier when the game was just starting.


    Samantha walked towards Anastasia, her heels surprisingly not sticking to the mud.


    Then she grabbed Anastasia by the chin tightly. "I¡¯ve always known you were bold, but not bold enough to try to escape. Do you n on humiliating us?" She didn¡¯t give Anastasia a chance to reply as she smacked thetter hard across the face.

 Chapter 307: Dead Pile

    A shadow caught Anastasia¡¯s attention, and it was thest person she would wished to set her eyes on at that moment.


    "I¡¯ve always known you would look great in a cage." She heard Michelle say, her tone filled with so much mockery it pricked Anastasia¡¯s skin with shame. "We should take you to a zoo."


    "How about youe closer and say that again?" Anastasia threatened with the courage she didn¡¯t know where it came from.


    Michelle wore a green floral gown that cinched at her waist and flowed elegantly to her ankles, nearly concealing her heels. Jewelry adorned her wrists and neck, each piece catching the bright moonlight with a glint. Yet, despite the wless makeup on her face, it couldn¡¯t mask the devilish gleam in her eyes¡ªa reminder that her beauty was only part of the disguise.


    When Michelle heard Anastasia¡¯s words, her grin of mockery only stretched further on her lips, then she chuckled softly.


    "I¡¯m not an animal like you. You deserve to be in there, I don¡¯t. And you know why?" She asked, her smile faltering, now wearing a solemn expression but her eyes were still ring at Anastasia with mockery etched in them. "It¡¯s because that¡¯s where you belong. You see this cage, it¡¯s what suits you properly."


    Anastasia had always wondered what she¡¯d done to Michelle, and although Elizabeth had told her what she knew, Anastasia still believed there was more to it. Sadly, her memories weren¡¯t cooperating with her at all.


    "Why can¡¯t you say anything anymore? Did the cat catch your tongue?" Michelle sighed as she sized Anastasia up. "You thought you could run away from here, huh? Did you think the walls didn¡¯t have ears, Ana?"


    From Michelle¡¯s words, Anastasia already concluded that she must have overheard her ns with Avery.


    Anastasia could only bite her cheeks, refraining from spouting the words that weighed on her tongue. If only looks could kill, Michelle would have been buried six feet under the ground already.


    "There¡¯s nothing you¡¯re going to do to me, so stop looking at me like that."


    Michelle turned and left to take a seat where the men had been before. Anastasia watched her grab a ss and pour herself a drink, while tears poured from her eyes.


    It was as if there was a loose tap and her tears kept flowing uncontrobly.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Anastasia saw one of the men dragging a girl out of the forest. His suit was stained with blood that didn¡¯t seem to be his own since he wasn¡¯t wincing from any pain.


    The girl he was dragging on the floor had an arrow sticking to her back, her body coated with her blood, and she didn¡¯t look alive.


    Then he dropped her in front of Anastasia, her head kissing the ground, making it difficult for Anastasia to know which girl it was.


    "This one was pretty weak. When she saw me, she was pleading instead of running, and I had to shoot her. You know I like to chase like a predator, Sam," the man said to Samantha.


    She held a smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes at all as she replied to the man. "It¡¯s alright, Mr. Steven. I¡¯m sure some girls must have survived the game and you can pick one of them. If you still aren¡¯t satisfied, you can wait for the next crimson hunt game."


    Mr. Steven didn¡¯t look satisfied with the other option Samantha had presented.


    "Naah! I¡¯ll just wait to see if any suitable girl survives, then I¡¯ll take her home with me. The one I got a few months agomitted suicide for a reason I don¡¯t know." He shrugged off the death of his former girl as if he had no idea what could be the cause.


    Samantha ordered the men who had brought Anastasia from the forest to take the body of the girl away, but all they did was take her to an open space.


    Anastasia frowned in confusion.


    Another man came out, dragging another dead girl with an arrow in her body. She was taken to where the first dead girl was. Another man came with a dead girl and the same routine was performed. That was when Anastasia immediately realized what was happening.


    They were making a pile with the bodies of the dead girls. Her heart dropped, thinking what they would do to their body. It didn¡¯t look like they would be wrapped up and buried in the ground normally.


    Two other men came out of the forest, with each of them carrying a dead body.


    When Anastasia¡¯s gazended on the two girls, her hand instinctively mmed against her mouth as she tried to quieten her sob.


    "To the pile," Samantha ordered, and the men dragged both Angelina¡¯s and Elizabeth¡¯s bodies to the dead pile.

 Chapter 308: Lost Of Hope—Warning

    "What are you going to do about it? Try to escape again? Trying to escape is a punishable crime with death, but I have a better punishment for you, so you¡¯d better keep your mouth shut before I make your punishment worse."


    Anastasia knew Samantha wasn¡¯t bluffing. She would most certainly make her punishment unbearable. She didn¡¯t care if her punishment was only going to increase, as long as she¡¯d said what was on her mind.


    "You can go ahead and do whatever you want to. I¡¯m not scared of you!!" Anastasia red at Samantha with so much intensity, thetter would have burned to death if that was possible. "You¡¯re such a heartless woman. You¡¯ll never find real happiness in your life, I promise you that!"


    Samantha was now aggravated.


    She walked towards Anastasia¡¯s cage, grabbed thetter¡¯s chin, and poured hatred into her eyes.


    "I can see you still have the mouth to talk. You should be thinking of what I¡¯m going to do to you instead of wasting your time cursing me because you know what? I don¡¯t care about anything you say, so you can continue running your mouth however you want."


    She shoved Anastasia away before walking back to where she was standing, waiting for the men toe out with the rest of the girls.


    Anastasia didn¡¯t know what to say anymore. She heard Michelleughing at her, but she was too tired to face thetter and give her a piece of her mind.


    Then, she saw Xander walking to stand next to Samantha. She just remembered she¡¯d not seen him when she¡¯d been dragged out.


    He whispered something in her ears and she nodded in understanding.


    A few more minutes passed, and some girls came out alive with their clothes stained with blood that didn¡¯t seem to be their own. Some were dragged out by their hunter and added to the dead pile.


    Julian came out and beside him was Avery. Her clothes were so stained with blood that it seemed she¡¯d taken a blood bath.


    When Avery and Anastasia shared eye contact, the girl revealed a faint smirk before tearing her eyes away from Anastasia as if she hadn¡¯t seen her.


    Julian¡¯s gaze was on Ana, wondering why she¡¯dnded in the cage.


    "What happened?" He asked Samantha. He¡¯d been trying to hunt her down, and now he found her in a human-sized cage.


    "She tried to escape and we caught her before it was toote." Samantha¡¯s reply was brief as if she didn¡¯t want to spend time talking to Julian any longer. Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but wonder why.


    She took a few steps away from Julian, only confirming Anastasia¡¯s point.


    Julian¡¯s gazended once more on her, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He merely shrugged, a look of mockery on his face before he took his seat.


    "Out of 16 girls, only 7 survived this game. I guess I¡¯ll have to congratte you all for surviving tonight. It only showed you can survive in your master¡¯s home no matter what came your way."


    The girls huffed, trying to catch their breath as one person supported the other. Their ragged clothes look even more torn as if they¡¯ve gotten into a fight with a wild animal.


    But Avery lookedpletely different. Her clothes didn¡¯t look torn at all. If anything, they looked like they¡¯d been dipped into a bowl filled with red dye.


    Her appearance only made Anastasia wonder how many men she¡¯d killed. That¡¯s if she killed any men at all.


    "As for the hunters, sadly, we¡¯ll have to say goodbye to three hunters who turned out to be weak against these girls," Samantha finished.


    Only the men pped, especially Mr. Steven who was scanning the girls, looking for a potential one that probably wouldn¡¯tmit any suicide before he had had his fun with the girl.


    "As for the girls that were too weak to survive tonight, we¡¯re going to have to bid them farewell now." Samantha gestured for the men to bring the fuel, while the hunters all gathered back to their seats earlier.


    The men poured the fuel on the dead pile, Anastasia¡¯s eyes widening in shock as she realized the next thing they were all going to do.


    "This is what happens when you¡¯re not strong enough to survive the night in a forest, especially when you¡¯re the prey."


    Samantha flicked a lighter, the fireing on disy.


    Anastasia subconsciously shook her head, words unable toe out of her mouth.


    "Don¡¯t..." She managed to speak, but no one could hear her. And even if they did, nothing would change.


    From the cage, Anastasia saw a body from the pile move. Hope filled her heart when she noticed it was Angelina. The girl wasn¡¯tpletely dead.


    "Stop! Angelina is alive!!" She yelled, gaining Samantha¡¯s attention.


    The woman merely scoffed before releasing the lighter, watching as it tumbled onto the pile of bodies. In an instant, mes erupted, licking up the heap and casting an eerie glow that danced across her face.

 Chapter 309: Nightmare

    Then she saw Xander¡ªher supposed husband¡¯s twin walking towards her. Now that Elizabeth, the only girl who knew her true identity was dead, Anastasia had no idea how she was going to know more about herself.


    "You look disappointed," he mocked. He stretched out his hand into the cage and wiped off her tears which caused Anastasia to stiffen in shock. "Are you sad because your little friends died?" He asked, his eyes filled with fake concern that tempted Anastasia to bite off his finger that was resting on her face. "You should know by now that friendships don¡¯tst long."


    "What did Xavier do to you?"


    Anastasia¡¯s questionpletely caught him off guard. He immediately retracted his hand off her face as he red at her with rage.


    "Julian said Xavier betrayed you. How did that happen? What did he do and why am I the one paying for his crimes?" She questioned.


    Xander¡¯s dark eyes darkened the more she opened her mouth to speak. "That husband of yours killed someone I loved," he replied. "Someone I hold dear to me. He murdered her in cold blood. And since you¡¯re the one he holds dear to his heart, it¡¯s only fair I get my revenge on him through you, don¡¯t you think?"


    Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but start despising this husband of hers. She could see the hurt in his eyes before he blinked it away like it wasn¡¯t just there.


    "You¡¯re a monster!"


    "Nothing you call me will change a thing. Though, I¡¯ll have to hand it to you for trying to escape." A smirk stretched on his lips. "You don¡¯t have to worry, I¡¯m letting your husband know everything that happens to you here."


    Then he left without giving her a chance to say anything anymore.


    The girls came back after getting cleaned and the selection started.


    Anastasia tore her gaze from them, deciding to focus on her thoughts. Without a doubt, Samantha was going to get punished severely. But after that, she had no idea what she would do next.


    Certainly, security would only tighten around the house, making it impossible for her so any other girls wouldn¡¯t get the idea of wanting to escape again.


    Anastasia still wanted to know why Avery had tricked her. If she didn¡¯t want to help her escape, then she shouldn¡¯t have suggested it in the first ce.


    Despite all that, Anastasia still felt like a fool. She¡¯d only wanted to be free from these walls that were filled with nothing but torture.


    Anastasia decided to think of how to escape from there, and this time with no one writing involved.


    But the noise that came from where the girls were getting selected interrupted her thoughts.


    On top of theps of some men were the girls they¡¯d picked, and the ones standing were the ones that hadn¡¯t been picked yet.


    Avery was one of them.


    As if sensing Anastasia¡¯s gaze on her, the creepy girl turned to look at Anastasia, her usual faint skin crawling smile on her lips.


    "I want to announce something real quick," Samantha suddenly said, gaining everyone¡¯s attention to herself. "As you¡¯ll already know we have a girl who has attempted to run away from here, I already have the best punishment for her."


    Fear gripped Anastasia¡¯s heart, as she forced herself to gulp down her saliva. She¡¯d thought Samantha would only punish her after the event was over. But now, she was saying it in front of everyone.


    "Anastasia had tried to run away from here, and I will now bestow my punishment upon her."


    The hunters pped like puppets, eager to know what Samantha was going to say next.


    "Fifteen men, including all of you..." She pointed to the hunters who¡¯d already picked their girls. "...will all get to have your way with her tonight."


    If only it was possible for someone¡¯s heart to physically leap out of someone¡¯s chest, Anastasia would have already been floating in mid-air by now.


    "What are you saying, Samantha?" Mr. Steven asked.


    Samantha smiled at him.


    "What I¡¯m saying is that fifteen men can go ahead and have their way with her tonight. And you can think of it as a gift from me."


    From the cage, Anastasia saw a body from the pile move. Hope filled her heart when she noticed it was Angelina. The girl wasn¡¯tpletely dead.


    "Stop! Angelina is alive!!" She yelled, gaining Samantha¡¯s attention.


    The woman merely scoffed before releasing the lighter, watching as it tumbled onto the pile of bodies. In an instant, mes erupted, licking up the heap and casting an eerie glow that danced across her face.


    Anastasia watched as the bodies of the girls were set aze. She thrashed. "Angelina is alive!!" She screamed but Samantha didn¡¯t do anything to stop the fire. Instead, she instructed her men to pour more fuel to the me, crushing Anastasia¡¯s hope of saving Angelina.


    Angelina¡¯s hand which was a little raised, asking for help fell as fire consumed her.


    "Angelina was alive...." Anastasia said timidly as her tears flew uncontrobly.


    The men cheered, pping each other¡¯s hands as they drank from their sses as if they achieved a very special goal in life.


    "Now," Samantha started after ignoring Anastasia¡¯s pleas to stop the fire. "The girls that survived, all of you should go get cleaned. I¡¯m only giving you thirty minutes to do that. After that, your future masters wille and pick the ones they like."


    The girls nodded in understanding as they limped and hopped out of there, heading to the main house.


    Anastasia met Avery¡¯s eyes. She held it until the girl disappeared without saying a word to her, and Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but feel that the girl was never going to help her out. She¡¯d been tricked.


    That thought alone washed away the little hope she had about escaping. Thinking she could trust Avery with her escape only made her feel like a desperate fool in need of freedom. Now, that freedom was taken from her and she still doesn¡¯t know what Samantha had in mind to do to her.


    Then she saw Xander¡ªher supposed husband¡¯s twin walking towards her. Now that Elizabeth, the only girl who knew her true identity was dead, Anastasia had no idea how she was going to know more about herself.


    "You look disappointed," he mocked. He stretched out his hand into the cage and wiped off her tears which caused Anastasia to stiffen in shock. "Are you sad because your little friends died?" He asked, his eyes filled with fake concern that tempted Anastasia to bite off his finger that was resting on her face. "You should know by now that friendships don¡¯tst long."


    "What did Xavier do to you?"


    Anastasia¡¯s questionpletely caught him off guard. He immediately retracted his hand off her face as he red at her with rage.


    "Julian said Xavier betrayed you. How did that happen? What did he do and why am I the one paying for his crimes?" She questioned.


    Xander¡¯s dark eyes darkened the more she opened her mouth to speak. "That husband of yours killed someone I loved," he replied. "Someone I hold dear to me. He murdered her in cold blood. And since you¡¯re the one he holds dear to his heart, it¡¯s only fair I get my revenge on him through you, don¡¯t you think?"


    Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but start despising this husband of hers. She could see the hurt in his eyes before he blinked it away like it wasn¡¯t just there.


    "You¡¯re a monster!"


    "Nothing you call me will change a thing. Though, I¡¯ll have to hand it to you for trying to escape." A smirk stretched on his lips. "You don¡¯t have to worry, I¡¯m letting your husband know everything that happens to you here."


    Then he left without giving her a chance to say anything anymore.


    The girls came back after getting cleaned and the selection started.


    Anastasia tore her gaze from them, deciding to focus on her thoughts. Without a doubt, Samantha was going to get punished severely. But after that, she had no idea what she would do next.


    Certainly, security would only tighten around the house, making it impossible for her so any other girls wouldn¡¯t get the idea of wanting to escape again.


    Anastasia still wanted to know why Avery had tricked her. If she didn¡¯t want to help her escape, then she shouldn¡¯t have suggested it in the first ce.


    Despite all that, Anastasia still felt like a fool. She¡¯d only wanted to be free from these walls that were filled with nothing but torture.


    Anastasia decided to think of how to escape from there, and this time with no one writing involved.


    But the noise that came from where the girls were getting selected interrupted her thoughts.


    On top of theps of some men were the girls they¡¯d picked, and the ones standing were the ones that hadn¡¯t been picked yet.


    Avery was one of them.


    As if sensing Anastasia¡¯s gaze on her, the creepy girl turned to look at Anastasia, her usual faint skin crawling smile on her lips.


    "I want to announce something real quick," Samantha suddenly said, gaining everyone¡¯s attention to herself. "As you¡¯ll already know we have a girl who has attempted to run away from here, I already have the best punishment for her."


    Fear gripped Anastasia¡¯s heart, as she forced herself to gulp down her saliva. She¡¯d thought Samantha would only punish her after the event was over. But now, she was saying it in front of everyone.


    "Anastasia had tried to run away from here, and I will now bestow my punishment upon her."


    The hunters pped like puppets, eager to know what Samantha was going to say next.


    "Fifteen men, including all of you..." She pointed to the hunters who¡¯d already picked their girls. "...will all get to have your way with her tonight."


    If only it was possible for someone¡¯s heart to physically leap out of someone¡¯s chest, Anastasia would have already been floating in mid-air by now.


    "What are you saying, Samantha?" Mr. Steven asked.


    Samantha smiled at him.


    "What I¡¯m saying is that fifteen men can go ahead and have their way with her tonight. And you can think of it as a gift from me."

 Chapter 310: Punished— Warning

    "You can¡¯t do this Samantha, please," she pleaded, her tears pouring out of her eyes now without stopping.


    She¡¯d already been raped by two men on her second day in the house. And since then, she¡¯d been very obedient because she didn¡¯t want to ever repeat that kind of experience.


    But now, Samantha had ordered fifteen men to have their way with her because she¡¯d attempted to escape.


    "Oh, I can do this," Samantha replied. "Go now!"


    The men dragged her into the house, the eyes of the girls lingering on Anastasia¡¯s back as she thrashed and thrashed to be released but their grip only tightened on her as they cackled like hyenas that had just caught their prey.


    "Anastasia won¡¯t be able to survive that," a girl mumbled, tears streaming down her eyes. Then she closed her eyes, unable to keep watching the scene.


    "She¡¯s tough. She was brave enough to try to escape, I¡¯m sure she can handle this," another girl said, although she wasn¡¯t sure of what she¡¯d just said herself.


    "I hope she doesn¡¯t survive," Avery interjected, her hands on her chin as she grinned at the two girls who were also in the same predicament as her¡ªthey weren¡¯t chosen by the men. "She only came a few weeks ago and she already thinks she can get out of here. I¡¯ve been here for two years, and I can¡¯t even get out of here. Who does she think she is?"


    The girls weren¡¯t the least surprised by Avery¡¯s words. She was a maniac after all, and they all avoided her.


    But the first girl that spoke straightened her back, looking at Avery dead in the eyes.


    "You¡¯re very wicked for wishing for such a thing for your fellow woman," the girl said, her face scrunched up in anger that didn¡¯t even bother Avery.


    The creepy girl only stared at herzily, as if she couldn¡¯t wait to hit the sack.


    "I saw the both of you conversing a lot these past few weeks. Were you the one that gave her the idea of escaping from here just so you could get her in trouble?" The second girl was the one to question Avery this time around.


    "And what can I possibly gain from doing that? She¡¯s just dumb, and you need to ept it. She thinks this ce is like a jail one can simply escape from. Unfortunately, it¡¯s not, and now she has gotten exactly what she deserves. Simple!"


    Avery smirked when she saw the shocked faces of the two girls. Then, she stretched and yawnedzily.


    ¡¯My my, killing Elizabeth and Angelina took a toll on me,¡¯ she thought to herself.


    They had nothing else to do since both the hunters and the men had gone to take care of Anastasia.


    Anastasia continued to thrash as she was led into the house, and then to the basement.


    Samantha and Xander followed behind closely.


    "Should I add a bonus?" She suddenly asked, and the men nodded their heads in unison and Samantha could only imagine their tongues hanging on the mouth like excited puppies when they were about to be given a toy. "Since I¡¯m in a good mood today, you can have her for three days."


    "A week," Xander interrupted, catching Samantha off guard. "You can have her for one week. It¡¯s a special gift from us both," he added.


    "Are you sure? What if she dies?" One of the hunters asked.


    "She won¡¯t," he assured.


    Anastasia had already epted her fate and had stopped crying. Crying wasn¡¯t going to aplish anything for her. It wasn¡¯t going to touch their hearts so they would let her go. It wasn¡¯t going to pity her. Her heart threatened to rip apart in her chest due to the amount of grievances she¡¯d tried to endure.


    Her wrist threatened to snap due to how tight the men were holding them. They were excited to get a taste of her. All fifteen men were going to have their way with her tonight and that thought alone made her stomach churn in disgust.


    Both the men and the hunters nodded in understanding as they dragged Anastasia into the room in the basement and closed the door behind them.


    Samantha and Xander stood outside the door, none of them speaking a word, and the next thing they heard was a shriek that nearly burst their eardrums.


    Anastasia continued to scream and cry for help, but neither of them attempted to open the door and stop whatever was happening. It was their doing after all.


    "Are you satisfied now?" Samantha suddenly asked, making Xander turn his head to face her. "Are you happy?" Her tone was not harsh, but it still stabbed Xander¡¯s heart. Then she met his gaze. "Do you think <i>she</i> would be happy with what you¡¯ve been doing?"


    Xander didn¡¯t waste a second when he replied. "She would be very happy because I¡¯m doing all of these for justice to be served."

 Chapter 311: Cunny Father

    "That¡¯s not how to talk to your father," he snapped, but he knew his words didn¡¯t affect Xavier at all.


    "And you shouldn¡¯t be asking me to forget about Anastasia. She¡¯s my wife!" He dered.


    He¡¯d been stuck in his hideout, still trying to find out where Anastasia was hidden by his psychotic twin brother, and his father came to tell him to forget Anastasia as if he was getting tired of searching for her.


    "You saw the video that Xander released a month ago. She was raped by two men!"


    Xavier¡¯s hands clenched together, looking as white as the white shirt he was wearing when he heard his father¡¯s words.


    "And who knows the things Xander has done to her, or rather, what hasn¡¯t he done to her yet?"


    "And you think because of that, I should leave my wife to continue to suffer? She¡¯s carrying your grandchild¡¯s father!" He reminded, but from the nonchnt look on Mr Wace¡¯s face, he didn¡¯t seem to care at all.


    If anything, he only tore his gaze from Xavier, focusing it on the shattered pieces of paper that decorated his table and chair.


    "Anastasia has brought a bad name to our family. Since you don¡¯t want to quit looking for her, when you do find her, it¡¯ll be best to divorce her and let her be with the rk family."


    Xavier couldn¡¯t believe his ears. He¡¯d thought his ears were ying tricks on him. But they weren¡¯t at all. His father was asking him to divorce Anastasia, despite knowing the status of the situation they were in.


    "I think it¡¯s time for you to leave now," Xavier said as respectfully as he could, resisting the urge to hit his father¡¯s head on the table for ever suggesting such a thing.


    Since the first day of Anastasia¡¯s kidnapping, Mr Wace had always in one way or the other, tried to coerce Xavier into forgetting about her or to convince him to move on with his life as if she waspletely gone.


    Mr Wace was slightly shocked by Xavier asking him to leave.


    "You¡¯d best forget her and move on," his father said, his tone unyielding. "I¡¯ll start selecting girls suitable to marry into the Wace family. Even if you find Anastasia, things will never be the same. That marriage is bound to crumble. So, prepare yourself to remarry."


    "That would be over my dead body," Xavier promised.


    For some reason, he found his father¡¯s words funny but he wasn¡¯t in the mood to chuckle.


    The both of them exchanged res, the room temperature turning hot due to the intensity when the door suddenly opened and Maxwell walked inside.


    He quickly sensed that something was wrong but he didn¡¯t ask. He only adjusted his sses on the bridge of his nose and walked out of the room.


    "We got an intel that there might be trade happening in the next two weeks. But it¡¯s not urate so I don¡¯t know..." He drawled at the end of his words, noticing Xavierzily blinking. "You need to rest. You¡¯ve not slept for two days already."


    "I¡¯m fine," he quickly said, brushing off Maxwell¡¯s concern. "What were you saying?" He asked.


    Maxwell sighed before he continued, knowing nothing he said would make Xavier leave his seat and hit the sack. He could only hope that Anastasia was found before Xaviernded in the hospital because of exhaustion.


    "I was saying we got an inurate intel that a trade would be happening in the next two weeks. So, what do you want us to do? Do you want to go?" He asked.


    Xavier gave it a few thoughts. He¡¯d been going to trade with the hope that Anastasia would be among the girls that would be sold, but he was starting to doubt it.


    Xander had made it clear to him that he wasn¡¯t going to see Anastasia again, and there was no way he would bring Anastasia up for sale.


    However, Xavier didn¡¯t want to take his chances. He believed he would find Anastasia one day, so he was going to attend anything worth attending.


    "I will attend," Xavier responded.


    Outside of the hideout, Mr Wace was looking up at the hideout. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that Xavier would start an organization where he would be saving girls sold for sex trafficking when he was one of the people who founded it, yet Xavier didn¡¯t know the truth.


    He¡¯d always tried to discourage Xavier from this dirty job, but thetter was hellbent on keeping it until he was powerful enough, even his father couldn¡¯t stop him from doing things.


    "Years have passed," he thought to himself. He sighed, looking at the bulky men who were carrying guns on their shoulders. "I bet they¡¯re as strong as the men in <i>his</i> hideout." Then a grin stretched on his as an idea popped into his head. "I should visit <i>him."</i>

 Chapter 312: Meeting

    Xavier took a sip of his coffee and went back to his seat.


    Although Anastasia didn¡¯t have a problem with the shareholders she¡¯d just appointed before she disappeared, he didn¡¯t want to give them any chances.


    In this kind of predicament, one could bring out the idea of overtaking thepany, or start to cause a misunderstanding that would benefit them in the right way.


    Xavier took another sip of his coffee as he typed away, trying to hack the cameras of another city, in case he would see Xander there. Thetter had not contacted them since theirst encounter, and cameras hadn¡¯t been able to spot him, which only means he was still indoors, recovering from his gunshot. But staying indoors for a whole month was too long for just that.


    After sessfully hacking into the camera system, he scanned around but didn¡¯t spot anything suspicious.


    As Xavier continued scanning the room, his phone dinged. He considered ignoring it, but instinct urged him to check. The moment his eyesnded on the screen, a wave of dread hit him, churning in his stomach. The coffee in his mouth suddenly tasted sour, spoiled, yet he forced himself to swallow, the bitterness lingering as he processed what he¡¯d just seen.


    On his screen was a video that had just been uploaded a few seconds ago. He was tagged in the video.


    The video had a poor HD resolution so it was difficult to make out the faces of the people, but he recognized the screams of the woman and the pping of flesh.


    The sound grated against his nerves, making his skin prickle with irritation and a surge of rage he struggled to keep bottled up inside.


    He couldn¡¯t see the faces of the men there, and it was obvious Xander didn¡¯t want Xavier going after his business associates, which was why the video had a poor resolution.


    Xavier didn¡¯t bother finishing the video. He quickly swapped apps and made a call, demanding the video be deleted at once. His fist was clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white, as if he could snap anything¡ªhuman bone included¡ªwith a single squeeze.


    At a further distance from Xavier¡¯s location, Xander was watching the video he¡¯d just uploaded on the inte with an untraceable ount.


    "I bet some men are jerking off to this video," hemented, thinking of opening thement section.


    ¡¯Anastasia had been through a lot already. Whoever kidnapped her should bring her back to us. I miss my favorite actress of all time.¡¯


    ¡¯The person that¡¯s doing this is going to burn to hell, I bet.¡¯


    ¡¯I have a feeling Michelle could be behind our dear Anastasia¡¯s kidnapping. She¡¯d always been jealous of her.¡¯


    ¡¯Anastasia is just proving she¡¯s a slut...suits her well.¡¯


    Under thestment were several curses and threats bigger than what wasid on Xander as theizens nned on getting the otherizens killed formenting such a thing.


    Xander was quite surprised he didn¡¯t get horny menmenting slutty things under the video as he¡¯d thought.


    "Knowing Xavier, he¡¯s going to delete that video soon," said Bruce.


    "At least I¡¯ve had my fun. But by now, he should know there¡¯s more from where that came from," Xander responded.


    While he was reying the video, the video suddenly got deleted from the web.


    "Tsk tsk..." He clicked his tongue. "How does he get his people to work so fast? It¡¯s only been twenty minutes." He sighed, slightly shaking his head in disappointment as he pocketed his phone.


    "What did you think he would do? Let people share that video?" Bruce asked, sipping from his scotch ss.


    Xander merely shrugged, deciding to take a seat opposite Bruce. "At least he should let people watch it a little bit longer."


    Bruce sighed, dropping the ss on the counter.


    "There¡¯s someone that¡¯sing to meet you today." As soon as those words left Bruce¡¯s lips, the shadow of someone had already entered the closed space they were in.


    "It¡¯s better not be who I think it is," Xander said, pinching the skin between his eyebrows.


    Bruce merely shrugged but didn¡¯t say anything.


    "What are you doing here?" Xander questioned, already sensing the presence of that person.


    "I came to see you," the person replied. "Is it wrong to see my son?"


    "You¡¯ve long disowned me as your son, so you shouldn¡¯t call me that, Mr Wace," Xander countered.

 Chapter 313: Met With The Son

    "I thought you¡¯ve already forgiven me for that already," Mr Wacemented, earning a chuckle filled with mockery from Xander.


    "That would be over my dead body."


    Bruce watched the scene, while he continued to gulp down some liquor, either by mixing it or drinking it directly from the bottle without a single interest in opening his mouth to speak.


    Mr Wace decided to stop speaking. Only he knew the reason he was trying to butter Xander up.


    "How about Michelle? Are you sure she can¡¯t betray you and suddenly speak up about the business?" Mr Wace asked.


    As much as Xander despised replying to his father, he still did.


    "She¡¯s wrapped around my finger," he replied, his tone icy and unwavering. "The first day I met her, I made it clear that if she dared speak a word, she wouldn¡¯t live to see another sunset." His gaze hardened, making it clear he had no patience for a man who had thrown him out and abandoned him simply because he refused to end things with histe girlfriend¡ªa girl his father had deemed beneath their status.


    Mr Wace immediately understood Xander¡¯s tone and mped his mouth together.


    He exchanged another look with Bruce.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Xander suddenly got a phone call from Samantha, and he excused himself to pick up the call.


    Finally being alone in the room without worrying anyone would overhear their conversation, Mr Wace started, "You raised him well."


    "That¡¯s because you abandoned him," Bruce countered and Mr Wace hissed as if Bruce had rubbed salt on his wounds. "I should be thanking you. I¡¯ve already done that several times but I feel like it¡¯s still not enough."


    "It¡¯s never going to be enough." Bruce merely shrugged, unable to bring himself to be bothered by Mr Wace¡¯s words.


    "At least I didn¡¯t abandon him when he was sixteen. But I have to hand it to ya! You two have simr goals and because he¡¯s no longer the useless son you presumed him to be, you suddenly found him useful."


    Bruce¡¯s words continued to irritate Mr Wace but all he could do was swallow it bitterly and pretend it didn¡¯t affect him.


    "I had to because of what Anastasia had done to Richard. She thinks she could do such a thing to him and wouldn¡¯t get what wasing for her. And so what if he harassed her in the middle of the night? She still doesn¡¯t get the right to do such a thing to a member of the Wace family..."


    "...you and I both know that¡¯s not the only reason you had Xander kidnap Anastasia, Thomas." Bruce interrupted, lifting another bottle to his lips. "Anastasia is the weakest of her siblings, and you targeted her to settle your score with Jeffrey rk." He downed the bottle in one long gulp, shaking his head as the burn spread, leaving goosebumps in its wake.


    Mr Wace wasn¡¯tpletely shocked that Bruce saw through his lies. They were best friends for a reason.


    "I never nned for it to happen." Mr Wace raised his hand as if suspected of something he didn¡¯t mean to do. "But when Xavier told me she was the biological daughter of the rk family, I saw my chance and I took it. Jeffrey still hasn¡¯t paid for snatching the one woman I loved."


    An unbelievable smirk stretched on Bruce¡¯s lips, and Mr. Wace couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was because Bruce was already drunk after drinking two bottles of liquor, or if he was simply mocking him.


    "You sound like you¡¯re still in college." Mr Wace confirmed Bruce was mocking him. "But that¡¯s all your revenge, not mine. But you must remember, Xander is now my son. I adopted him, so you¡¯d better kill the idea of getting him back because I¡¯ll never let that happen."


    "You¡¯re only his father on paper. I¡¯m his father by blood," said Mr Wace without a single ounce of shame oozing out of his body.


    "You might want to think twice before saying that again, Tom," Bruce warned, his tone sounding ufortably serious for Mr Wace.


    Thetter could only stiffen as a shock wave surged through his body.


    "What are you going to do about it?" He asked.


    "You wouldn¡¯t want me to reveal your secret now would you?" Bruce questioned back, watching as his best friend panicked when he heard his words.

 Chapter 314: Days After The Crimson Hunt

    "You know what? I¡¯m not going to say anything about that. Xander and I have simr goals which is to get revenge on the people that have done us wrong, and Anastasia just happened to be the perfect tool for that." Mr. Wace finally walked to the counter with calcted steps and poured himself a drink.


    "Do you think he¡¯ll continue this revenge when he finds out the truth?" Bruce asked, and Mr Wace paused.


    "You¡¯ve said <i>the truth</i> twice already." Mr Wace faced Bruce. "Don¡¯t threaten me with <i>the truth."</i>


    As soon as those words left his lips, Xander entered the room, startling the both of them. Thetter nced between the two old men, wondering why they were looking at him so intensely.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" He asked. They stared at him for a few more seconds before their shoulders rxed, confirming he didn¡¯t hear what they¡¯d been talking about a few seconds ago.


    "It¡¯s nothing." Mr Wace shook his head horizontally.


    Xander studied them both for another three seconds before he tore his gaze from them.


    "I need to go take care of something." He said. He grabbed his coat, wore it, and left the room, leaving Bruce and Mr. Wace to release the breath they¡¯d been holding since Xander unexpectedly walked inside.


    "I don¡¯t think he overheard anything," said Mr Wace, gulping down his drink in one go.


    "And if he did, you would be in so much trouble," Bruce retorted.


    Mr Wace sighed. "I only did what I did in the past to protect my reputation."


    "You¡¯d better pray Xander doesn¡¯t find out that truth, else it would be over for the both of us."


    "He won¡¯t," Mr Wace assured. "His hatred is on Xavier because he thinks he was the one that took his happiness away, and it¡¯s best we leave it at that."


    **


    At the house, Michelle was humming a song as she braided her hair in front of the mirror. Then she grabbed the rubber band and tied it around the knot.


    "Now, don¡¯t I look pretty today?" She asked herself, marveling over her reflection in the mirror. She stared down at her red tainted lips, a satisfied grin stretched on the corners as she stood up, grabbed her phone, and stepped out of the room.


    It¡¯s been ten days since the crimson hunt game, and the house was looking emptier than usual because the girls that were chosen by their future masters had already gone to their new homes with them, and they were already trying to settle in.


    As Michelle descended the stairs, the girls who hadn¡¯t been chosen passed her with bowed heads, murmuring respectful greetings. Each lowered gaze fed her pride, fueling her belief that she was destined to be the futuredy of the estate. All she needed was to secure Xander¡¯s heart and rid herself of Samantha.


    Michelle sighed in delight, then settled on the chair, and turned on the television but she didn¡¯t feel satisfied at all. Turac and Tibo were napping on the opposite couch like pig, causing Michelle to shiver in irritation.


    "Call me Anastasia," she ordered one of the girls who were passing by. The poor girl jolted in fear¡ªshe was one of the girls who felt pity for Anastasia at the crimson hunt game during her punishment. She quickly nodded, then bolted out of there to do as she was told.


    The girl ran up the stairs as her heart hammered against her rips, wondering what Michelle would possibly want from Anastasia this time around.


    The girl knocked on the door of Anastasia¡¯s room before she slightly pushed it open.


    On the bed was Anastasia, hugging her knees to her chest with her head buried below them. She looked like she was asleep, but the girl knew that Anastasia wasn¡¯t asleep.


    "Ana," the girl called, her voice as soft as silk but Anastasia¡¯s skin was too ruffled to feel anyfort from them. "Michelle wants you downstairs."


    It took a few seconds before Anastasia lifted her head and met the gaze of the girl¡ªher lifeless blue eyes meeting the brown caramel ones that belonged to the girl.


    "What does she want?" Anastasia¡¯s tone was so sharp, it cut through the air, making the girl shiver in fright.


    "S-she didn¡¯t s-say," the girl managed to answer, forcing her saliva down her throat which seemed to have be a difficult task.


    Anastasia rested her back on the wall as she nced around the room. She was the only one sleeping there now since Angelina was dead.


    "Let¡¯s go."

 Chapter 315: Finding Husband

    Despite the unhealthy condition Anastasia was in, Michelle was surprised to still find herself getting envious of the girl. Her hands subconsciously went to her belly where she was starting to gain weight, then her eyes fell on her forearm which was starting to fall like a flipped pancake whenever she raised it.


    She¡¯d always been taking care of herself, but she med herself for being too carried away and didn¡¯t watch what she was eating.


    Even though Anastasia stillcked any spark of life in her after what she¡¯d faced, she still looked pretty. Her beauty had always been the one thing that Michelle despised about Anastasia, and if there was any possible thing she could do, Michelle would have stolen Anastasia¡¯s beauty long ago.


    Anastasia didn¡¯t have a single ounce of strength to talk back to Michelle. All she did was blink at the girl, but despite that, Michelle already sensed that something was wrong with Anastasia.


    Michelle simply shook off the feeling and patted the seat next to her.


    "Come take a seat beside me. I want to chat with you," said Michelle.


    The girl assisting Anastasia froze, but there was no single reactioning from Anastasia.


    She continued to stare back at Michelle who was wearing a smile as bright as the sun. It was like the little grin a predator would y on their lips before they devoured their prey.


    "Come on, don¡¯t waste my time."


    The girl helped Anastasia take a seat, and as soon as she did that, she resisted the urge to barf at that moment.


    Michelle¡¯s perfume was always strong, but when she took a seat near her, it seemed she¡¯d used perfume instead of water to take a shower.


    It was so strong Anastasia could barely breathe but she held it in anyway. Comining to Michelle was only going to make her feel more nauseous.


    "You can go, Eve," Michelle said to the girl who¡¯s been assisting Anastasia. Eve nced between Anastasia and Michelle, her guts telling her not to leave, but who was she to defy Michelle¡¯s orders? Else she wanted her head to roll on the ground before it became vulture¡¯s food.


    Eve gave a stiff nod and left.


    Michelle hummed, picking up the remote and changing the channel of the TV to a fashion show.


    "Do you know why I called you out here?" Michele asked, and Anastasia slightly shook her head. "Samantha isn¡¯t around so I got bored. No one to fight with but then I remembered I have you here."


    Anastasia was as stiff as a tree with not a single sounding out from her mouth. But only she knew how much her blood boiled at that moment. Her nails itched to dig them into Michelle¡¯s skin and have her scream her lungs out.


    Michelle sighed, then decided to switch the channel.


    Anastasia¡¯s eyes were fixed on the television, while Tibo and Turac woke up due to the noise.


    "I never see you watching business news. Are you thinking of going into business?" Tibo asked, widening his mouth which was the same size as a hippopotamus, and letting his stinky breath fill the area.


    "That¡¯s so gross! Haven¡¯t you brushed your teeth today?" Michelle pretended to barf to show how deeply disgusted she was. Tibo simply scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Also, no! I¡¯m not going to start a business. I just wanted to show my dear Anastasia something."


    The skin on Ana¡¯s forehead folded in confusion as her gaze was settled on the television.


    In the next second, Anastasia¡¯s eyes caught a figure that looked just the same as Xander, only that he had a sharper jawline and eyes colder than she¡¯d ever seen since she woke up from hera.


    Without needing to be told, Anastasia already concluded that it was her husband¡ªXander¡¯s twin brother¡ªXavier.


    Xavier was getting interviewed by the press concerning the video regarding Anastasia that was circting social media despite every clip shared having been taken down.


    Although she wasn¡¯t close to him, she could feel the dark aura he was exuding like perfume that sent chills down her spine.


    Anastasia¡¯s eyesnded on his eye bag, and couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he got them from searching for her.


    Anastasia stared at him for a little while longer as he impatiently left the interviewer as if he had somewhere important to be.


    The camera followed behind him, capturing his broad back. Anastasia tried to recall anything about him, but the images she saw were all blurred out.

 Chapter 316: Factory

    The hooligan attempted to bounce at Anastasia and beat her up to teach her a lesson, but Michelle surprisingly raised her hand, stopping him.


    "Now, now... don¡¯t do that, Turac! I brought Anastasia here to chat, not to have her beaten up." The words dripped with feigned sweetness, making Anastasia¡¯s skin crawl; anyone listening might have mistaken Michelle¡¯s tone for protectiveness, though Anastasia knew just how twisted that pretense was. "Our dear Anastasia," Michelle continued, her voice sickly soft, "still hasn¡¯t recovered from her week in the basement. If you touch her now, she..." Michelle trailed off, lifting a hand to pat Anastasia¡¯s head as if she were a pet, "...might die."


    Before Michelle¡¯s fingers coulde in contact with Anastasia¡¯s locks, thetter had already swatted her hands away as if she were some mere annoying fly, catching Michelle off guard.


    "I don¡¯t need your pity!!" Anastasia had to hold back the tears that tried to fall from her eyes. She didn¡¯t want to remember how her life had turned out in thest week and things she had to go through every single night.


    "You¡¯d better watch your tongue." Tibo pulled Anastasia¡¯s hair, forcing her to release a pained yelp. "Know whom you¡¯re speaking to. She¡¯s favored by the boss."


    "She¡¯s only favored because she keeps warming his bed for him, which is practically the only thing she¡¯s good at, right Michelle?"


    This was the first time Anastasia had called Michelle¡¯s name since she¡¯d had amnesia and hearing Ana call her name like that made her suddenly get the sense of feeling that Anastasia had remembered something from the past.


    "What did you just say to me?" Michelle questioned, smacking Anastasia across the face. "I¡¯m above you here and I deserve respect!" She smacked Anastasia across the face again.


    "If you think you can make me cower or treat you like some kind of god, Michelle, you¡¯d better wake up from that fantasy¡ªit¡¯s never going to happen!" Despite Tibo¡¯s iron grip on her hair, Anastasia fought through the pain, her voice fierce and unyielding.


    "Even if I die, my ghost will haunt you, Samantha, and Xander until you¡¯ve paid for everything you¡¯ve done to me." There was a force in her words that struck a chord, and for a fleeting moment, Michelle believed her.


    In the past, Anastasia had vowed to take everything Michelle held dear¡ªand she had seeded. Thinking back, Michelle realized there wasn¡¯t a single promise Anastasia had made that hadn¡¯te to pass, each one a calcted blow that had stripped away more of Michelle¡¯s world.


    Michelle nced around, remembering Anastasia had no one in this ce to help her, there was no way she was going to be able to escape and exact her revenge on them.


    However, despite assuring herself several times, something still didn¡¯t feel right.


    "Take her to her room and lock her in there," Michelle ordered, shocking both Tibo and Turac.


    "Aren¡¯t you going to punish her for speaking to you so rudely?" Tibo asked with confusionced in his tone.


    "Just do what I told you!¡¯ Michelle snapped, her re searing into the two hooligans before she turned on Anastasia, her eyes narrowing with disdain. ¡¯Get. Out."


    Both Tibo and Turac rushed Anastasia to her room and locked her inside as instructed.


    "I think you should have punished her so that next time she can think twice before she opens her mouth and says anything stupid," said Turac.


    "Xande wouldn¡¯t like that. She¡¯s already gotten more bruises than she can handle as it is. He¡¯s also not been listening to metely. Anastasia is up for sale to Julian, and he wants her healed as fast as possible so he can sell her to him," she replied, biting her nails in anxiousness


    She wasn¡¯t sure what the situation looked like, so she just spewed what she¡¯d gathered. Xander did promise he was going to make Anastasia¡¯s life a living hell. Seemed like he was already satisfied by how much trauma he¡¯d given her. However, Michelle wasn¡¯t satisfied one bit. She still wanted Anastasia to continue to suffer until the day she died.


    "I don¡¯t think the boss is going to give her to Julian just yet. I overheard him speaking with Miss. Samantha one time and they n to take her to the factory," said Turac.


    "The factory," Michelle repeated, her heart dancing in joy. "Now, that¡¯s a much better n. Once Xander arrives, I¡¯ll discuss this with him. The factory would be the best ce for Anastasia to continue living her worthless life," she added, a satisfied grin stretching on her lips.

 Chapter 317: Baby Payment

    This party wasn¡¯t a normal one since all the people in the hall hadmitted crimes but due to their high status, they couldn¡¯t be put in jail.


    But Xander wasn¡¯t there to put them in jail. He wasn¡¯t an officer of thew.


    "Has Mr. Belbvet arrived yet?" Xander suddenly asked, catching Julian off guard.


    Mr. Belbvet was the vice president of mourwood. His name held so much authority no one dared to say it anyhow if they had no purpose.


    He was one of the world¡¯s most feared men. Publicly, he denounced crime, earning respect from his citizens; yet those close to him knew how deeply he was entangled in the very sins he condemned. Admired by many, he was equally feared by those beneath him, who understood all too well what he was capable of.


    Turned out the party Xander was attending was the birthday party of Mr. Belbvet, but he was sure the man would be announcing something else.


    Julian nced around but didn¡¯t see Mr. Belbvet. "It doesn¡¯t seem like it," he responded. "Why do you ask?"


    "That crusty old fart still hasn¡¯tpleted his payment despite getting his product delivered to him."


    Julian immediately understood what was happening.


    A few months ago, Mr. Belbvet had struck a deal with Xander, but Mr. Belbvet hadn¡¯t kept to his own end of the bargain which irritated Xander.


    "He should be arriving soon," said Julian, and just then, they saw Mr. Belbvet walking into the hall with his wife whose hand was hooked in between his arm as she shed a new set of pearly white teeth at the guest as if that was her favorite thing to do.


    Julian didn¡¯t need to show Xander the man with his wife because thetter had already spotted them approaching the guest, acknowledging their presence and appreciating their effort to make time toe to his birthday party. But Xander knew all too well that this wasn¡¯t just an ordinary birthday party.


    Some things were certain to go down tonight.


    Mrs. Belbvet greeted the female guests with her with the best smile she could stretch her lips to form as if she wanted them to admire her pearly white teeth.


    She was wearing a dark blue dress that cleaned the floor with every step that she took. It was beautifully adorned with diamonds that glimmered under the gold lighting from the chandelier. As she spoke to the women, she sized them up as if contemting if they were worthy of touching since she was of a higher status than them.


    Even so, in the higher ss of influential people, there was always that invisiblepetition lingering between them, and theymunicated with their eyes as if threatening the other person to watch out for their lives.


    Meanwhile, Mr. Belbvet was handling the men, shaking their hands like the professional he was, an honorable smile that looked simr to the creepy smile of a clown stretching on his lips.


    He also judged the people who had attended his party as if they were mere flies that he could easily swat away without applying too much effort.


    After greeting the people he knew, he grabbed a microphone.


    "As you all know, my wife here," he hugged his wife close to him, pecking her just right on her hair, "... has put the bed a few days ago to the heir of the Belbvet family." Immediately, loud ps filled the room as the guests wished them a loud congrattions, but air filled with unexinable doubt hovered above them.


    Although no one was brave enough to ask the question, Mr. Belbvet could still sense it. But he couldn¡¯t bring himself to be bothered with what they thought. Just because his wife couldn¡¯t bear a child didn¡¯t mean there was not some kind of <i>miracle </i>that would happen for that to be sessful.


    Mr. Belbvet nced around, feeling a gaze from someone. He assumed it was from one of the guests since their eyes were all on him but he did feel that something wasn¡¯t right.


    He saw someone moving from the crowd, and just when he recognized the person, his expression changed.


    Xander cared a lot about his money since only he knew the time and effort he had to put in just to grow his businesses even though they were all illegal, but as long as they all brought money to his pocket, it was <i>business. </i>


    He couldn¡¯t calmly watch as the vice president stood on stage and bragged about the newborn baby in his family when he hadn¡¯t finished all his payments he had to make on that particr baby.

 Chapter 318: Corrupted Politician

    "And when youe back, we can talk about Anastasia," said Julian, causing Xander to frown at him with an unfathomable expression.


    Nevertheless, Xander didn¡¯t wait for Julian to exin his words. He quickly followed behind the old man.


    Mr. Belbvet already sensed someone was following him, but he didn¡¯t need to look back to know who it was.


    "You¡¯d better get rid of all those ideas of yours before you do something that you might regret, rie," said Mr. Belbvet.


    Xander despised being addressed by thatst name. Although he was adopted by Bruce and had to carry thatst name, he didn¡¯t quite admire thatst name at all.


    "Are you talking to me or yourself?" Xander questioned.


    He nced around, checking for any CCTV cameras and only found one. But from its position andck of any glimmering red light, it didn¡¯t seem to be active to record any footage.


    "You owe me Mr. Belbvet," he said. "Just pay up already. I don¡¯t run some kind of shitty charity. You came to me with your wife, exining that you two couldn¡¯t bear a child and I only assisted you out. And now, this?"


    Xander sounded rather more frustrated by the event than he was more to beat up the man and threaten him to give him his money if he had to.


    Mr. Belbvet merelyughed, his wrinkles folding around the corners of his eyes.


    "Fifty million dors isn¡¯t a small amount of money, Xander. I paid you more than anyone would have. Don¡¯t be greedy now."


    Xander clicked his tongue in annoyance, understanding that the vice president wasn¡¯t going to easily give him his money.


    "In that case, you shouldn¡¯t be bothered if the whole inte found out about the huge amount of money you stole from your people all in the name of tax."


    Xander was tempted to threaten him about revealing how he¡¯d suddenly gotten a son from out of nowhere but that would only make Xavier realize his only kind of business wasn¡¯t sex trafficking.


    Mr. Belbvet scoffed. "You wouldn¡¯t do anything, Xander. I¡¯m not owing you any shit!"


    "Then why were you afraid of me all of a sudden? Aren¡¯t you the great Mr. Belbvet that¡¯s loved by everyone in mourwood but not everyone knows what kinds of things you¡¯ve been getting yourself into." Xander sighed, rubbing his head in frustration. All he wanted was his money but the old man was making him talk longer than he expected to.


    "You don¡¯t have any evidence!" Mr. Belbvet yelled, and Xander realized he¡¯d hit a soft spot.


    A smirk yed on his lips as he took a step closer to Mr. Belbvet. "I only want my money."


    Mr. Belbvet ignored him and turned to leave, but was immediately stopped in his tracks by Xander who pulled him back with the help of his suit.


    "If I remember correctly, I didn¡¯t stutter and I supposed you heard me very well."


    "You should know whom you¡¯re putting your hands against. I¡¯m the vice¡ª"


    Mr. Belbvet didn¡¯t get the chance to finish that sentence when he suddenly felt an excruciating pain that surged through his body, shocking him to the extent that he stumbled backward a few times until he found his bearing.


    "Since you want it the difficult way, I¡¯ll give you that!"


    Xander pulled out a syringe and stabbed it into his neck. The man struggled to fight Xander off and call for help, but thetter quickly shielded his mouth with his palm to prevent him from doing so.


    Slowly, the vice president of mourwood fell to the ground with a thud not heavy enough to alert anybody.


    Xander quickly dragged Mr. Belbvet¡¯s unconscious body to a corner where no one would be able to see him. Then, he fetched his phone from his pocket and hastily fired a few texts.


    "You think just because you¡¯re some scary person in the underground world, I would be afraid of you and not ask you for my money?" He questioned the unconscious body. "You should know that¡¯s not how things work."


    He hissed in disappointment while slightly shaking his head horizontally.


    The people Xander contacted quickly came and took the vice president away without anyone spotting them or even suspecting a thing.

 Chapter 319: Avery’s Reveal

    Anastasia was starting to see some images from her past, and she remembered those people. But she hadn¡¯t seen any memory where she was with Xavier, or perhaps with Xander even.


    She wanted to escape, but she didn¡¯t know how to and she was scared to do so.


    Just as she¡¯d expected, the security around the house had tightened with every corner of the house had a henchman with armed weapons pacing around the ce.


    If she attempted to escape again, she would be putting herself in a suicide mission.


    If only...if only Avery had not tricked her, by now, Anastasia would perhaps be with her family and told them everything she knew. She would have made sure they were punished for everything they were doing. She would have saved the girls.


    Avery...


    Rage surged through her body at the thought of that name. Elizabeth and Angelina had warned her about that girl but she¡¯d paid deaf ears to their warning all in the name of seeking freedom. The freedom she wasn¡¯t sure she would be getting ever again.


    Anastasia swallowed down the bile in her throat and tried to breathe to release the emotion that was building in her head.


    Speaking of the devil, Anastasia saw someone sitting on the bench.


    She wanted to ignore the person and pretend they never existed. Plus, she didn¡¯t have the energy to talk, but from the corners of her eyes, she spotted those long dark hair and those Halloween-looking clothes that gave her an idea of who could be there with her.


    "Hi, Anastasia....why are you sitting all alone here?"


    That voice sent unbelievable rage to vibrate through her body. And the way Avery spoke so sweetly to her was as if they were long-time friends and she was only asking about her well-being, did nothing but add to her anger.


    Anastasia turned to look at the girl.


    As always, Avery had that creepy smile on her lips that now reminded Anastasia that the girl was a psychopath that she needed to stay away from even if the girl suggested another n to escape.


    She made a mental note to strangle the girl in case she suggested something like that ever again.


    Anastasia didn¡¯t respond. She simply exhaled to calm herself and continued to look at the ground.


    "Angelina and Elizabeth are both dead now, and you¡¯re all alone. Isn¡¯t that so sad for you?" Avery sighed at the end of her words as if she was the one grieving both of their deaths when she was the one that killed them both.


    Still...Anastasia ignored her.


    Avery saw this as a challenge, so she was determined to trigger Anastasia, no matter what it took for that to happen.


    She scooted closer to Anastasia and whispered in her ear. "Did you know I was the one that..." Avery whistled with a hand gesture of slitting her throat, her grin widening when she saw Anastasia¡¯s eyes widen in shock. "Killed both Angelina and Elizabeth?"


    Anastasia didn¡¯t want to believe it. She concluded Avery was only trying to get her to act out and probably get punished again. The girl was bad news.


    "That¡¯s a lie. You couldn¡¯t possibly been the one that¡ª"


    "I tricked you into thinking that you could easily escape from here and your foolish self believed that."


    Goosebumps rose on Anastasia¡¯s skin at that insult. However, she had to admit she was foolish for thinking it was easy to escape from there. If it had been easy, most of the girls would have already done so.


    "What made you think I was not capable of killing anyone?" Avery asked, checking her nails like some kind of diva.


    Anastasia¡¯s heart sank like a stone at that question.


    "That¡¯s impossible," she managed to say as she stared at Avery. She didn¡¯t want to believe that Avery could have killed her friends, but the girl did look capable of doing such a thing.


    "I saw when you killed that man with his very own arrow and took Angelina with you while running away from the scene. Then, you suggested she escaped with you but she didn¡¯t want to."


    As those words flew out of Avery¡¯s mouth, Anastasia¡¯s heart continued to race.


    "All this time, while you were running away from those hunters, I was hunting you down," Avery revealed, her eyes turning into crescent moon as if that was something worthy to say.

 Chapter 320: No Regrets

    "Even when you finally leave this ce, you will be going to the factory." A chilling smile yed across her lips, enjoying Anastasia¡¯s frightened expression. "You¡¯re going to suffer more. Just like every other girl here. We¡¯re just a tool for pleasure, and you are one too. You thought you could escape from here like it was easy?"


    A derisiveugh escaped Avery¡¯s lips, and it made even more visible goosebumps rise on Anastasia¡¯s dull skin.


    "In case you¡¯re wondering how those men got to know about your presence in the forest, well..." Avery paused to tap on her chin a few times as if selecting her words. "The <i>other </i>person did that job for me. I¡¯ve been doing this to all the oblivious girls that havee here the past few months and they always end up dead. But as for you, you got punished in the worst way possible."


    Then Averyughed again in contempt, but Anastasia had had enough of it.


    She pped Avery across the face, shocking thetter a second before her smile returned.


    Anastasia didn¡¯t stop there. Her hands wrapped around Avery¡¯s neck to strangle her to death, if that was possible.


    Instead of hearing Avery pleading, all she heard was a letterughing as if enjoying the torture¡ªas if she was daring her to do worse for she was capable of it.


    Anastasia¡¯s grip tightened on Avery¡¯s neck, but the psycho still didn¡¯t stopughing like the maniac she was. If anything, herughter only became aggressive.


    Anastasia was now determined to get rid of Avery. Anastasia thought her life in the house was the worst experience, but with Avery around, things were only going to get difficult for her. Ever since she met Avery, things hadpletely turned upside down. She¡¯d killed two of her friends and had taken her freedom away from her.


    Beads of sweat gathered around Anastasia¡¯s head as she continued to strangle Avery. Her grin tightened, making sure there was no more space.


    Anastasia could hear faint sounds and see hands that tried to loosen her grip. But she was too enraged to look at those people or listen to what they were talking about. Her main focus was on Avery and she wasn¡¯t going to stop until she¡¯d seeded.


    Avery wasn¡¯tughing anymore. She seemed frightened as she tried to be free from Anastasia¡¯s firm hold.


    "Anastasia, get a hold of yourself!!" Anastasia suddenly heard. The voice was very close and in the next second, she was no longer holding Avery, attempting to strangle her to death anymore.


    Avery was now on the ground, coughing for her dear life with tears streaming down from her eyes.


    When she was able to stabilize herself, she startedughing again.


    "You almost killed her." Anastasia looked up to find familiar brown eyes staring down at her. It was Eve. Despite Eve¡¯s words, Anastasia didn¡¯t feel any regret for what she¡¯d just done.


    "She deserved to die! She was the one that killed Angelina and Elizabeth!" She revealed. The girl¡¯s attention all went to Avery now, watching as sheughed as if she hadn¡¯t just been used of killing someone. "She killed them!"


    "And so what? What do you possibly think would happen? They¡¯re already dead! Oh wait, do you n to report me to Samantha and get me punished like you did on the day you tried to escape?" Avery questioned with a hint of mockery evident in her tone.


    The girls red at her, wishing they could at least do something. If they went to report to Samantha, the woman wouldn¡¯t do anything about it since the two girls were already long gone.


    They never liked Avery ever since they¡¯d met her, and she kept giving them reasons not to.


    "You can¡¯t do anything," Avery sang as she got up from the ground, patting her butt free from sand, twirled like a princess before leaving while the res of every other person settled on her back.


    She halted, and turned to wink at them before she disappeared.


    Anastasia was tempted to run to Avery and finish what she started.


    "You shouldn¡¯t have done that. What if she was carrying a knife or something? She could have stabbed you with it?" Eve reprimanded Anastasia, but it didn¡¯t seem Anastasia was listening to her at all.


    Her blue eyes were still locked on where Avery had disappeared.


    "Anastasia, you need to get a hold of yourself before you do something that you might regret?" Eve added.


    "If killing Avery is one of those things I¡¯ll do, then I won¡¯t regret it at all," Anastasia replied.

 Chapter 321: Father Hatred

    Xander unknowingly sighed, and Samantha turned to look at him.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" She asked.


    "It¡¯s nothing. Just wondering what Bruce could want to talk about."


    Samantha gave a stiff nod, then turned to look straight again while fiddling with the pendant once in a while. Xander sneakily stole a nce at her.


    Her red hair was curled to frame her face beautifully, making it difficult to admire her side profile. When he realized he was staring longer than he was supposed to be doing, he decided to focus on the road.


    Since the death of Arabe, he hasn¡¯t had the chance to fall in love again. Samantha had been with him through thick and thin, and despite everything he¡¯d faced, she¡¯d always made it clear she loved him. Sadly, he¡¯d always rejected each confession.


    For over two years, he hadn¡¯t heard her confessing her love for him, so he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she still loved him like she used to. But since she was still with him, he tricked himself into believing she still did.


    "We¡¯re here," Xander said as he parked the car in front of Bruce¡¯s house.


    It wasn¡¯t some kind of enormous mansion with extravagant designs. Instead, it was the clear opposite.


    Xander noticed Samantha clutching the pendant desperately now for her dear life. She stared at the house, a glint of something Xander couldn¡¯t decipher passing through her eyes.


    In all the years he¡¯d known Samantha and Bruce, the man had alwayscked love for his daughter for some reason he still didn¡¯t know until now.


    He linked her finger with his as he pulled her into the house. At first, she was shocked to find him holding her hand. Warmth wanted to creep into her heart, but she quickly reminded herself he still longed for his lost love.


    She let him hold her while still keeping in check with her feelings. She wouldn¡¯t want to confess to him again and only get rejected.


    They entered the house and Bruce¡¯s henchmen all greeted them with a respectful bow.


    "Where is he?" Xander questioned.


    "Please follow me." The henchman walked away while Xander and Samantha followed behind him.


    Although this was her father¡¯s home, Samantha wasn¡¯t quite familiar with anything. Since Bruce moved into this new home years ago, she didn¡¯t visit him and he didn¡¯t let her visit him. This was her second visit there after the first time when she¡¯d wanted to be a good daughter in his eyes, but as always, he chased her away even before she could step into the house.


    As they got closer to the room Bruce was in, Samantha contemted unlinking her hand with Xander¡¯s. It seemed intimate and Bruce definitely wouldn¡¯t like it if he found them holding hands like a couple.


    "He¡¯s in here, sir," the henchman said, and immediately, Samantha unlinked her hand with Xander¡¯s, shocking him. He wanted to question why but she¡¯d already walked away, heading towards the door.


    "Father," Samantha greeted after she stepped inside.


    It wasn¡¯t Bruce¡¯s usual liquor room but bottles of liquor were still present to show he¡¯d been drinking.


    "What are you doing here?" Bruce questioned, his eyes ring in anger when theynded on Samantha.


    The girl took a step back, already contemting leaving that room. Her father had always despised her for the longest time she could remember. But whenever she asked him what she did wrong, he would alwayssh out at her as if she was supposed to crack into his mind and figure out everything he was thinking about or what could be worrying him.


    For years, she¡¯d tried to make it up to him despite not knowing what she did to anger him so much all the time heid his eyes on her, but he would never even look her way.


    "I already informed you beforehand that I would be bringing her along, don¡¯t you remember?" Xander asked Bruce.


    The old man still red at Samantha, who subconsciously hid herself behind Xander¡¯s figure in case Bruce lifted any of those liquor bottles and threw them at her.


    He¡¯d done it before, and he could still do it again.


    "I thought you didn¡¯t mean it," Bruce slurred, showing he was already drunk.


    "You should stop drinking father, you¡¯re already old."


    As soon as those words came out from Samantha¡¯s lips, she saw two empty bottles of liquor flying towards her.


    Her heart sank. Thankfully, the bottles didn¡¯t touch her because Xander was quick enough to fling them aside, protecting both of them.


    The bottle crashed into a wall and shattered into pieces.


    Samantha had always wondered if Bruce ever realized that if all his attacks towards her had seeded, she would probably be lying six feet under.


    She knew he despised her, but should it be to the extent he was willing to kill her without batting an eysh?

 Chapter 322: Not For Sale

    Bruce swayed, unsteady, his eyes flicking to the empty bottles scattered around him. It wouldn¡¯t take much for him to hurl one at his daughter again¡ªit hadn¡¯t cost him anything before, and it wouldn¡¯t now.


    "You need to return that president you kidnapped back to his people!" Bruce dered.


    "Vice president," Xander corrected with a slight grin on his lips when he saw Bruce squint his eyes at him. "Also, I won¡¯t be releasing no one. He owes me money and has refused to pay it back. You of all people should know I don¡¯t joke with my money, Bruce."


    "Mr. Belbvet is not someone you would want to joke around with. He has people looking for him, and it won¡¯t be long before they find out that you¡¯ve kidnapped their vice president all because he owes you money. When they get a hold of you, they will do several things to you."


    Xander gave a dark amused chuckle that didn¡¯t reach his eyes at all.


    "So, he has the money to pay off some deadweight to threaten me but doesn¡¯t have the money to pay me back?"


    Bruce could only sigh tirelessly.


    Of course, he knew that Xander didn¡¯t joke about his money. He was the one who taught him everything he knew after all.


    "I don¡¯t even know why you gave him the baby when he hadn¡¯t evenpleted his payment," Xander finished.


    "Mr. Belbvet is not the type of man one would want to mess with. I just did want I could because he threatened to expose what went on in the factory to the whole world." Bruce paused to take a breath and gulped down a shot he¡¯d already poured into his ss before they arrived.


    "As much as I love making money, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s worth it if people find out about what goes on in the factory. And I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t want Xavier finding out about it either. So, release the vice president before his henchmen find out you¡¯re the one that has kidnapped him."


    Xander gave it a thought. Mr. Belbvet was someone he shouldn¡¯t be messing with.


    In the underground world, it was kill or get killed, and right now, he was getting himself killed if he didn¡¯t make the right decision.


    "The factory has so many people that need to be fed, so every penny we¡¯re making from this business is worth it. Mr. Belbvet is a vice president and he can even pay thrice the money he owes Xander but he doesn¡¯t want to do that because he¡¯s only looking for trouble." Samantha decided to interrupt and share her own opinion.


    A simple re from Bruce threatened to shut her up but she merely tore her gaze from him and settled it on Xander.


    "If we don¡¯t pay the women at the factory, they might start to riot and that¡¯s thest thing we would want at this moment," she continued. "What I¡¯m trying to say is we need the money that Mr. Belbvet is owing. You simply can¡¯t let it go just like that."


    "And what happens when Belbvet¡¯s men find out that it was Xander that kidnapped him and attacked him?" Bruce questioned, his eyes turning to slits in rage.


    "We can just pinframe someone else saying he kidnapped Mr. Belbvet out of jealousy," she replied. "I¡¯m sure a lot of people are out to get the man."


    "That¡¯s right!" They suddenly heard someone else¡¯s voice and their heads turned to look at the person that¡¯d just entered the room. "Money is very important and you certainly can¡¯t let someone go just because his people are frightening."


    Julian found a seat for himself and settled on it while Samantha¡¯s re bore a hole in his back.


    "You should go easy on that re baby. Looks could kill you know?" He winked at her, but she only scoffed at him in disgust then turned her head away.


    "I wish it really could so I wouldn¡¯t have to look at your face," she retorted.


    Julian grinned.


    "What are you doing here?" Xander questioned.


    Julian shrugged. "I just decided to pay Bruce a visit and share a few things with him."


    Xander nced between Bruce and Julian, understanding the underlying message in Julian¡¯s words.


    "I was also about to go to the house, but since you¡¯re here, I might as well just ask you what¡¯s been in my mind." Julian didn¡¯t give Xander the chance to say a word, then he continued. "When are you going to give me Anastasia?"


    "Anastasia is no longer for sale. I¡¯ve decided that she will be going to the factory in the next few days," Xander responded.

 Chapter 323: Finding Out

    "And Anastasia?" Julian interjected, a touch of sarcasmcing his tone. "Sending her to the factory¡ªis that really necessary?"


    Xander didn¡¯t hesitate. "It¡¯s not your concern, Julian. I¡¯ve made my decision."


    Xander stood up and left the room without further discussion.


    Samantha nced between Julian and Bruce, fully knowing she didn¡¯t have anything to say to either of them, so she left as well.


    "That adopted son of yours is bing something, Bruce!" Julian growled with clenched fists.


    "He has made the right decision. I agree! Anastasia should continue to suffer," Bruce said, sipping from another ss of drink.


    Julian studied Bruce, trying to decipher what Anastasia had done to him.


    He might be a part of this revenge n on Xavier, but then he started to realize that Xander¡¯s rage towards Xavier had nothing to do with Anastasia.


    If there was anyone Xander should be taking out his anger on, it should be Xavier since he¡¯d been the one who¡¯d killed his lover in the past.


    "You think he¡¯s doing the right thing?" Julian asked. As soon as those words came out of his mouth, Bruce¡¯s eyes turned so cold and distant that it sent a chill down Julian¡¯s spine.


    "You have no business with what¡¯s going on boy! So you¡¯d better keep your opinions to yourself else I might have to ask Xavier to get rid of you."


    Julian suddenly chuckled without holding back, the fear he¡¯d just experienced flew out of the window with the speed of light.


    Bruce¡¯s expression darkened. "You¡¯re treading dangerous ground, Julian."


    Julian smirked, unfazed. "Come on, Bruce. There¡¯s something about her... and I intend to find out what it is."


    Bruce clenched his fists, voice low. "Think twice before pushing Xander. There are limits, even for you."


    "I¡¯ll get the girl, but when the time¡¯s right of course." He promised as he winked again, making Bruce¡¯s blood boil. "And if you want, you can go ahead and tell Xander I said that."


    He red at Julian¡¯s back as thetter disappeared from behind the door.


    Bruce had no idea what Julian could be nning but he could already sense it wouldn¡¯t be good.


    Mr. Wace had built a huge wall filled with nothing but chaos for his sons and Bruce was d it had benefited him.


    At least now, he has an adopted son who¡¯s much more capable than his worthless daughter, Samantha.


    Even so, he couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that something was going to happen soon. Something that would destroy everything he¡¯d worked hard for.


    **


    Anastasia sat alone in her room, her thoughts racing and heart heavy. The events of the day reyed in her mind, haunting her.


    Avery¡¯s cold admission¡ªthat she had murdered Anastasia¡¯s two close friends¡ªhad hit like a punch to the gut. And now, Avery¡¯s chilling warning echoed: she would be taken to the factory. It was both a threat and a promise, one that left Anastasia feeling trapped in a cruel game with no way out.


    Anastasia could recall hearing the word <i>factory </i>a couple of times since she¡¯d been living in the house, but she never understood what goes on in there.


    Curiosity got the best of her, and she decided she needed information on where she would be taken next before that day arrived.


    Anastasia recalled that Samantha wasn¡¯t around, and searching her room for information gave her a lead on her next relocation.


    But sneaking in would be difficult. All the guards were stationed outside, but one of them could still walk right in to get something and find her sneaking into a room that wasn¡¯t hers.


    Sweat coated Anastasia¡¯s palms and she rubbed them against each other before blowing cool air on them.


    "It¡¯s now or never."


    She got down from the bed, inhaling and exhaling to calm her heartbeat before she stepped out of the room. There were still a few minutes more before their curfew so if anyone questioned her, she could easily say she just wanted to get some fresh air.


    But would anyone believe she was out to get fresh air from Samantha¡¯s room? Not at all!


    Anastasia causally left the hallway without looking suspicious.


    None of the girls were downstairs and she concluded they must have already retired to their rooms.


    A wave of relief washed over her, but it quickly faded as a prickling sensation crept up her spine. She could feel eyes on her, sharp and watchful, tracking her every movement.


    "Where are you going?" Avery questioned.

 Chapter 324: Document

    Looking at Avery¡¯s face still made her blood boil, especially after thetter¡¯s confession earlier. All she wanted to know was to grab a knife and make an artwork out of her.


    Avery squinted her eyes at Anastasia, wondering what thetter could be up to. It¡¯s not every day she sees Anastasia out at night in the kitchen, casually grabbing a ss of water for herself.


    She silently wished thetter was up to something that would only get her into trouble.


    "If you¡¯re nning to do something stupid and get caught, I¡¯ll beughing in your face. You¡¯ve been punished severely since the first day you got here. Aren¡¯t you tired of that?" Avery questioned as if she was a concerned friend who worried for Anastasia. "Anyway, you can go ahead and do whatever you have in mind. Just get caught, okay?"


    Avery waved at Anastasia, very childishly with a smile simr to a clown¡¯s stretching on her lips before she decided to leave.


    Anastasia didn¡¯t want to take any risks of leaving just immediately. She waited a few minutes after hearing the soft click of Avery¡¯s door closing.


    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Anastasia climbed the stairs and checked Avery¡¯s room to be sure the door wasn¡¯t open and the girl wasn¡¯t hidden somewhere around the corners, watching her.


    When she¡¯d confirmed Avery was indeed in her room, Anastasia headed back downstairs. There was only half an hour left before their curfew began. The henchmen would check their rooms to be sure none of them had escaped.


    If they checked hers and she wasn¡¯t there, she would be in big trouble.


    Anastasia gulped down her saliva with great difficulty as she pushed her legs to go to Samantha¡¯s room.


    Anastasia took her steps with great precision because the house was made of wood and if she wasn¡¯t careful, it would make a creaking sound.


    Although it was obvious no one was around, Anastasia still needed to be careful.


    When she saw that Samantha¡¯s room wasn¡¯t as guarded as she¡¯d thought it would be, she subconsciously released a huge sigh of relief.


    Anastasia searched for the cameras, watching the angles they were monitoring. When it turned, about to scan the area she was, her heart leaped out of her chest.


    Quickly, she glued her body to the wall, nearly making it her second skin until the CCTV camera had turned elsewhere.


    "Maybe this was a bad idea?" She wondered, her hand ced on her chest as she tried to calm her racing heartbeat.


    She nced at the door and shook her head. She was already close to her goal and she wasn¡¯t going to stop midway.


    Anastasia ced her hand on the doorknob, voicing out prayers that the door wasn¡¯t locked. Because if it was locked, there was no way she would ever dare to break in unless she was courting death.


    Just when she twisted the doorknob while still praying, she heard the soft click as the door opened. She lightly pushed it open, peeking her head inside to be sure no one was inside.


    When she confirmed it, she scanned behind her to be sure no one was watching, especially Avery.


    When she confirmed that also, she swiftly slipped between the little crack she¡¯d created and closed the door immediately behind her with the same soft click.


    Anastasia stared at the room and couldn¡¯t help but be awed at howrge it was. Anastasia was sure times five of her room could fit into Samantha¡¯s room.


    Anastasia¡¯s gaze lingered on the towering five-inch heel, feeling an odd sense of unease. Samantha¡¯s room, with its pristine decor and luxurious items, stood in stark contrast to the cold, barren spaces she¡¯d been confined to. It was as if the room reflected Samantha¡¯s personality¡ªcarefully curated, yet sharp and unattainable.


    Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but wonder how someone could live so freely, surrounded by such extravagance, while she had be nothing more than a pawn in a game she had no control over.


    She quickly reminded herself she wasn¡¯t there to admire the beauty of the room. She was there to see if she could find any information regarding the factory she would be getting transferred to.


    Anastasia headed for the drawers ced under the vanity mirror. She opened every one of them with care, hoping not to spoil anything.


    Anastasia searched but didn¡¯t see anything that could be useful. She didn¡¯t want to think that Samantha might not have any documents regarding the factory in her room.


    There had to be something in there.


    As she continued her search, she didn¡¯t forget to keep everything back in its ce so nothing would be left out.


    Anastasia went to the closet and opened the drawers. She saw some files and opened them. Her eyes nearly popped out of her sockets when she read the words written on it.

 Chapter 325: Baby Factory

    Anastasia immediately mmed the file shut to stop herself from thinking what she was thinking.


    "For all I know, they must have held them at gunpoint to smile and look happy like that," she mumbled.


    Then her heart sank recalling Avery¡¯s words earlier. She would be transferred to the factory to make babies for people she didn¡¯t know.


    Anastasia¡¯s legs went weak at that thought and she started to wobble. It took her some moment before she finally stabilized herself. Her hand clutched her chest, feeling it hammer against her chest, begging to fly out from there.


    She¡¯d already lost two children all because of her enemies, and now they were going to make use of her womb like she was some animal. That thought not only made her gag, but it also made her skin crawl.


    Not long ago, she¡¯d been abused severely just for chasing after freedom. And now this?!


    Tears freely flowed from her eyes, staining her cheeks. Anastasia quickly reached out and wiped her face clean. She might not have recovered all of her memories yet, but she¡¯d concluded she despised crying and being weak.


    Escaping was not something she could do in a situation like this especially when the security around the house had tightened. If she attempted to escape, it would only lead to death.


    Was it worth getting herself killed than to end up in such a hellhole again?


    Anastasia wondered what her life would have been if she hadn¡¯t lost her memories. Would she have been with her husband Xavier, with him caressing her baby bump with no Xander Samantha or Michelle to worry about?


    Anastasia closed her eyes as her tears continued to flow uncontrobly. She suddenly felt weak, beyond weak she didn¡¯t know what she would do anymore. She despised being weak but now she¡¯d fallen in that position and it seemed she would continue to be in such a situation.


    Anastasia sighed, wiped her tears, and kept the file back where she saw it, her mind finally making a decision.


    "If I¡¯m going to lose my life all in the name of freedom, then so be it."


    She released another heavy sigh that seemed to have removed some weight off her shoulders. However, no matter how many times she blinked, she was still in the house that was filled with torture and pain. Every day, she thought she was hearing a girl wailing because she¡¯d endured enough.


    At that moment, Anastasia heard the car honk and the file unknowingly slipped from her hands before she could properly tug it in.


    Thankfully, with the help of Samantha¡¯s windows, Anastasia could spot the car that was honking.


    She peeped, finding the henchmen opening the gate for a car that drove in. She didn¡¯t wait to see the people who would step down from the car because she already had a good idea who it could be.


    Her hands shook with nervousness as she picked up the file in haste and tucked it back where she¡¯d seen it.


    Luckily for her, she always ced back everything she picked up with precision so nothing would be left out. So, there was no need to start rearranging and getting herself caught, and punished mercilessly with the urge to die.


    Anastasia scanned around the room to double check there still wasn¡¯t anything that could be out of ce, while she heard the faint voices of Xander ordering his men. However, she couldn¡¯t hear exactly what they were talking about. Not like that was what she cared about at the moment.


    When she was done, Anastasia closed the door with a soft click, theplete opposite of the cacophony of terror her heart was producing. She feared that it was loud enough for someone to hear.


    Anastasia swooshed past the room as she headed for her room. She avoided the cameras like she¡¯d done and despite the little time that she had left, she knew she needed to be patient for the camera to turn away before she could finally have the chance of escaping back to her room.


    When the camera had finally turned away, Anastasia began running again. Her room was only one flight of stairs away but that short distance seemed far.


    Just when she was about to climb the stairs, she saw a shadowing down and immediately, she quickly hid herself behind the stairwell nook.

 Chapter 326: Need To Get Out Of Here

    They suddenly heard another voice, a very familiar voice and it was no other than Michelle. She climbed down the stairs and Anastasia felt a surge of panic as she wished there was a way she could shrink herself so she wouldn¡¯t be spotted.


    Luckily, Michelle¡¯s gaze was on Samantha, a grin on her lips as she walked down the stairs so she never spotted Anastasia.


    As soon as Samanthaid her eyes on Michelle, she released a tired groan, as if not ready to deal with thetter.


    Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but notice her dull expression. Samantha¡¯s eyes had always burned like fire. However tonight, they looked really tired. They were red, an evidence she¡¯d been crying. She couldn¡¯t believe that an evil person like herself could shed tears when she¡¯d wasted so many innocent lives.


    "Why would you think there was an issue when I¡¯m right here?" Michelle questioned. It was obvious Michelle couldn¡¯t stay in one ce and mind her own business, since her body itched to find trouble here and there.


    Samantha red at her but didn¡¯t say anything. She XXXL only nced at Xander who gave her a in look.


    "Shouldn¡¯t you be asleep by now?" Xander asked, and it was at that moment Anastasia realized it had already passed their curfew. In a few minutes now, Samantha would go to their rooms to make sure they were still in bed.


    "I was waiting for you toe home first," Michelle responded, settling right beside him without giving him any sort of personal space. "I hope she didn¡¯t make any sort of advances toward you," she added, sizing Samantha up like she was some persky little fly she had to get rid of soon.


    From where Anastasia was still hidden, she noticed the hurt in Samantha¡¯s eyes before she blinked it away like it was never there. That confused her greatly.


    "Move," Xander ordered. Michelle didn¡¯t wait for him to say it again and she quickly gave him the space he needed. Then he turned to Samantha. "In the next few days, get Anastasia tested for any kind of disease. If she has one, get it treated. After that, you can bring her to the factory for her to start her new torture."


    Michelle pped her hands together like a child who had just been given her favorite candy.


    Meanwhile, Anastasia¡¯s hands were clenched tightly together as she gnashed her teeth together in rage.


    They were going to take her to the factory to startying out babies like she was some chicken.


    "That¡¯s great! Anastasia truly deserves all that is happening to her now. And I¡¯m sure after all of these that¡¯s happening to her now, even after Xavier miraculously finds her, I¡¯m sure he would be disgusted with her," said Michelle.


    Anastasia stiffened at Michelle¡¯s words. She hadn¡¯t thought of what the future held once she¡¯d escaped from there. She looked at her hands and the clothes she was wearing. She was already disgusted with herself, talking more of her husband.


    He might not even be able toy his eyes on her without barfing in disgust.


    Michelle¡¯s words made her feel a sense of insecurity. Now, she wondered if returning to her husband was a good decision.


    She¡¯d been kept in the house for close to two months now and there were no signs of him infiltrating the area. He might have already given up the search for her because she was already a disgusting piece of trash.


    Tears pooled in her eyes as those thoughts flooded her mind.


    Samantha gave Michelle azy look,pletely unamused by Xander¡¯s decision. She was merely working for him and didn¡¯t object to any of his decisions.


    "I¡¯ll go change before checking the girls," said Samantha. Michelle snorted at her as she left.


    Anastasia kept herself squeezing in the tight space until Samantha was no longer in sight.


    Since Michelle was facing Xander, making it difficult for him to see her, Anastasia immediately grabbed her opportunity and left from there.


    Her heart continued to thump in her chest when she got to her room, opened the door, and closed it right behind her.


    She¡¯d acquired too much information tonight like how she was going to be turned into some baby-making machine.


    "I need to get out of here...I need to get out of here." She repeated to herself as sheced around the room. "I need to get out of here!" She cried.

 Chapter 327: The Hospital

    "And don¡¯t waste my time," Samantha added before stepping out of the room.


    Anastasia quickly rushed to close the doors as she clutched her tender heart.


    Last night, Xander had requested Samantha to take Anastasia to the hospital to get checked for any kinds of diseases since while the men were having fun with her, they never used protection.


    Anastasia took a sharp breath, her eyes closed as she tried to calm her heartbeat. When she was ready, she quickly got into the bathroom and took a shower.


    Downstairs, Michelle was watching some kind of a fashion show as usual. When she saw Samantha stepping down from the stairs, a grin yed on her lips but she didn¡¯t say anything.


    Her whole attention was now on Samantha, but thetter didn¡¯t pay her any mind at all. She turned to leave the house and Michelle¡¯s eyes lingered on Samantha¡¯s butt.


    Her eyes narrowed as jealousy filled her heart at that moment.


    Samantha was way thicker than her in the right ces, and that made her furious.


    A few minutester, she saw Anastasia stepping out as well. Both of them shared a look and Michelle became ufortable with the way Anastasia always looked at her these past few days¡ªa constant feeling that Anastasia might have already regained her memories.


    Her eyes also lingered on Anastasia¡¯s butt which was almost as thick as Samantha¡¯s, but more thicker than hers.


    "Why does the two women I despise in my life just have to be gifted in the right ces," she wondered as she gripped the TV remote with the urge to smash it.


    Anastasia got into the car, and just as Michelle had done earlier when she¡¯d taken her to an unknown part where she¡¯d met Julian, Samantha blindfolded her so she wouldn¡¯t get to remember the street names andndmarks as they headed to their destination.


    The blindfold was thick, making itpletely impossible for her to even see any light.


    They finally arrived at their location after a few hours of the ride, making Anastasia wonder just how far they were from the house and how far the house was from civilization.


    Samantha untied the blindfold, permitting Anastasia good vision again.


    Anastasia¡¯s jaws dropped when she saw the people that oozed in and out of the hospital.


    Ever since she¡¯d woken up from hera, she¡¯d never seen that many people in her life, and the hope to escape that¡¯d died some days ago became alive again.


    There were so many people that she could <i>identally</i> get lost and use the opportunity to escape. She nced around, and she saw more civilians.


    Her heart skipped several beats at once and she wished she was already out of the car.


    "Wear this." Samantha threw her some clothes.


    Anastasia stared at the ck joggers and red top. The fabric was so soft under her touch that she¡¯d forgotten that there were clothes other than the rags she¡¯d been wearing for the past month.


    "I want you to change into that as quickly as possible."


    And then Samantha left the car, and so did the driver and the two men in the front, giving her space to change. Anastasia wondered if the reason Samantha was giving her new clothes was because she needed her to blend in and not look like some lost and found while she was getting checked.


    Either way, Anastasia dly wore the clothes. Just when she was about to open the car, Samantha had already opened it.


    "Wear these too." She threw some sunsses and a ck nose mask, definitely to hide her true identity.


    Anastasia was obedient as she wore the items before stepping out.


    She breathed in the air. It was fresh without any sign of torture or pain, something better than what she inhaled back in the house.


    She felt Samantha gently grab her hand as she pulled her into the hospital.


    Anastasia wondered if she took off the items on her face, would someone be able to recognize her?


    Samantha directed her until they arrived at the supposed doctor¡¯s office where she would get her tests taken.


    And when her eyesid on the doctor¡¯s face, her heart fell into her stomach because the person in the white coat was none other than Mr. Steven, the man who¡¯d brought Angelina¡¯s body out from the forest during the crimson hunt game.


    Samantha¡¯s grip on Anastasia surprisingly tightened.


    "I know you must be thinking of ways to escape from here. But I would advise you to think twice about that."

 Chapter 328: Discreet Plan

    The two men that¡¯d been with them were right behind Samantha, their gaze also on her.


    If Mr Steven was the doctor Samantha had brought her to, could there be a chance that some other people from the Crimson Hunt game were in the hospital?


    It does look like a normal hospital with normal patience but that didn¡¯t mean that people from the underground business world weren¡¯t present there.


    If Mr. Steven was a doctor there, then for sure, more people held positions in the hospital.


    Anastasia had thought since she was here, at least she could try to escape again.


    Anxiety gripped her, making her unable to part her lips and voice out the excuse she had in mind to get out of there.


    Gulping down her saliva, she unclenched her fists.


    "I need to go use the restroom," she said.


    Samantha¡¯s re on her back seemed to have only sharpened, making goosebumps rise on her skin.


    "You can go ahead."


    Anastasia was a little surprised when she heard Samantha, but she didn¡¯t waste a second and stood up from her seat and headed for the door.


    "But they¡¯re going with you. I have someone I want to discuss with before the test resultse out," Samantha added.


    Anastasia wasn¡¯t surprised at all that Samantha wanted her henchmen to watch her.


    She nodded in understanding with her head bowed low.


    "And don¡¯t even think of trying to escape."


    Anastasia nodded once again.


    Samantha stepped out of the room first, followed by Anastasia and the two men who led her towards the bathroom.


    Anastasia stepped inside, while the henchmen waited for her outside. She scanned the restroom but didn¡¯t see anyone inside.


    There were no windows there she could easily squeeze herself in and escape.


    Anastasia sighed in disappointment.


    She made use of the bathroom and came out, but surprisingly, she didn¡¯t meet the two men Samantha had ordered to watch her.


    Her heart nearly leaped out of her chest when she searched and searched but still, she didn¡¯t see them.


    "This is my chance," Anastasia mumbled to herself. She saw a couple that were pushing a baby on a stroller and slightly wondered if there was a chance they got that baby from the baby-making factory Xander owned.


    Either way, she pretended to be theplete opposite of a sex ve and walked up to them.


    "Excuse me, please what city are we in?" She asked.


    The couple started by giving her a scrutinizing gaze, sizing her from head to toe before sharing a look.


    "We¡¯re in Xattlewood," the woman replied, still sizing her up. "Are you not from here?"


    "Ah...I¡¯m not," Anastasia said, forcing an awkward smile on her lips. "Thank you."


    She immediately turned to leave while the couple whispered some hushed words behind her.


    If the henchmen were no longer around, it could only mean they were watching her discreetly. Of course with a chance like this, she would think of escaping, and then she would be caught and punished mercilessly.


    Anastasia wanted to smirk at Samantha¡¯s n to get her caught before she could even escape but it wasn¡¯t like her situation had be better.


    Anastasia decided to walk back to Mr. Steven¡¯s office. However, when she came across a camera, she intentionally took off the sunsses and nose mask and faced the cameras for a few seconds, then turned for any nearby cameras to get a good angle of her face before she put the items back and walked away.


    **


    A man was seated in a dimly lit room, his legs crossed against each other as he stared at the picture in his hand.


    His other hand brought the cigarette to his lips and took a huge puff before he released the white smoke. His eyes lingered on the picture of thedy in his hands before he kept it aside.


    Then he picked up his phone to make a call.


    "I don¡¯t want her to be there. Xander shouldn¡¯t be suffering her all because of acrime his brothermitted in the past."


    The person from the other line chuckled.


    "And what do you n to do? It¡¯s not like Xander is going to listen to whatever you say."


    Julian sighed, roughly pinching the skin between his eyebrows.


    "I want to get her out of there."


    "I would advise you to think twice before you make such a decision, Julian. Xander is not the kind of person who would appreciate you interfering in his revenge, and I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t need to remind you of the consequences of your actions if you¡¯ve already made up your mind."


    "Xander is just one person, I¡¯m sure I can handle him," Julian replied.


    "Wow! You¡¯re willing to defy your former best friend because of a woman. Now, tell me, what makes Anastasia so special?"

 Chapter 329: Father And Daughter

    "Anastasia¡¯s husband is looking for her, and from the looks of things, it¡¯s going to take him a while before he finds her, and now, you want to help his wife escape. Why?" Alex questioned.


    "I felt something when I saw her the first time."


    Alex scoffed unimpressed. "You¡¯re not some teenage boy that experiences love at first sight, Julian. I¡¯m not saying you can¡¯t help her escape and all that, but if Xander finds out about that, you would be in big trouble. Unless..." He trailed off, letting Julianplete his sentence.


    "...we fake her death."


    "That¡¯s right, because if Xander or anyone from his n finds out about this, who knows what he might do to you? Wait a second first, what suddenly made you want to help her escape?" Alex asked, recalling he hadn¡¯t asked that question yet.


    Julian sighed exasperatedly due to Alex¡¯s constant questions. "He wants to take her to the baby-making factory after I had already decided to buy her," he replied, crushing the cigarette on a silver ashtray.


    "And what will your daughter think when you see her bring a random woman into your house?"


    "You ask way too many questions, Alex!" Julian snapped. "I only called you to help me clear any trace of her so Xander won¡¯t find her."


    "And her husband?" Alex asked.


    Julian ignored Alex¡¯s question. "Are you going to help me or not?"


    Julian could hear Alex sigh from the other line before he finally replied. "Like I have a choice. Just let me know when you want to get into action."


    Julian hung up on the call and ced his phone away.


    He picked up Anastasia¡¯s picture once again to look at it. "Love at first sight? That¡¯s rubbish!" He pulled open one of his drawers and kept the picture hidden. He stood up from his chair and headed out of the room.


    Just when he was about to climb down the stairs, a little girl hugged his legs.


    "Daddy!!" She called, her high-pitched voice hitting his eardrums aggressively but he endured it and gave his daughter a warm smile.


    "Yes baby," He said, picking her up.


    "Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re leaving again. It¡¯s almost time for dinner and you promised to eat with me today." The young girl pouted her lips in disappointment and the smile on Julian¡¯s lips only stretched further.


    "Of course not baby. I was just heading to the dining table. I thought you were already there," he replied, pecking her on the cheeks, and instantly, she became happy again.


    The girl held her father close until they got to the dining table where several dishes had already been served and waiting to be cleared by them.


    "Thanks," Julian said to the middle-aged servant who was on standby in case they needed anything.


    The woman nodded in pleasure as Julian helped his daughter, Emma, to her seat.


    "How was school today?" He asked Emma.


    "Our teachers decided to have a PTA meeting this session. But you¡¯re always busy at work so before you promise you¡¯ll attend, I know you won¡¯t," Emma replied, shoving some portion of food into her mouth.


    Julian paused when at her words. He was ashamed of himself for not being able to be there for his daughter since the death of her mother.


    "This is why I miss mummy. She could havee instead of you when you were so busy," she added.


    The dining table became silent with not a single sound being heard.


    The servant noticed the change in atmosphere and quickly interjected.


    "Emma, you shouldn¡¯t talk to your father like that. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s trying his best to manage his schedule," she said.


    Julian gestured to the servant, letting her know he could handle the matter.


    This wasn¡¯t the first time his daughter had said such a thing. She was just a six-year-old girl who got back from school one day and heard her mother was no more when she was five.


    It¡¯d been a whole year and it was normal that she still hadn¡¯t gotten used to the absence of her mother.


    "Emma," Julian called, reaching out for her hand from across the table. "I know it must have been difficult for you, but I promise you, I¡¯ll be avable to attend the PTA meeting."


    Emma squinted her eyes at her father, not sure if she should believe him or not.


    Either way, she merely shrugged with a small smile on her lips.


    "And I¡¯ll be waiting for you in school," she replied.

 Chapter 330: It Is Time

    From what she¡¯d read in the file when she¡¯d snuck into Samantha¡¯s room, the women were nearly treated like queens,pared to the hellhole of a house she was currently in.


    Most girls would rather choose to be a surrogate mother than to be a sex ve because of the treatment they received, but at the end of the day, there was no freedom to be given.


    Although it may seem to be a worthy opportunity, Anastasia still despised the thought of them making use of her womb as some form of money-making machine.


    The girl sighed, her voice carrying a strange mix of bitterness and resignation. "At least over there, you¡¯ll get to eat healthy food. And it¡¯s a big ce¡ªyou¡¯ll be allowed to walk around if you end up pregnant with a client¡¯s child." She looked down, fidgeting with her hands. "Unlike here. If you so much as get close to the gate, there¡¯s a high chance they¡¯ll gun you down without a second thought."


    "I agree," said Eve, patting Anastasia on the shoulder. "That ce is better than here. From what I¡¯ve heard from the girls before they were sent there, Samantha guaranteed that they would be taken care of."


    "I doubt that. Samantha and Xander are doing this to get revenge and I doubt they would treat me the same way they¡¯re treating the women over there. I¡¯m sure mine will be different."


    The girls became silent because they knew the truth in Anastasia¡¯s words.


    They were well aware that Xander kidnapped Anastasia because of his revenge, so all they could do was sigh and silently pray Anastasia was treated right.


    Anastasia turned to look at Avery who was munching on some cookies and Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but wonder where she¡¯d gotten them from.


    Samantha was very strict with their diets, so she was never allowed to take anything sugary that would interfere with their weight loss.


    However, Anastasia couldn¡¯t be bothered with what the girl was doing.


    "Anastasia! Let¡¯s go!" Anastasia suddenly heard. She turned to look at the person that¡¯s called her. It was none other than Samantha, with Tibo and Turac and then a few other men right behind her.


    "Go where?" She asked, confusionced in her tone.


    "It¡¯s time for you to go to the factory," Samantha replied, signaling the men to drag her up.


    The girls immediately became rmed but froze because there was nothing they could do.


    "Wait, what?" Anastasia¡¯s eyes widened in rm as she struggled against the men holding her. Panic surged through her, but they were far stronger than she was. It had only been a few days since their visit to the hospital, where tests had revealed she had some infections. Mr. Steven had prescribed medication, assuring her it would cleanse her system in a matter of days.


    She¡¯d thought Samantha would at least give her a heads-up on the day they would be leaving. She hadn¡¯t expected her to have her henchmen drag her around like some toy, stretching all her limbs.


    Avery pped her hands in satisfaction when she saw Anastasia being dragged away.


    Anastasia didn¡¯t want to fight them any longer to be free, but either way, they continued to drag her away from there like some thief while the girls tried to stay close but not close enough to have Samantha snapping at them furiously.


    "Please!!" She pleaded.


    "You¡¯re going to your new home now? That was sooner than I thought but I guess that¡¯s what you deserve." She heard Michelle say, but Anastasia couldn¡¯t bring herself to be bothered with what Michelle was going to say any further.


    Her future was no longer hers to have control of but deep down, Anastasia still wished there would be some kind of pity in Samantha¡¯s heart that would cause her to stop her henchmen, and even if she was going too far with her imagination, she would help her out of there and let her be free.


    Anastasia wanted to stop herself from hoping, it¡¯d never gotten her anywhere far.


    The henchmen shoved her into the car and banged the door close before she could even reach for it.


    She saw Eve waving her goodbye with tears rolling down her eyes.


    Eve had been another good friend she was able to make after the death of Angelina and Elizabeth, so Anastasia knew for sure she was going to miss the girl.


    Samantha got into the car and before they drove off, Anastasia saw Michelle and Avery sharing a smile before their gazes refocused on her.


    Something immediately dawned on her.


    What if Michelle and Avery were both working together?


    Anastasia banged at the car door, cursing at them, and before she knew it, everything went pitch ck as she slumped on the car seat.

 Chapter 331: Let Me Go

    When Anastasia¡¯s eyesnded on this so-called factory, her jaws immediately dropped.


    The ce didn¡¯t look anything like the kind of factory she had pictured at all.


    Factories were usually grimy, with thick pipes overhead spewing dark smoke. But what stood before her was nothing like that¡ªit was spotless, sleek, and eerily efficient.


    What stood before her weren¡¯t just ordinary buildings¡ªthey were mansions, grand and beautifully constructed, scattered across the breathtakingndscape like they belonged in a luxury estate. It was nothing like what she imagined; the serene beauty shed with the horrors she knew awaited inside.


    Huge fountains were built everywhere with gooses swimming in them and a well-sculpted statue sitting at the top, looking extremely ethereal.


    Flowers were nted in open spaces, and Anastasia could spot a few women with baby bumps gently caressing them as they whispered some words as if they were telling their unborn child a story.


    The pregnant women were dressed in either pink or blue gowns which seemed to have a connection with the gender of the child they were carrying.


    Otherdies who wore white gowns were standing beside them. They seemed to be the nurses who assisted the expecting mothers with a few things because Anastasia just spotted one of them grabbing a chair for one of the pregnant women.


    They were served healthy-looking food and the aroma kissed Anastasia¡¯s nose, tempting her to walk over there and snatch it immediately.


    Her mouth watered at the aroma, but she swallowed her saliva as if that would keep her hunger in ce.


    "Are you done looking now?" Samantha questioned, scowling at her. It was only at that moment Samantha realized she¡¯d been staring for too long already. "Let¡¯s go." At the end of her words, Tibo and Turac snatched her arm and dragged her inside.


    Like in the house, Anastasia didn¡¯t want to struggle since it was already toote but they kept making use of the unnecessary physical force to pull her away.


    They attracted the attention of several people. They didn¡¯t seem surprised because it couldn¡¯t be the first time a new woman was being brought there¡ªthat was how they were all brought there anyway.


    When they recognized Samantha, everyone immediately stood and gave her a bow as she walked past them.


    ¡¯She has so much power here,¡¯ Anastasia thought to herself.


    Samantha didn¡¯t bother to greet any of the girls until they entered one of the houses. Anastasia¡¯s eyes caught several security guards that looked cleaner than the ones at the house, carrying heavily loaded guns in their arms.


    They looked buffed and intimidating, so Anastasia quickly turned her head away.


    As soon as she stepped inside one of the mansions, Anastasia thought she couldn¡¯t breathe anymore because of how exquisitely built it was.


    Chandeliers hung on the ceilings, emitting several bright lights that nearly blinded her.


    Several couches and tables were neatly kept and arge TV was put up for anyone to watch a movie.


    Anastasia watched as the women¡¯s legs were crossed on a bench as they munched on a few snacks while they watched TV.


    Just like the ones that were chilling outside, as soon as they sighted Samantha, they quickly stood up and paid her some respect by bowing.


    It suddenly felt like some peasants were weing their queen who didn¡¯t bother to spare them any nce.


    Anastasia¡¯s eyes lingered on their snacks, truly wishing her tongue was long enough to reach the te and snatch some for herself.


    Ever since she¡¯d been living in a ve house, she¡¯d never felt this hungry because the food Samantha served them was always nd, and it looked nothingpared to the ones those women were munching now.


    Sighing, Anastasia decided to just forget anything regarding food for now.


    She was in a new environment and she needed to know her way around here.


    Samantha continued to lead them until she opened the door and Tibo and Turac pushed her inside the room.


    Due to the surprise force, Ana ended up falling to the ground but she quickly picked herself up and stood.


    The room was notrge but it was bigger than the one she had in the house.


    There was a normal-sized bed sitting on the ground with a small couch and a table. There was another door attached to the room which seemed to be the bathroom.


    "You¡¯re lucky you don¡¯t get to do anything for the next few days until we get a client whose child you are going to carry," said Samantha.


    She turned on her heels to leave but Anastasia stopped her. "Wait," and she halted. "Samantha," Anastasia called ever so gently. "Please, can you let me go?"

 Chapter 332: Nice Fellow Women?

    "You¡¯ve been held hostage for two months already... oh wait, let¡¯s make it four months," Samantha said with a smirk, her arms crossed over her chest. "That¡¯s plenty of time for you to realize there¡¯s no way out of here, no matter how hard you try. And if you do..." she leaned in closer, her voice dripping with venom, "I¡¯ll happily make sure you¡¯re punished just likest time."


    All the hairs on Anastasia¡¯s back stood on end, a chill creeping down her spine as Samantha¡¯s words sank in.


    Not that she was surprised by Samantha¡¯s words, but the way she spoke about punishment made it clear she had something even harsher in mind. Something more twisted, and it seemed she was eagerly waiting for Anastasia to make the slightest mistake.


    Looking at Samantha now, Anastasia was beginning to wonder if she, Michelle, and Xander were humans.


    "Xander told me that Xavier took someone precious away from him. Was it his wife, girlfriend, or perhaps a child?"


    "And why do you want to know that?" Samantha snapped, making Anastasia flinch. "Are you perhaps going to revive the body of the girl?" Anastasia immediately shook her head. "Then don¡¯t ask such baseless questions. You get some free time so you can leave this room and familiarize yourself with others. Maybe one of them will give you some hope before I crush it again."


    Samantha chuckled so darkly that it sent a chill down Anastasia¡¯s spine.


    Without another word being said, Samantha turned on her heels and left the room. She didn¡¯t lock it, which meant she was really serious when she permitted Anastasia to leave and interact with her fellow women.


    Ana scanned the room for any CCTV cameras and she spotted one just above the tiny closet. It gleamed a red color, signifying it was recording her movements.


    Anastasia walked towards the window that could barely fit a child, talk more of an adult, and the view that weed her was nothing more than a swimming pool section where she saw some other women chilling under the sunset. Anastasia hadn¡¯t been counting, but if she was to guess the number of pregnant women she¡¯d seen since she stepped out of the car, they would amount to a hundred.


    Sighing, she decided to leave and grab something to eat.


    As Anastasia searched for the kitchen, she encountered several women who were stealing nces at her as if she was an alien that¡¯d justnded from space. Likethey hadn¡¯t just seen Samantha¡¯s henchmen dragging her inside.


    Every single corner, Anastasia would spot a heavily armed man. She¡¯d thought the house was heavily guarded, but the <i>factory</i> was worse.


    "Do you need anything?" A woman tapped Anastasia¡¯s shoulder, making her jolt.


    She was wearing a pink gown with a nurse standing beside her to assist her with anything. Her baby bump was so huge it seemed she would give birth anytime soon.


    She had blonde hair and stunning gray eyes that made her look ethereal. The way she smiled at Anastasia made warmth creep into her heart.


    "I was looking for the kitchen. You see, I¡¯m extremely hungry," she responded.


    "Since you¡¯re hungry, I can get you something to eat," said the nurse who was standing beside the heavily pregnant woman. "What would you like to have?"


    "Anything," Anastasia replied as soon as that question was asked.


    It was already evening and the only thing she had for breakfast were wet vegetables with a ss of milk¡ªa terriblebination.


    The nurse gave her a warm smile before she excused herself to get Anastasia food.


    "Let¡¯s go to the poolside," said the blonde woman. They walked past some women who continued to nce at Anastasia with an odd expression.


    However, Anastasia couldn¡¯t be bothered with them. She didn¡¯t dare make eye contact with them because all she could see was them turning into some delicious delicacy.


    "What about the nurse? Won¡¯t she be looking for you?" She asked.


    "Oh, we were both heading to the poolside anyway so I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll know that¡¯s where I¡¯ll be."


    When they arrived near the pool, the pregnantdy settled on a pool lounger, with Anastasia sitting beside her.


    "Aren¡¯t you the new girl that was brought here earlier by Ms. Samantha?" Ady asked, looking into Anastasia¡¯s eyes so deeply as if she wanted to read her thoughts.


    Anastasia nodded. "Yes, I am."


    "I see, wee, wee," she said so cheerfully as if Anastasia was to jump up and p her hands like a little child. "I know you must be shocked right now, but don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll take care of you."


    Although they seemed nice, Anastasia wasn¡¯t going to let her eyes deceive her.

 Chapter 333: A Lead

    Due to her mistakes in the past when Anastasia had first been lost, Tracie had been in charge of looking after her while Xavier got rid of the assassins. And just a few months ago, Tracie had been in charge of taking care of her little sister, but she believed she¡¯d failed.


    She believed she could have been the one kidnapped instead of Anastasia and her unborn child. If only she knew there was no more unborn child to begin with.


    "I¡¯m fine, mother," Tracie replied, deciding to do something else while her mother¡¯s eyes lingered on her, immediately detecting she was lying.


    But what could she do? She couldn¡¯t possibly order Tracie to stop ming herself and thetter would obey. She was strong-headed after all, especially since the same thing had happened in the past.


    "This is why Kiel didn¡¯t let you join the search for Anastasia," Kael said from the living room, intentionally rubbing salt on her wounds.


    She scowled at him.


    "You¡¯re letting your emotions get the best of you," he added, aware of what exactly he was doing.


    "What¡ª"


    "That¡¯s enough!" Jeffrey quickly interjected as he climbed down the stairs. "You two can¡¯t be fighting at a time like this. And Kael, that¡¯s not the way to talk to your sister."


    Kael simply nodded his head before facing the television once again.


    "And you..." He turned to face Tracie who was already starting to tear up. "Stop ming yourself for once."


    They had only just reunited with their long-lost family member, and now she was gone again after less than six months. Every one of them burned with anger, eager to get their hands on Xander and make him pay for what he had done to Anastasia¡ªand for unting her suffering on social media.


    Thanks to Xavier, those clips wouldn¡¯tst for half an hour before it was permanently deleted with the help of his tech team.


    Everyone grew silent as their thoughts wandered from one ce to the next.


    A few secondster, a shadow appeared at the entrance, followed by Xavier stepping inside. His usual sharp appearance was gone¡ªstubble lined his jaw, his clothes were wrinkled, and his hair was disheveled from the countless times he¡¯d run his fingers through it.


    "Mother, father," he greeted and they nodded in acknowledgement.


    "What are you doing here?" Nora asked.


    "I was supposed to see Ezekiel here. I asked him to search for someone for me and he has found the person," Xavier replied,bing his hair with his fingers before coughing aggressively.


    Nora quickly stepped back into the kitchen and grabbed him a ss of water. She handed it to him and he swallowed the water in three powerful gulps.


    "Wait, who did you ask him to look for you?" Jeffrey asked, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.


    "Bruce rie," Ezekiel replied as he stepped into the living room. Not only Jeffrey¡¯s but Nora¡¯ eyes widened in unbelievable shock.


    "It¡¯s been years ago, and I thought you should know this," Xavier started, looking at Jeffrey now. "The day Xander used me of killing Arabe, Bruce rie was with my father at that time. After I was bailed out from jail, I questioned him where Xander was, he said Xander would be living with Bruce."


    The more Xavier spoke, the more the confusion on Jeffrey¡¯s face deepened as he tried to understand what Xavier was saying.


    "ording to my father, Bruce had adopted Xander at that time," he finished.


    Jeffrey shared a look with his wife, and the same thing ran through their mind.


    "Your father was almost killed by Bruce in the past," said Jeffrey. "Bruce threatened to kill Thomas if I didn¡¯t give up everything I had in the past to save him."


    "If Bruce had adopted Xander in the past, and you said you saw him years ago with your father at the hospital when Arabe died, could it be that your father is working with Bruce?" Kael asked what had been going through the mind of both Nora and Jeffrey.


    "Did Mr. Wace and Bruce, together with Xander, get Anastasia kidnapped?" Tracie asked this time around.


    "We can¡¯t jump to any kind of conclusion," said Ezekiel. "Anastasia is still Mr. Wace¡¯s daughter-inw."


    "But what was he doing with Bruce, the same man that had threatened to kill him and his father many years ago?" No one had an answer to that question, not even Xavier.


    If only they knew Mr. Wace¡¯s n all along was to just destroy the rk household as his way of getting revenge on Jeffrey.


    After several months of trying to look for Anastasia, they finally got a lead on her disappearance.


    But it wasn¡¯t a fortunate one.


    Xavier didn¡¯t want to believe his very own father could be rted to Anastasia¡¯s kidnapping. The odds were almost impossible.

 Chapter 334: Time To Look For Fiona

    Ever since he asked his father about Xander, Xavier never saw Bruce and his father together. Neither did he see Xander until thetter came from out of nowhere and snatched his wife away to somewhere he didn¡¯t know.


    "Since that¡¯s the case, we don¡¯t need to question him. If he finds out we¡¯re suspecting him of being in cohorts with Xander, he might decide to go into


    hiding and we¡¯ll never see him again."


    Ezekiel nodded in understanding. "I¡¯ve already asked my men to keep an eye on him. We¡¯ll monitor him for now and wait to see if Xander pays him any visit."


    "But we can¡¯t just sit and watch now, can we?" Tracie interjected. "And also, Bruce is not the only one we need to keep an eye on." She didn¡¯t have to say the name for everyone to know whom she was talking about.


    Xavier knew he needed to keep an eye on his father, and he¡¯d made a mental note to do so. Each time he recalled how his father had demanded he forget about Anastasia simply made his blood boil. However, this could just be a coincidence. It still wasn¡¯t enough to prove that his father was working with Bruce.


    And if he was, Xander wasn¡¯t sure what he was going to do to his father...


    "You don¡¯t have to worry about that," he assured her.


    Tracie cleared her throat.


    "I want to officially partake in the search for Anastasia," she suddenly announced, catching them off guard.


    After waking up in the hospital a few days after the incident took ce, Tracie had be more isted than she¡¯d been.


    "I know my help probably wouldn¡¯t make a difference but I just want to do something instead of just staying home and crying all the time."


    A grin yed on Ezekiel¡¯s lips as he stared at her.


    "You¡¯re talking like you need some kind of an official permit before you can join in the search."


    "Shut up." She muttered.


    A smile graced Ezekiel¡¯s lips, happy that Tracie was willing toe out of her cage now. But that smile faltered when he realized something.


    "Xavier, regarding Arabe, was her killer ever caught?" He asked with curiosityced in his tone.


    Xavier shook his head. "They were never found and the case was closed the day my father bailed me from prison. I wonder who could have killed her and put the me on me."


    "Did she have any enemies in high school?" Kael asked this time.


    "Onlypetitors since she was the most intelligent girl in our ss. And even if she did, I don¡¯t think they would go as far as killing her. Years ago, I tried to get my father to check for any CCTV cameras in the area but unfortunately, there weren¡¯t. And the worst part of it, there were no eyewitnesses," he exined.


    "That¡¯s odd," Ezekiel mumbled.


    Before the separation of the rk and the Wace families, Ezekiel and Tracie had met and heard of Arabe a couple of times since they¡¯d all been childhood friends. But after the separation, their father forbade them from being friends with the Wace children and even their friends. So hearing Arabe die from out of nowhere was not only shocking but also suspicious.


    "I tried asking my ssmates back then if they knew anyone that held a grudge against Arabe, and they mentioned Fiona because she was jealous Arabe was dating Xander."


    "Did you get the chance to speak with her?" Tracie questioned and Xavier shook his head.


    "I texted her a few times asking for us to meet and talk. She read them but never replied. She stoppeding to school too and a few dayster, I heard her family had traveled out of the country for her to continue her education abroad."


    "What the¡ªshe knows something," Tracie confirmed. "Or perhaps she¡¯d the one that killed Arabe."


    Xavier gave it some thought before he shook his head in denial. "I don¡¯t think so. Arabe was stabbed several times in the stomach, and her fingers were cut off too. It¡¯s something too gruesome for Fiona to do."


    "Her family is rich! She could have had her father order his men to get rid of Arabe for her all in the name of jealousy." Tracie scoffed at the end of her words. "We need to find her and get her jailed immediately for what she¡¯d done."


    "And once again, you¡¯re jumping into conclusions. We can¡¯t be sure of anything until we do our research first," said Ezekiel.


    "In that case, I¡¯ll be in charge of looking for Fiona while the both of you continue searching for Anastasia, because I¡¯m sure whoever changed the fingerprints on Arabe¡¯s body did that so that there would be a cold war between you and Xander," she responded, looking more determined than they¡¯d ever seen her.

 Chapter 335: Don’t Joke

    "That¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll get strong so I will be able to carry you wherever you want to go," she responded, earning a chuckle from him.


    Alex took her back to her seat, sharing a look with Julian.


    "Emma, since you¡¯re done with your food, why don¡¯t you go with the nanny and y some games," said Julian, calling the woman.


    "Okay," she replied. The nanny came and took Emma away, leaving Alex and Julian to discuss whatever they wanted to talk about.


    "Where¡¯s my portion of the food?" Alex asked, earning a raised eyebrow from Julian. "This isn¡¯t your first time in my house, Alex. If you want food, you can go and take it yourself."


    "No hospitality at all." Alex tsked as he walked into the kitchen and served himself a portion of food.


    Julian didn¡¯t have any servants who lived in the mansion except the nanny who took care of Emma whenever he was out for work. And then his bodyguards who would protect them in case they were under any attack.


    Alex came out from the kitchen and started inhaling the food as if he hadn¡¯t had anything to eat for a week. However, Julian wasn¡¯t surprised. That was how he¡¯d known Alex to eat his food as if he¡¯d slowed down even for the shortest time, the food would disappear from his sight.


    "Any update on the girl you want to help escape from Xander¡¯s clutches?" Alex asked as soon as he was done with his food, keeping the te aside.


    Julian darted his eyes between Alex and the te before a sigh escaped from his lips.


    "She¡¯s been sent to the factory, but the clients who¡¯ll be... well, involved, haven¡¯t arrived in the city yet," Julian replied, his tone clipped as he lifted a ss of his favorite orange juice to his lips, savoring the tangy distraction.


    Alex nodded in understanding. "And when exactly do you n to get her out of here?"


    "The day the clients head to the factory to see Anastasia," Julian muttered, setting his ss down with a determined glint in his eyes. "I¡¯ll go there now under the pretense of meeting Samantha. I need Anastasia to know I¡¯m working on getting her out of that ce."


    Alex was now the one cocking an eyebrow at Julian. "There are cameras over there. Wouldn¡¯t they suspect anything if they catch you speaking with this Anastasia of a woman?"


    "Leave that to me. I know how to go about it," he replied and Alex simply shrugged, rolling his fingers through his hair.


    "We still have a lot to discuss about this whole escaping of a thing, but you go do your stuff."


    "I¡¯ll be leaving now. Since I¡¯ll be gone for a while, stay here and keep Emmapany." Julian picked up the keys and left.


    "Hey! If you want me to babysit then at least pay me!"


    Julian turned to give him a weird look before shaking his head helplessly.


    He ignored Alex¡¯s ranting, got into his car, and zoomed off.


    The ride from Julian¡¯s home to the factory was long and tedious, taking a few hours as the facility was situated on the outskirts of Xattlewood. The roads became less paved and more secluded the farther he drove, a clear indication he was entering dangerous territory.


    When he arrived, it was alreadyte noon. He was allowed entrance into the factory since he was Xander¡¯s friend and his business associate.


    As always, many pregnant women were being treated with care. He ignored every single one of them who bowed and went in search of Samantha.


    While he¡¯d been on his way, he texted her and asked her where she was and she¡¯d given him her location saying she was at the factory.


    As he searched for Samantha, Julian stylishly searched for Anastasia as well but he didn¡¯t see her. He concluded that she could be in the other mansions.


    Julian stopped a nurse. "Where¡¯s Samantha?" He asked.


    The girl bowed before replying. "She¡¯s in the check-up section. Room 217."


    Julian departed from there to search for the said room. When he arrived, he saw Samantha nodding to the words of the doctor who was saying some words regarding the health condition of the surrogate who was lying on the bed.


    "The baby is healthy and in a few days she will be put to bed," the doctor concluded.


    Samantha smiled but it didn¡¯t touch her eyes at all. She petted the expecting mother on the back, expressing some words of encouragement before she left the ward to enter another. Then she made eye contact with Julian who¡¯d been staring at her longer than she would think.


    "What are you doing here?" She asked, as if ready to kick him out.


    "Why are you acting like I didn¡¯t text you I would be here soon?" He questioned her back. "Of course, I¡¯m here to see you." He joked.


    Samantha blinked at him, unable to believe her ears.


    "Really?" Xander asked from behind Julian.

 Chapter 336: Reasons

    "Then why are you here?" Samantha repeated her earlier question.


    Julian rarely visited the factory unless something came up."


    "One of the high-profile clients requested an update on their surrogate. I need to verify her status and make sure she¡¯s kept in line¡ªit¡¯s a delicate situation," he responded, which wasn¡¯tpletely a lie.


    Earlier that morning, he¡¯d received a phone call from one of the clients who would like to know the status of theirsurrogate. At first, Julian had wondered why the client hadn¡¯t contacted either Samantha or Xander, but he was d since he could use it as an excuse and get in touch with Anastasia to inform her of his n.


    The suspicion that clouded Samantha¡¯s face immediately vanished when she heard Julian¡¯s words.


    "Oh..."


    "What ward is the surrogate for the Salvador couple at?" Julian asked, silently relieved that Samantha didn¡¯t suspect him.


    "She¡¯s in the second mansion. If I¡¯m correct, it¡¯s Ward 135. Ask one of the nurses just to be sure," she replied.


    Julian nodded, shared a look with Xander, and excused himself while their gazes lingered at his back.


    Julian wasn¡¯t going to look for any surrogate, but he pretended to do so as his eyes scanned and scanned for Anastasia. He didn¡¯t want to result in searching all the other mansions just to find her.


    Just when he was about to climb up the flight of stairs just so he wouldn¡¯t miss her if he used an elevator, he saw hering out from the restroom.


    He didn¡¯t waste any time dragging her back inside, covering her mouth before she would yell out for everyone to hear.


    When Anastasia made eye contact with him, her eyes were in disbelief as she struggled harder to escape from his grip.


    "You need to stop that, or someone will hear us," Julian whispered urgently. His tone was firm but calming. "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to hurt you. I¡¯m only here to help you."


    Anastasia¡¯s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, her breathing heavy from the struggle. She hesitated for a moment before finally ceasing her movements.


    "I¡¯ll let you go," he continued, loosening his grip slightly, "but don¡¯t yell."


    She nodded in understanding, her wide eyes locking onto his, searching for any sign of deceit.


    Julian released his hold, and the moment he did, Anastasia took several cautious steps back, her body trembling as though he were a danger zone she needed to avoid at all costs.


    "What do you want from me?" Her eyes trembled as she asked those questions.


    Thest time she¡¯d seen Julian was at the crimson hunt when she¡¯d been vited by all those men ording to Samantha¡¯s orders. Seeing him standing in front of her made her think he would want something she wouldn¡¯t be able to give.


    As if he read her mind, Julian responded, "I don¡¯t want anything from you." Her frown deepened further. "I want to help you escape from here if you want me to." Anastasia didn¡¯t blink for the next few seconds that passed after he said those words, which worried Julian that she might be in a state of shock.


    He stepped closer to her but she only took further steps back. Luckily, the restroom wasrge so she had plenty of space to keep between them.


    She believed he was a trap that wasid by Samantha since thetter was so hungry to catch her plotting her escape so she¡¯d sent Julian.


    "I don¡¯t want to escape," she replied after thinking wildly.


    Julian was not shocked by her statement because he¡¯d already predicted that would be her answer.


    "I like this ce," she continued to lie, hoping Julian believed her and left her alone. She believed he would report their conversations to Samantha so she chose her words carefully. "I don¡¯t want to escape anymore."


    "You probably think this is a trap," Julian muttered, rubbing the back of his head as he searched for the right words to earn her trust. Anastasia didn¡¯t respond, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.


    "Well, it¡¯s not," he continued firmly. "I want you to get out of here, and I¡¯m not telling anyone¡ªneither should you. Here, take this."


    Julian reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, nondescript phone. "This is a burner phone. You¡¯re going to keep it with you at all times. Whenever I call, head to the nearest restroom and pick up¡ªthe bathrooms are the only ce without cameras."


    Anastasia stared at the phone in his outstretched hand, her hesitation palpable. She didn¡¯t trust him, but the faint glimmer of hope flickered in her eyes.


    Anastasia only understood hisst few words because even though she¡¯d been there for only a few days, she was already aware there were no cameras in the restrooms.


    Atleast they cared about not recording their private moment in the restroom.


    She stared at the phone that was in his hands, her thoughtspletely disoriented before looking up to him.


    "And why would you want to help me escape?" Anastasia¡¯s voice trembled, but her words carried weight. Her sharp gaze locked onto Julian. "You¡¯re involved in this illegal business. You¡¯re Xander¡¯s friend, so why are you helping me find freedom from here?"

 Chapter 337: Is He Believable?

    Anastasia wanted to believe him, but everything was moving too fast. Her mind raced with questions, doubts, and fears, tangling together into an overwhelming knot. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to trust him¡ªnot yet.


    "Once you¡¯re out of here, I can take you to your husband, Xavier, do you understand?" He asked her, but she made no attempts to nod or reply.


    This was Samantha and Xander¡¯s friend, after all. The same man who had once intended to buy her like she was somemodity at an auction. The same man who had smirked in amusement when Samantha recounted her failed escape attempt during the Crimson, treating her desperation as a punchline to a cruel joke.


    "Take this." He stretched out the phone towards her, and still, she didn¡¯t make any attempt to take it.


    She weighed the possibilities of what would happen if she decided to listen to Julian.


    Judging from his attire, Julian was rich and must have connections that would assist him in making her untraceable if she sessfully fled from here. He would bring her to her husband.


    <i>Husband. Dirty. Disgusted.</i>


    Michelle¡¯s words from the night Anastasia had snuck into Samantha¡¯s room echoed in her mind.


    She averted her mind away from the possibility of her husband epting her back.


    The worst-case scenario was clear: if Julian was indeed working with Samantha to bait her into trying to escape, it would be a death sentence. If she failed, the punishment would be unimaginably cruel¡ªperhaps even fatal if they deemed it necessary.


    Anastasia¡¯s heart pounded as her mind raced through the possibilities. She wanted to believe there was some truth in his words, some glimmer of hope in his offer, but the risks loomed toorge. Samantha¡¯s sadistic nature and Xander¡¯s ruthless control made failure too dangerous to even consider. Trusting Julian could very well mean sealing her own fate.


    If she were to be caught and killed, they had given her the freedom she desired.


    Slowly, Anastasia took the burner phone as if she was still contemting about the n.


    Julian sighed in relief after she took the phone from his hands.


    "We¡¯ve been here for too long. I¡¯ll be heading out. A couple of minutester, you cane out so no one finds anything suspicious," he exined and Anastasia vigorously nodded in understanding, her hands clenched on the phone as if it was the sliver of hope that kept her sane at the moment.


    Julian snuck out of the restroom after making sure no camera was positioned at the entrance of the restroom.


    Anastasia decided to open the phone, only to find one contact was saved on it. She assumed it must be Julian¡¯s phone number.


    A tear streamed down Anastasia¡¯s eyes. The only reason she¡¯d used the downstairs restroom was because her room was upstairs, and climbing those flights of stairs just to get to her room was a lot of work.


    Now, she wondered if she hadn¡¯t used this one, would Julian have seen her and offered to help her escape.


    Quickly, Anastasia kept the phone hidden in her bra. She was no longer wearing the ragged clothes she¡¯d worn when she¡¯d been brought there.


    She was currently wearing a simr gown to the surrogates, but hers was in purple with two front pockets but it would be stupid of her if she hid the phone in those pockets. So, she hid it in her bra.


    Just when Anastasia was about to step out, the same surrogate she¡¯d met on her first day barged into the restroom.


    "There you are, I thought you were lost again," the woman teased, her smile stretching on her lips.


    "Of course not, Nadine," Anastasia replied, subconsciously wiping off the sweat that coated her forehead. She was d she¡¯d hid the phone before Nadine would see it, else, she would be in trouble. "Let¡¯s go."


    Nadine¡¯s nurse was right outside and the trio left the restroom.


    They went to the garden to take in some evening fresh air before they retired for the night. Just like the house, the factory also had a curfew for the women and they were forbidden from going outside as from 9pm.


    They could still roam inside the house if they wanted to take some walks, but stepping outside the house after the curfew was activated was highly prohibited.


    Anastasia learned this from Nadine, who shocked Anastasia by telling her she¡¯d been in the factory, being a couple¡¯s surrogate for three whole years.


    All of a sudden, she saw the very same car she¡¯d been dropped off from on her first day. Two girls were dragged out, and once Anastasia¡¯s blue eyesnded on those familiar empty dark ones, a cold chill ran down her spine.

 Chapter 338: Psychopathic Girl

    Who wouldn¡¯t be d they were brought to the factory? If only they didn¡¯t use their womb to make money, then her views for therge estate would have been different.


    Both Avery and Eve were taken inside, probably to meet Samantha who would assign them to their rooms.


    "Hey, do you know any of those girls?" Nadine tapped Anastasia on the shoulder.


    She nodded. "That¡¯s Avery and Eve."


    "Who doesn¡¯t know Avery? That girl is a real maniac," a surrogate added, her eyes lingering at the entrance where the girls had disappeared with the henchmen.


    "You know Avery?" Anastasia asked,pletely surprised.


    "Of course," the surrogate woman responded. "You see, I¡¯ve been in this factory for about six months but before that, I was living in the same house with Avery and a few other girls for about a year or two. Believe me when I say that girl is a maniac."


    Anastasia frowned. "How long has Avery been a sex ve?"


    Another surrogate who¡¯d been eavesdropping on their conversation replied, "For about five years now. We were both brought up at the same time about five years ago. When I wasn¡¯t bought by any man, Samantha brought me here to be a surrogate. Avery was bought a few times, but was always returned due to one thing or the other."


    Now Anastasia, Nadine, and the otherdy frowned in confusion.


    "She was once returned because she kept acting like a crazy woman, creeping up on her master and watching him sleep. The man was terrified so he quickly returned her," she exined.


    "Oh, I remember that one," the first surrogate began, her toneced with unease. "There was a time she painted the walls with her blood and used another girl of doing it.


    "Samantha punished the poor girl by making her scrub the blood off and then bathe in the filthy water. Luckily for her, Samantha got distracted with something else and didn¡¯t follow through with her usual cruelty."


    She paused, her voice lowering as if afraid someone might overhear. "Another time, two other girls and I caught Avery holding a bloody knife. By the next morning, we found the body of the girl she¡¯d used. Not long after that, the two girls who were with me that night also died under suspicious circumstances."


    She shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. "I was lucky Samantha transferred me here. Otherwise, I¡¯m sure I¡¯d have met the same fate."


    Now, Nadine and Anastasia were the ones to feel disgusted.


    When Avery had tricked Anastasia into thinking she could help her escape, Avery had lied she¡¯d been in the house for only two years when it was five years. Not only that. She¡¯d been wasting the lives of other girls who were living under the same roof as her.


    It was unusual and disturbing at the same time, making Anastasia want to gag and throw up.


    "And Samantha never cared to investigate who killed those girls?" Nadine asked.


    "What was there to investigate?" the first surrogate said, her voice trembling slightly. "There was no proof. The cameras didn¡¯t catch anything, so there was nothing to follow up on. And after the two girls died¡ªbefore they even had the chance to speak¡ªI was too shaken to say anything about what I¡¯d seen that night."


    She paused, ncing around nervously as if Avery might appear at any moment. "I was terrified she¡¯de after me next, so I stayed out of her way. I avoided herpletely until the day I was transferred here."


    "Just great! Now we have a psychopathic girl who will be living in our midst," Nadine sighed, gently rubbing her baby bump.


    "If things don¡¯t go as nned as Samantha wants it, then she could still be transferred back," the first surrogate replied.


    Meanwhile, Anastasia was deep in her thoughts as their words hovered above her head.


    With no doubt, she knew having Avery near her would cause her trouble.


    However, why was the girl killing so many girls all for nothing? It wasn¡¯t like they were in some kind ofpetition with each other regarding who would be sold first¡ª


    Something immediately dawned on Anastasia.


    Avery had killed Elizabeth and Angelina who had a very good chance of getting sold during the night of the crimson. Anastasia also had a very good chance of getting sold the same night during the crimson, but Avery had tricked her, destroying her ns and which led her to getting punished.


    Anastasia turned to the first surrogate.


    "The girl that Avery killed with the bloody knife, was she up for sale?" She asked.


    The woman tried to recall her memories before she nodded. "Yes, the girl was up for sale. Although the two other girls who were with me that night weren¡¯t."


    "If that¡¯s the case, Avery only goes after girls that have a high chance of getting sold," Anastasia concluded.

 Chapter 339: Dangerous Girl

    It was the harsh reality that Anastasia was sure Eve knew about, but here she was, worrying about Anastasia when she should be worrying about herself.


    However, Anastasia felt touched by the woman¡¯s concern.


    "I¡¯ve been well actually. This ce is not as bad as I thought it would be," she responded.


    "I know right?"


    Eve stared at the beautifully hung chandeliers as a wide smile graced her lips.


    "This ce is great."


    Both of them decided to watch some movies. Anastasia noticed that the news channels were prohibited from essing, making it impossible to know what was going on in the outside world.


    The only channels they could ess were fashion shows, cooking shows, drama series, and most sis.


    The women didn¡¯t seem to have a problem with it, and even if they did, there was nothing they could do.


    Anastasia bid Eve and the others goodnight before heading to her room upstairs. She climbed the stairs when she suddenly felt a noticeable gaze behind her back.


    She turned slightly to steal a glimpse of that person, and her heart sank when she saw it was Avery.


    The girl stood frozen on the first staircase, her head slightly tilted, her downturned smile exuding an eerie aura that sent a cold shiver down Anastasia¡¯s spine.


    Anastasia snapped her head forward, choosing to ignore Avery. The girl couldn¡¯t harm her here, right in front of everyone.


    Heavily armed security men were stationed in every corner of the mansion, which would be difficult for Avery to bypass if she intended to hurt Anastasia.


    Anastasia¡¯s gaze darted to Avery¡¯s hands, scanning for any hint of a weapon. The surrogate¡¯s chilling story reyed in her mind, making her heart hammer wildly in her chest. She instinctively ced a hand over it, as if trying to calm the frantic rhythm.


    Avery wasn¡¯t moving, and something told Anastasia the girl was only going to move when she moved.


    She decided to calm herself and continue heading back to her room.


    As soon as her hands were ced on her doorknob, she felt Avery¡¯s gaze from the corners of her eyes.


    "You greeted Eve earlier, but you didn¡¯t even bother to look for me. Is something the matter Anastasia?" She heard Avery ask, and her stomach churned for an unknown reason.


    She had no idea why her limbs were trembling in fear as if Avery wasn¡¯t just a girl like herself. Or she probably wasn¡¯t.


    Avery was a psychopathic maniac driven by jealousy, deriving twisted pleasure from taking the lives of girls destined to be sold before her.


    Anastasia decided to ignore Avery as she attempted to push the door open and step inside, but the girl continued.


    "It¡¯s been five whole days since Ist saw you." Then Avery spread her arms wide open. "You¡¯re not even going to spare me a hug?"


    "Stop talking like we¡¯re long-time friends who are just seeing each other after a huge separation," Anastasia snapped.


    Avery tilted her head, a faint smirk of amusement ying on her lips.


    Avery decided to take a few steps toward Anastasia, her arms still wide open for a hug. "Why not? Aren¡¯t we best of friends?"


    "You¡¯d better stay away from me!" Anastasia warned, her voice trembling but firm. Avery froze mid-step, her hands slowly falling to her sides, a flicker of disappointment crossing her face.


    "You think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve been doing?" Anastasia¡¯s re was sharp enough to pierce steel, her tone brimming with barely contained rage. "You¡¯ve been here for five whole years, and you¡¯ve been killing the girls who are supposed to be sold only because they would be sold before you."


    Avery¡¯s lips curled upward, her smile a haunting contrast to the void in her eyes. "And?" she asked softly, tilting her head like she didn¡¯t have a care in the world.


    Her voice dropped into a mocking drawl, her hand theatrically resting on her chin as if deep in thought. "Why are you acting like what I did was the worst crime known to humanity? Ahh..." She paused, her tone turning yful. "You didn¡¯t know I was a wanted criminal before Xander captured me? Tsk, tsk, tsk... And here I thought you¡¯d figure that out after piecing together the deaths of those girls. I must say, I¡¯m impressed. You¡¯re a smart girl, I like that."


    Anastasia¡¯s stomach churned, her fists clenching as Avery¡¯s words hung heavy in the air.

 Chapter 340: Tracie At Work

    Since her arrival at the factory, Anastasia hadn¡¯t seen Michelle anywhere. For a brief moment, she considered the possibility that Michelle might not have ess to the ce. But then again, it was Michelle¡ªsomeone who always found a way to insert herself into Anastasia¡¯s suffering.


    The more likely reason for her absence, Anastasia thought, was that Michelle was busy plotting new ways to turn her life into an even darker nightmare.


    "Me? Working with Michelle? Why would you think such a thing?" Avery questioned back but that smirk still lingered faintly on her lips.


    She certainly wasn¡¯t denying the usation which only meant Anastasia was right. But how?


    Michelle was working with Avery¡ªa girl who murdered girls all because of jealousy¡ªjust to harm Anastasia.


    "I¡¯ve always thought you were dumb, but you keep proving me wrong," Avery said, stretching her arms as if winding down for the night. Her tone was casual, but her words carried a venom that made Anastasia¡¯s stomach twist.


    "What can I say? I itch to kill someone again, and you¡¯re my target." Avery¡¯s lips curved into a wicked smile. "I wonder how Xander and Samantha would react when they find your lifeless body tucked neatly under a bloody nket. Would they reward me? Or just discard you and move on like nothing happened?"


    Anastasia felt a cold wave of fear grip her, but she pressed her lips tightly, refusing to let them tremble.


    "But don¡¯t worry," Avery continued, her voice light, almost cheerful. "I don¡¯t feel like killing you anytime soon. Who knows? Maybe tomorrow. Maybe not. Sweet dreams."


    Then Avery turned to leave as if she was done talking with Anastasia for the night.


    "Good night and sleep with one eye open," she wished as she headed back down the stairs.


    Without wasting a second, Anastasia pushed the door open, entered, and closed it shut.


    She despised the way Avery could easily brag about her kills as if she was killing animals, animals whose lives were of no value.


    Avery had long been among the people she wanted to get revenge on when she seeded in fleeing from there. But now, Anastasia promised herself to make Avery suffer along with Michelle, Samantha, and Xander included.


    She promised to make their lives a living hell for them when she escaped.


    **


    mourwood Airport was bustling with people from different sections, be it people from the departure or arrival section. The airport bustled as people tried to get to their flight before it was toote.


    Tracie took off her sses when she recognized her target, the person she¡¯d been waiting for all day. It was Fiona, Xander¡¯s early years admirer and the same woman whom Xavier had tried to contact after the death of Arabe. She passed through the crowds with her bodyguards right behind her.


    Tracie spat out the gum she¡¯d been chewing into some waste bin as she followed behind Fiona.


    Immediately after deciding to be in charge of monitoring Fiona and getting some answers out of her, Tracie hacked into the airport system to find Fiona¡¯s flight who was justing back from another country after settling some business matters.


    Tracie quickly reached out to Fiona before thetter could enter her car and zoom off.


    "Fiona!" Tracie called and Fiona stopped in her tracks. She turned to look at Tracie, a glimmer of shock passing through her eyes before they disappeared. "I would like to talk to you."


    Fiona could see that her bodyguards were about to object, so she quickly stopped them.


    "It¡¯s alright," she said. She gave them an assuring look before she walked away with Tracie. "Tracie rk right? I¡¯m a huge fan of your work," she started but Tracie held out her hand forward, stopping her in her tracks.


    "I want to talk to you about something that urred two decades ago." Tracie brought out a picture and showed it to Fiona. As soon as Fiona¡¯s eyesnded on the picture, her face paled.


    Tracie immediately noticed the change in her expression and confirmed her suspicions against Fiona.


    "Judging from the look on your face, you recognize thedy in this picture."


    "What do you want from me?" Fiona questioned, immediately on guard now as she nced around to check if her bodyguards were still around or if Tracie had her men disguising themselves in the buzzing crowd.


    Fortunately, Tracie likes to work alone. She doesn¡¯t like having Ezekiel¡¯s men following her about all in the name of protection when she¡¯s a trained assassin.


    "I only want to ask you a few questions regarding the death of Arabe Santos. If you want, we can talk here or go to a private restaurant. Your choice."


    "I¡¯m not going anywhere with you," Fiona imed. "And I¡¯m not talking to you about anything."


    Tracie chuckled lightly. "Are you the one that killed Arabe Santos and pinned the me on Xavier Wace?"

 Chapter 341: More Puzzles To Solve

    Fiona had raised her voice a little higher, and her bodyguards were able to hear her difort and came rushing.


    "I didn¡¯t murder anyone," she repeated while Tracie¡¯s eyes narrowed at her, making it known she didn¡¯t believe a single word that came out from Fiona¡¯s lips. "So, please leave me alone." With that, Fiona walked away with her bodyguards to her car and they zoomed off.


    Tracie released a long sigh as she clicked her tongue in annoyance.


    From how things had turned out, it was obvious Fiona was going to keep her guard up from now on, and Tracie was d that would be happening.


    She loved breaking into ces and she couldn¡¯t wait to see what Fiona could be hiding.


    If it turned out Fiona wasn¡¯t the one that killed Arabe, then without a doubt, she knew something¡ªsomething she¡¯d kept buried within herself for over two decades and had refused to tell anyone about it.


    "This is going to take a while now," Tracie thought out loud, popping another gum into her mouth before she reached into her pocket to fetch her phone.


    She dialed the number and after a few rings, the other person immediately picked up the call.


    "I can tell you one thing for sure, she¡¯s high on alert," she informed.


    Ezekiel pinched the skin between his eyebrows.


    "What did you do?" He asked, already having an idea of her past moves.


    "I walked up to her and asked her why she killed Arabe then pinned the me on Xavier. What was I supposed to do?" Tracie nearly snapped but held back her tone.


    "Because of what you did, she¡¯s going to start guarding herself and watching out. She might even inform her father. Remember, her father was once themander in chief back in his day and we wouldn¡¯t want to start up any trouble."


    "And so what if we do? If he decides to send all of his army to us, we can still defeat them," Tracie replied nonchntly, definitely unbothered by what she¡¯d done.


    Ezekiel sighed tirelessly. Nothing he said would make her think twice before making any drastic move, that was for sure.


    Tracie liked to get her things done fast no matter the route she took, most especially when the task was important.


    "Alright, but please, don¡¯t treat her like she¡¯s the actual killer," he urged, his tone calm but firm. "She might be a witness to what happened that night, something no one else knows. Instead of pressuring her, try coaxing the truth out of her. Be patient."


    He nced at Xavier, who was silently focused on brewing another pot of coffee, his expression unreadable.


    Tracie released a huff before she replied, "Fine!" Then she hung up on the call. "I didn¡¯t threaten her," she muttered.


    Tracie chose to follow them, determined to keep a close watch on Fiona. She knew Fiona would be more cautious now, always on the lookout for her. But Tracie wasn¡¯t one to back down easily. She¡¯d keep pushing until Fiona revealed whatever secrets she was hiding.


    Just as she¡¯d assumed, Fiona had arrived at her home and the gates opened with two young boys rushing towards her.


    One seemed to be at the age of nine and the youngest was five.


    The boys jumped on Fiona, hugging her closely as if they didn¡¯t want to let her.


    Tracie observed the warm interaction between Fiona and her sons, her mind racing with questions. Could Fiona really have killed Arabe? It didn¡¯t add up. Fiona, now 36, the same age as Xavier and Xander, seemed to have built a stable family life.


    If jealousy had driven her to murder Arabe, it might have been to im Xander for herself¡ªassuming he ever loved her in return. But that still left a ring hole in the story: how would framing Xavier serve her purpose? The pieces of the puzzle refused to fit, leaving Tracie with more doubts than answers.


    Tracie recalled Ezekiel¡¯s words. Fiona could have been a witness that night. She witnessed what had happened and decided to run away so that the actual people who¡¯d killed Arabe wouldn¡¯t look for her.


    Although Fiona was from a powerful family, it would be inevitable to escape from a well-nned assassination from the unknown enemies.


    So without any further doubt, Fiona must have witnessed something that had driven her to flee for her life.

 Chapter 342: Surrogate Day

    Anastasia froze at the surrogate¡¯s words, her heart sinking. She hadn¡¯t expected Avery¡¯s couple to arrive on the same day as hers. The thought sent a wave of difort through her, amplifying her unease.


    "I just want to get this over and done with," Anastasia replied, and the eyebrows of the surrogate that spoke earlier frowned in confusion.


    "What do you mean?" She asked.


    Anastasia had never had the mind of bringing up any topic rted to escaping from the factory with the fear that she would be reported to either Samantha or Xander.


    Although for the past week, she¡¯d gotten close and familiarized herself with the surrogates, she didn¡¯t trust them enough to suggest fleeing from there.


    Besides, they never had anything bad to say about the factory. For them, getting pregnant brought a life of indulgence andfort, free of worries or responsibilities. They preferred staying here rather than imagining what life might hold if they ever escaped.


    From their stories, Anastasia learned that many of them had been at the factory for years, bearing children for strangers. Most had resigned themselves to the belief that their families had long forgotten them.


    "It¡¯s nothing," Anastasia replied. The surrogate stared her her for a few seconds before she shrugged and went her way.


    Nadine was not with her today because she¡¯d put to bed the previous night. She was currently in the hospital where she was resting with the child.


    Eve was trying to get acquainted with the other surrogates.


    All of a sudden, Anastasia felt the burner phone Julian had given her two days ago vibrate against her body.


    Her heart skipped a beat in fear, thinking someone might have heard it. She nced around nervously, but everyone seemed unbothered, carrying on with their routines. Keeping herposure, Anastasia casually strode towards her room, the phone still buzzing in her bra. All the while, she subtly checked over her shoulder to ensure Avery wasn¡¯t lurking behind her.


    She got into her room, went to the bathroom, locked the door, and pulled out the phone from her bra.


    It was Julian.


    "Hello," she greeted me after she picked up the phone.


    "I¡¯m on my way to the airport to pick up the clients and thene to the factory. Samantha and Xander will be arriving soon too. Be ready," he said.


    Anastasia¡¯s hands trembled anxiously, a thinyer of sweat coating her palms. Her heart pounded against her chest, each beat louder than she thought possible, as if it were trying to escape her ribcage.


    "Okay, but what do I do?" She wished.


    **


    A few hourster, Anastasia was seated on a bed in a room painted white. On her right were Avery and Eve dressed in simr purple gowns like herself.


    On her left were three couples dressed in fancy-looking attires that revealed they were bastardarfly wealthy.


    The couples had intently been looking at them as if they were some creatures they hadn¡¯t seen before. It was annoying yet amusing.


    "Are you sure the one that looks crazy can bear our child? She looks like the type that can murder the child in her belly without any sort of remorse." A man who seemed to be in his early forties asked, doubtced in his tone.


    Avery faced him, her eyes darting to his wife for the briefest second, and the man subconsciously held his wife closer to him as if Avery could throw a dagger at her with just her eyes.


    "I assure sir, Avery is very much capable of bearing your child. Not only that, when she conceives, we will keep a close eye on her. I admit she can be unstable sometimes..." Samantha drawled, her eyes shifting to look at the emotionless Avery before she looked back at the couple. "...She¡¯s very healthy and I¡¯m sure your baby wille out healthy as well."


    The couple gave Avery a judging look, halfly convinced by Samantha¡¯s words but still wondered if Avery was really capable.


    Avery looked at the man dead in the eyes without blinking, which sent a shiver to run down his spine.


    "Are you sure of what you¡¯re saying?" He asked Samantha.


    Samantha gave Avery a warning re. "I¡¯m very sure."


    Anastasia resisted the urge tough at the scene. The man and his wife had already gone pale while looking at Avery as if she was some kind of ghost. She tore her gaze from them to look at the couple that were already looking at her.


    "Isn¡¯t she Anastasia Wace, the wife of Xavier Wace?" The wife asked.

 Chapter 343: Suspicious Car

    Samantha and Xander shared another look, contemting if the man was telling the truth.


    Before they would agree for any client to know about the factory and what goes on in there, they would run a background check on them. That was Julian¡¯s job. He¡¯d seen some interactions between Xavier and the couple, but it wasn¡¯t something fruitful enough for him to hand over Anastasia to the couple after he¡¯d helped her flee.


    Just as he¡¯d thought, the couple despised Xavier and it would be a bad idea if he entrusted Anastasia in their hands.


    "Well then, this is one way of getting your revenge," said Samantha and the couple smiled like clowns.


    Now, Anastasia wondered what Xavier had done to them.


    "The one in the middle looks healthy too. She looks very much capable of bearing our child," another couple said, their eyes on Eve who was just as emotionless as Avery. But of course, not with a deadly re pointed at them.


    "Well then, if that¡¯s all, we may all proceed to the imntation chamber?" Xander gestured, leading them out.


    Julian and Anastasia shared a quick look before she followed behind them.


    When they arrived at the imntation chamber where the process of the IVF would be conducted, an armed man with a gun barged in there, catching them off guard.


    He was huffing and puffing, trying to catch his breath for having ran so far to get there.


    "What¡¯s this nonsense? What are you doing here?" Samantha questioned, clearly exasperated by his actions.


    "The henchmen at the front gate found a suspicious car a few meters away from the factory."


    "A suspicious car?" Xander questioned and the henchman nodded in response, still trying to catch his breath.


    The clients were now shaking in fear at the thought that someone had infiltrated the factory. They were extremely influential people who didn¡¯t want their identity to be linked to something so dirty.


    Samantha red at the henchman who had just reported to them. She wanted to reprimand him for giving them such a report when their clients were around.


    "What¡¯s that supposed to mean? Did someone infiltrate the factory?" The male client for Avery asked.


    Even though Anastasia had only known him for half an hour, she already concluded he was a scaredy cat. His legs were already starting to shake like a jellyfish and it seemed it wouldn¡¯t be long before he peed his pants. His wife rubbed him as if that was going to make him feel less ufortable.


    "You don¡¯t have to worry about anything, sir. We¡¯ll quickly have a look at the matter ande back," Samantha responded, ready to leave with Xander but Anastasia stopped her.


    "Samantha, I¡¯m sorry but I think I feel dizzy all of a sudden," she said. Samantha narrowed her eyes at Anastasia, obviously not believing any of her excuses.


    "What do you mean by you¡¯re starting to feel dizzy? You were fine just a moment ago," she nearly snapped at her.


    "For the past few days, I¡¯ve not been feeling well." Anastasia was half telling the truth. She¡¯d eagerly and anxiously been waiting for this day toe which had caused her loss of appetite because she had no idea how the day was going to be.


    The loss of appetite had caused her to eat less, which in return made her feel weak and dizzy.


    "I can vouch for her. Anastasia hasn¡¯t been feeling well. This morning, she nearly fainted when we were by the pool," Eve interjected.


    A faint smile crept on Anastasia¡¯s lips at Eve¡¯s words.


    Early in the morning, she¡¯d pretended to faint when Eve was around so that thetter could be her alibi. And just as she¡¯d expected, Eve had her back.


    She truly wanted Eve toe with her, but the woman seemed veryfortable with the arrangement before her.


    Samantha red at Eve before her ferocious gazended on Anastasia.


    "You can go to your room and rest for the time being while Xander and I take care of the matter outside. Once we return, I¡¯ll send one of the henchmen toe get you. And don¡¯t even think of getting any ideas," she warned, her tone casual, yet firm with an underlying meaning.


    Anastasia nodded in response as she watched Samantha and Xander leave the room. Then she followed suit.

 Chapter 344: Worst Moment

    She had no weapon on her except for the burner phone that was stuffed between her bras. And even if she was attacked, the burner phone wasn¡¯t going toe in handy at all.


    For the past few days, Anastasia had tried to familiarize herself with all the cameras in the mansion. She hadn¡¯t entered the other mansions to learn more about their CCTV cameras because that woulde out as suspicious to the surrogate women even if she tried to be as low-key as possible.


    Anastasia quickly went to the back while being as light on her feet as she could. Because it was night, no woman was outside as it had already passed their curfew.


    She also didn¡¯t spot as many henchmen as she thought she would.


    "Seems like they¡¯d gone with Samantha and Xander to the front gate to investigate the suspicious vehicle," she mumbled under her breath.


    Luckily for her, she spotted the henchmen before they spotted her. She waited for the one who was smoking to throw away his cigarette and disappear before she ran away from there.


    Anastasia gasped for breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly as the back gate finally came into view.


    She¡¯d been running and hiding for twenty whole minutes and could only hope that Samantha and Xander hadn¡¯t arrived yet. But if they had, Samantha would have asked for Anastasia to return to the imntation chamber.


    Fortunately, the lights near the back gate were dimly lit so she could hide there for a while until Julian¡¯s men came for her. She quickly sent him a text to inform him she¡¯d already arrived.


    It was still too soon to be rejoicing since she wasn¡¯t yet out of the premises of the factory. If someone caught her hiding there and waiting for someone to pick her up, she would give her freedom goodbye before she was eliminated.


    Anastasia jolted, snapping her neck behind her with such speed that it would have snapped like a twig.


    She suddenly heard the sound of footstepsing towards her. She feared it might be the henchmen who were thest people she wanted to catch when she was so close to her freedom.


    Her heart raced as her mind flooded with different kinds of thoughts.


    Just like at the crimson hunt, Avery had promised to help her escape but thetter had only tricked her. She feared she¡¯d been tricked by Julian also.


    "Hi Anastasia, what are you doing here?" She suddenly heard that familiar voice that haunted her nightmares.


    The hair on her neck stood on their ends as if she¡¯d just been electrocuted.


    Anastasia scanned around, but couldn¡¯t see the person that had just spoken.


    Her fists turned into clenched ones with her teeth gnashing in rage and irritation.


    "Where are you, Avery?" She demanded, remembering to keep her voice low else she wanted to gain the attention of the henchmen that still lurked behind some corners.


    Averyughed like the maniac she was, the cacophony hitting Anastasia¡¯s every single nerve that tempted her to fish Avery out from the shadows she was hiding in and teach her a lesson for all the crimes she¡¯dmitted.


    Anastasia froze as Avery stepped out of the shadows, her grin sharp and mocking. Arms crossed, she tilted her head and clicked her tongue.


    "What are you up to now, Anastasia? Trying to escape again?" Avery asked her tone light butced with malice. "Tsk tsk. You never learn, do you? You can¡¯t escape. You¡¯ll never escape."


    Avery¡¯s grin widened as she stepped closer, her voice suddenly soft and sweet. "Forget Samantha. If you try, I¡¯ll find you first. And when I do..." Her smile darkened. "...I¡¯ll y with you."


    Anastasia clenched her fists, refusing to let her fear show, but her heart pounded in her chest.


    She began to wonder how Avery had found out about her ns and how she¡¯d known that she was going toe out to the back gate. But there was no time for that.


    Avery was in her way of getting her freedom and she needed to get rid of her as soon as possible before thetter opened her mouth and screamed, alerting the others that she was trying to escape.


    Anastasia nced around, searching for any kind of weapon she could use when she suddenly heard the dragging sound of some metal.


    It was Avery of course, and she was dragging some kind of a crowbar on the ground.


    Before Anastasia could react, Avery had already hit her in the face with the object.

 Chapter 345: The Crowbar

    "So, to escape that hellhole of a house, I decided to give Michelle exactly what she wanted. I tricked you¡ªand you fell for it. She pulled her strings with Xander, and here I am, just like she promised. Because you see..." Avery leaned closer, her voice dropping to a chilling whisper near Anastasia¡¯s ear. "I despise that house more than anyone. It holds memories that make me want to kill every single person there. But then again, if I did, who would I y with?"


    "And now, you think escaping is that easy?" Avery sneered, raising the crowbar high, her eyes gleaming with malice. "I¡¯ve been stuck here longer than you, and you think I¡¯ll just let you leave?"


    Before Avery could swing the crowbar, something hard mmed into her temple with surprising force. Her head snapped to the side, and she staggered, clutching the spot. Anastasia stood a few feet away, panting heavily, her trembling hand gripping a jagged stone.


    "You shouldn¡¯t be here. You should rather be in a psychiatric hospital since that¡¯s where you belong!" Anastasia¡¯s hands clutched hard on the rock, wondering if she should go back. But she was already close to her freedom and Avery just had to interrupt.


    It hadn¡¯t been long since she arrived at the gate and sent Julian a text, so the people he¡¯d informed should pick her up must be on their way. Besides if she left now, no doubt Avery was going to report to Samantha about her ns. Then she would get punished mercilessly once again. Her life would be worse that it already was.


    Anastasia didn¡¯t want any more chances. She was already there and she was going to be there until Julian¡¯s people showed up. She just needed to defeat Avery so thetter wouldn¡¯t scream.


    Come to think of it, Avery hadn¡¯t yelled out to gain the attention of the henchmen. What could she be nning?


    A dark smile pulled on Avery¡¯s lips, her hand palming her severely injured temple. The blood oozed out like an unscrewed pipe, dripping down her neck and staining her clothes.


    Then sheughed, a very horrendousugh that caused Anastasia to panic. She walked towards Avery, ready to shut her up with another attack of the stone to the head but was met with an unexpected attack instead.


    Avery moved with rming speed, closing the distance between them before Anastasia could react. With a quick swing, she struck Anastasia across the face again, the force sending her stumbling backward.


    Pain radiated through Anastasia¡¯s cheek as her skin split open, blood oozing from the wound in a steady, unstoppable stream. She pressed a trembling hand to her face, her vision blurring from the shock and pain. Avery¡¯s smirk widened, her eyes alight with sadistic delight.


    The next thing Anastasia knew was she was on the ground, her blood pooling on the ground as she tried to catch her breath with her mouth open since Avery had crushed her nose.


    "Now, isn¡¯t this beautiful?" She heard Avery speak, but couldn¡¯t quite decipher what she was saying since her ears rang like a bell was close to her. "The art I created on your face is so amazing. It looks so good on you."


    Anastasia¡¯s vision had turned blurry, making it impossible to see Avery well anymore.


    "But I¡¯m not satisfied yet." Avery hit Anastasia once again, eliciting a painful cry from thetter.


    Now was the time she wished any of those henchmen would see them and help her out of her current predicament.


    Tears had pooled in her eyes as she endured the pain that coursed through her body like an electric volt.


    Her bones cracked each time Avery hit her. But Anastasia didn¡¯t want to give up yet.


    She mustered as much strength as she could, even if it was thest one before she died to hold the crowbar in midair.


    Avery was shocked to find that Anastasia still had strength before a grin pulled on her lips.


    "You want to struggle, puppet? You can¡¯t overpower me."


    Anastasia didn¡¯t bother to pay attention to Avery¡¯s lips to understand what she was saying because she didn¡¯t care.


    She pulled the crowbar towards her face, dragging Avery along with the force before kicking thetter away with her feet.


    With a swift motion, she got up from the ground, straddled Avery, and smashed her head with the crowbar as many times as possible until thetter stopped breathing.

 Chapter 346: She’s Dead

    The factory was in chaos with so many henchmen running around the ce, searching for a particr someone.


    Everywhere was busy and the cacophony of noise affected the surrogates, so they woke up from their sleep to gossip about what could have transpired in their sleep.


    "You still haven¡¯t found them?!" Samantha questioned, her green eyes darker than usual as she red at the henchman whose head was bowed low on the ground. "You mean to tell me you were here Avery and Anastasia escaped?!!" Her question was followed by a p that shended on the henchman¡¯s neck.


    Julian was by the side watching the scene intently with a nk expression that made it impossible for anyone to read what was going on in his hand.


    Beside Samantha was Xander, who was not satisfied with the news that¡¯d been delivered to him after he and Samantha came back from dealing with the suspicious vehicle.


    He feared that Xavier had managed to find a way into the factory and had taken his wife back, but knowing the intensity of the rage that coursed through Xavier¡¯s body even though he wasn¡¯t standing face to face with thetter, the factory still wouldn¡¯t be standing in one piece.


    There would have already been bloodshed, and not a single one of his men would be standing to narrate their findings.


    Also, Xavier didn¡¯t need Avery for anything. Did Xavier help Anastasia and Avery escape? That didn¡¯t sound right to him at all.


    As if to answer the question that lingered in his thoughts, two henchmen barged inside the room.


    "We found a body at the back gate but the face is quite difficult to recognize because it¡¯d been damaged."


    At first, they were shocked but wasted no second before Samantha, Xander, and Julian ran to the said back gate, and indeed there was a body lying there and the face was badly damaged.


    Blood had pooled underneath the corpse and it was still red and fresh.


    "Anastasia and Avery had simr ck hair and they were wearing the same clothes. How are we going to identify who this is?" Julian asked, facing Xander who was lost in thoughts.


    His heart still raced at the thought that Xavier had figured out his factory and was going to attack him soon.


    "Avery has a scar on her shoulders. If this is Avery, then that scar should be there." Samantha was the one to reply instead, her eyes darting to Xander for a brief second before itnded back on the body, ready to find out the identity.


    Samantha shoved the bloodied gown to the side, and the scar came into view.


    Her teeth gnashed together in rage. "Get her buried." The henchmen dragged Avery¡¯s body away with the trail of flood trailing behind them. "And for you," she continued, words directed to the ones that were still on standby. "Continue the search!" And they bolted away.


    "That suspicious vehicle that you saw earlier must have been some kind of a distraction to lure you away from here. Now, Avery¡¯s dead," Julian started.


    "The people who came and took Anastasia away are working for Xavier. Xander, what do you think? Should we leave from here¡ª"


    "We can¡¯t!" Xander snapped as soon as those words flew out of her lips as if he already knew she was going to ask such a thing. "If Xavier is here, then I¡¯m going to fight him. He¡¯s mad at me for what I¡¯ve done to his wife. We also need to double our security."


    Samantha huffed, her hands on her hips as frustration etched across her face. "What about the clients now?" she muttered angrily. "Avery is dead, and Anastasia is gone. What the hell are we supposed to tell them?"


    "We have several girls, Samantha! I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t mind if another girl became their surrogate," he replied.


    Samantha nodded in understanding.


    Suddenly, the men came back, ready to deliver another news.


    "After searching for a while, we found the body of another girl. Her face was damaged just like the first girl. She could be Anastasia," one informed.


    The news had caught them off guard unlike Avery¡¯s because they already concluded that Anastasia had escaped with the help of Xavier. And now, her body was in the forest.


    Samantha quickly changed into sneakers before they departed into the forest.


    The factory was hidden in the thickest bush of Xattlewood with trees taller than the mansion itself, which made the location difficult but not impossible to detect.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the trio arrived at the location where the body was.


    And just as the henchmen had informed, there truly was a girl wearing a simr purple gown as Anastasia, her face damaged beyond.


    "Now, how are we going to know if this is Anastasia?" Julian asked, squatting down to the level of the body to examine it properly.


    "Anastasia has wavy ck hair, and this matches her height perfectly. This has to be her," Samantha said, shock shing across her face. But as much as the realization hit her, there was nothing that could be done. "She¡¯s dead."


    A faint grin pulled on Julian¡¯s lips when he heard her words.

 Chapter 347: Saved Her

    "If you need anything, bring them here or I can get them for you. However, there¡¯s no way you can take her to any hospital. I won¡¯t allow that," Julian replied, his tone cold yet firm and left no room for arguments.


    "Julian," Alex called, pulling him to the side as the doctor sighed before getting back to work. "I think it would be best to take her to a hospital, otherwise she would die. You betrayed your friend to save this woman for a reason I still have no idea of. Do you want all the effort you put through to get her here to go to waste¡ª"


    "This is Xattlewood in case you¡¯re forgetting, Alex," Julian interjected before Alex could finish his sentence. "Xander runs this city. He¡¯s everywhere. His men are everywhere. It¡¯s even by luck we were able to get her away from there without getting suspicious. Now, imagine if we take her to the hospital and someone connected to Xander finds her there. What do you think will happen?" He questioned.


    Alex couldn¡¯t deny that Julian had a point, but the girl was dying. He blinked at Julian. "She has a bandage wrapped around her face. The chances of anyone finding out it¡¯s here are little to impossible. We need to save the girl before she dies," he tried to convince her, but the unshakable look Julian wore proved he wasn¡¯t convinced enough.


    He wasn¡¯t willing to take such a risk although Anastasia was already out of there.


    It was pure luck that the body of a surrogate woman who had died during childbirth managed to deceive both Samantha and Xander. Julian seized the opportunity, knowing they had been preupied all day, to rece Anastasia with the surrogate.


    The resemnce was uncanny¡ªboth had wavy ck hair and nearly identical heights, with the surrogate only two centimeters taller, a difference barely noticeable. To ensure the ruse held, Julian ordered his team to disfigure the surrogate¡¯s face, making it impossible to identify her.


    "I can¡¯t take chances, Alex. Yes, Xander probably believes she¡¯s dead, but that¡¯s still a risky attempt." Then he faced the doctor, "I¡¯ll get you all the equipment you need and you get the ones you have. You¡¯re going to treat her here and you know the drill, no one should know about this."


    The doctor and the other nurses vigorously nodded before they resumed their work of stabilizing Anastasia.


    It was just 6 am, meaning the bodies of both the dead girls had been buried and probably forgotten by now.


    "How did it go with the CCTV cameras? Were you able to wipe everything?" Julian asked Alex.


    Alex nodded. "I wiped everything clean. None of them will ever find out what¡¯s happened."


    Although Alex didn¡¯t directly go to the factory, he¡¯d given Julian a device thetter would connect to the cameras of the factory, making it easy for him to wipe every single thing that urred that night.


    Now, no matter how hard Xander¡¯s men searched their cameras to find any clues of what had gone down tonight, they wouldn¡¯t be able to.


    Julian decided to go down to the kitchen to have a ss of water.


    After the bodies of Avery and fake Anastasia had been buried, neither Samantha nor Xander had bothered themselves with anything else except for telling the clients their soon-to-be surrogates were already dead. The factory went back to normal without a single suspicion being noticed.


    "Dad... why are you up so early?"


    Julian suddenly heard his daughter¡¯s voice.


    "I should be the one asking you that." He went to pick her up.


    "I heard your voice earlier," she replied, rubbing her eyes, trying to fight the battle of keeping herself awake.


    Julian had made sure the room Anastasia was getting treated in was soundproof so the littlemotion happening inside wouldn¡¯t be heard by anyone, including his daughter.


    "Let¡¯s get you back to sleep, baby," he said, taking her up to her room.

 Chapter 348: Revenge Comeback?

    "The doctor did suggest that Anastasia should get facial reconstruction surgery. Her face was damaged by that Avery girl."


    Julian rose from the couch and approached the bed, his gaze settling on Anastasia. The bandage around her head had been reced, though blood still seeped through. Simr stains marred the wrappings on her face, arms, and legs, leaving her looking like a fragile, hibernating mummy. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder what had transpired between her and Avery, but he chose not to dwell on it. What mattered was that she had survived¡ªand Avery was gone.


    "He can go ahead and change her face. She needs it anyway," he responded after a few thoughts.


    "Do you n to give her back to her husband after she recovers? Currently, she¡¯s in aatose state and we don¡¯t know when she¡¯ll be walking up. It would be best to contact her husband and give her to him¡ª"


    "Xavier will kill me!" Julian blurted out, his voice sharp with panic. The remaining nurses exchanged uneasy nces before hastily excusing themselves, leaving the two men to their conversation. Julian rubbed the space between his eyebrows, exhaling in frustration. "I only helped her escape because what Xander was putting her through was beyond cruel. She wasn¡¯t even the one who hurt him," he muttered. "Sure, what Xander did was unforgivable¡ªkilling his girlfriend back then out of jealousy¡ªbut this? None of it is her fault."


    "So then what do you n to do when she wakes up? Keep her here with you? And Emma? She¡¯s going to ask questions."


    "I will know what to do by the time Anastasia wakes up. As for Emma, I¡¯ve already figured that out."


    Alex sighed, his hands on his waist, already giving up on the matter. "I sure hope you do know what you¡¯re doing." With that, he turned to leave the room


    **


    "Wait what?! Anastasia is dead?" Michelle questioned with shock evident in her expression as she found it unable to believe what spewed from Samantha¡¯s lips. "That¡¯s impossible!"


    "Are you saying I¡¯m blind or something?" Samantha questioned with a re that forced Michelle to mp her lips together from saying anything that she might regretter on. "We saw her body in the forest and she was already dead. Same with Avery. They¡¯re both dead."


    Michelle still found it hard to believe that the same Anastasia she was eager to see with a baby bump so she could mock her and step all over her was already dead. Just like that!


    Samantha had arrived at the house to clear out Anastasia¡¯s room in preparation for the neers set to arrive from their other hideouts. Downstairs, the other girls who had lived alongside Avery and Anastasia listened closely. Though the conversation was faint, they managed to catch fragments of it, piecing together the grim reality. Tears welled in their eyes as the weight of what had happened sank in.


    They were d Avery was no more, but not Anastasia. They¡¯d thought since she was taken to the factory, she wouldn¡¯t experience any kind of torture anymore.


    "I just thought I should let you know," Samantha said, her toneced with mocking amusement, "since Xander was the one who brought you here to be part of her torture. But now that she¡¯s gone, I can¡¯t help but wonder¡ªwill he even bother keeping you around?" Her gaze rested on Michelle, whose expression was distant, as though she were lost in her own thoughts,pletely unmoved by Samantha¡¯s taunts.


    After registering what Samantha had just said, she gulped down her saliva in fear.


    "Xander didn¡¯t only bring me here just to torture Anastasia. I satisfy him very well in bed, better than you ever will in your lifetime."


    Michelle thought her words would hurt Samantha¡¯s feelings but thetter surprised her by merely staring at her with a nk expression that confused her.


    "Sure, you satisfy him in bed," Samantha sneered, her voice dripping with condescension. "But it seems you¡¯ve forgotten the real reason he brought you here¡ªto be sold like every other girl." Her words hit Michelle like a ssh of cold water, sending a chill down her spine. Samantha smirked, watching the realization dawn on her. "Now that she¡¯s gone, get ready to be treated just like the rest."


    With that, Samantha left the room after getting rid of everything she needed to get rid of before entering Avery¡¯s room to continue.


    Michelle was left standing in the room as her thoughts flew over her head. Although Samantha¡¯s words gave her a reality check, she still wondered if Anastasia was dead.


    ¡¯She faked to be dead three years ago and hade back for revenge. Is that what¡¯s going to happen this time around again?¡¯ She wondered, subconsciously rubbing her chest to calm her racing heartbeat. ¡¯Will Anastasiae back for revenge if she¡¯s not dead?¡¯

 Chapter 349: Everything Is Over?

    "Anastasia is dead."


    Silence followed as soon as those words came out of Bruce¡¯s mouth. The air stiffened as Mr Wace struggled to register what he¡¯d just heard.


    "Are you shocked?" He heard Bruce ask from the other side.


    As if the weight of Bruce¡¯s words had physically transferred to the device in his hand, Mr. Wace shifted his phone to the other hand.


    "How did she die? What happened? Did he kill her? What exactly happened?" Mr Wace asked those questions all at once, unable to keep them in his thoughts alone.


    "Honestly, I don¡¯t even know what happened. Xander only called me this morning and informed me that she was dead. Both she and another girl¡ª" Bruce went on to tell his partner in crime what went down the previous night. And as more words escaped from his lips, Mr Wace clenched his fist in a fit of rage.


    If only he hadn¡¯t been at home, he would have given Xander a call and given him a piece of his mind.


    In his thoughts, Mr Wace didn¡¯t believe that Anastasia had just died just like that. He believed Xander had killed her after getting satisfied with torturing her. But what about him? Did anyone ask if he was satisfied enough before he cleared her off?


    "Where are you? I¡¯ming over there now." Bruce told him where he was and Mr Wace ended the call with a promise that he was on his way.


    Swiftly, he entered his room, ignored his wife who was putting on some makeup, wore his clothes, and dashed out while acting as casual as he could be.


    He got into his car and left the mansion. In a case like this where he was going to meet up with Bruce, he wouldn¡¯t allow any nor his drivers to drive him there. He would go there himself.


    After a few hours of driving from the mansion to the location Brice had given to him, Mr Wace finally arrived.


    He was parked in front of what seemed like a club. It was only afternoon but he could hear some faint booming musicing from inside the club. He sighed, a little shocked that Bruce woulde to a ce like this.


    The area seemed secure and he could see some bouncers standing at the entrance of the club. He nced behind him to be sure no one was looking at him. Then he got inside without the bouncer stopping him and asking any misceneous questions.


    He searched for Bruce and saw him hanging out with a few men. He didn¡¯t need to look at their faces to know they were influential men who had powers in society.


    "Thomas, there you are..." said Bruce as he shook Mr Wace¡¯s hand. The influential men surrounding Bruce had already turned to look at Mr Wace, and once their gazended on him, their faces immediately twisted in bitterness and annoyance.


    "We¡¯ll be over there," said one of them, and without waiting for Bruce to try to convince them, they left.


    "And here I thought they were influential people that could be useful to me in the future. Didn¡¯t know they were rivals," Mr Wace mumbled to himself as he took a seat for himself.


    Since the Wace empire was one of the biggest empires in the world, it was only normal that he had enemies who were jealous of his sess.


    "Anyway, regarding what you told me earlier, is it the truth?" He asked, his face stoic.


    "Did you seriously think I would lie to you?" Bruce questioned back, tearing his gaze from Mr Wace to look at the dancing women on the pole. If it had been back when he was still in his prime, he wouldn¡¯t have batted an eysh before signaling a bunch of girls toe sit on him. Now, he was old and incapable of matching their energy.


    "I¡¯m not done having my revenge through him for her to die yet. So, everything is over? Just like that?" He asked, his hand on his chin as he gave it some thought.


    "I guess so..." Bruce replied. "Everything was destined to end after all. So what are you going to do about Xavier?"


    "What else? I¡¯ll start looking for women so he can remarry. I never wanted him to be connected with Anastasia so I guess it¡¯s a good thing that she¡¯s gone."


    Bruce nodded in understanding as he sipped his drink. "I have something else I need to tell you."


    "What¡¯s that?"


    "Someone has been following me."

 Chapter 350: RIP Anastasia

    "That¡¯s impossible, Xavier has no reason to go after you. It can¡¯t possibly be him."


    "And how sure can you be about that?" Bruce¡¯s tone grew sharper, his voiceced with suspicion. "Yes, I have many enemies who could be following me, all looking for a reason to get rid of me, but something tells me this is Xavier¡¯s doing."


    "The stalker was caught by my henchmen, but somehow, he managed to escape. Convenient, don¡¯t you think?" His tone turned colder, carrying an edge of frustration. "You know what? Try asking Xavier about his findings on Anastasia. Has he mentioned anything to youtely?" he pressed, his words deliberate and probing.


    Mr Wace gave it some thought. He¡¯d just realized that for thest few days, Xavier hadn¡¯t included him in any of his ns of searching for Anastasia.


    He slightly shook his head.


    "Okay, even if it was Xavier, there is nothing to find out from you. You said it had been a while since you had visited Xattlewod and even if you did, Xander always made sure you were untraceable there. So, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. Xavier can never find anything on you because it¡¯s already toote. Anastasia is dead."


    Bruce gave it some thought and could only nod in agreement.


    "I¡¯m still baffled by the fact that she¡¯s dead. That happened way too soon," Mr Wace added. "If that¡¯s all, I should get going now." With that, he stood up from his seat, shared a few nces with the other men, and left.


    Mr Wace was in his car, contemting the possibilities of Anastasia¡¯s death. It waspletely unexpected since Xander had several ns for what he could do to her, but she died. Just like that.


    He recalled the past when Anastasia had faked her death for almost a year until Xavier revealed to them that Selene Jones was Anastasia.


    His heart skipped a beat ufortably and he had to pull down his tie to get thatfort he wascking all of a sudden but still, that didn¡¯t do anything.


    He was tempted to give Xander a call but the possibility of thetter picking up his was nearest to none.


    "If Xander had already confirmed that she was dead, then she must be dead," he thought out loud. Ever since he found Xander, he¡¯d noticed thetter never made mistakes. He was the perfect son he¡¯d failed to acknowledge and take under this wing, but now, he couldn¡¯t help but regret that action of his.


    Even though Xander had refused to acknowledge him as his father, Mr Wace wasn¡¯t going to give up.


    **


    Xavier was at his mansion after being forced to leave his hideout by Ezekiel and Maxwell. They had grown tired of watching him drown himself in endless cups of coffee and pushing himself to the brink of exhaustion. Both men cared about him enough to kick him out, demanding that he rest and recover before returning to continue his search for Anastasia.


    Xavier took a shower and although he didn¡¯t want to, his body needed the rest.


    His phone had been letting off notifications non stop but he had silenced it so it resulted in vibrations.


    He didn¡¯t want to look at what was going on because he still had to rest.


    Just when he was about to close his eyes and take an hour nap, his phone vibrated harder and the sound made him anxiously ufortable.


    He sprang up from the bed and grabbed his phone from the bedside table, ready to get dressed and leave without even hearing what the caller had to say.


    "Xavier, there¡¯s something you need to see. Check Mestagram." He checked the caller to find it was Maxwell.


    <i>Instagram</i>


    He despised that app because that was where Xander always posted cruel images of Anastasia whenever he felt like it, and Xavier had to wipe off the image from the inte before it was toote.


    Now that Maxwell was personally calling him to check the app again, Xander must have uploaded something again.


    His heart nearly leaped into his chest with worry but he wasted no time in checking the app.


    Right there, he saw a picture that appeared on his feed.


    It was ady with a broken face, the same hair color, and a simr body structure to Anastasia.


    Xavier¡¯s phone nearly slipped from his hands, but he tightened his grip just in time. His heart raced as his eyes widened, staring at the screen. A part of him silently prayed it wasn¡¯t what he feared, but no matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise, his mind kept circling back to the same dreadful thought.


    The caption read: <strong><i>RIP TO ANASTASIA WALLACE.</i></strong>


    Xavier let out a dark, humorless chuckle that echoed in the empty room, chilling enough to make anyone shudder had they been near. There was no amusement in it¡ªonly an emptiness filled with anger and desperation. His thoughts spiraled as he imagined his hands around the neck of a particr someone, squeezing the life out of them until their final breath.


    Without further dy, he wore back his clothes, the sleep, and fatiguepletely flushing out of his body after reading the post.


    He got back to his hideout, banging the door open, startling the people inside.


    "Xander just mistakenly gave us a clue," he said. He sat in front of his monitor, forwarded the picture to it, and zoomed in on the carving of the coffin the dead woman was in. "We need to search up this name and get more information from them."

 Chapter 351: Is She Dead?

    Now that they¡¯d got a clue after so long, Xavier wanted to turn down that idea of resting, but his body desperately screamed to have one.


    He could easily nap in his hideout since he has a room with a bed but Maxwell had rejected that idea and saw to it that he went back home.


    "I¡¯ll be going now. If you find out anything, call me," said Xavier.


    "I won¡¯t," Maxwell replied with a shrug and Xavier gave him a quick re before he and Ezekiel left and both went their ways.


    Xavier arrived homete at night, exhausted from the long drive to and from the hideout. The hours spent on the road far outweighed the time he¡¯d managed to spend in his mansion recently. Silence greeted him as he stepped inside, the usual faint noises of the servants absent. He figured they must have already retired for the night, leaving the house cloaked in silence.


    He dragged his steps to the kitchen to grab himself a ss of water before he went back out only to find a sudden uninvited guest in his home.


    "Just what are you doing here, father?" He questioned, making it evident in his harsh tone he didn¡¯t want anything to do with the man at that moment.


    "Now, is that the way to greet your father?" Mr Wace questioned, a smile stretching on his lips as he went to the couch to take a seat.


    "That¡¯s very much how I¡¯ll speak to you since you came unannounced." Now, Xavier could only wonder how he hadn¡¯t heard the old man¡¯s footsteps, his car honk, or the gates opening.


    His presence in his house at thiste hour was suspicious and he felt he needed to get his guard up even though it was just his father.


    Mr Wace gave a nonchnt shrug as he crossed his legs against one another,pletely unbothered.


    "I¡¯m not going to say it again Father. Leave. My. House." His tone dripped with anger that made Mr. Wace subtly shiver in fright but made sure not to show he was intimidated by his son.


    "I¡¯m sure you saw the picture that was uploaded on the inte earlier today. That was Anastasia wasn¡¯t it?" Mr Wace made sure to sound sad after learning the oue of his <ite </i>daughter-inw<i></i>in the hands of her kidnapper. "She¡¯s dead."


    This time, Xavier kept silent. He felt no need to inform his father of today¡¯s findings or his belief that Anastasia wasn¡¯t dead. Since hisst visit to the rk mansion, he¡¯d resolved not to involve his father in any clues about Anastasia¡¯s disappearance. It wasn¡¯t as if his father would be of any help anyway. And there was still that lingering 5% chance that he had a hand in her kidnapping.


    "Her death was shocking and I can¡¯t help but wonder how Nora is taking the news," Mr Wace continued.


    Xavier cursed in his mind,pletely forgetting to visit the rk couple and inform them of their clue. But he didn¡¯t worry about it much. Ezekiel would do the needful.


    "I know this mighte out too soon but I think you should start looking for another wife."


    Forget about 5% chances. There was now a 10% chance that Mr Wace was involved in Anastasia¡¯s kidnapping.


    Xavier didn¡¯t react to his father¡¯s words for a long time, which made Mr Wace think Xavier was giving it some thought.


    "Anastasia¡¯s name has been tarnished since she was kidnapped. Cruel pictures of her pop on the inte from time to time, and now this..." He drawled, sounding frustrated and in pain. "Her death will break you if you don¡¯t move on from it very soon."


    Then he stood up from the couch and walked up to Xavier who still hadn¡¯t replied to any of his nonsense yet.


    "Anastasia is dead, and I think it is high time you forget about her. Like I said, it¡¯s too soon but if you want, I know a lot of influential people¡¯s daughters that are good enough to stand by your side¡ª"


    "Kill all of your ideas of getting me remarried because it¡¯s never going to happen. My heart longs to Anastasia and I¡¯ll never give up until I find her," he promised with gritted teeth.


    Mr Wace bit his cheeks, resisting the urge tough in Xavier¡¯s face.


    "You can go ahead and believe she¡¯s dead. So now, you can leave my house." He concluded, his tone firm and leaving no room for arguments.

 Chapter 352: Shameless Father

    He frowned in curiosity, wondering who could have <i>infiltrated </i>his mansion. It couldn¡¯t possibly have been some burr since he had security men at the gate.


    Still, he grabbed a gun and tucked it discreetly into his waistband, ensuring it was well-hidden. Without hesitation, he opened the door and stepped into the hallway. The noise grew louder with each step he took toward the living room.


    When he was close enough, he identified the voices to be a feminine one but it wasn¡¯t just one woman¡¯s voice he was hearing. Xavier¡¯s eyesnded on threedies who were seated on the couch with dresses that barely covered their shame while about two wore something that reached below their knees.


    Opposite them was his father who was sharing a joke with them.


    Instantly, Xavier¡¯s blood boiled.


    He despised people he didn¡¯t knowing to his house. The only ones he let into his mansion were his family and the rk family sometimes, excluding Richard. Even his business associates didn¡¯t know where he lived because he loved his peace and quiet, most especially when Anastasia was still around.


    However now, there were some five unfamiliardies he had no clue which they¡¯dnded from sitting in thefort of his home as if it was theirs.


    When Mr Wace made eye contact with Xavier, he immediately stood up to acknowledge his son. The girls also stood up in sync, ready to impress when they saw Xavier.


    "Xavier, I¡¯ve brought some girls for you to choose from," Mr. Wace said with a smug smile. "Their families are promising and worthy of the Wace name. What do you think?"


    He pointed to a girl in a burgundy dress with a deep V-neck that plunged to her t stomach. "This is Mara. Her family owns one of the biggestpanies in mourwood. I think she¡¯s a perfect match for you."


    Xavier¡¯s disgust was immeasurable, but he kept his face stoic, unwilling to show any reaction.


    As soon as those words left his lips, the other girls pouted as if they¡¯d already lost before thepetition even began. Meanwhile, the one called Mara was blushing like a fool while ying with her fingers like a high school girl who was acknowledged by her crush.


    "And this one over here¡ª"


    "Leave my house." The words that came out from Xavier¡¯s words were unexpected and the girls thought they might have heard him wrong. They nced at each other, the same question running through their minds. "I said leave my house!"


    They flinched in fear, their hearts falling to their feet. Without letting him repeat his words one more time, they carried their bags and bolted from there like there was a ticking time bomb that would explode soon if they wasted any more time.


    Mr Wace frowned in dissatisfaction. He frowned at the girls who were easily chased away by Xavier¡¯s voice and realized he needed to look for someone who was not easily intimidated by him.


    Before he could scold Xavier for being rude to <i>his </i>guests, Xavier snapped at him. "Who do you think you are to bring some strangers into my house?"


    Xavier made a mental note to instruct his men not to let his father into his mansion again. He realized his father was going to misuse that free liberty toe over whenever he wanted and even dared to bring strangers.


    "Will you calm down? I wanted to tell you yesterday that I already have a few girls in mind who are good candidates to stand by your side and carry the Wace name and I would be bringing them today, but you kicked me out of your house before I could even do so."


    Xavier¡¯s eyebrows creased together, wondering if his father had always been this disgusting and heartless. With the days that passed, he seemed to be d that Anastasia was not with him anymore.


    "Look, all that I¡¯m doing is for your own good. I want what¡¯s best for you. Now that Anastasia is no more, Xander is not going to keep troubling you¡ª"


    "And how can you be sure about that?" Xavier questioned, catching Mr Wace off guard with his question. "You know what father, you look very happy that Anastasia is not with me anymore. Is there something you¡¯re hiding from me?" Xavier¡¯s tone was very calm and rxed but the edge was still sharp enough to cut through skin.


    "What do you mean by that? Of course not!" Mr Wace was now suddenly defensive.


    "That¡¯d better be it because if I find out that you have a hand in what¡¯s been going on for the past few months..." Xavier trailed off with a sharp snort that sent chills down Mr. Wace¡¯s spine, "...you will be sorry."

 Chapter 353: Find The Truth

    As soon as Fiona stepped out of her car, wearing a full set of dark grey hoodie and joggers with the hood covering her head, in addition to a maskpletely covering her identity, she stomped towards Tracie¡¯s car with a re even though Tracie¡¯s car were heavily tinted.


    Tracie stepped out, frowning at Fiona¡¯s appearance. Although it hadn¡¯t been long since she¡¯d been watching Fiona, she could already conclude that the woman loved to impress with her appearance so she nevercked in fashion sense.


    However, right now, she looked different.


    "If you don¡¯t stop following me, I swear I¡¯ll report you to the police and file a restraining order against you," Fiona snapped, her voice filled with frustration. Tracie¡¯s gaze narrowed even further, her expression unreadable. "The only reason I haven¡¯t done it yet is out of respect for your father. But you¡¯re seriously pushing it. You¡¯re acting like some obsessed fan who doesn¡¯t know how to back off."


    "All what you¡¯re saying ispletely a waste of saliva because I¡¯ve already told you what I want but you refuse to give it to me. You don¡¯t even need to hide it because I¡¯m sure you were a witness to what happened the night Arabe died, so tell me what you saw."


    Fiona instinctively took a step back as soon as those words slipped out of Tracie¡¯s mouth.


    "I was not present when she died and I don¡¯t know anything," she replied defensively while Tracie hummed as if she understood. "Why are you going to understand that and leave me alone for goodness sake?!"


    Tracie sighed. If only she had her way, she would have drugged Fiona and kept her somewhere until she finally decided to confess.


    "Then why did you leave Radiantia a few days after her death? Xavier also texted you but you didn¡¯t reply. What¡¯s going on?" She asked, her tone surprisingly calm and rxing.


    "I left on my own ord and I don¡¯t have to exin anything to you." Fiona turned to leave but Tracie immediately stopped her by grabbing her arm and Fiona flinched, yanking her arm back.


    Her actions hade out shocking to Tracie but she didn¡¯t say anything.


    "Look, I know you know something. Your eyes are trembling with fear because you¡¯re hiding something," Tracie began, her voice firm, while Fiona clutched her arms tightly to her chest, stepping back to avoid further confrontation. "Xavier was med for Arabe¡¯s death. The fingerprints pointed to him, but it¡¯s not true. Xander believes it was Xavier, and now he¡¯s kidnapped Xavier¡¯s wife¡ªmy little sister¡ªas revenge against his twin brother."


    Fiona¡¯s eyes widened in shock but since her face was still hidden under the mask, Tracie had no idea what she was thinking of.


    "I¡¯m begging you please." Tracie¡¯s hands were now ced against each other as she pleaded. "I¡¯ve lost her in the past. And every day that passes, I can feel my heart crack in worry because she¡¯s not doing well over there. He keeps doing awful things to her and uploading it on the inte. I just want my little sister back. So please, tell me everything you know so that the real killer can be found and Xander will finally let go of Anastasia."


    Tears pooled in Fiona¡¯s eyes when she heard all Tracie had to say. Her lips parted, but the words couldn¡¯te out. She had a lot to say but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say them. It was as if the cat had caught her tongue, making it difficult to form a sentence, especially since she knew if she said anything, her life could be in danger.


    Tracie waited, hoping Fiona would pity her and reveal something that might be of help, something that might convince Xander that Xavier wasn¡¯t the one who killed Arabe.


    After a few seconds, Fiona started shaking her head, her stance seeming unbreakable this time and Tracie could already see Fiona wasn¡¯t going to give her what she wanted.


    "I¡¯m sorry for what is happening to your family but I really can¡¯t be of any help to you. I left years ago due to some personal matters I won¡¯t be disclosing no matter what. But I hope you find your sister and the truth." <i>But not from me.</i>

 Chapter 354: Odd Behaviour

    The doctor walked up to Julian. "She¡¯s much more stable than she wasst week. So far, there¡¯s nothing to be worried about."


    "How long will it take before she wakes up?" He asked.


    The doctor hesitated, his expression grave as he considered the best way to exin. "The damage to her skull was severe. It could take months, perhaps even years, for her to regain full functionality¡ªif at all. There¡¯s also the risk ofplications along the way, so we¡¯ll need to monitor her condition closely."


    With gritted teeth, Julian nodded in understanding so the doctor left. Julian gave one of his guest rooms to a nurse who could be around, watching Anastasia while the doctor checked on his patients at the hospital.


    The room was now quiet with only the beeping sounding from the heart monitor breaking the silence once in a while.


    All of a sudden, he heard a knock on the door.


    The door opened and Emma walked inside carrying her big teddy bear that was half her height.


    "Dad." She ran into Julian¡¯s arms. "Is your friend getting better?" She asked with concernced in her tone.


    Within the week that¡¯d passed, Julian had decided to tell Emma that the woman in the guest room was a good friend of his who was sick and needed urgent treatment.


    Although he lied about Anastasia being a friend, a tiny part of him wanted them to be friends.


    "She will be fine," he replied. He felt bad for lying to his daughter but he couldn¡¯t risk taking Anastasia to an actual hospital to get treated.


    Emma wrapped her arms around her father, pecking him on the cheeks and a warm smile stretched to the corners of his lips.


    Emma was a replica of his wife, and his heart ached each time he had to see her in Emma.


    "She will be fine," he repeated and she nodded in understanding.


    **


    <i>In Radiantia, </i>


    "What are we going to do now? The coffin maker said he had no idea how the coffin he made had ended up there?" Kace questioned, looking at Maxwell for answers.


    They¡¯d met and spoken with the coffin maker who went by the name Mr. Frollins. He¡¯d informed them he had no idea how one of the coffins he¡¯d made had ended up in the hands of Xander.


    They didn¡¯t believe him until he revealed all the orders and where the coffins were being shipped. However, in none of those cities have they spotted Xander in the CCTV cameras.


    They also had to travel to all of the cities. Unfortunately for them, none of their findings led them to Xattlewood.


    "Maybe Xander had randomly stolen a coffin and used it?" Maxwell asked which got him a raised eyebrow from Kace who was venting. "I don¡¯t know what to think."


    They were in the hideout while Xavier was at the Wace mansion after being called over by the old Wace to have a few words with him after Mr. Wace had shared the news regarding Ana¡¯s <i>death. </i>


    **


    "My poor sweet Anastasia isn¡¯t dead right?" Old Wace cried and Xavier shook his head in denial. Although he couldn¡¯t prove it, he was sure Anastasia wasn¡¯t dead.


    He shot a subtle re at his father, displeased that he had shared the news with his grandmother¡ªthe very news he believed she didn¡¯t need to know. After she had nearly suffered a heart attack just months after Anastasia¡¯s kidnapping, the doctor had strictly warned them against giving her any information that could jeopardize her fragile health. Yet, as always, Mr. Wace had chosen to ignore that advice.


    "Grandma, Anastasia isn¡¯t dead and I can assure you of that. She¡¯s not dead at all." He tried to convince her but she made it obvious she wasn¡¯t listening. If they didn¡¯t calm her down soon, she might experience another heart attack. "I¡¯ll bring Anastasia back home. I promise you that. Anastasia is going toe back to us."


    After old Wace seemed to have calmed down a bit, Mrs. Wace gave her drugs and Xavier helped hery on the bed.


    They left the room and made sure not to make any sound.


    As soon as they reached the living room, Xavier faced his father.


    "And what kind of move were you trying to make by telling Grandma what happened?" he questioned, his re sharp and unwavering. His voice was filled with restrained anger, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.


    Sensing the rising tension, his mother quickly stepped between them, her hands raised in a calming gesture. She cast a wary nce at both men, ready to intervene if things escted further.


    "I only did what was right? She needed to know that the granddaughter-inw she was praying for to see was no more. You know, I wouldn¡¯t have had to tell her if you¡¯d just picked up my call for once," Mr. Wace defended. After the little stunt he¡¯d yed in Xavier¡¯s house the other time, thetter had blocked him everywhere, and had restricted him froming to his house.


    With gritted teeth, Xavier responded. "If anything happens to Grandma, you are to be med for it."

 Chapter 355: She’s Awake

    "What was that?" Julian immediately jolted up from his seat. He was having breakfast with Alex and Emma at the dining table with the nanny on standby in case they needed anything when they suddenly heard a noiseing from the room Anastasia was in.


    Immediately, the two men ran towards the room, high on alert and the nanny stopped Emma from going because she felt Julian wouldn¡¯t want hering along.


    Anastasia tried to move, but her whole turn suffered from pain just from the thought of doing so. She felt her body was no longer hers and there was probably someone who was in control, pressing a button to make her wince whenever she tried to move.


    All of a sudden, she heard the door open and her head snapped towards it. Two men were standing in front of her, looking at her as if they¡¯d seen a ghost. One of them was familiar and the other wasn¡¯t.


    She tried to say a word and only realized at that moment that her mouth had also been bandaged up along with her face.


    "Nurse!!" Alex yelled while Julian helped Anastasia to the bed after recovering from their shock.


    Anastasia continued to stare at Julian until she finally recognized him as the man who¡¯d offered to help her escape from the factory. She blinked at him, wondering if she¡¯d indeed sessfully escaped.


    Her eyes held a lot of questions as she looked at him, and as if reading her thoughts, he replied, "You¡¯re at my home."


    However, the curiosity in her gaze didn¡¯t quench at all.


    The nurse came rushing, the expression of shock passing through her face for a second before she started checking up on Anastasia while Julian and Alex stood watching.


    The doctor was contacted and he came rushing as well when he was told the news. He made sure to run a deep checkup on her in case she could have been internally bleeding because he didn¡¯t expect her to wake up in such a short period of time.


    "How¡¯s she, doc?" Julian asked as soon as they were outside the room where Anastasia wouldn¡¯t hear anything they said. Although the door stood in between, he could sense her gaze ring through.


    "It was a miracle of God that she woke up sooner than we¡¯d imagined. Her stats show there¡¯s nothing to be worried about. All she needs to do is heal and she¡¯ll be fine," he responded.


    Julian released a sigh of relief.


    "How about her bandages?" Alex was the one who asked this time around.


    "They will be removed in a week," the doctor replied. "The nurse will give you a food timetable of what she can and cannot digest in this early stage."


    The two men nodded in understanding and the doctor left.


    "So, what now?" Alex asked, facing Julian. "Have you already decided if you¡¯re going to send her back to her husband?"


    "I already told you that would be a decision for her to make. If she wants to go back, she will." Julian¡¯s face waspletely covered with exasperation at Alex¡¯s question. Thetter didn¡¯t say anything and simply stared at him with several unspeakable questions Julian could almost hear.


    He decided to go back inside and just as he¡¯d suspected, Anastasia¡¯s gaze was fixed on the door as if she could hear what they¡¯d been saying with her eyes.


    The nurse excused herself after handing a paper to Julian which contained the food timetable for Anastasia.


    "Thank...you," Anastasia said, her voice rasp. The bandage around her mouth has finally been removed.


    "It¡¯s nothing," Julian said, stepping closer to her. "I know you have a lot of questions, but let me answer a few I¡¯m sure are on your mind. Xander and Samantha don¡¯t know you escaped¡ªI reced your body with someone else¡¯s, and they believed it. Your face was badly injured, so you had to undergo reconstruction, but the bandages cane off next week. Oh, and yes, Xander announced online that you¡¯re dead."


    Anastasia blinked at him.


    "Still thank...you," she managed to say again. "I couldn¡¯t have escaped without your help." When she¡¯d woken up, she¡¯d almost believed she¡¯d been receiving treatment at the factory. However, when he told her it was his home, her shoulders unbelievably felt lighter.


    Julian shook his head.


    "I only did what I did because I felt you were being punished for what you didn¡¯t do."


    Anastasia blinked at him again, several thoughts racing in her mind.

 Chapter 356: Burn In Hell

    She recalled Julian¡¯s words earlier.


    "Does it mean...I have a new face now?" She wondered out loud, her hands going to touch the bandage on her face. "Xavier?" She mumbled that name.


    She recalled Julian¡¯s question before he left about going back to her husband, and as soon as those words had rolled off his tongue, she recalled when Michelle had said Xavier wouldn¡¯t want a used garbage like her.


    She¡¯d been used by several men and that memory made tears pool in her eyes. She decided not to think about her husband anymore and concluded he wouldn¡¯t want her back. She was trash after all.


    She¡¯d slept for months and only been awake for a few hours. However, she still wanted to go back to sleep. Anastasia gave in to the temptation and gentlyid back on the bed.


    There was tomorrow and there were still some questions she needed to ask Julian.


    Downstairs, Alex was waiting for Julian and when he saw him, he cocked an eyebrow in question.


    "She didn¡¯t answer and I don¡¯t think she will answer that question anytime soon. She just woke up after being in aa for four months. Let¡¯s give her a breather."


    Alex merely shrugged but didn¡¯t say anything.


    "What if she doesn¡¯t want to go back to Xavier?"


    "Are you asking me that question or you¡¯re asking yourself?" Alex questioned. "Of course, if she doesn¡¯t want to go back, you¡¯re going to have to take her in, marry her, and then she can be your wife and a mother to Emma."


    "What nonsense are you talking about?" Julian snapped, clearly exasperated.


    "You asked a question."


    Julian had to distract Emma from wanting to meet with his <i>friend </i>by asking the nanny to take her out to y.


    "Emma needs a mother figure in her life, someone she could rely on. However, not Anastasia."


    Alex hummed, yet still, he didn¡¯t utter a word.


    When it was time for dinner, the nurse helped Anastasia to the dining table where everyone was seated, including Alex.


    "I¡¯m so d that you¡¯re awake now, father won¡¯t be sad anymore," Emma blurted out as she scooted her seat closer to Anastasia.


    Anastasia exchanged eye contact with Julian, wondering when she¡¯d be his friend. The girl looking at her with so much curiosity in her eyes weirdly made her feelfortable.


    "Emma, you need to eat your food and go to bed. It¡¯s almost your bedtime," Julian said. Emma pouted before starting to dig into her meal.


    Meanwhile, Anastasia wanted to throw up as soon as the soup the nurse had prepared touched her tongue. It was nd and full of nothing. Such soups wouldn¡¯t even be served to the prisoners in jail.


    Julian noticed her difort and a small smile stretched on his lips as she stole nces of their meal, devouring everything subconsciously.


    "I can already tell you don¡¯t like the soup. But don¡¯t worry, the doctor said you are only going to take them for a few days until your bandage is removed," he said and responded by nodding.


    Despite seeing the new faces and the new environment that was different from where she¡¯d been the past few months, Anastasia still found it hard to believe anything.


    She thought she was dreaming and would soon be woken up to reality.


    <i>Michelle</i>


    <i>Xander</i>


    <i>Samantha </i>


    This was the freedom she¡¯d asked for, the freedom she begged for but was restricted from getting.


    Her grip tightened on the spoon as those memories she wanted to forget clouded her mind once again.


    If only she could trade them for the ones she¡¯d lost, then she would have dly done so.


    She was sure she had a family searching for her, but would the memories she¡¯d acquired from those filthy ces¡ªthe awful things she¡¯d experienced let her be?


    She wanted <i>re¡ª</i>


    "Anastasia..." Julian¡¯s voice immediately interrupted her thoughts and she turned to look at him. "It will be alright." He gave her a reassuring smile, and that was when she noticed the dimple that popped on the side of his cheeks.


    "It will be alright," she responded. She felt a small hand holding hers and she looked at Emma.


    ¡¯They will burn in hell,¡¯ she promised herself as she smiled at the small girl.

 Chapter 357: Leave For Radiantia?

    Anastasia closed her eyes to get rid of those images from her head. She just wanted to get back at them for what they¡¯d done to her. Make them suffer for making her three months in their hands the kind that will forever give her nightmares. The kind that would make her skin crawl whenever a man touched her. The kind that would make her blood boil if she let everything go.


    Her grip tightened on the remote control, her pulse racing, her heart aching to make them pay.


    "Anastasia..." She suddenly heard someone call her name. Her head turned to the door to find Julian and the doctor staring at her with a perplexed expression.


    She¡¯d been so carried away with her gruesome thoughts she didn¡¯t even hear theme in. Anastasia suddenly felt she¡¯d lost control of her own emotions and needed to get them in check before she did something she might regret.


    "The doctor is here to remove your bandages," said Julian as the doctor settled the tools he would use such as bandage scissors, tweezers, and sterile gauze.


    Anastasia¡¯s mood immediately brightened when she recalled she was getting her facial bandages removed that day. Her heart raced in anticipation.


    She was ready to see scars all over her face¡ªat least they were scars she got after turning Avery¡¯s head into a dog smoothie. It was worth the struggle.


    After making sure Anastasia was rxed and ready, the doctor started.


    About half an hourter, the doctor wiped Anastasia¡¯s face clean with sterile gauze. Then he brought a small mirror in front of her. "We¡¯re done. You can look at your face now."


    Anastasia slowly opened her eyes and saw her reflection in the mirror. Her heart sank to the bottom of her feet. Her stomach churned terribly, goosebumps rising off her skin and making her skin crawl. Despite all these reactions, she didn¡¯t despise what she saw in the mirror.


    "Did I get a facial reconstruction or a cosmetic surgery?" She asked, her eyes darting to look at both Julian and the doctor.


    She took the mirror to admire herself more as the doctor exined.


    "Like we said, your face was disfigured and your skull was damaged as well. Luckily, it didn¡¯t affect your brain. It¡¯s actually a miracle you didn¡¯t experience any memory loss."


    A chill ran down Anastasia¡¯s spine. Another memory loss would be a curse rather than illness if that had been the case.


    "It was almost impossible to reconstruct your face so we did as much as we could do."


    The shape of her head was more rounded than she¡¯d remembered, her jawline looking sharp enough to cut through the grass. Although her face was still in a healing process and she couldn¡¯t make out how it would turn out, she was sure if she wore a contact lens that gave her a different eye color, she would be a different person totally.


    Anastasia nodded in understanding and the doctor arranged his tools and left.


    "I would like to ask when I¡¯vepletely recovered, can I leave this city?" She suddenly asked, catching Julian off guard.


    "You want to leave Xattlewood?" He asked as if he didn¡¯t hear her well, and she nodded. "If that¡¯s the case I¡¯ll get you your new passport, but it will be a different name. You¡¯re going to have to bear a new identity."


    <i>New identity. </i>


    Those words sounded familiar. She looked down at Julian¡¯s phone that was ced on the coffee table.


    "Can you please research my name on Google?" She requested.


    Julian gave her an odd look but still did as she requested of him without asking questions. He fetched his phone and researched her name, then gave the phone to her to look at whatever she wanted to see.


    Anastasia saw some headlines regarding her career before she¡¯d been kidnapped. The awards Elizabeth had been talking about before she¡¯d died.


    Anastasia could see she was happy in those pictures, with the ones she¡¯d taken with her husband, Xavier. Looking at his face made her feel guilty for an unknown reason so she quickly scrolled past those pictures.


    Then more headlines about her changing her identity popped. She frowned, focusing on the headlines as she read through them.


    <i>Selene Jones</i>


    That had been a fake identity she¡¯d used. A small smile spread on her lips, grateful she was starting to recall things more clearly now.


    When she was done, she handed the phone back to Julian.


    "I want to go to Radiantia," she suddenly announced,pletely catching Julian off guard once again.

 Chapter 358: Back In Radiantia

    "Okay, fine," Julian relented with a sigh. "I promise, the next time I go back, I¡¯ll take you with me."


    Emma first gave her father a side nce then slowly gave a nod.


    "Don¡¯t forget," she added but it sounded more like a threat.


    A smile stretched on Anastasia¡¯s lips when she heard the girl. She hadn¡¯t seen Emma¡¯s mother walking around or anything and could only wonder what happened to the woman. Also, she felt something <i>must </i>have happened. However, it would be too inappropriate to ask Julian about it. It could strike a nerve.


    When dinner was finished, Anastasia thanked the nanny and went back to her room. It¡¯s been a few days since she said she wanted to go to Radiantia, her exercise was getting more intense and she could finally walk, but slowly of course so she wouldn¡¯t trip.


    Julian had gotten her a phone so she could get to know more about herself from social media since she was a big star once.


    There was much to Google since there was a lot she needed to remember. Her memories kepting back bit by bit but nothing regarding her life while she was in a rtionship could resurface in her memory again.


    Anastasia sighed as she closed and reopened her eyes.


    The days seemed to fly by, yet each time Anastasia found herself alone in her room, her mind betrayed her, wandering back to the horrors of her time at the house. The memories came back too vividly, haunting her so much that even the thought of closing her eyes and surrendering to sleep filled her with dread.


    As for going to Radiantia, she only wanted to visit that ce and see if she could remember anything while hoping she never bumped into Xavier Wace.


    And again, Michelle¡¯s words rang in her ears.


    When everything was bing too suffocating, she left for the patio where she could get some fresh air.


    The night was cold but she didn¡¯t bother to take any nket along with her.


    <i>Radiantia</i>


    She was going back to her hometown. A cold shiver ran down her spine, making goosebumps rise on her skin, but she endured it.


    <i>The next day,</i>


    Both Anastasia and Julian went to the airport. This was Anastasia¡¯s first time heading somewhere in Xattlewood without her vision being restricted.


    Her heart thumped against her chest, terrified that someone working for Xander would recognize her. Just to be careful, she covered her face with a scarf and passed through the checkpoint.


    Everything went smoothly until they boarded their ne.


    It was the next day they arrived in Radiantia.


    As Anastasia graced the floor with her feet, the feeling of nostalgia hit her.


    No one paid attention to her face, which only meant her looks were truly deceiving enough.


    She turned to Julian who gave her a small smile.


    "Do you want to visit the Wace enterprise? I¡¯m sure your husband will be head over heels when he sees you," he tried to convince her.


    Anastasia inhaled and then exhaled heavily.


    "I¡¯ll go there but just to look at him for a few minutes. Then I¡¯ll go to the rk mansion¡ª"


    Anastasia paused when she saw a familiar face at the airport but couldn¡¯t quite remember where she¡¯d seen that face before.


    Julian followed her gaze and his eyesnded on a woman who was dragging her luggage along with her as she headed for the exit. He recognized that person immediately.


    "That¡¯s Tracie rk, your sister," he said.


    With the help of social media, Anastasia was able to discover her real parents when she was still in Xattlewood.


    Looking at Tracie now urged her to go hug the woman for she¡¯d finally seen a family member after so long.


    All of a sudden, Tracie turned with the feeling that someone was watching her. She scanned around until her eyesnded on a woman who wore a scarf to hide half of her face.


    Tracie stared at the woman, making sure to keep eye contact until the woman turned away. She narrowed her eyes at the woman, wondering why she would possibly be looking at her like that.


    She was already in a bad mood and didn¡¯t want some stranger adding salt to it.


    Then she turned and left.

 Chapter 359: Crushed Soul

    Xavier was going to trade in disguise, hoping he could find her but there was rarely any sex trafficking trade.


    Everyone was overwhelmed by finding Anastasia and truly hoped they would find her one day.


    **


    Anastasia arrived at her hotel room. Julian booked two hotel rooms since it would be inappropriate to sleep in one.


    She opened the windows and breathed in the fresh air as her gazended on the beautiful city. Billboards popped everywhere with advertisements being promoted. The same as movies and pop artists.


    The city felt more alive and vibrant than Xattlewood.


    Julian had already informed her that Xander ran the city, making her wonder if he was the president or had someone working for him as the president.


    There weren¡¯t many billboards or any beautiful lights.


    Due to her lost memories, Anastasia didn¡¯t quite know if she¡¯d been familiar with Xattlewood in the past.


    However, ording to Julian, the city was a very small one, almost a town and abandoned by the government due to its size.


    More than a decade ago, Xander had power and started building the city. But of course, no one knew it was Xander because his identity was hidden from the eyes of everyone due to obvious reasons.


    He shaped the government of Xattlewood the way he desired.


    Of course, Julian didn¡¯t mention the main person that gave Xander such power because he didn¡¯t wake up one morning and riches from heaven fell upon him.


    Anastasia had to check online and realized that Xattlewood was one of the cities with little to no crime rates, which was a fabricated lie because Xander didn¡¯t want any external government leadership poke nosing into his turf. So he had to make it sparkly clean to not gain any attention.


    This also exined why Xavier hadn¡¯t thought of going to Xattlewood. In the eyes of people from other cities, Xattlewood was a peaceful ce and itsck of beautiful scenery chased some tourists away.


    Anastasia watched the sunset, her scarf still hovering around her face, keeping her identity intact.


    Then a knock was heard on the door.


    It was Julian.


    "Let¡¯s have dinner," he said as he opened the door.


    "Okay..."


    Anastasia followed him to the hotel restaurant. Julian had always been nice towards her but it made Anastasia ufortable sometimes because she had that feeling of him betraying her anytime soon. He was still friends with her kidnapper after all.


    The restaurant was bustling with people¡ªsome were families that fed their little children, some were couples, andstly, they were people who loved to eat their food alone, in peace.


    Anastasia took a seat, and a waiter approached them, handing over the menu.


    They made their order and the waiter left to go get them.


    "Do you recall anything, in case you¡¯ve been to this hotel before?" Julian tried to break the silence between them.


    Anastasia shook her head. "I don¡¯t recall anything. Although, when we were heading over here, the streets felt familiar."


    Julian nodded.


    "If you don¡¯t mind me asking, what if Xander wants to speak with you all of a sudden, are you going to reveal anything about me?" The question caught him off guard, and he nearly choked on his saliva.


    "I wouldn¡¯t reveal anything about you. I¡¯ve already told you, your life is yours now and you can do anything with it, and Xander will keep thinking that you¡¯re dead."


    "I thought you were his friend." Anastasia didn¡¯t know why but she suddenly felt like asking him all these questions. They¡¯d been at the back of her mind all the time, struggling with several other questions she wanted to ask, but not to Julian. "Aren¡¯t you betraying him?"


    "I¡¯m not. Like I said, what Xander had done to you wasn¡¯t your fault to begin with¡ª"


    "So you wouldn¡¯t be bothered if I suddenly wanted to slit his throat?" Anastasia¡¯s voice was calm butced with something Julian couldn¡¯t quite ce. He frowned at her question, uneasy about where this was heading.


    "Won¡¯t you be bothered if I wake up one day and decide to take revenge on your friends, Julian? What if I want to kill them the way they killed my soul, crushed it under their feet, and tossed it in the gutter like it meant nothing once they were satisfied?" Her eyes burned with a chilling intensity, leaving Julian momentarily speechless.


    The background noise had suddenly turned faint and all Anastasia could hear was her racing heart.


    "What if I want <i>revenge </i>for what they¡¯d done to me?"

 Chapter 360: Harrison Mansion

    "Then what are you going to do when I want revenge? Are you going to help me?" She repeated her earlier question, and Julian¡¯s tongue was too tied to reply immediately.


    Anastasia hummed, picked up her spoon, and scooped food into her mouth.


    "Are you happy with what Xander and Samantha are doing?" Anastasia suddenly asked, her tone sharp and cutting. Julian stiffened, not needing her to borate¡ªhe already knew what she was referring to.


    Anastasia¡¯s gaze shifted to the bustling crowd in the distance, focusing on parents tenderly feeding their young children. Her voice hardened as she continued, "You have a daughter too, Julian, and yet you¡¯re involved in *that* kind of business. Doesn¡¯t your conscience bother you? What if the same thing that happened to me¡ªwhat¡¯s happening to all those girls¡ªhappened to Emma? Would you be able to handle it?"


    Her words struck him like a de, and she didn¡¯t care. Her tone was deliberately harsh, driven by an overwhelming urge to vent the anger and frustration she had bottled up for so long.


    Julian might be her savior, but that good deed wasn¡¯t enough to cover up the other bad ones he¡¯d gotten himself involved in.


    "You don¡¯t know what happened."


    "Then exin to me. Exin to me how you can sleep peacefully every night, knowing fully well you¡¯re destroying the lives of other girls whose families had been looking for them. Don¡¯t you have some kind of conscience left in you? What do you think Emma would think when she¡¯s all grown up and finds out the kind of job her father is involved in? Do you really think she would ever look at you with those eyes filled with admiration ever again?"


    Anastasia¡¯s tone was low, yet it carried so much harsh intensity it made goosebumps rise on his skin.


    "Anastasia..."


    "Can¡¯t you defy Xander? Is there something you¡¯re scared of?" Anastasia questioned, her fist clenched on the spoon, resisting the urge to smack it across Julian¡¯s face.


    Just the thought of another girl going through what she¡¯d gone through made her skin crawl and she silently wished she was a snake that could shed skin. But she wondered if she shed skin a hundred times, would she ever stop being disgusted with herself?


    "It¡¯s not like that...In the past..." Julian suddenly paused, took a deep harsh breath but didn¡¯t continue from where he¡¯d left off.


    Anastasia narrowed her eyes at him. Her shoulder felt lighter now because she¡¯d said what she¡¯d been holding back in her mind. However, she felt it wasn¡¯t enough.


    She ignored him and continued eating her food.


    "Are you ready to have revenge on them?"


    His question caused her to choke on the food and she coughed aggressively, gaining attention from other people.


    Quickly, Julian helped her by giving her a ss of water so she could drink.


    After a few minutes, Anastasia was stable again.


    "What did you say?" She asked.


    "Are you ready to have your revenge on them?"


    As soon as those words fell out from Julian¡¯s lips, the only thing that came to her mind was to make all her enemies burn in a scorching hot fire that would peel her skin. That thought made her feel unbelievably good.


    "Don¡¯t you need some kind of therapy before you start anything? You¡¯ve been through a lot¡ª"


    "I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t need any sort of therapy." She immediately rejected the idea. "But why do you suddenly want to help me?"


    "It¡¯s because I want to."


    Anastasia didn¡¯t believe his reason but she let it go. She didn¡¯tpletely trust him, but she was ready to bolt the moment she saw any signs of his dishonesty, which she hadn¡¯t seen yet.


    They finished their dinner and headed back to their room.


    However, after a few hours near midnight, Anastasia left the hotel after they arranged a ride for her.


    There had been a ce she¡¯d always wanted to go to since she started remembering bits of her memory.


    It was the <i>Harrison</i> mansion.


    Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but be d because almost everything she¡¯d done in the past she couldn¡¯t remember was uploaded online. And they still stayed on social media so it was easier to search up.


    When the ride arrived at the mansion, Anastasia stepped down, her body slightly shaking from nervousness. She tried to tap into her memories again, but the images were different from what she was looking at.


    The house seemed to be under construction with a huge banner at the front warning people not to cross.


    This was where she¡¯d spent her entire childhood memories and she hoped to remember more from being there.


    Anastasia lifted the banners and sneaked in from below.


    "I¡¯d better remember something," she told herself.

 Chapter 361: Next House

    Anastasia opened her eyes and what greeted her was still darkness. She looked at the ground but didn¡¯t see any image of herself lying in her own pool of blood.


    Goosebumps rose on her skin with the urge to kill again.


    Julian¡¯s words rang in her ears, making her suddenly shiver.


    <i>Don¡¯t you need some kind of therapy?</i>


    "Therapy my foot. The only form of therapy I can get is making them suffer. That¡¯s the only kind of therapy I need," she said to herself.


    Anastasia was suddenly startled when she heard a faint noiseing from downstairs.


    She flinched in fright, hoping no one was around. She hadn¡¯t seen anyone in charge of guarding the house earlier, or did she miss it?


    With heavy feet, she left the room and crept downstairs, her ears catching faint manly voices echoing from below.


    If her heart had sunk earlier, then it was rolling off the stairs by now.


    She quickly turned off her shes when she saw the stranger¡¯s light spilling into the living room.


    "Why did the boss ask us toe here all of a sudden anyway? It¡¯s already sote and I¡¯m sleepy for goodness sake." A man asked as he moved some objects out of the way. He sounded troubled and seemed like he didn¡¯t want to be there.


    One couldn¡¯t me him. It is past midnight now. Even so, she didn¡¯t appreciate the fact that they were here right now. Why couldn¡¯t theyeter?


    "It¡¯s been long since this house was touched, remember? He and his wife...what was her name again? Anastasia, right! They nned to turn this ce into their vacation home but sadly, she¡¯s still missing," the other one replied.


    Anastasia heard more footsteps, the sound indicating more than just one or two people moving around.


    Her heart raced in panic. She couldn¡¯t let them see her, so she decided to go round the back. When she reached the back and tried opening the door, it was locked and there was nothing to use to break it open like she¡¯d done with the front door.


    As if things couldn¡¯t get any worse, one of the men said, "Someone had knocked down the doors and infiltrated."


    They immediately opened the door and their lightsnded on nothing suspicious.


    "There¡¯s no one here?" One asked with confusion etched in his tone.


    "Check upstairs now! It must be an enemy." Now that they were rmed, her escape was going to be difficult.


    Several thoughts clouded Anastasia¡¯s mind where she was hidden in the store room beside the kitchen. Should she let herself be caught and be brought to Xavier? Would he feel disgusted when she tells him everything she went through? Will he push her away or ept her?


    She despised how she couldn¡¯t decide on one thing. She truly needed an answer to her questions but was afraid of hearing it.


    When she saw that they¡¯d all scattered, searching for this enemy, she swiftly came out of her hiding spot.


    Luckily, the kitchen was close to the main entrance door so she immediately made her escape.


    However, when she was a few feet toward the gate, she saw some shes from the corners of her eyes and she turned.


    "That¡¯s the person! Hurry up! Catch her!!"


    They immediately chased after Anastasia. Fortunately, the car she¡¯de in was still waiting for her, so she quickly jumped inside and urged the driver to drive as quickly as he could.


    He did as he was told without asking a question and zoomed away before the men could catch up to them.


    "That...was...that was a woman," one stated, panting with his hands on his hips.


    "How do you know?"


    "She had long hair and had blue eyes," he replied. "Hey, was anything missing in the house?"


    The others shook their heads. "Not at all."


    "We¡¯ll still have to report this to our boss. Who was she anyway?"


    Anastasia¡¯s hand was ced on her chest, trying to calm her racing heartbeat.


    "Who were those people, ma¡¯am?" The driver finally asked when he saw that the coast was clear.


    "They? They were...I don¡¯t know."


    He looked at her from the rearview mirror and she seemed just as terrified as he was.


    Although what she remembered wasn¡¯t something blissful or worth remembering, Anastasia was still d she got something from visiting that mansion.


    ¡¯Next is the rk mansion,¡¯ she thought to herself.

 Chapter 362: When Do We Start?

    First, it was to go back to Radiantia, then she told him she wanted revenge. In the morning, she informed him she¡¯d already gone to the <i>Harrison </i>mansion and had almost been caught, and now, she wanted to go back to Xattlewood, just like that.


    "What?"


    "Let¡¯s go back."


    "So, you¡¯re not going to see your family? Not even once?" He asked, beginning to worry even more. He might not have said anything in the past few weeks, but he was starting to notice how detached she was bing, that was why he¡¯d suggest she went to therapy. Unfortunately, she¡¯d rejected that offer.


    Her eyes had always been shallow and empty since he met her, trembling with fear of what was toe when she was at the house. However, now, it was even more shallow, as if she had no reason for them to sparkle anymore.


    He was aware he was also a cause for what had happened to her, for he didn¡¯t save her earlier, but he couldn¡¯t help but worry she was losing herself because she wanted to make her enemies pay for what they¡¯d done to her.


    "I¡¯ll visit them after I¡¯vepleted my goals." Then she looked up at him with determination. "I wouldn¡¯t want them to see how miserable I look now. They will only look at me with pity and I don¡¯t want that."


    "You still¡ª" Julian stopped himself from talking any further. Anastasia had made her decision and he was sure nothing he said would make her change her mind.


    The day passed with both of them packing their bags and booking their tickets for their trip back to Xattlewood.


    <i>In Xattlewood</i>


    "And where the hell did Julian go off to?" Xander questioned Samantha who was on a phone call with someone. She scowled at him before respectfully ending the phone call.


    "Julian said he¡¯s in Radiantia," she replied, arranging some documents on her desk. She was at her office at the factory, looking worn out from looking after so many girls and making sure they were healthy for more surrogacy.


    "And what¡¯s he doing in Radiantia?" Xander questioned, exasperated now because Julian didn¡¯t mention to him especially that he was traveling out of Xattlewood.


    Samantha sighed, rubbing the skin between her eyebrows in frustration. "I don¡¯t know. Probably for a business trip. He said he¡¯ll be arriving today though."


    Xander didn¡¯t seem to believe it as his eyebrows squinted in suspicion.


    "Julian has been acting weirdtely. That¡¯s for sure. He rarelyes to events or the factory or even brings in new clients," he said, finally deciding to take a seat.


    "What are you talking about?" Samantha asked with confusion etched evident in her tone.


    "Julian is barely avable these days," Xander concluded,bing his locks of dark hair with his fingers.


    "Of course, he¡¯s not always avable. He has a daughter and his own business he needs to take care of. How do you expect him to be avable all the time?" Samantha questioned. She was displeased with his presence especially after he interrupted her call and now he was asking irrelevant questions.


    Xander sighed, realizing he was overreacting.


    **


    Anastasia and Julian arrived in Xattlewood and went back to his home. Julian received a phone call while Anastasia went back to her room.


    Emma was still at school and Alex hadn¡¯t arrived yet.


    Anastasia stayed secluded in her room for a while until she was called by Julian. She went to his room where she saw Alex and Julian waiting for her to arrive.


    "I¡¯m sure you must be wondering about how to find out the identities of those men that vited you the night of the crimson hunt," said Julian and a chill ran down Anastasia¡¯s spine. "These are their names and everything you would want to know about them."


    Anastasia looked at the scattered photos on the table, her eyes falling on the faces of those people who used her body as they pleased that night. It was dark that day, so she didn¡¯t know what they looked like. However, there was only one person she recognized. It was Mr. Steven, the man who¡¯d checked her for infections before she was taken to the baby factory.


    He was smiling in his picture, looking very innocent and happy as if he didn¡¯t kill someone a few months ago, and probably more as time went on.


    She checked the others.


    Without a doubt, they were influential people, that¡¯s why they didn¡¯t blink an eysh to be a part of such a crime. They had people who were willing to risk their lives to prove they could never do such a thing.


    They were public servants who served the people well¡ªpoliticians who ced the needs of the public first before theirs as a facade.


    Getting rid of them was going to be difficult, that was for sure, but Anastasia didn¡¯t waver. She was willing to take them on.


    "So, when do we start?" She asked.

 Chapter 363: Welcome Back

    Anastasia looked up at Julian, a dangerous smile ying on the corners of her lips. Her eyes filled with contempt.


    This was what he¡¯d always been worried about. That expression of hers worried him that she might have lost control of herself.


    "You don¡¯t have to worry about anything Julian. I¡¯m perfectly fine, and believe me when I say I can¡¯t wait to meet them once again."


    She gave him an assuring smile before she turned to the vanity mirror to put on some lip gloss.


    "I¡¯ll be just fine," she repeated, tapping on her cheeks a few times as if checking to see if they¡¯d stiffen.


    Julian could only sigh. He was one step away from putting an end to this and sending Anastasia back to the family she deserved.


    However, the fear of facing Xavier¡¯s wrath scared the ghost out of him.


    Not long after, they left the room.


    Julian had arranged for Anastasia to have a brand-new car, ensuring they wouldn¡¯t arrive together at the party. Sharing a vehicle would raise too many suspicions, and caution was key.


    Besides, she was going to pose as a business woman, so she needed to have her own car.


    **


    Anastasia parked her car in front of a massive building, probably the tallest building she¡¯d ever seen in Xattlewood. It didn¡¯t look like apany or anything at all. Instead, it looked more like a house. A beautiful tall house that nearly took her breath away with how elegant it was.


    However, Anastasia didn¡¯t let the beautypletely blind her eyes for she knows whatever is going on or ns to go on in that building was heinous.


    Taking a deep breath, Anastasia threw her keys to the valet and walked inside.


    Both she and Julian had arrived at a different time, so she concluded he was already waiting inside for her.


    Her heart hammered against her chest. As she walked into the building, it felt as if she was walking into a pit of fire that would burn her to death. However, she reminded herself she was the fire that was going to burn them till they died. Every single one of them.


    "Your invitation card, ma¡¯am?" The security guards at the front asked.


    Anastasia reached into her pocket and pulled out a fancy blue envelope with a white ribbon on it. The security guard flipped it open, read the name, and flipped it close. Then he opened the door for her without saying anything.


    It might seem like a harmless check-in, but only God knew how rapid Anastasia¡¯s heart was beating. It was so loud she feared that he might hear it.


    Anastasia had assumed the event would host fifty or maybe a hundred people at most. Yet, as she scanned the crowd, the sheer number of attendees¡ªeach shing their dazzling smiles¡ªneared two hundred, if her estimation was correct.


    She looked up at the stage where a banner was hung. This was an anniversary ceremony for an old couple.


    Anastasia had been shocked when Julian had informed her of the ceremony. Even after what all these people had done, they still had the audacity to celebrate some nonsensical wedding anniversary.


    Everyone was smiling and happy while they ruined innocent people¡¯s lives like it was nothing. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder how they manage to sleep at night with the number of crimes theymit every day.


    Anastasia didn¡¯t want to think too much about it because she was going to find out anyway.


    She sighted Julian speaking with a familiar person. She recognized the figure immediately at first nce. The one man who¡¯d killed her friend, Angelina. It was Mr. Steven.


    "You know, Samantha texted me a few days ago, telling me there was a girl that¡¯s exactly my type. I really can¡¯t wait to see the girl already." Mr Steven giggled like a teenage boy, happy to lose his virginity to a hot senior at school. His voice irritated Anastasia to the core.


    She swiftly grabbed a drink from a waiter like it was nothing, then closed the distance between them which was only a few feet.


    "Samantha sure knows how to lure clients into her business," she said, grabbing their attention.


    Mr. Steven turned to look at her, his grin still stretching on his lips as he acknowledged her words. "That¡¯s why I go to her when I need some girls. She knows my type better than the others."


    ¡¯The others?" Anastasia stiffened for half a second before her smile returned to her face.


    "Indeed."


    "If I may ask, who are you? I¡¯ve never actually seen you before." Mr. Steven asked, sizing her up.

 Chapter 364: It Is Time

    The event would be starting in a few more minutes and she couldn¡¯t wait for Xander to arrive. Since this was his city, he definitely couldn¡¯t miss an event like this one.


    Anastasia scanned around the room, recognizing almost everyone there. There were females around too, so she didn¡¯t stand out too much. Only her outfit earned her a few nces here and there.


    Julian couldn¡¯t tell if Anastasia was lying or not. Her face remained unreadable, giving nothing away. Yet, he failed to notice the glimmer in her eyes¡ªa spark that lingered as her gaze discreetlynded on someone in the crowd.


    "Excuse me," she said to Julian. Before he could open his mouth to stop her, she¡¯d already left.


    He watched her walk towards a group of men talking. They were part of the people who¡¯d vited her on the night of the crimson hunt.


    "Good evening, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Russell, and Mr. Walter," she greeted with a radiant smile that exuded innocence and charm. It was a stark contrast to the sharp, cold expression she¡¯d worn just moments before as she strode confidently toward them.


    Because of her beauty and sweet voice, the three men didn¡¯t waste a moment to loosen their guard around her.


    "What a beautifuldy gracing us with her presence today," said Mr. Walter, a forty-three-year-old man whose stark white hair contrasted with his sharp, appraising gaze. His eyes lingered on her with an unsettling interest that made Anastasia inwardly cringe, though she forced her smile to widen. Disgust churned in her stomach, but she knew his reaction was exactly what she¡¯d hoped for.


    "I¡¯m Jennifer Reyez," she said with a polite smile, her voice carrying just the right amount of charm and confidence to disarm any suspicion.


    The men exchanged brief nces, their brows furrowing slightly as if trying to ce her name. None of them spoke immediately, the silence almost challenging her im.


    "I was introduced to this business by a very dear friend of mine, Julian De Luca," she continued, gesturing subtly toward Julian, who was standing a few feet away, engrossed in a conversation with others.


    The men followed her gesture, their eyesnding on Julian. He gave a curt nod in their direction, his expressionposed but deliberate, silently vouching for her. The tension eased, though faint traces of doubt still lingered in their gazes.


    "Oh, Julian. He¡¯s a very good man. He¡¯s part of Xander¡¯s team and brings in good clients for the sex trafficking world," said Mr. Campbell, who was standing beside Mr. Walter. He was a thirty-nine-year-old man, a governor of Xattlewood.


    Since this was Xander¡¯s city, Anastasia had already concluded he was the one to appoint Mr. Campbell to his political seat.


    Anastasia only chuckled at his words which reminded her of the work Julian was still involved in. Although he might have agreed with this revenge n, she still wondered what he was gaining from it. Does he secretly want to have revenge on Xander and Samantha? What past did they have, and where was his wife?


    Those three questions had been ringing in her ears but she hadn¡¯t had time to ask him anything yet. Even so, she wouldn¡¯t want him changing his mind at thest minute and sending her back. She barely knew anything about him anyway.


    "What business are you here for, Ms. Reyez?" Mr. Russell, a fifty-five-year-old man with a good build for his age, dark hair with brown eyes like caramel asked.


    "I¡¯ve heard so much of Xander¡¯s and Samantha¡¯s business from Julian and I was wondering if I could partner with them, because you see, doing good things doesn¡¯t seem to earn that much money anymore."


    The three men chuckled like some trained choir members, their voices in sync with their chests rising, earning a few nces from other people before they went back to their businesses.


    "You¡¯re right about that, anding here to do business with them both isn¡¯t such a bad idea. Xander is the king of this city. He built it from scratch, and gave each of us all a position." Although Mr. Russell spoke like he was proud of where he was, however, there was still that underlying tone of envy. As if he could, he would switch roles with Xander.


    Anastasia took a sip of her champagne, twirling it with her taste as if trying to get apletely different taste from it, and slid down her throat, swallowing it.


    "I¡¯ve been meaning to ask, how did he do all of that? Building a whole city like this, all by himself?" She carefully asked.


    "Oh, he didn¡¯t do that all by himself at all. He got help from Bruce rie," replied Mr Walter with a slight chuckle.


    "Bruce rie..." She repeated, struggling to remember where she¡¯d heard thatst name before. Anastasia stilled for a second when she did. Samantha rie. Bruce rie.


    ¡¯What rtionship do they have?¡¯ She wondered.


    "Yes, Bruce. The story goes a long way, actually, and we don¡¯t know what truly happened," Mr. Campbell replied thoughtfully. "Since you¡¯re nning to partner with them, why don¡¯t you ask them yourself?"


    Anastasia smiled politely at his suggestion, masking the absurdity of simply approaching them with such a question.


    "Speaking of them," Mr. Campbell added, ncing over her shoulder, "they¡¯re right here."


    Anastasia¡¯s heart skipped a beat in fear, realizing it was finally time to meet them. The people she was going to get back at.

 Chapter 365: Something Is Up

    Seeing her torturers after so long stirred up memories Anastasia wished she could forget. Memories of being beneath them, treated as nothing more than a disposable toy, stripped of any autonomy, freedom, or voice.


    But now, standing before them with a new identity and a newfound strength, in a situation that was worlds apart from where she had been just months ago, Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but hum softly to herself. It was a quiet acknowledgment of how far she hade¡ªand how far she intended to go.


    Xander and Samantha greeted the guests, or rather, the guests went to greet them. They were the stars of the event. Even though she hadn¡¯t seen the main couple for this anniversary.


    Samantha suddenly felt a gaze on her. She¡¯d thought it was just some greedy old man who wanted to get his hands on her, but the look was too intense to ignore.


    She scanned around the area and identally made eye contact with a woman she hadn¡¯t seen before. She had hazel eyes, wearing a female business suit that fitted her body naturally well.


    This was the first time Samantha was seeing such a person, however, she had no idea why the person was looking at her so intently.


    As if the woman had read Samantha¡¯s mind, she gave her a gentle smile that only spiked Samantha¡¯s curiosity. However, she didn¡¯t bother to interrogate because this was an important event, and only important people got invitations to it.


    Samantha ignored her to face other people.


    Anastasia had no idea what had just happened.


    For a second, she was ring into Samantha¡¯s bare back¡ªwishing she could just stab her and watch her die right there¡ªwhen the green eyed woman had suddenly turned and made eye contact with her. Her brain had frozen, with no idea of what to do in the situation.


    It was the first time she was meeting Samantha since her knew identity, and she feared she would be figured out sooner than intended. However, Samantha didn¡¯t do anything which only meant she didn¡¯t suspect anything. Anastasia didn¡¯t want to take any chances which was why she¡¯d worn contact lense to conceal her real eye color.


    "That was close," she mumbled to herself.


    As if the eye contact she¡¯d shared with Samantha hadn¡¯t been enough, she saw Michelle walking through the entrance door in a ck gown with open slits at the bottom.


    Anastasia¡¯s heart raced as she watched Michelle approach, her mind silently praying that she wouldn¡¯t be recognized. She and Michelle had grown up together, and the thought of fooling her felt far more difficult than deceiving Samantha. As much as she hoped for the best, doubts crept in, making her question if this risky n was truly a good idea.


    Samantha¡¯s expression instantly turned sour when she saw Michelle.


    Earlier, she hadn¡¯t wanted Michelle toe along since she wasn¡¯t supposed to know such business. However, Michelle had offered to get some clients by attracting them with her beauty which only made Samantha gag in disgust.


    Since that trick had actually worked in the past when Michelle was still new, Xander didn¡¯t decline the idea.


    That action of his pricked her heart for a second, but she breathed in to get past the pain.


    "Look at all these people," Michelle started, standing by Samantha¡¯s side with hands crossed around her chest. "I bet I can make them all do business with us in half an hour. You wanna bet?"


    "I¡¯m not here topete with you, so just do whatever you¡¯vee here to do," said Samantha. Without looking at Michelle, she could already see the grin stretching on thetter¡¯s lips.


    "You¡¯ve be boringtely. You don¡¯t even pick fights with me anymore like you used to. What suddenly happened? You finally realized I¡¯ve won?" Michelle asked, nudging Samantha a little on the shoulder, nodding at Xander¡¯s direction. "Do you remember when Anastasia died and you told me Xander would get me sold? What now? Are you jealous that I¡¯m still here and that I¡¯ve won his heart instead?"


    Samantha took a deep breath, reminding herself not to be pushed into doing something she might regretter. She¡¯d always wanted to strangle Michelle and throw her body in the dump for always talking to her however she liked.


    "I¡¯m not jealous that you won his heart or whatever, but don¡¯t be too proud of yourself, Michelle. I¡¯ve known Xander longer than you have, so if you think you¡¯ve won in your imaginary contest with me, then you need to snap back to reality."


    Michelle only chuckled, sighing at the end. "You¡¯re right. I should think of anything I want to. Just like I¡¯ve won his heart, I¡¯ll also rece your position soon in this business."


    "Don¡¯t get too ahead of yourself," Samantha said with a chuckle before excusing herself while Michelle red at her back.


    Unbeknownst to them, Anastasia had been watching their interaction all from the beginning.


    Just like she¡¯d guessed when she¡¯d been back at the house, those two had feelings for Xander and she was going to make use of that feeling to her own benefit.

 Chapter 366: Partner With Us

    Julian walked her to a stool where a bartender was serving a few drinks.


    "Stay here for a while until the anniversary starts," he said and she nodded in understanding before he left to continue from where she¡¯d left off. He may have been friends with Xander for the longest time, but he doesn¡¯t know much about the clients at all.


    Anastasia decided to sit still, her posture calm andposed, but her sharp eyes darted around the room like a hawk, taking in every detail with intense focus.


    All of a sudden, she spotted thest person she expected, dragging a chair and settling into it with the demeanor of a child punished and sent to their room to sulk until the anniversary was over.


    Michelle¡¯s hand was on her cheeks as she sulked in defeat.


    "Isn¡¯t it strange that none of them are willing to even listen to what I¡¯m saying? All they want to do is listen to Samantha. They might as well worship her like she¡¯s some goddess," she spat out with so much venom it was obvious she wasn¡¯t enjoying the party at all.


    Anastasia¡¯s subconscious screamed to her to hide. Michelle was the one person she expected to figure out her true identity at the very first eye contact. However, thetter wasn¡¯t even acknowledging her presence there.


    Anastasia stiffly ordered a ss of water to calm down her nerves as she continued to listen to Michelle talk to herself.


    "She thinks with this act, she can win Xander over just like that. She¡¯s ying." Then she chuckled at the end of her words. That action merely got her side eyes from the guests, wondering if she¡¯d gone insane all of a sudden.


    Anastasia decided not to keep quiet anymore.


    "Excuse me but I couldn¡¯t help but listen to all that you¡¯ve said. You seem to be agitated with someone. Did you face any difort while speaking to the guests here?" She asked with the kindest and most polite tone she¡¯d ever used to approach her enemy.


    While she was recovering, Anastasia had done some practice to change the tone of her voice so she¡¯d soundpletely different from her usual self. It was just a final touch to her new identity and so far, Michelle wasn¡¯t freaking out, which only meant she was able to fool her also.


    Michelle wondered who thedy across her could be. She¡¯d been so invested inining about her unfortunate night to herself she¡¯d forgotten someone could have overheard her, especially someone who was close contact with Samantha.


    "If I may ask, who are you?" Michelle carefully asked the unknowndy.


    "I¡¯m Jennifer Reyez," Anastasia replied with a polite grin that gave her a soft aura.


    "Oh..."


    "I¡¯m a friend of Julian, and I wanted to speak with Xander about partnering with him. I¡¯ve been wondering how to speak with him and you seem to not be getting any clients for yourself¡ª"


    "Did you just say that you want to partner with us?" Michelle asked, immediately excited.


    ¡¯Us?¡¯ Anastasia was tempted to cock up an eyebrow at Michelle¡¯sst word.


    Although she couldn¡¯t exactly remember how Michelle got into this kind of work, there certainly wasn¡¯t an <i>us</i> with Samantha and Xander.


    "Of course. If you don¡¯t mind, could you please introduce the both of us?" Anastasia politely asked.


    "Definitely." With that, Anastasia rose from her seat and followed Michelle through the dense crowd, weaving between clusters of people engaged in lighthearted conversations and exchanging smiles. Each step she took, she mentally prepared herself, calming her nerves with steady breaths.


    She was already in too deep; there was no turning back now. This was just a normal meeting¡ªnothing more, nothing less. There was no way Xander would recognize her. If Michelle, the sister who had betrayed her for so long, couldn¡¯t see through her new identity, then neither Xander nor Samantha stood a chance.


    Anastasia continued to remind herself until they reached where the two were.


    "Xander, I brought you someone. She¡¯s Jennifer Reyez, and she wants to partner with us," Michelle introduced, and again, Anastasia was tempted to raise a questioning eyebrow.


    "Jennifer Reyez? I¡¯ve never heard that name before," said Xander with a scrutinizing gaze as he studied her.


    "That¡¯s because I¡¯m not a public person. I love to do my business in private," Anastasia replied.


    "Still, that¡¯s not an assuring reason to be involved in what we do." Samantha was the one who spoke.


    Suddenly, Anastasia felt a tight arm around her shoulder.


    "She¡¯s a very close friend of mine and I was the one who brought her here," Julian suddenly said.

 Chapter 367: Getting To Know Each Other

    He¡¯d noticed his twin brother had been on a wild hunttely, and going out of Xattlewood alone terrified him.


    "I understand, and that¡¯s where I¡¯lle in." Anastasia¡¯s reply received a small frown from the trio¡ªXander, Samantha, and Michelle¡ªstanding before her. "You see, I have connections to important cities I believe would be the best ces to expand your business, like Regalith."


    Regalith was a city ruled by kings and queens, a royal family that didn¡¯t seem to want to get involved in such a business.


    "That city is clean as hell, there¡¯s no way the king and queen of Regalith would want such a business to be tied with their kingdom," Samantha said.


    Anastasia¡¯s eyes slowly tore away from Xander to look at her. Anastasia could swear Samantha was wearing more than 10kg of makeup just to look presentable. If the lights were switched off right now, she was sure Samantha would stand out like a ghost.


    However, these were things running around in her mind.


    "The city may look clean, but I¡¯m sure there¡¯s something the royal pce is hiding. Everyone has a secret of their own they wouldn¡¯t want anyone to know about," Anastasia replied.


    Xander couldn¡¯t help but wonder if <i>Jennifer Reyez</i> was talking about him or everyone.


    "I¡¯ve done my research on the royal family," Anastasia began, her voice low but firm, "and I¡¯ve uncovered some crucial information about them. Information that, if used correctly, could threaten them into allowing a baby factorypany to be built in Regalith without any external interference."


    Now, Anastasia¡¯s words piqued Xander¡¯s interest.


    While Anastasia had been busy recovering, that wasn¡¯t the only thing she¡¯d been doing. She was aware earning Xander¡¯s trust was a long journey that would take a lot of time, so because of that, she made research on his behalf that woulde in handy when meeting him once again.


    "What kind of information?" Michelle, who¡¯d been quiet, questioned this time around.


    Samantha gave her an odd look and she pretended not to see it.


    "We can¡¯t have that kind of conversation right now." Right when those words flew out of her mouth, the emcee of the event came and made a quick announcement regarding the event starting in a few minutes. "Let¡¯s meet up one more time and I¡¯ll share everything you need to know about the Regalith city and the secrets of the royal family."


    Xander and Samantha exchanged a look and Samantha nodded.


    ¡¯Oh so he takes advice from her first,¡¯ Anastasia thought to herself, loving the simple yet tender intersection between the two. Unfortunately, they were devils that needed to be sent back to hell.


    "Share your contact details, I¡¯ll let you know when and where we can continue this conversation," said Xander.


    Anastasia quickly shared her contact details with Xander, and they left for their seats as the event was about to start.


    Anastasia released a rough breath she didn¡¯t realize she¡¯d been holding the whole time she was speaking with the trio. Then her gaze settled on Michelle¡¯s back who swayed her hips left and right as if she was begging the bone to break.


    Anastasia had to sit in the opposite direction to Xander and Samantha. She couldn¡¯t handle sitting near them.


    Julian was with her the whole time.


    "You did a great job," he said.


    She was tempted to smirk but it was still too early to celebrate. Phase one of her n wasplete, now phase two which was sharing the information regarding the Regalith family would be put into action very soon.


    The emcee came out once again and made another announcement.


    Anastasia was not only there to speak with people there and get to know them, but also to make friends with the main couples of the anniversary.


    A man in histe fifties came out with the biggest pot belly Anastasia could swear she¡¯d ever seen. It was like he was pregnant with five babies. Beside him was his wife. She looked wless and beautiful, not a single hint of the dark world exposed on her skin.


    "Thank you all foring to my anniversary today. Me and my wife have been together for the longest ages and..." The words of the man drifted off as Anastasia monitored his movements. He moved like a king, a ruler. Even with his appearance, he was still oozing with power.


    Anastasia was tempted to leave and prepare for her next meeting with Xander, but she stayed.


    The night was still too young and who knew what other important information she would be able to unravel.

 Chapter 368: More Information

    He was married after all. Anastasia stole a nce at his wife who was entertaining other guests, with a smile that should be deemed too friendly for a married woman.


    Then it dawned on her. They probably have an open marriage, even at their age.


    Anastasia resisted the urge to gag at that moment.


    Anastasia was almost tempted to back away and move to another person, but since she was already there talking to him, might as well fetch some information from him.


    "I heard this city was built by Xander. Isn¡¯t it incredible how he managed to transform nothing into this remarkable skyline?" she began, trying her best to sound sincere. Her eyes lingered on Mr. Justin, studying his reaction, but his expression remained asposed as ever. If anything, his mischievous smile only widened, making her wonder if he saw through her words.


    "It was with the help of Bruce rie, of course." Then Mr. Justin sighed as he took a sip of his drink, shaking his head slightly. "It wasn¡¯t easy at all. Xander was really struggling as a kid back then."


    ¡¯Xander¡ªstruggling as a kid?¡¯ Anastasia wondered.


    Then she cleared her throat before she replied. "I¡¯ve heard the same. But I don¡¯t really know the full story. Do you know what happened to his past?"


    Xander and Xavier were at odds for each other obviously, so she wanted to take the chance to find out anything she possibly could.


    "It¡¯s not a story for me to tell, Ms. Reyez, but I do know it was all his father¡¯s fault," Mr. Justin replied, adjusting his spectacles. He paused, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Ugh, what was his name again? Thomas Wace, yes, that¡¯s the name."


    Now, Anastasia was greatly confused but she didn¡¯t want to impose which will only make her suspicious. So she simply nodded, "Thank you."


    Mr. Justin shook his head, sizing Anastasia up. "Should we head to a private suit? I would like to get to know you more."


    Now, her expression mood was soured.


    Anastasia had long known that question was going to slip out of his mouth sooner thanter.


    She gave him a genuine smile that made her eyes turn like crescent moons, while her pearly white teeth became exposed.


    "You¡¯re such a kind man, Mr. Justin. But I¡¯m sorry, I came with someone," she replied.


    The old man¡¯s smile immediately faltered before forming back, making goosebumps rise under Anastasia¡¯s skin.


    "It¡¯s alright." Then he fetched something from his suit jacket. "Call me whenever you¡¯re willing to hook up." He gave her a wink with his wrinkled eyes and walked away.


    Anastasia was stunned for a second. She looked at the card before putting it in her pocket. Mr Justin might seem disgusting, but there was a chance she might need his connectionter in the future.


    Back where Xander and Samantha were, Samantha had been looking at <i>Jennifer</i>, monitoring her every move.


    "Stop looking at her like that. It¡¯s going to make her feel ufortable," Xander said, nudging Samantha slightly on the elbow. "You¡¯ve been watching her like she¡¯s some kind of television."


    "I just feel excited that we finally have someone that can help us expand our business," she replied, but Xander could tell she was lying now.


    However, he didn¡¯t bother with her anymore after she¡¯d already averted her gaze away from the woman.


    A few hourster, Anastasia believed it was time to go back. Her legs were already starting to shake because she¡¯d been wearing heels for the longest hours.


    Julian excused himself to help Anastasia to her car.


    "Can you drive home by yourself? I still have some things to do here?" He asked her, his gazended on her swollen feet for a few seconds before he looked back at her.


    "I can." She nodded.


    "I know Xander and Samantha have a lot of questions to ask me. I¡¯lle back after that¡¯s over with," he exined.


    "No problem," she responded.


    Julian shot the door and watched her drive away until she disappeared into the streets before he walked back inside the building.


    The room where the event was taking ce was close to being empty.


    He saw Xander speaking with Mr. Justin.


    "That newdy Jennifer Reyez, she¡¯s beautiful," said Mr. Justin. "Too bad, I wanted to talk with her but she declined the offer."


    Xander was about to reply to Mr. Justin, but his gazended on Julian instead.


    "I didn¡¯t know you had such a person who could help our business and you didn¡¯t even bother to say anything," Xander started.


    "She¡¯d been out of the city for business and now, she¡¯s looking for a new business partnership," Julian replied, his voice calm and calcted.


    Xander sized him up before giving him a manly hug.


    "That¡¯s a good job. You¡¯ve been very inactive these past few weeks and youe back with a treasure." Xander cheered with a grin on his lips, already imagining the money he would be holding in his hands in the next few weeks.

 Chapter 369: The Meeting

    "So, this <i>Jennifer Reyez</i> girl, are you sure you would want her to be part of this business?" Bruce questioned Xander with a calcting expression.


    "Of course," Xander said, a gleam of excitement lighting up his eyes. "She¡¯s clearly a valuable asset. Having someone with her influence and connections will open doors for expanding our business. And let¡¯s not forget the leverage she holds¡ªa secret about the royal family of Regalith. With that, we can pressure them into allowing us to establish a baby factory in the city."


    His voice was smooth, his jubtion barely masking the calcting edge beneath his words.


    Bruce could see that Xander was overwhelmed with the ns of this new business partner.


    "I really can¡¯t wait to see her and hear what she has to say," he said, slowly looking at Samantha who hadn¡¯t said a single word since they arrived at the restaurant. "But keep in mind, what if she¡¯s a spy?"


    The woman noticed his gaze and met it for a few seconds before immediately darting her eyes away.


    "Jennifer has been a good friend of mine for the longest time, so it¡¯s impossible she¡¯s a spy." Julian was the one who spoke.


    Bruce could only shrug. Just like Xander, he was also excited about the new business expansion idea because that would also give him a connection to the royal family, which equals more power. Power that will make him undefeatable. Besides, Julian had been a good partner in the business so he trusted his judgment.


    "Well, I¡¯m going to be seeing her myself, then I can make my judgment," said Bruce.


    All of a sudden, Xander received a text on his phone. He quickly nced at it before flipping it immediately when he realized it wasn¡¯t a text from <i>Jennifer</i>.


    It was a text message from Michelle questioning why he didn¡¯t take her along with him.


    Unfortunately for him, Samantha when was sitting close to him caused a glimpse of the text before he couldpletely flip the phone over, and she could only sigh while rolling back her eyes tirelessly.


    There was a little knock on the door of the private suite.


    "Come in," Xander replied.


    The door was opened, and a waitress with a familiardy beside her came into view.


    "Apologies for beingte; there was some traffic on the way," Anastasia said, her voice calm but assured as her gaze swept across the room. She made deliberate eye contact with each person in the suite, herposure unwavering.


    When her eyesnded on the older man with white stubble shadowing his chin, her focus lingered. It wasn¡¯t difficult to recognize him¡ªhis presencemanded attention, and the faint smirk tugging at his lips suggested he knew it too.


    ¡¯Bruce rie.¡¯


    He was the one man Julian had warned Anastasia to be careful with. He¡¯d already informed her he would be joining their early meeting so she wasn¡¯t shocked at all for his presence.


    He¡¯d also suggested she arrive a littleter than scheduled so she would appear busy and cramped up with other work as she¡¯d posed at the party.


    "So, you¡¯re Jennifer Reyez, pleasure meeting with you," said Bruce as he stood up and offered her a handshake.


    His green eyes were narrowed as he looked at her, judging her and watching her every movement like a hawk.


    Anastasia didn¡¯t waver at all.


    "It¡¯s night meeting you...Mr..."


    "Bruce rie," Bruce replied.


    Anastasia shook his hand with a polite smile. She shook Xander¡¯s and Samantha¡¯s hands before she settled in her seat beside Julian.


    "I have what we can use to manipte the royal family of Regalith," she started.


    She reached inside her handbag and brought out a file, opened a few pages before she finally reached what she needed to show them.


    "As I was saying at the party, the royal family is up to some illegal businesses that we could use against them." Then she handed Xander the file to take a look.


    Xavier¡¯s eyes widened as he scanned the words on the file, his breath hitching in disbelief.


    "As you can see in that file, the royal family is involved in drug trafficking,nd grabbing, illegal arms smuggling and several other illegal acts," Anastasia started.


    Then she brought out her phone and yed a video for everyone to see.


    In the video was a pregnant woman with a huge baby bump. Words started spilling out from her mouth, words that shocked everyone in the room.


    "It turns out they are also into illegal surrogacy, just like you," she finished.

 Chapter 370: Partnering With Them

    "I have a bit of a habit," Ana began, a sly smile ying on her lips. "I like to know everything that happens around me. Naturally, I got curious about the royal family¡ªtempted to uncover the kind of secrets they¡¯ve been keeping from the public.


    With a little cash exchanged in the right hands¡ªdon¡¯t expect me to name names¡ªI got exactly what I wanted. Now, I¡¯m offering that secret to you¡ªfor a 10% cut of this business."


    Her tone was casual, but the glint in her eyes revealed just how calcted her move was.


    Bruce couldn¡¯t help but beware of the way she spoke as if she was out to get their secret as well since it was some sort of hobby she had.


    "10% is a considerable amount. I thought ady of your caliber will be requesting 20% of everything we¡¯ve got," Xander said with a teasing tone. Anastasia¡¯s expression was as stoic as a rock which made the situation slightly awkward.


    Anastasia expected them to have a battle with the profit she was expecting, but they seemed to be cool with it.


    Everything seemed to have fallen in ce, but Anastasia knew too well to assume such a thing because it was still too early. Surprisingly, her hands weren¡¯t trembling in fright as they studied her, wondering if she was worth trusting.


    "I have one more question I need to ask you," Julian suddenly said. She turned to look at him with a small smile on her lips, already predicting the words that were going toe out of his mouth. "Yes, you do have the money and connection, but why didn¡¯t you just start your very own sex trafficking organization?" He asked.


    Anastasia¡¯s eyes narrowed ever so slightly, her grin widening as she leaned forward, the edges of her lips curling with calcted amusement.


    "Starting a business like this, even with the best associates, is a gamble," she said, her voice smooth yet edged with caution. "Especially with a certain X snooping around, slipping into every possible hideout like a shadow we can¡¯t shake."


    Ana¡¯s knowledge of X came solely from Julian, who had confided in her about the mysterious figure¡¯s relentless efforts. She couldn¡¯t suppress the swell of pride she felt for her husband, knowing he had risked so much to rescue girls abducted and sold by the very people now seated across from her. Her smile remainedposed, but beneath it burned a quiet satisfaction.


    Both she and Julian had already practiced the questions that could arise from this meeting and Anastasia was nailing all of them. The question Julian had just asked her was also expected, and she was d she¡¯d answered it without her voice trembling or anything.


    "Xander has a lot of connections and has never been caught by X before, so I figured he would be the best person to partner with for such a business." She concluded.


    "That¡¯s not a lie at all," Xander said, impressed by thepliment given to him. Samantha gave him a look but still didn¡¯t say anything. She let her eyes do the talking. "And so, it¡¯s decided, you¡¯re wee to my team, Miss. Reyez, I¡¯ll print out an official document that we can both sign and quickly begin our work rtionship," he added.


    At first, Anastasia was shocked by the announcement. She¡¯d thought they would disperse after giving her a date on when they would be back with their final decision, but he¡¯d just tantly spewed he was okay doing business with her just like that, with no further discussion taken.


    Anastasia noticed that Bruce seemed to be shocked by Xander¡¯s decision. Samantha was too because thetter was openly ring at Xander as if he¡¯dpletely lost his mind.


    "Don¡¯t you think we need to discuss this first? It¡¯s still too early to use¡ª" Samantha didn¡¯t get the chance toplete her sentence when she suddenly got interrupted.


    "This is good for our business. Expanding this business to Regalith city will not only bring us more clients but also more money," Bruce cut her off with a tone so sharp it would have cut off a few strands of her hair if care wasn¡¯t taken.


    It was a shock to Anastasia because she¡¯d assumed since they were father and daughter, they must share a warm bond. However, with what she¡¯d just witnessed, it was obvious she was wrong.


    There was this unknown tension between them that made Anastasia smile faintly.


    "There¡¯s nothing there to think about there. This is good for our organization."


    Anastasia had thought that Bruce would be the one to give her more trouble, but he turned out to be the one defending her.


    "So, it¡¯s decided, Jennifer Reyez will be a part of us soon," said Xander.

 Chapter 371: Heavy Suspicion

    "Are you mad because he¡¯s going to capture the girls?" She deliberately asked.


    Julian released a soft chuckle at her question before his eyes settled on her, meeting her fake hazel ones thatpletely changed her appearance.


    "Since I decided to help you escape, I¡¯ve already turned my back on Xander, and now, I do want the girls to be free, for everything to end and go back to normal," he responded, earning a heavy frown from her.


    Anastasia had always known that Julian had a reason for helping her, but it didn¡¯t seem to be a reason for his selfish desire. Unable to hold her tongue any longer, she asked, "Why did you change your mind? I¡¯m very curious because I vividly remember the first time I met you, you were extremely supportive of what you were involved in. Why did you change your mind all of a sudden?"


    "I have very special reasons, Ana," he responded, his tone soft and delicate as if she¡¯d hit a spot with her question. "You can say, I¡¯m tired of watching people suffer just because I was looking for closure due to what happened to me in the past."


    "Was it because of your wife?" Anastasia instantly regretted opening her mouth to speak that second. However, she didn¡¯t apologize because she needed answers.


    Julian only smiled. "You can say that." Anastasia thought he was going to exin more but he didn¡¯t say. "I¡¯ll take you back home."


    Anastasia wanted to stop him, but she knew she couldn¡¯t force words out of his mouth if he didn¡¯t want to borate. So, she obediently went into the car.


    "When was this trade happening?"


    "In about two days," Julian replied, igniting the engines of the car as they zoomed off. "Don¡¯t tell me you are thinking of going there. It¡¯s way too dangerous for you."


    She nced at him through the corners of her eyes, taking in his sharp jawline and exquisite side profile, but didn¡¯t say anything.


    Julian read between the lines of her silence and released a sigh of restlessness.


    **


    "I don¡¯t think we can trust that woman. I mean she just came out from out of nowhere," Samantha said as they walked into the house. Michelle was in the living, popping some popcorn into her mouth as she listened to their conversation.


    They¡¯d dropped Bruce off at his house and decided toe back to the hideout to check on the girls.


    "She¡¯s Julian¡¯s friend and he said he¡¯d known her for a while now. Do you think Julian would just anyone into the kind of business we do, Samantha?" Xander questioned her, clearly exasperated with her question. "She looks like someone we can trust, and we¡¯re going to make use of our partnership. It¡¯s just a simple business coboration, Samantha. Why are you suddenly acting so worked up?"


    "I¡¯m not worked up or anything. I just don¡¯t trust that woman, at least not now. Which is why you should wait a little while longer before you sign any sort of contract with her."


    Xander rubbed his hand against his face as he pinched his eyebrows in frustration.


    Then he held her close to him, so close it made Michelle re at him instantly.


    "This is our chance to expand our business to another city. You know this is our long-awaited dream, Samantha. Honestly, I wouldn¡¯t have believed anything that came out of her mouth if she wasn¡¯t someone that Julian knew about. So let¡¯s trust his judgment and see what this coboration brings to us."


    Samantha suddenly felt like. All she had been saying wasn¡¯t understood by Xander at all. Slowly, she pulled away from him.


    Xander gave her one long look and made eye contact with Michelle who winked at him before he left to go upstairs.


    "What happened dear Samantha, is your Xander suddenly not listening to you anymore?"


    "Shut up!" Samantha snapped, forcing Michelle to take two steps back.


    "What a shame." Michelle shook her head as if she was pitying her.


    Samantha however didn¡¯t wait for Michelle to spill out anything from her mouth and left the living room while cursing under her breath. She had no idea but her instincts told her not to trust <i>Jennifer Reyez</i>, no matter what the situation may be.


    She recalled how the new woman was interacting with every single person on the anniversary of Mr. Justin. It was supposed to be a normal act for someone who wanted to fit in, but Samantha couldn¡¯t put her mind at rest since that night.


    "We¡¯ll just have to wait to see who she is," she mumbled to herself, as she stroded to her own room and banging the door behind her.

 Chapter 372: At Fameville

    "That sounds scary," Alex mumbled under his breath but he was still loud enough for Anastasia to hear him.


    She took a sip of her water, her mind drifting off to what Julian informed her of two days ago when they were leaving the restaurant.


    Anastasia¡¯s mind wandered to the trade Julian had told her about the day before. He had warned her against going, emphasizing the danger involved. There was no guarantee that Xavier would appear to save the girls being sold that night. ording to Julian, numerous sex trafficking trades had been uncovered in recent months, revealing Xander¡¯s countless hideouts.


    "What if he¡¯s not able to make it to the one holding at Fameville and the girls eventually got sold out to those filthy pigs?" she suddenly wondered out loud, earning a questionable look from Alex.


    "What are you talking about?"


    "Julian told me that...." Then she narrated what Julian had told her. Even before she couldplete her sentences, Alex stopped her with a look.


    "You can¡¯t go there. It¡¯s too dangerous, and the worst part is that we don¡¯t even know if Xander will show up," Julian said, his tone edged with frustration. "Do you even realize where this trade is happening? In a hidden cave at the top of the mountain, Anastasia. Xander¡¯s not stupid¡ªhe picks the most obscure ces for these trades, ces no one would think of."


    He tried to reason with her, but the nk expression on her face made it painfully clear she wasn¡¯t listening. Instead, her gaze was fixed on some distant point, her mind already made up.


    "So the chances of Xavier finding that hideout is close to none, which only means that those girls will be sold?" She questioned.


    The city was a few hours away from Xattlewood, and if she was to take air traveling, she would arrive there in less than twelve hours.


    "Could be. But even if that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s nothing you can do about it," Julian said, his voice sharp. "You¡¯re avenging what Xander and Samantha did to you. Now imagine this¡ªif they¡¯re there and they see you, do you really think you¡¯ll still be able to avenge yourself and your dead friends?"


    His words hit hard, but Anastasia¡¯s expression remained unreadable, her silence both unsettling and defiant.


    Anastasia suddenly snapped to look at him with a stoic expression that made it difficult to read what was going on in her mind.


    "I want to save those girls. Like you said, this is my revenge, and what other best way to revenge if not by gatecrashing that trade?" She questioned him back, silencing him immediately.


    Alex wanted to say something but held himself back. It was obvious no matter what he said, Anastasia wasn¡¯t going to listen to him.


    Anastasia regarded Alex for a few seconds before she picked up her phone and made a phone call to Julian.


    She exined to him the n she had, and before she could say everything she¡¯d thought of, he interrupted her with, "I have already nned everything out for you."


    At first, Anastasia was taken aback. She¡¯d thought she would need a long essay filled with exnations on why Julian should help her rescue the girls, but he surprised her by already arranging everything she would need.


    "Alex will bring you to the airport," he added, then he hung up on the call.


    Anastasia looked at Alex, and without even saying a word, thetter already knew what she was going to say. All he could do was roll his eyes and walk out of the gym.


    Anastasia followed behind him with a grin on her lips. She was finally going to rescue girls that needed saving.


    But the thought of bumping into Xavier, if he doese, made her heart jump. She didn¡¯t want to think about him right now, so she decided to think of something else.


    <i>A few hourster in Fameville</i>,


    "ording to our information, the trade should begin in the next two hours," Tracie said, her voice steady as her gaze flickered between Maxwell and Kace before settling on Xavier.


    He sat in the driver¡¯s seat, stoic as ever, his dark aura making it impossible for anyone to approach him. He had been like this for months now, and every time Tracie saw him like this, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of worry.


    "They were so scared of Xavier to think of opening the trade in the cave at the top of the mountain," Kace tried to joke, but nobodyughed, making him feel; embarrassed.


    Tracy patted his head with a soft smile. When she saw they were nearing, she asked, "Are we ready?"

 Chapter 373: It’s Happening

    "Let¡¯s go."


    Julian led Anastasia into the dark cave. Anastasia didn¡¯t worry about how she would enter the building. Since Julian was the one who organized the trade, sneaking her in as one of the waitresses wasn¡¯t much of a hassle.


    They continued to walk until they could finally see several cars parked outside of a building. Anastasia knew it was her cue to separate from Julian and head for the kitchen. She¡¯d memorized the route on the way to Fameville.


    Anastasia entered the kitchen, her eyes scanning the room quickly. Several young women, dressed in attire identical to hers, moved swiftly, bncing trays of drinks as they exited the room. A few men, simrly dressed but in long ck pants, followed suit, their movements efficient and practiced.


    "Hey!! What are you doing standing there? These drinks aren¡¯t going to serve themselves. Come take it quickly and serve it to the guests." A woman whose voice sounded just as she looked¡ªstern, disturbing, and skin crawling¡ªbellowed. Anastasia grimaced before she rushed to the tray of drinks, trying to avoid bumping into the other waitresses since the kitchen was unbelievably small.


    However, as soon as her hands touched them, the woman stopped her.


    "Hold up, I haven¡¯t seen you here before." She said, looking closely at Anastasia like she wanted to see her second skin. She gave her one long look before she released her. "Serve the drinks immediately."


    Without wasting a single moment, Anastasia lifted the drinks and left the small kitchen to the lobby of the party. And just as expected, they were only influential people over there, clicking sses just as she¡¯d seen at Mr. Justin¡¯s anniversary.


    She immediately started moving, serving the drinks while hoping that her disguise was in ce. She recognized a few men from Mr. Justin¡¯s party and hoped they didn¡¯t recognize her. It wasn¡¯t like her disguise was easily see-through.


    It¡¯s Anastasia¡¯s long before Anastasia saw Julian walking past a few people, leaving the lobby and possibly heading to the footage room to quickly disable the CCTV cameras.


    Just when she was about to follow him ording to the n, she immediately hesitated when she recognized someone familiar from the crowd.


    A frown settled on her face because she remembered Julian saying Xander wasn¡¯ting to the trade, which was why they¡¯d even proceeded to make their n. After all, Julian was in charge of the event.


    Anastasia watched <i>Xander </i>from across the room. He looked different,pletely emotionless. The Xander she knew always had that mysterious grin stretched on the side of his lips.


    Anastasia stylishly tapped on her earbuds like she was keeping some strands of her hair behind her hair.


    "I thought you said Xander wasn¡¯ting," she said, as she shared a smile with the people who took thest of the drinks on her tray before heading out.


    "Xander is not here." She heard a reply from Julian, and instantly, her stomach sank in fright.


    She quickly turned to look at that person one more time, but they¡¯d vanished.


    ¡¯Was I hallucinating?¡¯ She wondered, cing a hand on her chest. ¡¯Could that have been Xavier?¡¯


    Anastasia concluded on hallucinating and left for the footage room where there was a big sign on the front door, spelling out: <strong>DO NOT ENTER. </strong>All she needed to do was keep a watch out and make sure no one entered inside because Julian and a few people were already inside, monitoring the cameras.


    At the lobby where the guests were ready for the trade trio to start so they could start bidding off on some girls, Xavier kept a watch out, especially after sighting a mysterious waitress with an odd-looking mole looking at him.


    Xavier was wearing his normal suit and did little to his appearance because he didn¡¯t care if someone recognized him.


    "Xavier, as soon as the girls are brought out, we¡¯ll start with the explosion," he heard Tracie¡¯s voice from his earbuds.


    Tracie wasn¡¯t supposed to be a part of this mission, but she¡¯d just been as optimistic as Xavier, hoping they would find Anastasia in a trade.


    "Alright, get the men ready," he replied, his voice dark and emotionless.

 Chapter 374: Saving The Girls

    Anastasia carried her tray and left the kitchen before the woman from earlier who had questioned her about her purpose in the kitchen would sight her.


    Beforeing to Fameville, Julian had given her the map around the building, so Anastasia knew where the girls were ced.


    Luckily, there was no security stationed on the way there so she didn¡¯t have any questions that needed to be answered.


    However, Anastasia¡¯s gazended on a man standing in front of a door, his hand lingering on the handle as if he were trying to open it. The moment he noticed her, he quickly turned his back, hiding his face from view. Something about his movements struck her as odd. Was he just another buyer looking for the restroom? Or was there something more to his actions?


    Anastasia hesitated, her instincts warning her to be cautious. Before disappearing up another flight of stairs, she threw him onest suspicious nce, her mind already working through the possibilities.


    After the waitress had disappeared, Kace heaved a sigh of relief. "It¡¯s good she¡¯s gone, now where could the girls have been kept?"


    Anastasia hid behind the wall, her heart hammering against her ribcage as she popped her head to monitor the security men who were stationed in front of the room the girls were in, the room she was supposed to go in.


    Quickly, she tapped on her earbuds.


    "Three armed men are standing in front of the door. You need to send them away," she informed Julian.


    Julian zoomed in on the footage where Anastasia was hiding, while the armed men paced about while exchanging a few words with themselves.


    "Ipletely forgot about them," he mumbled under his breath. "They are Xander¡¯s men, not mine. He must have sent them to watch things. I¡¯ll send them away immediately." Then he picked up his phone and made a phone call to one of the men. "There¡¯s something suspicious happening on the first floor, I want all three of you to go take a look at the situation," he said.


    "All three of us?" One of them asked. "Shouldn¡¯t at least one of us stay here and keep an eye out in case any girl tries to escape?"


    "The door is locked right?" Without waiting for any of them to answer he continued, "Then you can leave. Check on the situation properly."


    "Yes, sir."


    Then he hung up on the phone.


    When Anastasia saw the men heading her way, she quickly climbed back down then pretended to be serving drinks. When they passed her, she sighed in relief before heading back up.


    Anastasia scanned around the ce to be sure there were no more security guards.


    Reaching into her pockets, she brought out the keys she needed and quickly unlocked the door.


    The girls inside immediately started to whimper when they heard the door opening. As if there was somece else to go, they scooted back until the walls were almost like a second skin.


    "Please..." A girl said, tears streaming down her eyes uncontrobly. "Please don¡¯t hurt us," she added.


    Anastasia felt a dagger prick her heart and her eyes started to water but now wasn¡¯t the time to get emotional. She recognized a few girls there from the house she¡¯d been caged in with Avery, and her heart wavered. They didn¡¯t recognize her because of her outfit and appearance, but Anastasia knew for sure she wouldn¡¯t want them to recognize her.


    "You don¡¯t need to worry. I¡¯m here to save you. You¡¯re not going to be sold to any of those pigs, do you understand me?"


    The girls didn¡¯t respond as they were still overwhelmed with shock. She tried taking a step towards them, but they responded by scooting back further, not like there was anywhere else to go.


    Then Anastasia heard a voice in her ears.


    "The trade will be starting in less than twenty minutes. I¡¯m sending more of my henchmen there now so they can get the girls out of there. There¡¯s a secret door on that same floor, that¡¯s the door you will be using to help them escape, do you understand?" Julian asked and Anastasia nodded.


    Realizing he couldn¡¯t see her now, she replied, "I understand."


    Julian zoomed in on a particr figure through the footage.


    "He¡¯s also here," he said looking at Xavier.


    "I know."


    "Are you going to save us?" One of the girls asked.


    "That¡¯s right. All of you are going to get out of here safe and sound. I¡¯ll make sure that nothing bad happens to either of you," she assured.

 Chapter 375: I’m…

    Anastasia discarded all thoughts and shut off her brain from ever thinking about Xavier at this time.


    All of a sudden, a deafening explosion erupted, shaking the ground beneath them. The impact sent debris raining down, causing chaos as they scrambled for cover. The girls shrieked in terror, clutching onto each other as the shockwaves left them disoriented. Before they could fully recover, another st, louder and more powerful than the first, tore through the air, intensifying the panic and leaving them trapped in the grips of fear.


    Anastasia¡¯s heart immediately skipped a beat in fear when she remembered that Julian was still inside the surveince room.


    Her heart thud against her ribcage. Fortunately, they were already close to the van.


    "Take the girls to the van and hide in the bushes," they ordered the men, and they immediately nodded before they continued to lead the girls away.


    Anastasia turned and headed back inside the building. She could hear sharp bullets echoing in the air and that only meant one thing. Xavier had begun raiding the trade.


    Anastasia resolved to make her way back to the surveince room, though the task seemed nearly impossible with the staircase buried under a chaotic pile of debris. Determined, she shoved away every rock her strength allowed, leaping over jagged remnants of the cave. Her thoughts raced as her heart pounded¡ªwas Julian still alive? The possibility of Xavier finding him first haunted her. If he did, Julian wouldn¡¯t stand a chance.


    Anastasia paused when she saw a dead man wearing a battle suit. His uniform was different from the one Julian¡¯s men were wearing which only meant they were Xander¡¯s men who were supposed to watch the trade and feed him in on everything.


    Without hesitation, Anastasia took his gun, checked the bullets, and continued her search.


    She tapped on her earbuds. "Julian." But the other side was still silent.


    Her thoughts raced.


    Downstairs, the gunshots only got louder with Anastasia not sure of who to shoot because she couldn¡¯t see due to the debris.


    **


    Xavier fired at the men without missing a single shot with the rage that fueled deep from inside of him. He¡¯d known something was off when Kace had informed him he didn¡¯t see any of the girls, and the most important person he wanted to see at this event, he did not see him, so he asked for Maxwell to start bombing the bombs.


    "So, what do we do now? What if this was a trap and Xander is probably watching us somewhere?" Kace asked as he killed the enemy before him.


    Xavier didn¡¯t answer when his eyes suddenly caught a figure from the other side. All the waitresses had already run for their lives, while some had been captured for questioning, same with the men that were intending to buy the girls. His dark eyes narrowed at the waitress, recognizing her. She was the one who¡¯d been watching him earlier. And there was a gun in her hands. From the way she was holding it, it seemed she¡¯d held it before.


    Kace noticed Xavier was slightly lost, so he followed his line of sight, and itnded on the same waitress he¡¯d seen going up.


    "I saw her earlier. She must be one of them, let¡¯s capture her for questioning. She would know something useful," he said.


    "I¡¯ll handle it," Xavier replied, leaving his hiding spot, and chasing after the waitress.


    Anastasia shot at Xander¡¯s men and each time, they seemed to be multiplying, making her wonder just how many he¡¯d sent for this single event.


    All of a sudden, she heard a voice in her ears, it was Julian.


    "Where are you?" He asked. "The girls are in the van. I¡¯ming for you now."


    Anastasia was about to reply, but an enemy immediately appeared in front of her. She tried shooting him but nothing happened.


    She was out of bullets. She¡¯d been relieved when she heard Julian¡¯s voice earlier, but now she was going to get killed if she didn¡¯t think fast.


    However, she suddenly heard a gunshot from behind her before the man standing in front of her could pull his trigger. He was already sprawled on the ground with his blood dripping from his body.


    Anastasia was shocked. Without even looking, she was sure someone was right behind her.


    "Turn around." She heard, and her heartnded on her feet.


    Hesitatingly, she turned, her eyes locking with her husband, Xavier. He was ring at her so intently with a gun pointed at her very carefully.


    "X." She said, shocking Xavier, but his grip around the gun only tightened. "I¡¯m not an enemy," she began because, from the looks of things, he wouldn¡¯t bat an eysh before shooting her. He¡¯d saved her from the enemy earlier, but who was going to save her from him now? "I was the one that helped those girls escape."


    A huge frown settled on his face, but he kept quiet.


    "I¡¯m not an enemy. I¡¯m..."

 Chapter 376: You’re Anastasia?

    After taking a deep breath, she finally parted her lips to speak.


    "If you¡¯re worried about the girls, then you don¡¯t have to anymore. They¡¯repletely safe and no harm wille to them," she replied. Then slowly, she put down her arms. "I¡¯m not your enemy, X."


    Xavier¡¯s eyes narrowed at the woman before him. Right now, she lookedpletely harmless but he couldn¡¯t help but think he¡¯d heard that voice before.


    Before Xavier could open his mouth to speak, a gunshot fired in the air and he fell to the ground with a grunt.


    Anastasia instinctively took a step towards him with worry in her eyes when she was suddenly pulled away from him. She looked at the person¡¯s face, it was Julian.


    Xavier immediately grabbed his gun and fired at them, but it was already toote. They¡¯d already disappeared.


    Julian and Anastasia immediately escaped from the building, heading to where the van was packed.


    Outside, several piles of dead bodies disgusted Anastasia to the extent of almost throwing up.


    Anastasia inhaled as much oxygen as she could as soon as they reached the deep bush where the vans had been parked so discreetly no one would find it unless they managed to see in the dark.


    "That was a close one," Julianmented, holding onto his chest.


    "The girls are all safe," said Alex. "We should leave now before we get discovered," he added.


    Julian¡¯s eyes were on Anastasia, noticing that thetter hadn¡¯t spoken a word yet.


    "You shot him," she said as if she¡¯d read his thoughts.


    Julian was a little confused before it dawned on him.


    "He was about to kill you. If I hadn¡¯t shot him, you would be dead by now," he immediately defended.


    Anastasia slowly raised her gaze to make eye contact with him with her expressionspletely unreadable.


    "But he didn¡¯t," said Anastasia. She was tempted to go back there and check up on him. Julian had shot him in the leg and from the looks of things, he wasn¡¯t going to walk for a while.


    "He saw you in there, so obviously, he¡¯s gonna think you¡¯re an enemy¡ª"


    "I told him I wasn¡¯t."


    "And you think he believes that?" He questioned her.


    Alex nced between the booth of them waiting for when to interrupt especially when his eyes caught on a shadow that was eavesdropping on them.


    "You said you weren¡¯t ready to go back to him yet. At least not until you¡¯ve aplished your mission, especially with what you¡¯ve gone through. If you¡¯re worried he won¡¯t be able to walk again, then you don¡¯t have to worry, I made sure not to hit any vital spot."


    Anastasia was still unmoving.


    "You¡¯re the true one who decided not to go back to him. Are you suddenly regretting all you¡¯ve said after seeing him now, Anastasia?"


    Anastasia couldn¡¯t say anything. She¡¯d thought she would be able to do this without batting an eysh, but meeting with him just this once made her feel things she¡¯d never felt before.


    His sharp jawline captivated her, paired with those dark eyes that seemed to pierce straight into her soul, as if he was trying to unravel the thoughts hidden within her mind. The lean yetmanding physique beneath his suit was undeniably something she knew she wouldn¡¯t forget.


    Realizing she was fantasizing about a situation like this, she immediately snapped out of it.


    She raised her head to look at Julian, but his gaze was already somewhere else. She looked at Alex and he was also looking behind her with a shocked expression. The henchmen had their guns raised for action.


    Anastasia stiffly turned to look behind her, and once her eyesnded on the person standing there, she immediately froze like a bucket of cold water that had been poured on her.


    In front of her was a woman she could recognize because she¡¯d only seen that woman once, at the airport.


    In front of her was Tracie, looking at her with an expression simr to the one they were all wearing.


    In her hands was a gun that was pointed at them. However, she dropped it, not minding the guns pointed at her.


    She slowly walked towards Anastasia with slow and countable steps, tears pooling in her eyes, her body trembling as if she was freezing.


    When she reached Anastasia, she gently cupped her cheeks as her tears fell. "You¡¯re Anastasia?"

 Chapter 377: Feed His Him Balls?

    Anastasia sobbed while Julian signaled his henchmen to lower their guns.


    Julian might have been surprised about Tracie finding them all of a sudden, but he was d to see Anastasia hugging her so tightly and shedding all those tears she¡¯d never let slip out of her eyes since she¡¯d woken up from hera.


    He was aware she needed someone close by her side, and he was d they¡¯d finally found someone.


    Thankfully, they were deep in the forest, so both the sister¡¯s sobbing couldn¡¯t be heard by anyone except the midnight owls.


    Anastasia sobbed so hard, that her tearspletely drenched Tracie¡¯s shirt. However, thetter didn¡¯t mind at all.


    Before they could realize it, they were both on the ground with Tracie patting Anastasia on the back.


    They were there for minutes until Anastasia finally stopped crying¡ªher tears had finally run out.


    Tracie cupped Anastasia¡¯s cheeks one more time, staring at her with watery eyes and the urge to sob again arose but she held it back.


    "Why didn¡¯t youe back to us? We were worried about you" She questioned with a stern voice, but there was a touch of concern underlying each word that flew out of her mouth.


    Anastasia parted her lips to speak, but no words coulde out.


    Julian immediately interjected.


    "Ms. rk, I believe your colleagues will be looking for you by now. No one must find you here with Anastasia¡ª"


    "What are you talking about? She¡¯sing with me," Tracie interrupted, ring at the gigantic man standing in front of her.


    Instinctively, she pulled Anastasia by her side.


    "I don¡¯t know the kinds of lies you¡¯ve been feeding her, but she will no longer be staying with you. She¡¯sing back with me!"


    "Tracie," Anastasia softly called. "You need to go now."


    Tracie frowned when she heard her voice.


    "What happened to your voice?" She asked, confused and worried now.


    "I¡¯m noting back yet. I need toplete my revenge before heading back. Please go now," she insisted with a firm expression as she wiped her face clean of her tears.


    Tracie could see that Anastasia had made her decision, and from the looks of things, there wasn¡¯t anything she could do to change her mind. At least at that moment since she doesn¡¯t have much time.


    Gritting her teeth, she faced the huge man before her.


    "Get me a pen and paper."


    Julian first cocked his eyebrow at her in confusion before he reached for the paper and pen Alex was holding up. He handed it over to her and immediately, Tracie scribbled in a long line of digits with a name on top of it.


    She tore the piece of paper and folded the part that contained the digits and name.


    "This is my phone number. Whenever you can, give me a phone call." Although thest thing Tracie wanted was to leave Anastasia in the hands of people she didn¡¯t know, she believed Anastasia could take care of herself.


    She had a lot of questions, especially about her appearance which looked different from the Anastasia she knew.


    Tracie opened Anastasia¡¯s palm, and slipped the paper in.


    Then she turned to Julian with narrowed eyes. Swiftly, she picked up her gun faster than they could register everything, making Julian¡¯s henchmen immediately point there at her in defense, ready to shoot.


    "I¡¯ll remember your face. If anything happens to her, I swear to God I¡¯ll haunt you wherever you are, tear you balls, feed it to you before I send you back to your creator." Her eyes were tinted with rage, and Julian couldn¡¯t decipher if it was from crying or from rage.


    Whichever, he cared for his life.


    Tracie nced at each of them, scribbling their faces in her mind before she turned to Anastasia, her gaze softening.


    "Call me," she said.


    "I will," she replied with a small smile on her lips. "But promise me you won¡¯t tell them you saw me."


    "I promise." Tracie sighed before she turned and headed back to where she wasing from.


    Anastasia watched Tracie disappear into the bushes, surprisingly d she¡¯d met with a family member.


    She took a look at the paper Tracie had slipped into her palms earlier, her smile stretching.

 Chapter 378: The Meet Up

    "Where did youe from?" Kace questioned him.


    "I was dealing with a body right back," he responded.


    Kace¡¯s eyes narrowed at him but didn¡¯t question him any further.


    They were already done, with most of the important buyers dead, and so were the henchmen as well.


    The survivors would be taken in for questioning and inspection. The cave was now aplete wreck, resembling a construction site in its early stages. The ground was littered with debris, and several of Xavier¡¯s henchmeny injured amidst the chaos.


    **


    Anastasia and the others arrived at the house Julian had secured for the rescued girls. It was a spacious two-story building equipped with all the essentials they might need, and it was located in the outskirts of Fameville. A group of women had been appointed to care for the girls, and since many of them were minors, Julian had also arranged for professional therapists to help them heal and recover.


    Anastasia had been shocked to find out he had everything prepared, making her wonder if he¡¯d nned on doing what they¡¯d done the night before.


    It was a question that lingered in her mind, and this time she was going to keep it to herself.


    "How do you have everything prepared?" She asked him as they watched a girl getting her hand bandaged up from afar.


    Julian stiffened slightly. "This was the house we¡¯d nned to live in as our vacation home."


    A frown settled on Anastasia¡¯s forehead.


    "Me and Isabelle, myte wife," he finished. There was so much pain at the edge of his voice.


    She might have known what had happened, but she already presumed the woman had died an untimely death.


    "I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to make you remember¡ª"


    "No, it¡¯s okay," he quickly said, cutting her off before she could apologize any further.


    "Isabelle was a great wife. But she died in the worst ways one could imagine. She was pregnant with our second baby when she died, and every single time, I wondered if time could go back so we could switch ces. She and our baby will live."


    This was the first time Julian was opening up about his life to her, and Anastasia suddenly regretted asking her earlier question. She felt as if she¡¯d opened up closed wounds that needed to be closed forever.


    She suddenly recalled her hug with Tracie earlier. Seeing her right in front of her indeed made closed wounds open once again but in a good way.


    However, she didn¡¯t stop Julian.


    Before Julian could continue, Alex called out to him.


    "All the girls are perfectly fine. Their rooms have all been assigned to them and currently, they¡¯re having breakfast inside," he informed.


    Julian nodded in understanding.


    "That¡¯s great."


    Alex turned to Anastasia. She¡¯d already taken off her wig and contact lenses to feel morefortable.


    "How about you?" Alex asked.


    "What about me?" She casually questioned back, confused as she stared at him.


    "Are you going to call her?"


    Anastasia nodded in the head. "I will."


    "Will you look at that? You¡¯re not hesitating to do that at all," he teased and Anastasia shot him a re. They barely knew each other well but she could tell he loved to joke and tease people a lot, even in serious situations.


    His brown hair was ruffled, and he looked tired.


    All three of them looked tired. It was already four in the morning and they all needed sleep.


    "I¡¯m d I was able to meet her. I¡¯m going to call her now," she said, excusing herself.


    She slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out the piece of paper and then her phone to make the phone call.


    The phone only rang once before the call was connected from the other side.


    "Anastasia..." she heard the familiar voice.


    "Can we meet? I¡¯ll share the time and location with you. I¡¯ll tell you everything," she said.


    "I¡¯ll be right there," Tracie replied, then she hung up on the call.


    Anastasia had thought she was disgusted with physical contact, and her mind went back to when she¡¯d hugged Tracie as if her life depended on it.


    A said smile stretched on her lips.


    "I¡¯ll tell you everything you need to know." She mumbled to herself.

 Chapter 379: Maybe Work With Him?

    "And most importantly, why do you look so different? Is this some new makeup style to alter your entire appearance or what?" Tracie finally finished and gave Anastasia the chance to speak.


    Anastasia took a deep breath before she parted her lips to speak.


    "I didn¡¯t alter my appearance with makeup at all, Tracie. I had stic surgery," she replied, and a deep frown settled on thetter¡¯s face.


    She could see that Tracie had a lot of questions she needed to ask her. Half of it had already been spoken out and the other half was held within. Even so, Anastasia was ready to answer them all.


    "I lost my memories too," she dropped the bomb.


    "How?" That question came out softer than Anastasia could hear.


    She finally began to recount her story, starting from the moment she woke up in the small, dark room, to being taken to the house where they were treated as nothing more than objects. She spoke about the Crimson Hunt, her voice trembling as she described the horrors of being preyed upon and vited by half the men who participated in the twisted game.


    How she was taken to the factory and how she met Julian.


    Each word that slipped out of Anastasia¡¯s lips felt like a dagger was being stabbed into Tracie¡¯s heart. Her fist was clenched on the cloth that was used to decorate the table that separated them as she silently gritted her teeth.


    She couldn¡¯t imagine all the things her little sister had gone through the past months she¡¯d disappeared. Her anger towards Xander intensified, and if she could, she would have his head rolling on the ground by now.


    "I couldn¡¯t bring myself to go back...to him...he would be disgusted with me," said Anastasia.


    Tracie shook her head as she reached in for Anastasia¡¯s hand across the table and held it delicately.


    "Xavier doesn¡¯t care about that. He¡¯s been searching for you for the longest time. Each night, while everyone was sleeping, he¡¯d still be in front of hisputer, hacking into every possible CCTV camera he could just to find you. Do you think he would do that if he didn¡¯t care about you?" She asked.


    Tracie couldn¡¯t bring herself to tell Anastasia that every single footage when she was vited was uploaded on the inte. If she found out that half of the world had seen her in such a position, she didn¡¯t know what she would do.


    "He wouldn¡¯t want me," Anastasia replied. "But I will only being back after I¡¯vepleted my mission."


    Tracie¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly together. "What mission?"


    "I want revenge on Xander, Samantha, and Michelle," Anastasia said, her voice sharp with hatred and rage. "I want to make them pay for what they¡¯ve done to me. I want to watch them suffer as I crush them beneath my feet, only to discard their bodies when I¡¯m done."


    Tracie had never seen Anastasia so vicious before. She hadn¡¯t been there when Anastasia started her revenge against the Harrison family, but she was certain Anastasia hadn¡¯t sounded as ruthless as she did now.


    "Are you alright?" She gently asked, rubbing her hand.


    "I¡¯m fine," Anastasia replied.


    Tracie believed Anastasia wasn¡¯t telling her the truth. Who could go through what she went through and still be alright?


    Her blood boiled just thinking about Xander.


    "Anastasia, you need toe back to us. Mother and father are worried sick about you. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to watch them crying about you when I know where you are." She pleaded this time around but Anastasia shook her head.


    "I can¡¯te back now. I need to make them pay for what they did. I¡¯m sure Xander is already going crazy for the intrusion the previous night. I¡¯m about to sign a contract with him, gain his trust, and then throw him into the pit of his own fire."


    "Don¡¯t let revenge take over your reason for thinking. Xavier has been looking for Xander for a very long time. Since the both of you have the same goal, you can work together with Xavier, even in disguise, and take Xander down since you know a lot of information Xavier would need."


    "I will need to think about it," Anastasia replied softly.


    Tracie took a deep breath before she sighed.


    "You have to promise me you don¡¯t tell anyone about it, about me for now." Now, Anastasia was the one pleading. "At least not now, they shouldn¡¯t know anything about me."


    Tracie wanted to interrupt but she doubted Anastasia would be willing to hear anything she had to say.


    Either way, she nodded her head in understanding.


    "It¡¯s obvious I won¡¯t be able to convince you. Since I¡¯m here now, I¡¯ll help you with everything you need," she said.


    Anastasia was about to respond when she suddenly received a phone call.


    Just one nce at the caller¡¯s name disy, her heart skipped a beat.

 Chapter 380: A Sister’s Threat

    They exchanged a few more words before Anastasia hung up on the call.


    "He doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re the one?"


    "He doesn¡¯t. I know Xavier isn¡¯t just searching for me, but also wants to end Xander, so I¡¯ll be sharing any information about Xander I¡¯m able to discover."


    "You can both coborate, work in secret, and destroy Xander before he even figures out what¡¯s happening," Tracie suggested.


    Anastasia didn¡¯t respond, as her gazended on the mango juice she¡¯d ordered.


    The both of them stayed in the restaurant for a while, trying to catch up on what was happening back at home even though there was nothing much to share.


    Tracie made sure to inform Anastasia about the mild suspicion surrounding Mr. Wace. The old man had been unusually quiet in recent weeks, except for his persistent attempts to pressure Xavier into remarrying.


    She also didn¡¯t forget to inform her of what caused the dispute between the twin brothers to ur.


    Anastasia was shocked. She didn¡¯t want to believe Xavier could do such a thing. There must have been a loophole somewhere.


    After a long line of conversation, they both headed to the building where the girls rescued the previous night were staying.


    "This ce is nice," Traciemented when she saw the girls trying to get back to their usual lifestyle before they¡¯d been kidnapped by Xander and his henchmen. But it was obvious it would take them so much time to recover.


    "The girls are still recovering and will be leaving when everything is clear outside of these walls. The ones that want to leave can do so, while the ones that want to stay can do whatever they want," Anastasia exined as she led her in.


    "This is just like the house that Xavier has for the girls he rescues," Traciemented and a small smile appeared on Anastasia¡¯s lips. "Maybe after all this is over with, you can go there with him and pay the girls a visit," she suggested.


    Anastasia surprisingly didn¡¯t argue this time. Instead, she said, "I will."


    Julian came out from the entrance door, talking to one of the women who had been in charge of pushing a girl in a wheelchair.


    Once he saw Anastasia with Tracie, he gave hisst instruction to the woman before heading for them.


    "I didn¡¯t know you were bringing her here," he said, sizing Tracie up and thetter already knew she was going to have bad blood with the man standing before her.


    "Why? Are you scared I came with a sharp pair of scissors to cut off your nuts like I promised?" Tracie questioned, her voice dripping with mockery. Instantly, his eyes darkened, but she didn¡¯t falter.


    She took a deliberate, threatening step closer, her gaze unwavering as she looked up at him. Despite his towering presence, he instinctively took a step back, his confidence visibly shaken.


    "You shouldn¡¯t go around threatening people like that. I understand that you worry for your sister, but I don¡¯t mean any harm towards her or any of her rtives," he quickly defended.


    "And you expect me to believe that?" Tracie hissed, her tone sharp and using. "Aren¡¯t you Xander¡¯s right-hand man or something? Do you think I¡¯d fall for the idea that you don¡¯t harbor some sort of hidden motive? You couldn¡¯t have possibly just woken up one day and decided to help Anastasia escape¡ªnot when you¡¯ve had the chance to save so many other girls before!"


    She took another threatening step forward, her eyes zing with distrust. He instinctively backed up, hisposure faltering under her piercing gaze.


    He nced at Anastasia who hadn¡¯t said a word yet.


    "My reasons are none of your business. If I wanted to arm Anastasia, I could have let her die back at the factory. I have my reasons for my decisions and I¡¯m not going to bring them to light, at least not yet," he exined.


    Without wasting a single moment, Tracie pulled him by the cor of his shirt, pulling him down to her eye level, ring hard into them as if she could burn him at that moment.


    "Anastasia might trust you, but I don¡¯t," Tracie said, her voice low but threatening. "However, since no harm hase to her since you saved her, I¡¯ll let you go¡ªfor now. But you¡¯d better sleep with one eye open if you ever think about betraying her, because I won¡¯t hesitate to take action."


    She red down at his crotch with a menacing smile. "I don¡¯t think I need to repeat my threat. The message is clear."


    With a swift push, she forced him back, making him stumble a few steps away from her. His eyes were wide, and he didn¡¯t dare challenge her.


    Anastasia only watched in silence, unable to believe what she was seeing.

 Chapter 381: Get Them Paid

    "Ms. Reyez, it¡¯s good you made it," Xander was the one to speak. He stood up from his seat to shake Anastasia¡¯s hand which sheplied to do with a soft yet tight smile on her lips.


    Samantha only nodded at her in acknowledgment, and her face was as frozen as a stone with no single expression on them.


    During theirst meeting, she¡¯d tried to stop Xander from making thest decision, which could only mean she wasn¡¯tpletely convinced enough.


    The air was chilly and tense as if they¡¯d just finished a heated argument. The proof Anastasia needed was written all over Bruce¡¯s face. He was all red from rage. He gave her an acknowledging smile to mask it, but it was still there.


    "Well, now that you¡¯re here, let me bring out the documents so you can read through them and sign," said Xander.


    He was eager to sign things and immediately start things. Xavier was giving him a hard time, so it was understandable he wanted more security over his business.


    Anastasia took a seat offered to her.


    "Unfortunately, one of my hideouts was infiltrated by X. That bastard," Xander gritted his teeth.


    Anastasia had no idea why he was talking about that now. However, she yed along.


    "Really? I had a business associate who informed him he escaped as soon as he could before he was captured. Are you the owner of that trade?" She asked.


    "Of course I am. X keeps closing in, destroying everything I have. Luckily, he can never get into Xattlewood, and even if he does, he will never be able to find this baby factory. Sucks for him," he replied.


    Anastasia admired how confident he was spouting words like that. Now her mind went back to Tracie who tried to convince her to coborate with Xavier. He wants to end things also, get rid of Xander, just like her.


    ¡¯That wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea at all,¡¯ she thought to herself.


    Anastasia didn¡¯t reply and simply signed the document before handing it back to Xander.


    "This is the start of our coboration together. I hope we have a smooth ride up ahead," she said.


    Julian watched everything with a stoic expression, but if one looked closer, one would see the faint grin lingering on the corners of his lips.


    "Now that everything is finalized, let us show you around the factory, and discuss when we would make our trip to Regalith to expand the business," said Xander.


    "Of course," Anastasia replied. She darted her eyes to Samantha who still hadn¡¯t uttered a word yet. Probably because Bruce was around. The daughter and father didn¡¯t share a good rtionship after all.


    They left the office to head down the stairs where Anastasia caught sight of the figure she¡¯d seen earlier when she was about to climb the stairs.


    It was Eve, the woman who had been with her when Angelina and Elizabeth were killed.


    She had a baby bump, meaning she was already carrying the child of a client.


    Anastasia tore her gaze away from her and continued to follow Xander and Samantha for the tour.


    Bruce had already excused himself and left the factory, making Anastasia wonder where he¡¯d gone.


    "This is the area we have the girls checked up on throughout their whole pregnancy semester," Samantha exined when they reached the long hall filled with so many doors.


    There were faint noises of women screaming that frightened Anastasia.


    "What was that?"


    "That¡¯s the scream of the women that are putting the bed," Samantha exined.


    They went on to check the chambers where the expecting mothers were getting checked up.


    "I¡¯ve been meaning to ask," Anastasia started, and the trio¡ªXander, Samantha, and Julian¡ªturned to look at her. "Do the girls get paid after they¡¯ve delivered the babies of the clients?"


    Her question waspletely unexpected as Xander and Samantha questioned an awkward look with each other before turning to stare at her as if she¡¯d lost her mind.


    "Why would we do that? They¡¯re sex ves that were promoted to be surrogate mothers for our clients?" Samantha was the one to ask.


    Anastasia slightly shrugged. "I was just thinking, wouldn¡¯t it be better if they¡¯re getting paid so they can have a little something for themselves?"

 Chapter 382: An Informant

    "Let¡¯s say in the future when this whole ce is discovered, the government wouldn¡¯t hold anything against you because it was a mutual agreement between you and the surrogates."


    Although the chances of their baby factory setting being discovered weren¡¯t aplete zero, there was still this rare chance of it happening, especially with Xavier not giving Xander a single break.


    "That¡¯s not a bad idea at all," Julian mumbled.


    "We¡¯ve never paid the girls and they don¡¯t seem to have a problem with that," Samantha chimes in.


    "But I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve had cases of girls who almost escaped from here, right?" Anastasia asked Samantha and thetter immediately mped her mouth shut. "Now, imagine if those girls had sessfully escaped."


    "We have security stationed everywhere," said Samantha.


    "I¡¯m not blind, I can see that," Anastasia replied with a soft smile that earned her a re from Samantha. "I¡¯ve given you my opinion, now it¡¯s up to you to decide if you want to implement it," she finished.


    "All that you said wasn¡¯t a bad idea at all," Xander was the one to speak this time around after being quiet for too long. "X has been hot on my tailtely. We¡¯ll think about it."


    "Onest thing, if you do end up deciding to implement that policy, more girls would be willing to volunteer for this kind of business. So you don¡¯t need to kidnap them anymore," she added.


    Without more words being exchanged, they continued the tour. Anastasia and Xander were at the front now, and Samantha and Julian were behind her, but she could still feel the re from behind her.


    "Just where did you get this Jennifer of a woman from, Julian? She practically wants to change everything?" Samantha mumbled to Julian who stared down at her.


    "But you can¡¯t deny that her ideas aren¡¯t bad at all," he replied, earning a scowl from her. But he continued. "Paying the girls seems like a fair game. We can discreetly promote surrogacy to potential women, instead of abducting them which will have not only the police but also Xavier on our necks. What? Are you jealous you didn¡¯te up with it sooner?"


    "I didn¡¯te up with it because I don¡¯t think there was a need for it," she replied with an agitated expression. "Something about her feels off to me," she finally said, and Julian stiffened for a second. I¡¯ve tried looking into her other businesses but I couldn¡¯t find anything."


    "Jennifer has a team that protects all of her business associations. It¡¯s a dangerous world and you never know who¡¯s who, so she makes sure that none of her business is out in the public," he exined, which was a total lie. Anastasia had no business at all, but he wasn¡¯t going to tell Samantha that and make her more suspicious.


    "And her family? Doesn¡¯t she have a family?" Samantha asked.


    "Her family background is kindaplicated, and it¡¯s not something for me to say. So, you should ask her yourself when the time is right," he responded.


    Samayah huffed exasperatedly but didn¡¯t say anything anymore.


    After their tour, the date for their trip to Regalith was finalized which would be in the next one week.


    Anastasia left the factory, heading to her <i>house</i>. Julian didn¡¯t follow her around this time, because he didn¡¯t want them suspecting she was living at his house.


    "Now, about the trade that didn¡¯t sessfully ur due to you know who," Xander started after they returned to the office. "I was informed that Xavier didn¡¯t leave with the girls."


    Julian was shocked.


    "You have an informant that was watching the trade?" He carefully asked, hoping this informant hadn¡¯t spotted either him or Anastasia there that night.


    "Yes, I do," he replied. "ording to him, Xavier didn¡¯t help the girls escape, which only meant that someone else had done it. Someone who hadn¡¯t made any appearance until now."


    From the tone of Xander¡¯s voice, it seemed this <i>informant </i>of his didn¡¯t spot either him or Anastasia helping the girls escape.


    "We now have two people who are raiding the trade. It¡¯s not good news," Samantha said, typing away on herputer. "We¡¯re barely able to contain Xavier. If this continues for a longer while, then we¡¯re in big trouble."


    "Wait up a second, who is this informant and why didn¡¯t you tell me anything about him?" Julian asked, obviously confused.


    "He¡¯s a little confused about his decisions in life, but I can tell you we have the same goal," Xander replied with a grin on his lips. "As for why I didn¡¯t tell you, I don¡¯t trust you quite enough for that."

 Chapter 383: The Idea

    Thest time they met was the day Anastasia was pronounced dead on social media. They¡¯d been trying to meet less because of the chances of being figured out by anyone.


    Bruce gulped down his alcohol in one shot, not exactly shocking Mr. Wace but thetter still looked at him with a weird expression.


    "You¡¯re already in your sixties. You should learn to take less alcohol so you won¡¯t die before your time," said Mr. Wace.


    Bruce chuckled under his breath. "Even if I take hundreds of these, I would still be unaffected by the consequences."


    Mr Wace could only hum.


    "By the way, why did you tell me to get here? Any new information?" He asked.


    "There¡¯s thisdy, Jennifer Reyez, that Xander met at the anniversary of someone. She¡¯s someone good with connections and would be helping us expand the baby factory business in Regalith," Bruce informed.


    Mr. Wace¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    "Regalith? Are you nning on having yourself beheaded? That city is too clean to be tainted with such an idea."


    Bruce went on to inform Mr Wace of the information <i>Jennifer </i>had provided on the day of their meeting and Mr Wace was shocked.


    "So, she¡¯s someone that knows her way with connections then?" Mr Wace thought out loud. "To think that son of mine didn¡¯t even inform me about this."


    "You know how your rtionship with him is so you shouldn¡¯t be surprised. Besides, Anastasia is dead, so there¡¯s no business between the both of you anymore. He has no reason to see you or talk to you anymore."


    Mr Wace couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    "I¡¯ve been trying to get Xavier married, or at least, forget that woman but he wouldn¡¯t yield. I¡¯m getting too old for this and I need a grandchild. Doesn¡¯t Xander have someone he¡¯s talking to?" He asked.


    Bruce¡¯s expression instantly turned sour for a second, recalling Xander¡¯s and Samantha¡¯s closeness. It may have all been in the past, but he could see they had that lingering tension between them, and thest thing he needed was for Xander to be intimate with Samantha in any sort of way.


    Xander had rejected Samantha¡¯s love in the past and that was probably the best thing he¡¯d wished for toe to pass. Xander may not be his flesh and blood, but he treasured him more than Samantha. The girl has been nothing but a bad omen to him, bringing him nothing but bad luck since the day she¡¯d been born.


    "No one," Bruce replied. "Xander has no one and from the looks of things, he¡¯s not going to have any love life anytime soon. He has buried his head at work and he¡¯s never finding anyone soon."


    "Well, he¡¯d better. He¡¯s almost forty and needs to provide me with a grandchild," said Mr. Wace.


    Bruce simply gave him a look but didn¡¯t say anything else.


    **


    <i>On the outskirts of Farmville</i>


    "Are you sure it¡¯s alright for you to be here? Aren¡¯t they going to be wondering where you are?" Anastasia asked Tracie as they took a walk around the house.


    The sun shone warmly, casting a golden glow over the surroundings, while a gentle breeze danced across their skin. The leaves rustled softly in the trees before drifting gracefully to the ground.


    It was a peaceful noon, the quietness broken only by soft murmurs. Half of the girls were napping, while the others yed games or engaged in quiet conversations.


    Seeing them recalled her time back at the sex ve house when she still had Angeline and Elizabeth by her side.


    "Not really, I told them I was going to mourwood to check up on what Fiona had been up to these past few days," Tracie replied.


    She had already informed Anastasia about the woman¡ªthe sole witness to what had happened to Xander¡¯s high school ex-girlfriend, Arabe.


    "mourwood isn¡¯t far from here anyway," she added.


    Anastasia nodded in understanding.


    This was their third time meeting, and she couldn¡¯t help but be d she had someone by her side now. She wasn¡¯t as lonely as she¡¯d been the past few months.


    "I¡¯m considering working with Xavier," she finally said and Tracie stopped in her tracks, believing she hadn¡¯t heard that right.


    "Wait what?"


    "He needs to stop Xander; we both do. But we can¡¯t just storm in and destroy everything he¡¯s built. If we do, we¡¯ll be putting the girls¡¯ lives in danger and leaving them with nothing. That¡¯s why I came up with an idea," she exined, her tone firm. "I¡¯m trying to convince Xander to pay them. So, when it¡¯s all over, they¡¯ll have something to rebuild their lives."

 Chapter 384: Is Kace The One?

    "Xander himself, and believe me when I say he wasn¡¯t bluffing." His gazended on Anastasia. "Even Samantha knows about this person."


    Anastasia couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. She shared a nce with Tracie before their eyesnded on Julian.


    "Xavier needs to be careful," she mumbled under her breath.


    Tracie went back to Radiantia that same day, walking into Xavier¡¯s hideout, her eyesnded on Maxwell and Kace, her eyes narrowing on them before they settled on Xavier.


    "Can I speak to you in private?" She asked, and the two turned to look at them but they didn¡¯t say anything.


    Xavier wondered why Tracie would want to speak to him in private when the only two people beside him weren¡¯t strangers to begin with.


    Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t object and stood up from the desk, limping on his injured foot before they stepped out.


    Tracie assisted him with his crouches as they ventured into the forest when she was sure no one would overhear their conversation.


    "What did you want to talk to me about?" He asked.


    Tracie nced around, ensuring they were truly alone in the forest. The soft glow of dusk bathed the surroundings, with the sun just about to set, casting long shadows through the trees. The fading light was enough for her to scan the area without struggling against the encroaching darkness.


    "I got information from someone, and she informed me that there¡¯s an informant in your team," she replied.


    A big frown settled on Xavier¡¯s forehead as she stared at Tracie.


    "What do you mean by you got information from someone? Who¡¯s that and who¡¯s the informant?" He questioned.


    Since Anastasia was already nning on working with Xavier, there was no need to not tell Xavier about her.


    "She¡¯s someone I just met recently and you¡¯ve met her too."


    "Stop speaking in riddles and tell me who exactly this person is?"


    "It¡¯s the waitress you met at the trade back in Fameville."


    Xavier¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    "What?"


    "She¡¯s the one who rescued the girls¡ªyou already know that. She¡¯s not an enemy," Tracie exined, her voice steady but urgent. "She¡¯s working with Xander, but only to bring him down and save every girl he¡¯s holding hostage."


    She paused, ncing around again to ensure no one was listening. "She also informed me there¡¯s an informant in your team. Xander knows everything. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t say any of this in front of Kace, Maxwell, or any of your men."


    "Wait a second, you mean to tell me you met some random woman and you¡¯re just going to believe whatever she tells you?"


    Tracie didn¡¯t reply because she already knew this was how Xavier was going to react.


    "Kace is my little brother and Maxwell is my best friend. How could you even believe a nobody¡¯s words just like that?"


    "I¡¯m not saying I believe her. But we have to be careful. Haven¡¯t you ever wondered why you still haven¡¯t found Anastasia yet? What if someone in there is keeping tabs on you and reporting everything to Xander?" She questioned back.


    Then she rubbed her face in frustration and she sighed to calm her nerves.


    "The woman wants to work with you. Just meet up with her and discuss things. Just don¡¯t tell any of them about it."


    Now Xavier was the one to sigh.


    He¡¯d been shocked the night of the trade to find someone else doing the same thing he¡¯d been doing for many years. And now, there was a chance that someone was keeping tabs on him from his very own team.


    Who could it be?


    "I can assure you she¡¯s not a dangerous person. She was the one I went to meet in Fameville. Just meet with her once and you¡¯ll find out if she¡¯s a good person. You¡¯ll also get to see the ce those girls are staying," she tried to convince him.


    He wasn¡¯t showing any signs of objecting but he wasn¡¯t saying anything either.


    Just when Xavier was about to respond, he heard a little rustle in the bush. Not only him, but Tracie heard it too.


    Instantly, their heads snapped to look in that direction.


    "What are the both of you talking about?" Kace asked.

 Chapter 385: They Met

    She exchanged onest look with Xavier, a silent message passing between them. He didn¡¯t need to ask what it meant¡ªhe already understood itpletely.


    He needed to be careful because there was indeed an informant in his team. He¡¯d been doing this work for several years and not once has he been able to catch Xander.


    However, if there truly was an informant, Xavier wouldn¡¯t have seeded in rescuing those girls. His life would also be in jeopardy¡ªpossibly even lost by now. This could only mean one thing: the informant and Xander were ying some kind of twisted game with him.


    Now Xavier couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this informant had a hand in Anastasia¡¯s kidnapping.


    His blood boiled at the thought that he had someone close who was willing to betray him without batting an eysh.


    "Hey, what are you thinking about?" Xavier jolted when he felt Kace¡¯s hand on his shoulder. "You¡¯ve been standing there looking like you¡¯re in some kind of trance."


    Xavier also didn¡¯t want to believe that Kace could be the informant. There was no chance of it happening.


    "It¡¯s nothing," Xavier replied with gritted teeth before he headed back into the mansion.


    Kace was now alone in the forest. The corners of his eyes caught a figure hiding behind the trees. When he turned to look, the figure had already disappeared.


    He brought out his phone and sent a message to someone. His gaze lingered on the spot the person had been standing just a second ago before he left his spot.


    A few days passed with Anastasia trying to dig up more secrets about the Regalith family. Since they were also deep in crime like Xander, she¡¯d put it to herself to destroy them as well.


    Anastasia trained every day with the help of Julian, Alex, and Tracie.


    Julian couldn¡¯t stand being within three feet of Tracie after she had mercilessly beaten him in a fierce brawl to demonstrate to Anastasia how to defend herself if she was ever caught in a simr situation.


    Tracie visited every two days to check on Anastasia, often staying on the outskirts of Fameville, as she still couldn¡¯t risk stepping foot in Xattlewood.


    Tracie arrived a day before Anastasia¡¯s nned trip to Regalith, where Anastasia intended to secure the royal family firmly under their control.


    "He agreed to the meeting," Tracie informed.


    At first, Anastasia was shocked, but terrified, then happy as a soft smile stretched on her lips.


    "Whenever you¡¯re ready, you can schedule a date," she added.


    "Now, let¡¯s have the meeting now," she replied. Now Tracie was the shocked one.


    "Are you sure?"


    She nodded in reply.


    It was still early and before she arrived at Radiantia, it would already be nighttime. The meeting would probably take till early morning.


    Luckily, her flight to Regalith was at night so she had the time to rest and gather a few other things she needed before she went on her trip.


    Both Tracie and Anastasia went back to Radiantia for the meet-up with Xavier.


    They couldn¡¯t have the meet-up at the hideout because Xavier didn¡¯t trust her enough, and she would be meeting only him because Tracie suggested he came alone and not inform anyone about it because of the informant they still weren¡¯t able to figure out yet.


    Both Tracie and Anastasia arrived at the secluded chapel. As it was the middle of the night, everywhere was dark but some lights were shining from the chapel.


    "Some people must still be inside," Anastasia said as she rubbed her hands together, goosebumps rising on her skin. She couldn¡¯t tell if it was due to the night cold or the anxiety that came with the fact she would be meeting with Xavier soon.


    "He said he¡¯s here," Tracie said, looking at her phone that just dinged with a notification.


    Anastasia¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she stared into the distance where she saw a tall figure walking towards them. He was d in a ck outfit to blend with the night.


    His gaze was on her, and that alone made a shiver tremble down her spine.


    He was limping slightly but he wasn¡¯t walking with any crouches.


    "So you¡¯re <i>Jennifer Reyez?</i>" Xavier asked as soon as he stopped in front of them, his gaze scrutinizing as if he wanted to study her like an open book.


    "That¡¯s right. And you must be X I met the other day," she managed to say.


    "Let¡¯s go inside," Tracie said, cutting off any more words that Xavier was about to spout.


    They walked into the chapel.


    The chapel was nearly empty, save for a choir dressed in matching uniforms. They moved in unison, led by the head choir, their voices blending harmoniously as they sang a solemn hymn that echoed through every corner of the sacred space.


    The head choir only gave them a look but they stopped them from taking their seats.


    Xavier¡¯s gaze remained fixed on her as she spoke, his expression unreadable. Anastasia continued, "I¡¯m sure Tracie has already filled you in on most of what I do. We both have the same enemy, so why don¡¯t we work together to defeat him?" The offer hung in the air, thick with the weight of unspoken possibilities.

 Chapter 386: Arrived At Regalith

    "I¡¯ll be saving a lot of girl¡¯s lives with my ns, and Xander is sure to go down," she promised.


    Xavier¡¯s eyes were on <i>Jennifer </i>the whole time, watching her every expression.


    He might just be <i>meeting </i>her for the first time, but he could feel the hurt in her tone whenever she spoke about taking Xander down.


    "Jennifer is making a trip to Regalith tomorrow. Do you want to follow her discreetly?" Tracie asked and both Xavier and Anastasia turned to look at her in unison. "The Regalith family also have some dark businesses they¡¯re into. You also need to get rid of them," she added.


    "I feel like there¡¯s something else they might be up to. I¡¯m investigating deeper into their business and something doesn¡¯t seem to add up quite well," said Anastasia.


    Xavier had heard of Regalith but hadn¡¯t personally investigated the royal family.


    Anastasia faced Xavier.


    "If you agree to work with me, you¡¯ll get closer to uncovering the truth you¡¯re searching for," she finished.


    Xavier didn¡¯t need to rethink because it was quite beneficial. With the help of <i>Jennifer, </i>he could keep an eye on Xander and watch his every move.


    "What city does Xander live in?" He asked.


    "He lives in Xattlewood, and all his hideouts and baby factories are also there. But you won¡¯t be infiltrating anytime soon else the lives of the girls would be in danger. Especially the ones that are heavy with babies," she replied.


    Xavier could only sigh.


    Xavier had always held onto a faint, almost naive hope that he could steer Xander back to the right path. After all, they were family, bound by shared blood and history. But that hope was long gone now. Xander had fully embraced the darkness, bing the very devil who thrived on the misery of others. There was no redemption left for him¡ªonly consequences.


    Anastasia informed Xavier of the locations where the trafficked girls were being housed, ensuring he knew the safehouses in case their n was exposed. "If anything happens," she said, her voiceced with urgency, "You¡¯ll know exactly where to find them and how to act quickly. They can¡¯t be left vulnerable for even a second."


    "Please don¡¯t tell anyone you met me or know my name," she requested. "And if you can, try to work more in private but don¡¯t make it too suspicious that you¡¯re aware there¡¯s a traitor in your team. Try to keep it more casual. And if you were to call me, don¡¯t call me Jennifer. We can create a code name for thatter."


    Xavier nodded in understanding as he watched the choir members sing humm as the head choir swayed his hand here and there, following his lead.


    Anastasia stood up and Tracie and Xavier followed cue. "I think that¡¯s all for now. Tracie will share my contact details with you and when somethinges up, I¡¯ll be sure to inform you so you can be ready."


    "Thanks for your offer," said Xavier offering his hand forward for a friendly handshake.


    Anastasia looked at it, briefly making eye contact with Tracie who urged her with her eyes to shake his hand.


    However, Anastasia didn¡¯t.


    Xavier¡¯s hand hung in the air for a few seconds before he brought it back to his side.


    "I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t like physical contact," she exined.


    Xavier could only frown at her, but he didn¡¯t question the reason behind it.


    "I¡¯ll be leaving now," said Anastasia. She gave a brief bow before she exited the chapel.


    Xavier¡¯s gaze was on her back until shepletely disappeared.


    "There¡¯s something odd about her," he said and Tracie¡¯s head instantly snapped to look at him.


    "What do you mean?"


    "She looks..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "It¡¯s nothing."


    Outside, Anastasia¡¯s hand was clenched against her chest as she got into the car.


    The tears she¡¯d been holding in the chapel uncontrobly streamed down her eyes.


    She was d she¡¯d been able to hold herself back in there and not cry in front of him.


    He was so close, they were talking, yet she couldn¡¯t bring herself to tell him she was Anastasia, his missing wife the whole time.


    She couldn¡¯t help but wonder how he would react if she¡¯d told him the truth right there and then. Would he have been happy? Bted?


    Anastasia tried to sniffle her tears back in, but they still poured.


    "This will all be over soon, and then I¡¯lle back to you," she promised.


    **


    Anastasia stopped in front of the massive pce, taking in the creamy yellow walls that seemed to shine under the sunlight. Guards were stationed at every corner, their weapons resting in their hands, ready but calm.


    In the middle of the courtyard, arge fountain caught her eye, surrounded by smaller ones that seemed to dance around it. The sound of the water trickling was oddly soothing, making the ce feel less intimidating.


    The whole setup looked like something out of a movie¡ªalmost too perfect to be real, like it belonged in a storybook.


    Unfortunately, the people that lived in that pce were theplete opposite.


    They stepped inside the pce with the help of a guard that led them inside.


    Before they¡¯d booked their trip to Regalith, Xander had personally requested a meeting with the king and queen so they were not stopped at the gate like outsiders.


    It wasn¡¯t easy for anyone to meet the royal family without a proper appointment, however, as soon as they heard they wanted to make a preposition, the king immediately agreed.


    As soon as they stepped inside, Anastasia¡¯s naw dropped like she¡¯d entered an animation.


    Every single thing was made out of gold and it was glistening so brightly it nearly blinded her.


    This was a pce after all, and it was only proper they had expensive furniture. Even so, the carpets seemed to be made out of gold as well.


    Running inside the living room only would feel like running a marathon for a race.


    Regaining herposure, Anastasia walked towards the couches.


    "Please take a seat. The royal family will join you in a while," said the guard who¡¯s been leading them inside. He gave a deep bow before he excused himself and left.


    "Everything here is squeaky clean," Xandermented, touching the coffee table.


    "The family is known to be very rich, but I didn¡¯t think that their living room was made of gold," Samanthamented.


    Meanwhile, Anastasia reyed the guard¡¯s words in her mind.


    <i>The royal family will join you in a while.</i>


    ¡¯Could it be that they were meeting every single member of the royal family?¡¯ Anastasia thought to herself.


    A few minutester, they heard the clicking heels of someone walking down the stairs, and instantly, their heads were in that direction.


    It was none other than the king and queen they¡¯d been waiting for with their children behind them as they strolled down the stairs in their fancy attire that seemed to be made out of silk due to how it moved with every step that they took.


    "Wee to Regalith pce," said the king with a huge grin stretching on his lips. "I¡¯m King Theous Regalith and this is my queen, Jelzem Regalith. And these two right here are my children," the king introduced.


    The trio bowed their heads in respect to the royal family but they knew they couldn¡¯t wait to start getting down to business.


    "Let¡¯s take our seats and get down to business, shall we?

 Chapter 387: The Deal

    "I want to start surrogacy and sex trafficking in your city," he finished.


    "What nonsense are you spewing? Do you not know whom you¡¯re talking to?" Thus roared as he sprang up from the couch.


    "I would advise you to sit down, my king. We still have so much to talk about."


    "There¡¯s nothing there for us to talk about!! Leave my pce this instant," the king ordered without giving him the chance to try to convince him.


    Anastasia resisted the urge to p her hands andpliment the king for his bravado acting. It was as if that was the first time he had heard such a word since he¡¯d been alive.


    However, his children didn¡¯t seem to have as much of a reaction as she¡¯d expected them to have. They were still wearing their nonchnt expression,pletely unaffected by the rage of their father.


    The queen however seemed to be boiling in rage. Her skin had already turned red from embarrassment too.


    "You want to kick me out of your pce? I¡¯d advise you rethink your decision because right here," Xander raised the briefcase he was holding in his hand, showing it to everyone. "Right here are the records from your crimes."


    It was as if a bomb had just been dropped as silence enveloped the living room. It was so silent that if a needle was dropped, it would be heard by everyone.


    Anastasia subtly looked at the twin children and finally, they had some expression on their faces. Then it dawned on her that the king had never actually told them their names but Anastasia didn¡¯t need to since she already knew them, all thanks to the inte that had all the information she needed.


    "What are you talking about?" Jelzem, the queen, was the one to ask. There was heavy AC blowing on them, however, it seemed her makeup was starting to melt.


    After regaining herposure, her bright smile returned to her face.


    "What are you talking about?" She gently asked, however, it seemed that her husband was not about to follow that same root.


    He was trembling in both rage and fear.


    "What sort of ridiculous usation is this?" He roared. "This is the Regalith pce and I am the king. I can lock you up in my dungeon this very same minute if you¡¯re not careful with the words that fall from your mouth!!"


    Jelzem had to hold him back because it seemed he was going to copse at any moment.


    The prince and princess still didn¡¯t make any movement from their seats which got Anastasia wondering the reason behind it. Normally, a child would butt in a situation like this and defend their parents and they would kick them out instantly. Instead, they were so rxed as if they were watching a show.


    "I would advise you to lower your voice right now if you don¡¯t want your guards and your servants to hear what we¡¯re talking about. But it¡¯s fine with me though because I would dly reveal to everyone here what their dearest royal family and been doing behind their backs," Xander threatened.


    They could sense from his tone that he was ying around at all.


    "Your Highness, please calm down," Jelzem said, trying to calm her king who was ring at the trio as if he could, he would have burned them alive at that moment, instantly.


    Hesitantly, he took a seat.


    Xander opened the briefcase and pulled out the papers that he needed to show.


    "What is this? These are just papers!"


    "Do you think we woulde here with the original evidence so you can destroy it?" Anastasia questioned.


    The King and Queen red at her.


    "This here shows your illegal dealings with drugs trafficking, iming of properties from nearby cities and your subjects, and worst of all, your involvement with sex trafficking so don¡¯t act all innocent. It doesn¡¯t suit you at all," Xander mocked.


    "This isn¡¯t proof at all. You can¡¯t prove a single thing with all these papers you have!"


    "I see. Then would you like you hear the confession from one of your victims then?" Anastasia questioned and they went silent once again.


    "This isn¡¯t proof at all. You can¡¯t prove a single thing with all these papers you have!"


    "I see. Then would you like you hear the confession from one of your victims then?" Anastasia asked and they went silent once again.


    "What victims are you talking about? There are no victims because we never did any of the things you¡¯re using us of!" The queen roared, ready to defend her husband and the kingdom. "We¡¯re a reputable family and all that you¡¯re using us of isn¡¯t true."


    "Then I guess you wouldn¡¯t have any problems if we call the police to search the pce or upload any of this evidence on the inte. Or even worse, we have your victims confess to everything you¡¯ve put them through," Anastasia threatened. She could see their faces go pale at that moment, including the children.


    "Who do you think you people are to just barge into the pce and threaten my parents?" The princess questioned, standing up from her seat and walking towards the couch the trio was seated on. "Do you know you can be sued for all the things you¡¯re spewing right now?"


    "Go ahead," Xander said with a smile. "I dare you to go ahead."


    "Izara, don¡¯t worry about this. Myself and your father will handle this issue. How about you take your brother and go upstairs now," the queen requested.


    Izara red hard at them before she finally moved her feet, walking up to the stairs while her brother followed behind her.


    Even so, Anastasia could still spot their shadows appear on the stairs. They were still watching them.


    "Since you two are not serious with our business proposal, I might as well just upload all this evidence. It¡¯s of no use to me anymore," Xandermented, pulling out his phone to do the job.


    Fear instantly gripped the king and queen.


    They couldn¡¯t do anything to stop them because they weren¡¯t with the real evidence. The ones in Xander¡¯s hands were just photocopies. Talk more about the victims he was talking about. From the tone of his voice, it was obvious he wasn¡¯t bluffing at all.


    They¡¯d been discovered and the truth will be revealed in any second now, depending on the decision they make.


    "Wait a second," Theous started and Xander paused, a grin stretching at the corners of his lips. "I believe we can talk this through."


    "Sure we can. Let me build on one of yournds where I can conduct my surrogacy business and sex trafficking and we¡¯re good. Also, you¡¯ll be offering me some protection."


    "It¡¯s not that hard at all to do," Samantha added.


    Their hands were now tied together and they needed to make a decision as soon as possible, or else their secrets would be revealed.


    "Give us time to think about it," said Jelzel.


    "That¡¯s not a problem at all. We will be back here tomorrow, same time and I better receive a positive answer from you," Xander replied.

 Chapter 388: Finalized

    The king was now calm as he gave some thought to what his wife had just suggested.


    "Even so, we need to figure out how they uncovered this information about us!" he snapped, his frustration bubbling over. "Drug trafficking and everything else has been carried out inplete secrecy for over a decade. No one¡¯s ever gotten close to finding out until now!" His jaw tightened as his mind raced. The thought of some outsiders showing up and threatening to dismantle everything he had built from the ground up was unbearable.


    "We can deal with thatter. But for now, we have to let them build whatever they want to build here. Otherwise, we¡¯ll lose everything we¡¯ve worked hard for."


    The king took a seat on his bed, rubbing his temple in frustration. He¡¯d never expected the day to turn out this way.


    He had only wanted to listen to Xander¡¯s business proposal out of courtesy, and now he was being cornered and threatened.


    "Fine," he said after a long pause, his voice tight with reluctant eptance. "I¡¯ll give them the permissions they want, including the security. It¡¯s better than losing everything we¡¯ve worked so hard to build."


    "And while they¡¯re doing that, you order your henchmen to find the original evidence they have and kill all the victims who dared to turn their back on us," Jelzem suggested. "When all the evidence they have is destroyed, we get rid of them and throw their body into the ocean of another city so it won¡¯t be linked back to us."


    "This is why you¡¯re my favorite queen. You always know how toe up with the best ideas," the kingplimented as he walked up to her and pecked her softly on the cheeks.


    "If it wasn¡¯t for me, you wouldn¡¯t be able to solve any of your issues."


    "I can¡¯t argue that at all."


    Unbeknownst to them, someone had been listening to their conversation since they entered their room.


    With a deep breath, the person left the scene.


    <i>The next day</i>


    Anastasia, Xander, and Samantha arrived, and just as they¡¯d expected, the king and queen gave them what they wanted.


    The king also proposed they stay in one of his other properties instead of the hotel where they would spend money.


    The offer was suspicious, and thankfully, Xander declined the offer.


    They also noticed that the king and queen were a lot nicer than the previous day.


    Anastasia couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that they were up to something. It made sense¡ªthey had every reason to be plotting something.


    After everything was finalized, the king gave themnd where they could build their baby factory.


    However, Xander hit them with another proposal.


    "If you don¡¯t mind, I would like to advertise my work here," he said.


    "What do you mean?" Thus questioned with a raised eyebrow.


    "I¡¯m willing to offer money to girls who don¡¯t mind being surrogate mothers to my clients here," he exined.


    The king could see that his proposal was a surprise as Samantha and Anastasia both turned to look at Xander with a questionable look.


    However, they didn¡¯t stop him.


    The king and queen shared a look as they silently gritted their teeth.


    "Isn¡¯t that going to draw unwanted attention towards you? You do realize what you¡¯re doing is illegal¡ª"


    "That¡¯s where your protectiones in," Xander replied.


    The king red at him so hard that if looks could kill, he would be six feet under the ground already.


    But he shrugged it off like it was nothing.


    "You¡¯re going to ask your people about recruiting. If you want, you can make it private or public. It all depends on you."


    With gritted teeth, the king replied, "I¡¯ll handle it."


    Several other things were taken into consideration and when they were done, Anastasia decided to take a stroll around the pce.


    Thend was vast so it was difficult to cover half of it before she started sweating profusely. Even so, she didn¡¯t stop.


    Then she saw Izara walking in her direction.


    "You should leave here as soon as possible," the girl ordered.</subtxt>

 Chapter 389: A Friend-Foe

    "The king will get rid of you and your partner if you don¡¯t leave here," she continued, her gaze locking onto Anastasia¡¯s. "Yes, he agreed to all the conditions youid out, but that doesn¡¯t guarantee your safety. You¡¯re a threat, and threats don¡¯tst long in this pce."


    Anastasia wasn¡¯t surprised at all that the king was nning on getting rid of them permanently. She¡¯d expected it from the very beginning. However, what shocked her was the king¡¯s daughter giving her this information on her own.


    Something wasn¡¯t right.


    "Why are you telling me this? You¡¯re your father¡¯s daughter? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be in cohorts with him?" Anastasia questioned, eyes narrowed as if to study the girl and what could be going on in her head.


    Izara bit her lips as her eyes lowered to the ground.


    "Maybe I am, maybe I¡¯m not. I¡¯ve only told you what I wanted to tell you, so you can either listen or continue to stay here. But if anything happens, I¡¯m not helping you out." Izara was about to pass by Anastasia and walk away, but thetter stopped her.


    "You and your brother, Desmond, weren¡¯t shocked at all when you heard after the dealings your parents are involved in, which only means that you already knew about it, right? And perhaps, against it too?


    "I think it¡¯s too early for you to think that. I¡¯m not a friend but neither am I a foe."


    Now Anastasia was confused with the girl¡¯s reply. She wasn¡¯t giving her a straight answer and that alone frustrated her slightly


    "However..." Izara dragged out the word, her eyes flickering toward Anastasia from the corners of her gaze. "You need to be careful in this city. Regalith isn¡¯t what it portrays to be on the outside. You¡¯re into illegal businesses too, so you¡¯d better pray no one catches wind of it." She gave a knowing look, then straightened up. "I¡¯d suggest you stay on your toes," she added before turning on her heel and walking away, leaving Anastasia to contemte the hidden warning.


    Confusion clouded Anastasia¡¯s mind.


    It seems as if Izara wanted her parents to be caught, but at the same time, not. Then she seemed to be helping her out by informing her of her father¡¯s ns, and then, not.


    Anastasia¡¯s hands were on her waist now, slightly disoriented.


    "Where was I again?" She mumbled to herself, continuing her task.


    ording to her search about the royal family, they were into sex trafficking as well. However, there have been little to no cases of kidnapping in the city. It was almost crime-free but notpletely.


    "Could it be that they¡¯re taking girls from other cities?" Anastasia wondered out loud with her index finger tapping on her chin, thinking. "No, that would be too risky because once the government notices even the slightest clue, they¡¯re done for."


    "Even if they have a hideout, where could it be? Would they be stupid enough to have a hideout in the pce?" She wondered.


    She pondered asking either the servants or the guards, but the chances they would feed her in on anything useful wasn¡¯t guaranteed. The only reason she was sessful in her first attempt was because the pce guard needed the money urgently.


    By the time Anastasia had already reached the backyard of the pce, she was already sweating buckets. She couldn¡¯t do this alone.


    Swiftly, she pulled out her phone and made a phone call to Julian.


    "You¡¯ll need to send your most trusted men over here. Thend is too big for me to cover it up alone."


    "Got it! What about Xavier?" He asked.


    "He can¡¯t send any of his henchmen because one of them could still be the informant. He needs to be extra careful," she exined. Then she informed Julian of her talk with Izara and he also found her weird.


    After exchanging a few words, they hung up on the call.


    Julian couldn¡¯te to Regalith with them because Emma had suddenly gone down with a high fever. He was worried about her so he decided to fall out at that moment.


    The scorching hot sun didn¡¯t make anything easier for Anastasia at all so she decided to stay in the shade for a while.


    All of a sudden, Anastasia heard clicking heels from behind her. She turned and found Samantha walking towards her.


    "What are you doing here?" Samantha question.


    "Just taking some fresh air," she replied, high on alert.


    "You¡¯re really good, I must say. Two weeks ago, we didn¡¯t have any sort of contact with the royal family. And now, we have them by the neck. Where did you learn your skills from? From your family?" Samantha asked.


    Instantly, Anastasia knew where she was headed to.


    Julian had already informed her beforehand that Samantha was curious about her family background. So, thetter was being nice to her to learn more about her.


    "You can say that."


    "Oh really? Tell me more about your family then. I¡¯m curious."

 Chapter 390: A Friend

    The king only nodded at him while wondering why Xander was thanking him so sincerely as if he hadn¡¯t just threatened him.


    When they were done, they left the pce.


    **


    It had been three days since Anastasia returned from Regalith. The construction of the new building was about to begin, but she didn¡¯t need to oversee it herself unless she felt like it. Her focus had to remain on appearing busy¡ªboth to Xander and Samantha. And she was. Busy, that is. Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she worked on herputer.


    Thanks to Alex¡¯s lessons in basic hacking skills, Anastasia had spent the past few days infiltrating security cameras positioned around the properties of her prey¡ªthe very people who had vited her during the crimson hunt. She watched their every move from the safety of her room, invisible and undetected.


    Anastasia started with Mr. Russell. He¡¯d been one of the three people she met at Mr. Justin¡¯s anniversary after she made her first appearance to both Xander and Samantha.


    She¡¯d been watching him, memorizing his every routine. It turned out he had a wife and three beautiful daughters who were almost the same age as Anastasia.


    Anastasia observed him through the CCTV camera she¡¯d hacked into, her eyes glued to the screen. He was on a phone call, a mug in his hand that he sipped from asionally.


    His expression was calm, even solemn¡ªnothing out of the ordinary. But when his wife entered the room, his demeanor shifted. He greeted her with a warm smile and a soft peck on the cheek. The same warmth extended to his daughters as they came to him, his gestures those of a devoted family man.


    It was almost hard to believe this was the same man responsible for so much pain.


    Anastasia had been watching them for a while, and she could already see he was a good father and husband. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t a good person.


    Her concentration was cut short when Anastasia¡¯s phone rang with a call. She checked it, and it was Tracie.


    "Xavier and I will be heading to Fameville tomorrow. Will you be there?" She asked.


    Anastasia¡¯s piercing blue eyes remained fixed on the glowingputer screen, her focus unyielding. It had been over two months since she¡¯d awoken, and even longer since she¡¯d been trapped in thata.


    She had given them enough time¡ªmore than they deserved¡ªto revel in their blissful ignorance. But the clock had run out. Now, it was their turn to pay. To face the consequences of their sins and, ultimately, to praise the devil in hell for the chaos she was about to unleash.


    "No, I won¡¯t be avable tomorrow. I have somewhere I need to be," she replied.


    There was a slight pause before Tracie asked, "Where? What will you be doing?"


    "I have to get rid of a pest," Anastasia replied.


    There was another pause again, but this time, the silence was longer before Tracie finally spoke. "I¡¯ming to your house right now." Then without waiting for Anastasia to reply, she hung up on the phone.


    Anastasia had moved out of Julian¡¯s house a few days ago, settling into her own space after Tracie secured her a bank card loaded with funds. Staying with Julian any longer would have risked exposing their carefully crafted lie, especially if Xander decided to show up unannounced at his door.


    However, Anastasia didn¡¯t get a house in Xattlewood. She got one in Fameville where she can be closer to the girls and Radiantia.


    Anastasia made herself some coffee and sat back down on her chair.


    It was a Saturday, the only time of the week Mr. Russell went to the club to have fun.


    Anastasia quickly checked the time, it was still noon.


    "He usually leaves his home around 8pm. So, I have enough time to get ready," she said to herself. "Thankfully he lives here in Fameville, so I only have to drive for an hour."


    A few hourster, Anastasia was all dolled up to leave.


    Anastasia wore a body-hugging ck dress that perfectly entuated her curves, the high slit on one side revealing just enough leg to turn heads. The open-back design added an extra touch of allure, leaving no one¡¯s gaze indifferent.


    As usual, she applied heavy makeup to conceal her surgical scars, but today, she decided to contour her face a little differently, experimenting with subtle changes that highlighted her sharp features in a fresh, striking way.


    Anastasia looked at herself in the mirror and a smile graced her lips as she appreciated her appearance. To think she needed to seduce her vitor just to teach him a lesson felt wrong yet memorable.


    Just when she was done, she heard a doorbell ring echo in the living room. She instantly recalled Tracie.


    Anastasia opened the door and Tracie frowned at her appearance before she closed the door behind her.


    "Where are you going dressed like that?" She asked, confusion evident in her.


    "I¡¯m going to meet a long-time friend of mine."


    "What friend?" Tracie asked, and then her gazended on the picture that was on the table.

 Chapter 391 - 15…

    Anastasia cocked an eyebrow at his reaction.


    ¡¯Oh, so he¡¯s scared of his wife?¡¯ She thought to herself.


    "Get out of here. I was only kidding with you and you had to involve my wife," he chased her out.


    The girl grinned at him before she took her leave.


    Mr. Russell sighed. "It¡¯s not easy to get a free woman these days. Everyone has a boyfriend or they have something to show to my wife."


    "Everyone here is familiar with your moves, Mr. Russell. Just give it some time, the new ones wille and you get your catch," said the bartender who was attending to him.


    Mr. Russell could only sigh as he sipped his drink one more time.


    "Give me another shot!" He ordered.


    He nced around, searching for a woman to please him tonight when his eyes caught on a familiardy sitting a few feet away from him.


    He sized her hard, trying to recall where he¡¯d met her before until her name popped into his head.


    "Excuse me, aren¡¯t you Jennifer Reyez? Thedy I met at the anniversary party?" He asked.


    Anastasia turned to look at him, a small smile on her lips as she tilted her head, pretending to try to recognize him.


    "I¡¯m Jennifer Reyez." Then she gasped. "You¡¯re... Mr. Russell, right?"


    He nodded in acknowledgment. "What brings you here? I didn¡¯t know ady of your caliber came to ces like this."


    "I can say the same thing to you," she replied and both of them chuckled.


    Mr. Russell grabbed his drink, left his seat, and took the one closer to Anastasia.


    "So, tell me. Why did youe to the club?" He asked.


    "I came to have fun. Forgive me but I overheard what happened with your girl a while ago," she replied.


    Mr. Russell groaned in exasperation. "I was only trying to have some fun but I haven¡¯t had any lucktely." Then he seized her up once again, his eyes lingering on the slit on her dress that exposed her smooth legs.


    Anastasia¡¯s grin stretched even further.


    "I can help with that if you want," she suggested.


    He looked at her with shock at first before a sly smirk appeared on his lips.


    "What are you trying to say to me, Ms. Reyez?" He asked, his finger itching closer to her knees, rubbing a little circle that tempted Anastasia to barf right in front of his face, but she resisted the temptation.


    "What I¡¯m saying is..." Anastasia leaned forward, letting her low neckline draw his attention exactly where she wanted it. His gaze dropped, his jaw ckening like a fool caught in a trap. Before he could get too lost, she swiftly grabbed his chin, tilting his face up to meet her piercing blue eyes. Her lips curled into a seductive smile. "I can help you out tonight if you want me to."


    Without any more words being said, Mr Russell pulled out his car keys.


    "Let¡¯s go," he said hurriedly.


    "Aren¡¯t you going to finish your drink?" She asked.


    Mr Russell took the ss and took thest content inside before putting it away.


    Then together, they left the club.


    Anastasia got into his car, but not before ncing over at the car that was parked near hers.


    "What about your car?" Mr Russell asked.


    "You don¡¯t have to worry about it. I¡¯lle pick it up tomorrow," she replied. Then she got into his car and he zoomed off.


    Tracie immediately followed behind them at a good distance, her grip tightening around the steering wheel. To think Anastasia was in the car of the person that raped her months ago made her feel a different kind of rage surge through her body.


    In the car, Anastasia was chatting with Mr. Russell who was starting to act dizzy a little.


    "Please be careful so we don¡¯t crash," she said. "Where are we going by the way?"


    "We¡¯re going to my hotel," he slurred.


    Anastasia hummed, ready to take control of the car once Mr. Russell copsed.


    "Why am I suddenly...feeling dizzy?" He asked. However, before he could get a reply, everything went pitch ck as he mmed his back against the seat and Anastasia immediately took control of the car, parking it at the side of the street.


    She leaned her back against the car seat, sighing.


    "The drug is very effective. It hasn¡¯t even been up to 10 minutes yet."


    Anastasia got down from the car and pushed Mr. Russell into the passenger seat with the help of Tracie.


    When they were done, they headed to their main destination.


    A few hourster, Mr. Russell flickered his eyes open but everywhere was pitch ck like his eyes were still closed.


    He tried to move but his hands and legs were bound by a rope.


    "Where¡¯s this ce?" He mumbled.


    Then themps suddenly turned on. "Great! You¡¯re awake."

 Chapter 392: Sounds Like Music

    Anastasia hummed as she nodded in response. "That¡¯s right, but I decided to switch things at thest minute and bring you here instead. What? Don¡¯t you like it here?" She asked,pletely dropping her facade and voice.


    However, she doubted he would recognize her true identity from only her real voice. Besides, they¡¯ve only met once when she was still Anastasia.


    "Where¡¯s this ce?" He repeated, struggling harder now to be loose from his bounds.


    "This is just a little spot I¡¯ve set up," Anastasia began, her tone dripping with mockery as she rose gracefully from the chair. She dragged it across the floor, the scraping sound echoing in the room as she strode toward him. "A ce to send evil men like you back to the hell you crawled out of."


    The sound of the chair screeching on the ground caused goosebumps to rise on Mr. Russell¡¯s skin as he tried to turn deaf ears to it.


    Anastasia stopped right in front of him and sat back down on the chair. Then she pulled out a gun that caused the middle-aged man to turn as pale as a white sheet of paper immediately.


    He was now starting to sweat buckets, fear gripping him harder than when he¡¯d just woken up.


    "Who are you?!" He yelled, spitting saliva everywhere. "Do you know who I am? I¡¯m a very reputable man and if something happens to me, the whole world will know about it! They won¡¯t rest until they find me and then, I can teach you a lesson!"


    "You¡¯ve got a lot of nerve yelling at someone who holds your life in their hands," Tracie said coolly, her voiceced with menace. Mr. Russell¡¯s head snapped to the left, his eyesnding on a woman he didn¡¯t recognize.


    She was pushing a tray, the gleam of its contents catching his eye as it drew closer. When it finally stopped near him, his stomach dropped. The tray was filled with torture tools¡ªones he knew all too well because he¡¯d used them on others before.


    He instantly turned as white as a ghost at that moment.


    "I got all the stuff you need," said Tracie.


    Anastasia looked at the torture weapons such as scalpels, wire cutters, pliers, bone saws, surgical scissors, and other stuff and a proud smile graced her lips as she caressed them with her hands.


    "W-what are you going to d-do with me?" He stuttered, tears already pooling in his eyes.


    "That¡¯s a very good question, Mr. Russell," Anastasia said, her tone eerily calm as she approached him, heels clicking ominously against the floor. She leaned in slightly, her lips curling into a sinister smile. "Because, honestly, I don¡¯t even know where to start. Should I paralyze you first? Or maybe cut off those filthy fingers of yours, one by one? Or..." Her eyes darkened, a chilling glint shing across them. "Perhaps I¡¯ll let you experience exactly what I went through that night¡ªthe night of the crimson hunt."


    "W-what are you talking a-about? What night?" He asked, his voice trembling with fear.


    He had no idea where he was. There were no windows so he had no idea if it was day or night. There were no sounds of car honks or faint sounds of people talking. Wherever he was, he was already sure he would be having a hard time escaping.


    "Oh, so you still don¡¯t remember me, Mr. Russell? Come on now, you aren¡¯t that old, are you? You don¡¯t remember the night of the crimson hunt where you vited that one helpless girl?" Anastasia questioned.


    Mr. Russell had to think for a while before the realization hit him like a bolder as his eyes widened in shock. He couldn¡¯t believe the person in front of him.


    "You¡¯re t-the girl? How can that be possible? Xander said you were dead," he imed but he was still tearing up from fear.


    "Surprise."


    Anastasia reached for the pliers and she could hear Mr. Russell¡¯s grip tightening on the chair.


    "Don¡¯t worry, old man, it wouldn¡¯t hurt at all," said Tracie, bending down to his eye level. "I promise you she¡¯ll be very gentle."


    Mr Russell didn¡¯t believe her at all.


    "You¡¯re going to regret this," he bites through gritted teeth even though no harm had been done to him yet. "I¡¯m a respected politician in Fameville. Once the citizens find out what you¡¯re doing, they¡¯re going to make sure they make you pay."


    Anastasia reached for his legs and picked a toe.


    "And what do you think they would do once they find out how deeply involved you are in sex trafficking and moneyundering?" She questioned.


    Before he could muster a response, Anastasia had already grabbed his hand and ripped off his nails along with the skin beneath them in one swift, merciless motion. The pain was instant and excruciating, shooting through his body like wildfire. It felt as if his very soul was being dragged out of him. Unable to contain himself, he let out a blood-curdling scream, his voice echoing in the room as his body convulsed in agony.


    "Sounds like music to my ears," Anastasia hummed.

 Chapter 393: You Look Familiar

    Anastasia rubbed her temple in frustration.


    After dealing with Mr. Russell two nights ago and locking him up in her warehouse, Anastasia hadn¡¯t had much sleep. Between monitoring her other targets and keeping her movements inconspicuous, she barely had time to rest. Especially now that Mr. Russell¡¯s disappearance had made headlines, raising questions and stirring attention she couldn¡¯t afford.


    "So what do you suggest we do now?"


    "Keep an eye on the king and queen. Recently, they¡¯ve not left the pce to head out anywhere which is weird. It¡¯s like they¡¯re afraid of stepping foot outside."


    "Maybe they¡¯re still scared of Xander¡¯s threat," Anastasia continued. "They probably think he has someone watching them, especially since they¡¯re still trying to figure out how he got all that information about them."


    From the looks of things especially with the royal family currently being inactive, it would be difficult to move from their bus stop at this current moment.


    "Jennifer," Anastasia heard her fake name being called. She turned to see Tracie with Xavier, and for a moment, it felt like the air had been ripped from her lungs. He looked absolutely breathtaking, and it caught her off guard how quickly she was beginning to feel drawn to him.


    But instead of his gazending on her, Xavier¡¯s dark eyes were fixed on Julian. He was watching him with a piercing intensity, like he recognized him from somewhere.


    Julian could feel Xavier¡¯s gaze but he stood still.


    "This is the ce where the girls stay," Anastasia interrupted the harsh eye contact challenge between the two men.


    "This ce is not bad at all," Xavier responded. "But why do I feel like I¡¯ve seen you before?" He asked, facing Julian once again.


    "Perhaps it¡¯s because we have met before," Julian responded.


    "But I also can¡¯t remember where," he lied.


    Xavier tore his gaze from him to look at <i>Jennifer</i>.


    "He¡¯s your partner?" He asked and she nodded.


    "Is there a problem?" Tracie asked, her eyes narrowing as she shot a suspicious look at Julian. She¡¯d never fully trusted him, and the uneasy vibe he was giving off only confirmed her doubts. She hadn¡¯t dealt with him yet because of Anastasia.


    "There¡¯s no problem," Xavier replied after a few tense moments. The silence stretched before the tension finally dissipated.


    Anastasia quickly led Xavier inside, offering him a tour of the house. The girls were all in good condition, and everything seemed under control, so there was no immediate cause for concern.


    Outside, Tracie was alone with Julian and Alex since thetter had refused to go inside with the duo.


    "If you keep ring at me like that, your eyes might fall off before you get the chance to pick it up," he said to the ring Tracie.


    She rolled her eyes at him first before she settled on a bench protected by a shade.


    "I¡¯m still very suspicious of you," she mumbled.


    "I¡¯m very aware of that, and it¡¯s understandable. But can you go easy with the threats?"


    "I can try, but I won¡¯t promise anything. Xavier finds you familiar but can¡¯t recall where he¡¯d seen you before. And that alone makes me even more suspicious of you."


    Alex and Julian shared a knowing look but neither of them said anything. Tracie noticed the exchange and her eyes narrowed even more in suspicion.


    Back inside, Anastasia showed Xavier around the house. He could see the girls were starting to recover. One look at them and no one would believe they¡¯d just escaped from the hands of sex trafficking.


    "It¡¯s obvious some of them are trying to hide their pain but I¡¯ve hired the best therapist I could find to help them heal," Anastasia exined.


    Xavier was a little shocked at how well she was handling things and he suddenly felt this sense of familiarity with her.


    His phone rang and he excused himself to pick it up.


    "What is it?"


    "I¡¯m sending you some pictures now. Father and Bruce were captured together by the spies you sent to watch Father," Kace said through the phone.


    Immediately, Xavier¡¯s phone vibrated with a message. He hung up on the call to search for the photos, and indeed, they were photos of his father with Bruce.


    "Finally, they¡¯ve let their guard down."

 Chapter 394: Fiona’s Life

    When Xavier noticed she went quiet once again. He apologized. "I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to growl like that."


    If only he knew Anastasia wasn¡¯t silent because she was frightened by his outrage. She was quiet because he still had hope for her return. He still wanted to see her. When Tracie had told her Xavier was desperate to see her, she thoroughly Tracie had only been exaggerating. But now that she¡¯d finally heard those words, she was almost brought to tears.


    "No, it¡¯s okay. Since you believe she¡¯s alive, I¡¯ll try searching for her in Xander¡¯s other hideouts, but I can¡¯t promise you anything. If she¡¯s alive, he must have kept her somewhere very private," she replied.


    Outside,


    Tracie suddenly received a phone call from someone she¡¯d never expected to be receiving a phone call from.


    It was none other than Fiona, the woman who could be the sole witness to what had happened to Arabe, the night that she was killed.


    Tracie wondered why Fiona could be calling her all of a sudden.


    "Is she finally willing to talk?" She wondered out loud, earning a look from both Julian and Alex.


    She quickly picked up, and the call connected instantly.


    The first two seconds were silent and the next thing Tracie heard was the cries of a woman.


    "Tracie, please, I need your help," she heard a voice from the other side. From the sounds of things, it seemed Fiona was tearing up.


    Tracie was immediately alert now as she stood up from the bench and walked towards somewhere more private.


    "Fiona, what happened? Why are you crying?" She carefully asked.


    "Tracie, I need you right now," Fiona managed to say. "Please." And instantly, the phone hung up.


    Tracie was about to call back but then she received a text from Fiona with the address of where she was.


    Something felt odd. Fiona wouldn¡¯t call Tracie on a normal day, which could only mean she was in danger.


    Tracie copied the address and was about to leave but halted when Anastasia asked, "Where are you going?" She asked.


    Xavier and Anastasia had alreadye out from the house after their talk and found Tracie about to leave all of a sudden.


    "Fiona just called me. She seems to be in danger so I¡¯ll be going to mourwood now," she replied.


    Anastasia knew about Fiona because Tracie had already told her the information the woman held.


    "I¡¯ming with..."


    "No, you should stay here," Tracie interrupted Xavier. "I¡¯ll let you know how the situation is once I get there. I¡¯ll be taking the car also."


    Xavier nodded in understanding.


    Thankfully, mourwood was only a few hour¡¯s rides from their location since they were already on the outskirts of Fameville.


    Tracie shared a nce with Anastasia before she left.


    **


    Tracie arrived in mourwood much faster than she had anticipated, thanks to breaking nearly every speed limit along the way. But she didn¡¯t care. Anxiety gnawed at her, and her grip on the steering wheel was still tight as she parked.


    She had called Fiona multiple times during the drive, each attempt ringing out without an answer. The silence on the other end only fueled her growing dread, her mind conjuring all sorts of scenarios that made her chest tighten. Something wasn¡¯t right, and she could feel it in her gut.


    She checked the inte in case anything had been written regarding Fiona, but there was nothing.


    So what could be happening?


    Tracie arrived at the building where the address led her to. It was a simple bungalow with a little gate at the front.


    Tracie didn¡¯t waste any time admiring the house and pushed the gate open. Surprisingly, it wasn¡¯t locked.


    She gently went inside, grabbing a rake she found on the floor. If this was a trap, then she needed to be prepared for anything.


    She heard a little faint voice when she entered the living room. She followed it, and it led her to a door.


    Carefully, Tracie twisted the door knobs and pushed it open and the door mmed against the wall.


    "Fiona?" Tracie called as the rake dropped from her hands out of shock.


    Fionay curled up on the bed, her body battered with bruises that painted a grim picture of her suffering. Cuts and darkened welts marred her skin, telling a story of torment without words. Her trembling form was wrapped in a thin nket, though it seemed to do little to shield her from the pain.


    She scanned Fiona¡¯s body and blood was dripping from some deep wounds and it had already stained the bed.


    "Who did this to you?" She asked about touching her but she stopped herself.


    All of a sudden, Tracie heard the front door open, followed by some footsteps.


    Instantly, she grabbed the rake and hid in the closet, waiting for who woulde inside.


    "Why did you leave the door open?" She heard someone ask, the voice unfamiliar. "Seems like I didn¡¯t hit you enough?"


    Tracie tried to see the face of the man that was talking. It turned out to be Fiona¡¯s husband.

 Chapter 395: Leave Him

    "No, we can¡¯t go to the hospital. If we go, people are going to see the state I¡¯m in and they will start talking," Fiona said. Her words earned her a frown from Tracie she couldn¡¯t see.


    "What are you talking about?" Tracie asked, her voice sharp with disbelief. "You¡¯re about to die, and you¡¯re worried about what people will say about you?" She let out a dryugh, oneced with frustration. "Guess what? No matter what you do, people are still going to talk about you. That¡¯s just how the world works."


    She leaned closer, her tone taking on an edge of harshness she hadn¡¯t intended. "Even if you die here right now, they¡¯ll still talk. So, really, it makes no sense to waste your energy worrying about it." Tracie¡¯s gaze softened slightly as she spoke, but she held her firm stance, hoping her words would break through the wall of despair Fiona had built around herself.


    Fiona was about to resist once more but Tracie didn¡¯t let her. She used all the strength she could muster and lifted Fiona off the bed as thetter winced in pain.


    Although Tracie and Fiona weren¡¯t close, she felt pity for the woman. No woman should be mistreated in such a way by her husband just because she refused to give him some money. Hearing their conversation from earlier already gave Tracie a clue about what their rtionship was all about.


    But she waited till they arrived at the hospital before she could gather her thoughts.


    Out of an act of chivalry and care, Tracie draped her jacket over Fiona¡¯s face as they entered the hospital. She wanted to shield Fiona from prying eyes and judgmental stares, ensuring that her dignity remained intact despite the state she was in.


    The doctor insisted on removing the jacket but a re from Tracie indirectly told him not to until they¡¯d gotten to the hospital room where she will be treated.


    Outside Fiona¡¯s hospital room, Tracie was trying to gather her thoughts and wonder the kind of marriage Fiona was in.


    Since her husband, Marcus, was requesting money from Fiona, could it be that he was poor? Tracie couldn¡¯t help but wonder now.


    Her mind suddenly shed back to once upon a time she¡¯d seen Fiona going to the hospital. She¡¯d touched her and thetter seemed to be in pain for a fleeting moment.


    "If she¡¯s in an abusive marriage, why doesn¡¯t she just get a divorce? Could there be something more to this?" She thought out loud, her index finger tapping on her chin. "Since I was the first person she called, that only means she trusts me. Hopefully, she can finally tell me what she saw the night that Arabe was killed."


    Although Fiona¡¯s injuries from her abusive husband looked severe and would undoubtedly take a long time to heal, the physical scars were only part of the battle. She also needed therapy to confront her traumas before she could even begin to feel normal again.


    Tracie sighed while rubbing her chin in frustration.


    It was always from one thing to the other, and now this.


    She received a phone call and the caller was Ezekiel, her elder brother.


    "Xavier told me you went to mourwood because of Fiona. Is she finally ready to talk?" He asked immediately.


    Tracie couldn¡¯t help but sigh one more time.


    "There¡¯s a little situation over here, but she¡¯s not going to talk about that anytime soon," she replied.


    "And why is that?"


    Tracie went on to exin to him what had happened and Ezekiel was shocked.


    "That wasn¡¯t expected at all."


    "It wasn¡¯t. I¡¯m going to call you back when she wakes up," Tracie said. After exchanging a few words with Ezekiel, she hung up on the call.


    Tracie frowned when she checked the time on the phone. It was already 10pm, making it three hours since she brought Fiona to the hospital.


    "The doctor did say she would wake up soon. Could she be awake by now?" She mumbled under her breath.


    Tracie stood up and gently pushed the door open in case Fiona was still sleeping.


    Shockingly, the woman¡¯s eyes were wide open, staring at the seeing like she was trying to make out the material used in furnishing the wood. It was terrifying because Tracie didn¡¯t expect her to be awake at all.


    When Fiona heard the door opening, she tore her gaze from the ceiling to look at Tracie.


    "You¡¯re awake...Do you need me to get anything for you?" She asked as she stepped inside.


    Fiona gently shook her head.


    "It¡¯s already 10pm so you should eat dinner."


    Fiona merely stared at her.


    "I don¡¯t know what happened to you and your husband, but if this is the way he treats you, why don¡¯t you leave the marriage? It¡¯s that simple." Tracie clipped her mouth shut when she realized what she¡¯d just said. She wasn¡¯t supposed to say that to someone who was just waking up after being beaten by her <i>loving</i> husband.


    "It¡¯s not that simple," Fiona replied.

 Chapter 396: A Threat

    Instantly, Fiona went pale.


    "Tell me everything," she said before Fiona could change her mind. "You called me here yourself so you must trust me, am I right? If you do, tell me everything you want me to know."


    Fiona went stiff for a few seconds before she finally parted her lips to talk.


    "Marcus is from a middle-ss family, so...he¡¯s poor," Fiona started.


    It came out shocking to Tracie because she¡¯d thought that Marcus was from an influential family just like Fiona was.


    Without even needing to hear the rest of the story, Tracie already had a good idea of what was next toe.


    However, she didn¡¯t interrupt Fiona.


    "My parents rejected the idea of getting married to him when I introduced him to my family. They didn¡¯t want me getting married to a poor man because they believed he only loved me for my money."


    "Seems they weren¡¯t wrong at all." Tracie didn¡¯t feel bad for not filtering her words. She felt the truth needed to be let out so Fiona could finally see she was being used as a money machine by her so-called husband.


    Fiona gave Tracie a look, but she couldn¡¯tpletely deny that she wasn¡¯t wrong.


    "Marcus and I got married, had our two children and he was the best husband I¡¯ve ever dreamed of. I invested in his businesses and brought clients to him so that he could have a name for himself so that he could prove to my family that he was a capable man despite his poor family background."


    "Let me guess, something flopped in his business and now he¡¯s taking his anger out on you," Tracie interjected.


    Fiona looked at Tracie with confusion evident in her gaze.


    "How did you know that?" She asked.


    "You don¡¯t need to worry about that. You need to rest. Where are your children?"


    "They¡¯re spending the holidays at my parent¡¯s house," Fiona replied.


    "That¡¯s good. At least they¡¯re safe."


    Tracie stood up, ready to leave the room but Fiona stopped her.


    "I know I have no right to call you, but thanks foring."


    Tracie halted before she turned to look at Fiona.


    "Thank me by telling me what you saw that night," Tracie said firmly, her eyes locked on Fiona¡¯s trembling form. She noticed Fiona stiffen again, her silence speaking louder than words. Tracie felt a surge of exasperation rise within her, but she didn¡¯t press further. Without wasting another moment, she turned on her heel and left the room, leaving Fiona alone with her thoughts.


    When Tracie reached outside, she turned on Fiona¡¯s phone she¡¯d picked up earlier from the bed when she was helping thetter to the hospital.


    Missed calls banners appeared on the Home Screen as soon as the phone was switched on. They were all from an expected person. It was from Marcus.


    "I still don¡¯t understand why people will stay in a marriage where they get beaten up. All in the name of love? Fuck love," she cursed under her breath,bing her hair with her fingers.


    A secondter, Fiona¡¯s phone vibrated with a phone call.


    It was Marcus calling.


    Tracie¡¯s eyes squinted on the call, wondering if she should give it back to Fiona so she could deal with her problem. The woman had already been through a lot in one day. So she turned down the idea.


    "I should answer it." Before she could swipe the screen, the ringing stopped. Tracie red at the phone, daring Marcus to call once again and she might just give him a piece of her mind.


    As if the man had heard her thoughts, the phone started ringing once again and without wasting a single moment, Tracie picked up the call.


    "Where did you go and why haven¡¯t you been answering any of my phone calls?!!" She heard Marcus yell from the other side so loudly Tracie had to move the phone away from her face so she wouldn¡¯t turn deaf.


    "This isn¡¯t Fiona. This is Tracie," she snapped, her voice low andced with menace. "And before you start asking who I am, let me tell you. I¡¯m the person who¡¯s going to hang you upside down like a bat until every drop of blood rushes to your head. After that, I¡¯ll start chopping off your body parts, one by one, and sell your precious organs to my clients. So, if you don¡¯t start acting right, you¡¯ll find out just how serious I am," Tracie threatened through gritted teeth, her eyes burning with unrelenting fury.


    Marcus was silent for a few seconds before he roared. "Where is Fio¡ª" She immediately hung up on the call before he couldplete his words.


    "I¡¯m so tired, I just want to sleep," she mumbled, keeping Fiona¡¯s phone back in her pockets. She could feel it vibrating with Marcus¡¯s call and was tempted to turn it off once again. But she figured Fiona¡¯s rtives might start calling her soon.

 Chapter 397: Brutal Words

    Michelle cocked an eyebrow at Samantha in questioning before she shrugged and walked away.


    Samantha heaved a sigh as she red at Michelle¡¯s back until thetter disappeared into the kitchen.


    Samantha felt her phone ringing in her pockets so she fetched it out and it turned out the be the least of the people she expected to be calling her.


    It was her father, Bruce.


    Although they were rted by blood, Bruce rarely contacted her and even if he did, it was to talk about business. Samantha tried to remember if she¡¯d scheduled a meeting with Bruce but she couldn¡¯t recall anything.


    Stiffly, she swiped the screen to pick up the call.


    Without bothering to exchange any pleasantries, Bruce started, "I want you to meet me at the velvet spoon in the next three hours. Dress nice."


    Without waiting for her reply, he hung up on the call.


    Samantha had to check her phone screen to be sure she was hearing his words right.


    "What is he nning this time around?" She wondered.


    Samantha went to her room and came out wearing a green off-shoulder gown that was so long it nearly swept the floor with each step she took. She topped it off with her signature look, red lipstick, and her usual four-inch heels.


    Samantha got into her car and left for the name of the restaurant which was only a half an hour drive from the house.


    The ce wasn¡¯t crowded, making it easy to spit Bruce but he was with someone. He was with Xander.


    Samantha frowned in confusion.


    Xander¡¯s eyes slightly went wide when he saw her. His eyes scanned her with an indescribable look. Bruce¡¯s eyes were on him the entire time with an unpleasant expression.


    "It¡¯s good that you¡¯re here," Bruce said, offering her a seat.


    She took it, sharing a gaze filled with confusion with Xander.


    "Why did you ask me toe here?" Samantha asked.


    "I brought you here for a date," Bruce replied and instantly they paused, even their hearts stopped beating for a second.


    "What do you mean?" Xander asked.


    "I called Samantha for a date. She has been single for too long already. I want her to marry. She¡¯s already so old," Bruce responded nonchntly.


    Samantha wasn¡¯t at all concerned that Bruce called her old.


    She was only twenty-eight and still saw herself as a young person.


    However, she was shocked that Bruce would directly set her on a date with...Xander.


    Rosy hue formed on her cheeks as she resisted the temptation to blush. She shouldn¡¯t blush in this situation.


    "Samantha and I are only friends. We can go on a date together," Xander said and instantly, the blush on her cheeks disappeared.


    "I never said I set the two of you up," Bruce stated, his gaze sharp. Their confusion returned, but his next words only deepened their unease. "I don¡¯t like the way you two interact, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯re both aware of that. If I had a choice, I wouldn¡¯t even allow you to work together."


    "I can¡¯t have my adopted son and my biological daughter involved with each other. It¡¯s not about it being wrong¡ªyou¡¯re not rted by blood. I just want someone better for Xander, and you, Samantha, are thest person he needs."


    "You¡¯re not the one who tells me who is fit to be by my side or not," Xander instantly interjected.


    "In that case, let me ask you this question to be sure I¡¯m not being misled. Are you in love with Samantha?" Bruce asked, taking thempletely off guard.


    Xander red at him for a few seconds before he parted his lips to reply, "I¡¯m not in love with Samantha in the way you think but I¡¯ll protect her from any harm thates her way."


    Samantha lowered her head as she tried to sniffle back the tear that wanted to slip out from her eyes.


    Bruce grinned when he saw her reaction.


    "That¡¯s good," he said.


    "I¡¯m here." They suddenly heard someone say from behind them.


    It was a man who was dressed in a clean tailored suit that fitted his physique perfectly, staring at Samantha.


    "You must be Samantha," the man said, walking towards her. "I¡¯m Benjamin Santiago." He introduced, stretching his hand for a friendly handshake.


    Samantha didn¡¯t shake hands with him and left him hanging there. Then she gave Bruce a questioning gaze.


    "That¡¯s the blind date I set up for you," said Bruce as his grin stretched further against his cheeks.

 Chapter 398: They Are Going To Talk

    He was all smiling with Samantha as if she was some photographer who was going to take his picture and what hurt him was Samantha was returning his smile.


    "You did this on purpose didn¡¯t you?" He asked.


    "What are you talking about?" Bruce asked, feigning innocent. "I only thought Samantha was old enough to get married but she¡¯s always stuck with you. It¡¯s not like the both of you are in love with each other or dating, so she¡¯s practically wasting her life staying by your side¡ª"


    "You despise Samantha, so why are you suddenly so concerned with her life or who she ends up with?" Xander questioned with clenched fists.


    He heard Samantha¡¯s giggle from the seat. He nced at them and saw her with Benjamin,ughing at ame joke he was sure Benjamin hade up with.


    "You¡¯re right. I despise her, but if there¡¯s something else I despise, is the fact that the both of you are working together," Bruce revealed and his words earned him a frown from Xander.


    "What do you mean?"


    Bruce sighed before leaning on his seat.


    "If I had my way, I would have stopped Samantha from working with you. I don¡¯t like it when the two of you are together, especially after she confessed her feelings for you more than a decade ago."


    "So you¡¯re worried that something will happen between the both of us," Xander stated with a scoff. "You are delusional."


    Bruce yed off Xander¡¯s words with augh. "Like I said earlier, she¡¯s not good enough for you. But don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t be alone forever. I¡¯m also going to be searching for a good woman for you."


    "You don¡¯t have to worry about that because I¡¯ve already found my woman," Xander replied.


    Bruce only stared at him without saying anything.


    Xander¡¯s eyesnded on Samantha once again, and this time, she was looking at Benjamin with a smile. She wasn¡¯t supposed to be smiling at him. Looking at the both of them made his blood boil but he doesn¡¯t have any valid reason if he went there and pulled her right away from that chair.


    He felt his heart prick each time she heard herughter. But she wasn¡¯tughing at him. She wasughing at the new guy in front of her.


    "Stop looking and let them have their peaceful date," Bruce interjected, trying to distract Xander but it didn¡¯t work as his gaze was still fixed on them.


    Xander excused himself and left when he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Looking at them made him feel like he was munching on dog food.


    <i>Later at night,</i>


    Samantha arrived at the house with her car because she couldn¡¯t afford Benjamin knowing where she lived and figuring out she worked as a sex trafficker.


    Her steps were precise with her gaze lowered. It was almost close to midnight so there were no girls around because their curfew had already taken effect.


    Inside, she heard Michelleughing, but she wasn¡¯tughing alone.


    Samantha sighed, knowing exactly who was with her.


    She entered the living room and Xander was seated on the couch with Samantha,ughing with her. She saw some alcoholic bottles on the table and realized they were already drunk.


    Samantha intended to walk past them quietly and let them have their fun but Xander caught her.


    "Hey, how was your date?" He asked, standing up from the couch and walking towards her.


    As soon as he was standing in front of her with his toe loose and a few of his buttons unbuttoned, Samantha caught a whiff of the alcohol entering her nostrils.


    "It was great," she replied, intending to leave but Xander grabbed her by the arm, stopping her right in her tracks.


    "Xander let her go, let¡¯s continue our show," Michelle shouted.


    "Shut up!" Xander snapped. "Now you, how was your date? Was he the one that brought you back?"


    "You know that can¡¯t happen, else he would know the kind of business we¡¯re into and get ourselves in trouble," she replied, trying to yank her wrists off his grip but he only tightened his hold. "Let me go!" She demanded.


    "No!" Xander replied, dragging her up the stairs.


    Michelle stood up, about to interrupt but a single re from Xander stopped her before she could say anything.


    "We¡¯re going to talk," he said to Samantha.

 Chapter 399: Unexpected Burst Of Emotions

    "Why are you like this?!" she demanded, her fists pounding against his chest. "You said you don¡¯t love me, yet you don¡¯t want me to be with another man. You hate the idea of me marrying someone else, and you can¡¯t stand it when I look at another man intimately. Why is that, Xander?! Exin it to me!"


    Her voice cracked as she hit him again, tears burning in her eyes. "Am I just some puppet you think you can control whenever it suits you? I¡¯m a human being too, Xander. I have feelings. Please, spare me!"


    Tears pooled in Samantha¡¯s eyes but she didn¡¯t want them to fall, especially not in front of the man before her.


    "The day I confessed my feelings for you, you treated me like I was some piece of trash¡ªlike I wasn¡¯t worth loving!" She yelled, her voice trembling with rage and pain. "After Arabe died, I gave everything I had to make you happy again. But I lost myself in the process. I lost my happiness because I spent every ounce of my energy trying to bring youfort."


    She hit him again, her hands trembling, but she didn¡¯t care if he was in pain. She was hurting too¡ªshe¡¯d been hurting for far too long. "And what did I get in return? You treated me like a toy. Why? Is that all I am to you? Is that all I¡¯ve ever been? Some loyal dog to follow you around, wagging its tail because youmanded it?"


    Her voice cracked as the raw truth spilled out of her. "You took me for granted, and I let you. I let you treat me however you wanted, even when you were wrong. I still stood by you, defended you, supported you! But did you ever, even once, stop to ask if I was happy? Did you ever care? I followed you everywhere, and not for a moment did you think to wonder if I was happy following someone like you!"


    Her chest heaved as the storm of emotions consumed her, her tears flowing freely now. She had been holding this in for too long, and it was tearing her apart.


    Even though Samantha didn¡¯t n for it to happen, tears poured out of her eyes uncontrobly, but she didn¡¯t stop hitting Xander¡¯s chest until he couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    He grabbed her arms and yanked them away from him, stumbling from the effect.


    "I never asked you to do any of that!" He yelled. "You did all of that out of your own ord, I never requested you to be by my side. I was happy on my own and you just popped out of nowhere, interrupting my peace whenever I wanted to be alone."


    Samantha stared at him with a shocked expression, unable to believe what he was spewing.


    Unable to hold it anymore, she reached out, smacking him across the face. She didn¡¯t care if that would reset his factory or not, but she¡¯d long been craving to do that.


    Xander was stunned when he felt his cheeks sting. This was the first time Samantha had ever raised his hands to hit him before.


    "That¡¯s because you didn¡¯t have to. I loved you, that¡¯s why I did all of that, but what did I get in return?" Samantha slummed on the ground as she covered her face, tearing up.


    It had been over a decade since she¡¯d confessed her feelings for Xander, over a decade she¡¯d been following him like a puppy without caring about her future.


    This was the first time she¡¯d ever expressed how she felt, now her shoulders felt light. So light she felt like she was floating.


    Xander stared at her without saying anything. Samantha stood up and red at him with so much hatred towards him he¡¯d never seen in her eyes.


    "Even though what you do for a living was wrong, I still stood by you, and supported you but that¡¯s enough because you know what?" She questioned, hitting him on the chest once more. "I have self-respect¡ª"


    Samantha didn¡¯t get the chance to finish her sentence when she suddenly felt herself being pulled in by Xander, and the next thing she felt was his cold lips crushed against hers.


    His movements had been so fast she hadn¡¯t seen iting at all.


    Xander captured Samathan¡¯s lips into a slow yet desperate kiss, not because he felt he needed to shut her up, but because he was suddenly tempted to taste those lips.


    However, she was too stiff.


    Samantha pushed herself from Xander, and the next thing thetter felt was another sharp pain on his cheeks. Samantha had pped him once again.

 Chapter 400: Commotion At The Hospital

    Xander mmed on the ground as Samantha¡¯s words continued to register in his mind.


    Samantha was outside, her face wiped clean because she didn¡¯t want Michelle to see her which would only result in mockery. She didn¡¯t have the strength to deal with thetter, so she avoided the living room and went towards the balcony instead.


    Only the guards were around, keeping the ce safe and secure in case any of the girls tried to escape.


    When she reached outside, she finally inhaled the fresh air. Never did she think there woulde a day she would have such a heated argument with Xander like that.


    She closed her eyes, anger surging through her body.


    "He thinks I¡¯m some kind of toy he can control however he wants to," she said through gritted teeth, closing her mouth when she noticed that her tears were already starting to stream down her eyes. "Fuck him!!" She sobbed.


    Although Samantha had promised herself to never love Xander again, his actions still hurt her deeply.


    **


    Tracie was standing outside Fiona¡¯s hospital room, gently tapping on her jacket. She couldn¡¯t go inside because Fiona¡¯s younger sister was in there with her.


    However, she was patiently waiting for someone.


    When she finally saw Marcus trodding, searching for the room number, she sighed.


    Fiona had insisted she meet with Marcus and try to talk things out with him if he was willing to listen. Tracie had wanted to stop her but reminded herself she wasn¡¯t supposed to meddle. None of what was happening was none of her business after all.


    When Marcus saw the number, his stride increased. He didn¡¯t seem happy at all but neither was Tracie.


    He red at her, wondering who she could be and why she was there.


    Tracie was wearing her usual dark jeans and ck top with a ck leather jacket. Her face was in with no makeup. Since she was always appearing on social media with makeup, it would be difficult for him to recognize her.


    Either way, Marcus ignored her and opened the doors.


    Tracie rolled her eyeballs back as she followed along.


    "What the hell are you doing in the hospital?" Marcus questioned, rage evident in his tone.


    Fiona¡¯s younger sister, Madeline, flinched when she heard his voice. When she recovered, she scowled at him.


    "Is this how you speak to your wife when she¡¯s in the hospital? Are you blind? Can¡¯t you see she¡¯s not well?!" she yelled, her voice sharp with anger and disbelief.


    The room fell silent for a brief moment, the weight of her words settling in. Tracie watched her with growing admiration, a smirk tugging at her lips.


    However, she frowned slightly when she heard <i>she was not well.</i>


    ¡¯Didn¡¯t Fiona tell her sister that Marcus beat her up?¡¯ She wondered.


    "I never permitted her to go to the hospital! I strictly ordered her to stay in the house!"


    Madeline stared at Marcus in shock, unable to believe the man standing before her was her sister¡¯s husband.


    Then her gazended on Fiona.


    "I called you in here so we could talk," she said gently.


    "The only thing I want to hear from your mouth is that you¡¯re willing to listen to me and do whatever I tell you," he dered, his voice firm and unyielding. "You¡¯re getting discharged today anding home with me this instant."


    Without hesitation, he strode toward her, ready to rip out every life support wire.


    Before he could take three steps toward Fiona, a sharp kicknded between his legs. Pain exploded through his body, and in an instant, he copsed to the ground, unable to withstand the agony.


    He looked at thedy d in ck in shock.


    "Who do you think you are? Do you know who I am¡ª"


    "And do you know who I am?" Tracie interrupted, her toneced with amusement. She crossed her arms, tilting her head as she eyed him. "You know, for an empty barrel, you sure make a lot of noise. My ears are already hurting from all your nonsense. Can you be silent for just a second?"

 Chapter 401: I Saw Everything

    Marcus stiffened in fright for a brief second, making it known he was terrified of Fiona¡¯s family.


    "In fact, I want to file for divorce," Fiona said,pletely shocking the light bulbs out of him. "I¡¯m sick and tired of this marriage and I¡¯ve finally decided to set you free from it so that you can do whatever you want."


    "You must be kidding me," he chuckled, rubbing his face in frustration. "We are married with two kids. What¡¯s going to happen to them?"


    "They stay with me!" She replied.


    "Before you think of anything, you¡¯d better think twice because I wouldn¡¯t think twice about it all before hurting you," Tracie said from behind him, reminding him of the kick earlier when her eyes briefly went to it.


    Tracie seemed all prepared and although Marcus was starting to get terrified of her, he wasn¡¯t going to let a simple nobody disrupt his ns.


    Turning deaf ears to Tracie¡¯s warning, he marched towards Fiona with the intent to grab her hand and drag her out of the bed.


    Madeline tried to stop him. However, before she could seed, Trace had already reached him, and banged his head against the table, smashing the wooden structurepletely as it shattered to pieces.


    Both Madeline and Fiona gasped, as Fiona stood up from the bed, instinctively rushing to go help him but she stopped herself, immediately halting in front of him.


    "So, you¡¯ve hired some kind of a bodyguard to beat me up, it¡¯s that it?" He roared in rage, spitting saliva everywhere.


    Tracie kicked him in the gut with precise force, and he immediately doubled over, throwing up blood. Her eyes zed with offense¡ªhow dare he mistake her for a bodyguard when she was clearly dressed like a night ninja?


    "That¡¯s enough," Fiona intervened, her voice calm yet unwavering. She turned her gaze down to Marcus as he wiped the blood from his lips with the back of his jacket. "I¡¯ve made my decision," she continued, her tone resolute. "I¡¯m filing for a divorce and leaving you. You¡¯re no longer the man I married, and it¡¯s obvious you don¡¯t love me anymore."


    "You think this is the end of it all? I¡¯lle back. Just you wait and see. I¡¯lle get my children." Marcus stood and left. He¡¯d nned to drag Fiona out of the hospital and bring her back home. But it was obvious Tracie wasn¡¯t going to allow that to happen at all with how intensely she was ring at him.


    He red at each and every one of them before he left the hospital room but they held it at the back of their minds that he was going toe back as he¡¯d promised.


    **


    Madeline had already left the hospital now to go take care of a few of her work but promised to be backter.


    Tracie was in the room with Fiona, and the tension was high.


    "I think it¡¯s high time you inform your family about what you¡¯re going through. Once they¡¯re involved, your husband wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything. It¡¯s obvious he¡¯d totally lost it, but if there¡¯s anyone he would be going after, it isn¡¯t you. It¡¯s your children," Tracie exined.


    It¡¯s been two days since she came to mourwood, two days since Fiona had given her a phone call. But staying by Fiona¡¯s side isn¡¯t what worried her. She was worried about Anastasia going and attacking her prey without her help. If anything, she would want to leave as soon as possible and head back to Fameville.


    "I¡¯ll sue him in court if anything like that happens," Fiona dered, then she sighed. "I know that I owe you a lot. I¡¯m sorry for taking so long, but the only reason I haven¡¯t said anything is because I feared that I would be ruining something if I opened my mouth to talk."


    Tracie turned to Fiona with a frown on her face. "What are you talking about?" She asked, her frown deepening.


    "After witnessing everything that happened that night, I got so scared the first thing that came to my mind was to flee for my life. I didn¡¯t want to be involved in anything that was rted to that night, that¡¯s why I immediately switched schools," Fiona continued to mumble.


    Tracie immediately held her by the hand and forced her to look at her.


    "Slow down and tell me everything," said Tracie.


    Fiona took a deep breath, tears already streaming down from her eyes.


    "The night that Arabe died, I saw everything," she replied, looking at Tracie.

 Chapter 402: Crazy Woman

    Her smile widened as she watched Mr. Russell¡¯s face pale with fear. To think that a man who boasted of holding countless lives in his hands would be so terrified of her. The irony was almost too sweet.


    "Look, I¡¯ve already apologized for what happened to you. The person you should be going after is Xander, not me. I only patronized his business, and that¡¯s it," he said.


    Anastasia nodded, walking towards him and pushing his chair towards a wall.


    "You¡¯re such a big client I doubt you don¡¯t know any other important information that can be useful to me," she said, losing his bounds. "I¡¯ve been asking this question for a while now but you¡¯ve refused to answer me. Who are Xander¡¯s key allies?"


    Mr. Russell may just be a client, but he wasn¡¯t an ordinary client. Due to her research, she¡¯d found out he¡¯d been out on a business trip with Xander and Bruce a few times in the past. So they were well-connected with each other.


    Although Julian was the closest person Anastasia had to Xander, there was a high chance thetter had no idea since he didn¡¯t even have a clue who the informant could be.


    Anastasia only knew the fifteen men who had vited her that night, along with a few others she¡¯d encountered on the anniversary of Mr. Justin. But to take the next step, she needed to learn about the key allies¡ªthose who held vital information about Xander and could be useful to her cause.


    Asking Xander or Samantha for details would be a death wish. Even with the fifteen targets she had, she had no idea who among them had the real power, the ones who could give her the upper hand. There was no guarantee that Mr. Russell held that kind of knowledge, but she had to start somewhere.


    "I keep telling you, I don¡¯t know them¡ª"


    Anastasia was exhausted by hearing those same words over and over. With a sharp motion, she untied Mr. Russell, and he copsed to the ground. For the first time in a week, he was free¡ªyet his body was paralyzed. His hands and feet werepletely useless, and even in this vulnerable state, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling of dread that crept up his spine. What was Anastasia going to do to him next?


    Anastasia sighed, her patience thinning. She grabbed him, his dead weight making her grunt, but she didn¡¯t relent.


    She ced him on the wall, using her kneel as a support to keep him in ce. Mr. Russel¡¯s eyes instantly widened in shock.


    She was going to nail him on the wall like she¡¯d said.


    Swiftly, she reached for a hammer and ced a few nails on her lips, holding them together.


    "W-wait...please..." Anastasia paid deaf ears to his pleading as she ced the tip of the nail on his palm. Since he couldn¡¯t kick her due to his paralyzed legs, he couldn¡¯t resist anymore.


    Without batting an eysh, Anastasia hit the hammer against the nail, driving it through his skin and piercing the wall behind him.


    Mr Russell screamed as pain surged through his body and tears escaped from his eyes. Anastasia continued to drive the nails into his hands,pletely unaffected by his screams.


    Blood dripped from the wound and dropped on his head.


    "You¡¯re a sick woman!!" Mr Russell yelled, his voicepletely etched in pain. His words earned him a cocked eyebrow from Anastasia. She only scoffed and continued to drive more nails, making sure to keep him in ce.


    When she was done, she used a napkin and wiped her hands clean of his blood.


    Anastasia reached for the electric saw, and the moment Russell saw it, his eyes widened in a mix of terror and pain. He could feel the impending doom sink in, his heart pounding.


    "I¡¯ve never actually tried something like this before," she said, her voice oddly calm, as if she were discussing a simple task. "But my loving sister rmended it to me as a joke. Now, I think it¡¯s time I give it a go on you." Her gaze locked onto his legs, and he stiffened in fear.


    "Stay still now," she instructed, flipping the switch to turn the machine on. "This is only going to hurt a little."

 Chapter 403: A Good Kid Then?

    The guards didn¡¯t bother stopping them since they were aware they had done business with the royal family. So, they could go in and out of the pce however they liked without being stopped by anyone.


    Anastasia reached the vast living room, no maid in sight like thest time she¡¯d been there.


    It was quiet, extremely quiet it was almost as if there was no one around.


    Anastasia stared up at the stairs, wondering if she should head up with the thought that she would find something there. And if she was caught, she could give an excuse if she wanted to speak with Izara.


    Since there was no one in sight, Anastasia gave in to the idea and carried on.


    Anastasia carefully stepped onto the pristine marble staircase, her footsteps quiet and deliberate as she made her way up. Once at the top, she ducked behind a wall, her senses heightened, listening for any sounds that might indicate someone was nearby.


    Luckily, there were no cameras inside the pce¡ªonly outside. That meant she didn¡¯t have to worry about being caught or monitored by any surveince cameras. Her path was clear, at least for now.


    There were so many doors up ahead and she had no idea where to open first.


    Just as Anastasia was about to touch the doorknob, faint noises reached her ears¡ªvoices, and not just one, but several. She frowned, her curiosity piqued, and silently moved toward the source of the sound. Carefully, she pressed her ear against the door, straining to hear.


    "I¡¯ve told you and Father several times that I¡¯m not going to take over any business. I don¡¯t want to be involved in such a thing, so you should just forget the idea!" The voice was unfamiliar, and despite the tension in the words, Anastasia couldn¡¯t ce who it belonged to. She held her breath, hoping to catch more details.


    "You¡¯re our first daughter! Desmond will be king in the next few years and he has already decided to not take part in anything. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re giving up on our family business too?" Thus, the king questioned as he red at his daughter as if he couldn¡¯t wait to strangle her to death at that moment.


    Izara noticed the hostility oozing from her father towards her, and she immediately took a few steps away from him.


    "I¡¯ve long given up on the family business. From the day you started it, I¡¯ve told you I¡¯m not going to be involved in it so it¡¯s just best if you end it. Besides, those people that came here the other day already know about it, and we can¡¯t be sure no one else other than them knows about it," she replied.


    "If you¡¯re concerned about them, then don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll take care of them," Jelzel, the queen replied very softly Anastasia had to frown from behind the doors to try to understand what she was saying because she could barely hear anything. "You do understand we did this for you and your brother¡¯s safety right? Especially your safety," the woman added.


    Anastasia moved her ears away from the door, hissing in annoyance because she still couldn¡¯t hear what the queen was saying.


    She huffed, before cing her ears on the door once again.


    "I don¡¯t care! I don¡¯t want to be involved in any of this and that¡¯s final!"


    Anastasia took it as a cue that the door was going to be opened soon so she immediately rushed back downstairs and headed out of the pce.


    Anastasia sat in her car, pinching her forehead in frustration.


    "So Izara is a good kid and not trying to manipte me then?" She wondered. Anastasia stiffened in her car seat when she saw Izara walking out of the pce entrance, heading towards her car with a stoic expression as if she¡¯d not just gotten into a heated argument with her parents a few seconds ago.


    Izara zoomed off, and without wasting a moment, Anastasia followed behind her with a close distance.


    Anastasia arrived at a restaurant and watched as Izara parked her car away and headed to sit outside where some chairs had already been ced outside.


    Despite being a renowned princess from a reputable kingdom, there were no fans or paparazzi taking pictures of her or asking for her to sign on their jackets. Instead, they looked terrified of her.


    Once she¡¯d taken a seat, Anastasia noticed a couple sitting close and immediately left and settled somewhere far from her.


    Anastasia cocked one of her eyebrows up in questioning.


    Not long after, someone upied the seat opposite Izara. It was a military officer.

 Chapter 404: Everything Is Revealed

    Anastasia made a mental note to go through her murder list and pick a new target as soon as possible.


    Anastasia stared at Izara¡¯s seat and saw the military officer handing over a document to Izara, and thetter pocketed it immediately.


    After a few inaudible exchanges, the both of them shook hands and separated.


    Anastasia waited for Izara until the girl headed towards her car, and immediately, she stepped out of her car and went towards her.


    "Oh, will you look at who it is? Isn¡¯t it Jennifer Reyez? What brings you here?" Izara asked as if she was showering Anastasia with a warm wee.


    "About what you told me the other time..."


    "If you¡¯re wondering if I¡¯m deceiving you or trying to confuse you, then I really can¡¯t say anything¡ª"


    "I want to ask if you know where it was." Instantly, Izara¡¯s face darkened, the change so abrupt that it was almost tangible. The unease in her expression was unmistakable¡ªshe didn¡¯t want her parents involved in any of this, especially not with someone like Anastasia.


    Anastasia knew that if she could convince Izara to join her, things would move much faster. But there was a catch. Izara was bound to her kingdom, her family, and the loyalty that ran deeper than blood. Would she be willing to let it all crumble, even for the chance of something greater?


    Anastasia had her doubts, but she wasn¡¯t about to back down. The mission had to move forward, no matter the cost.


    "I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking¡ª"


    "I¡¯m very sure you do know what I¡¯m talking about Izara. You¡¯re a smart girl, so if you tell me where it is, I can help you if that¡¯s what you need."


    Izara suddenly startedughing as if she¡¯d heard the biggest joke of her life. Thankfully, no one was around to be drawn by herughter and give them questioning gazes. Anastasia doubted that though since people were scared of Izara.


    Now, it only made her wonder how the king and queen ruled the kingdom. She hadn¡¯t had the time to investigate that.


    When Izara was doneughing, Anastasia still looked as serious as she was before.


    "It¡¯s quite easy for you to assume that I don¡¯t like what my parents are involved in. They¡¯re making money, and giving me everything I want, so what makes you think I want that to end so soon?" She questioned, ring at Anastasia now.


    "Because you¡¯re a good person?"


    Izara cocked an eyebrow at Anastasia¡¯s reply. Then she rolled her eyes at the back of her head. "I¡¯m already done talking to you, I need to leave now."


    "I overheard your conversation with your parents earlier." Although Anastasia didn¡¯t want to, she had to reveal that secret. And she loved the reaction Izara had on her face.


    "I¡¯ve told you this, and I¡¯ll tell you again. I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with you." Then she turned on her heels and left.


    Anastasia sighed, resisting the urge to kick on the tires of her car to vent her frustrations.


    She watched as Izara drove out and went her way.


    Then Anastasia¡¯s phone ding with a text message. She checked it and it turned out to be from Tracie. It¡¯s already been a week since thetter had gone to mourwood and Anastasia missed her big sister. It turned out thetter had already arrived in Fameville and was heading to Anastasia¡¯s house.


    Anastasia frowned when she saw thest piece of the words attached to Tracie¡¯s message.


    <i>There¡¯s something important we need to talk about.</i>


    Without wasting a single second, Anastasia entered her car and headed back to the construction site. By the time she¡¯d reached, Julian was already done with his surveince so the both of them headed back to Fameville.


    Anastasia arrived at her back at midnight, her body tired as she yawned her way through the living room where she found Tracie deep in thought.


    "You said we needed to talk...talk about what?" She gently asked. She was starting to wonder if Fiona had finally revealed anything important to her. But even if she did, Tracie should have taken the matter to Xavier instead.


    "Fiona told me everything," Tracie replied and Anastasia¡¯s eyes widened in shock. "She told me every single thing."

 Chapter 405: Mr. Wallace…

    "So they¡¯re not assassins then. Assassinators would try to cover their identity with a mask and wouldn¡¯t dress in suits," Traciemented. She was an assassin herself, and when she needed to get rid of her targets, she was always dressed in something morefortable and flexible in case she needed to fight a group of people. For the men to dress in suits, which is a restricting outfit, they had already concluded that Arabe would be easy to handle, and indeed, she was. "Did you see anyone else?" She asked.


    Fiona¡¯s blood ran cold for a moment. But since she¡¯d already started talking, she might as well say everything she had in mind and not stop halfway.


    "When the men were done, they came out of the bush but didn¡¯t leave." Fiona¡¯s focus went into space as she tried to recall every single thing she¡¯d witnessed that night. "They were waiting for someone. It wasn¡¯t long before another car arrived and a man came out. His back was facing me so I couldn¡¯t see his face no matter how I tried. But..."


    "But what?" Tracie almost snapped but she stopped herself.


    "I recognize his back and his posture. He was someone I¡¯ve interacted with before and I know him."


    "So who is he?" Tracie urged.


    "Like I said, I didn¡¯t see his face so I might be wrong. He seemed to be...Mr. Wace." Then Fiona exploded into loads of tears. "I could be wrong, but he sounded like Mr. Wace which is impossible since Mr. Wace wouldn¡¯t have ordered a bunch of people to get rid of his son¡¯s girlfriend right?" She asked, looking at Tracie who¡¯d suddenly gone quiet.


    Tracie was beyond shocked when she heard Fiona mention Mr. Wace¡¯s name. Indeed the man had been acting suspiciously and he was on their lists, but what were the chances that he would order his men to get rid of Arabe? What would he gain from doing such a thing?


    Loads of questions flooded Tracie¡¯s mind and she didn¡¯t even know where to start. Arabe was only an ordinary girl, but...why?


    Mr. Wace didn¡¯t approve of the rtionship. But a father wouldn¡¯t be wicked enough to get rid of his son¡¯s girlfriend permanently just because she was a middle-ss girl, right? Tracie couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    "So what did he do?" Tracie asked, her thoughts still wandering around.


    "He went in there and came out a few minutester. Then he and the rest of the men drove away. Arabe never came out and I was too terrified to go in there, so I went back home."


    Tracie tried to analyze Fiona¡¯s words.


    ording to what Xavier had told her, his ring was found on Arabe¡¯s body. Only someone who was able to get his hands on Xavier¡¯s ring would be able to frame him. And that person could be...Mr. Wace.

 Chapter 406: What If…

    "Yes, I realize that, but we still have to do something. At least we know Mr. Wace must have a hand in what happened to her. He¡¯s a suspect, we can bring him in for questioning if we have to, and inform Xavier about this," Anastasia tried to exin.


    Tracie kept quiet for a few seconds without saying anything.


    At first, it was Xander who came out of nowhere and ruined everything Xavier once had, including having Anastasia kidnapped. And now, there was the possibility that his father was the one who¡¯d orchestrated the separation between the two brothers for his own selfish goals. It was like everyone was out to ruin him for something that wasn¡¯t his fault to begin with.


    Tracie couldn¡¯t help but feel pity for him.


    And so did Anastasia.


    Tracie¡¯s silence didn¡¯t need any words to exin what she was thinking about, and as much as it hurt, he needed to know the truth so they had somewhere to start from. They¡¯d already gotten a lead on who murdered Arabe that night, and they weren¡¯t going to rest until they found tangible evidence against Mr. Wace and had him arrested as soon as possible.


    Although it was too soon, the man had given them enough reason to suspect them. Especially since he tried getting Xavier married as soon as Anastasia was dead.


    Two dayster,


    Tracie had informed Xavier of what Fiona had told her. Thankfully, she had their conversation recorded in case it would be useful in the future.


    Xavier was pissed after hearing everything. He couldn¡¯t understand what was happening, and he was starting to get tired of what was going on around him.


    He hasn¡¯t confronted the old man in the picture; his people have been able to capture him with Bruce.


    "What are the chances that he might be paying visits to Xander?" Tracie suddenly asked, and Ezekiel and Xavier turned their heads to look at him.


    Since they couldn¡¯t have their conversations anymore at the hideout because of the informant roaming about, they were in Ezekiel¡¯s home.


    "What makes you say that?" Ezekiel asked.


    "Just think about it, Mr. Wace kicked Xander out of the house because he deemed him as a useless child, but Xander is making millions with his illegal trades and sex trafficking. Although it¡¯s not something to be proud of, what if Mr. Wace is meeting him from time to time?" Then she turned to Xavier. "Aunty did mention that he¡¯s not always at home, remember? He¡¯s always hanging out with his friends at some club."


    Mrs. Wace had onceined about her husbanding back home drunk before which was something that had rarely happened before.


    "From the picture, it¡¯s obvious he¡¯s still close friends with Bruce, the same man who adopted Xander. So it makes sense if Mr. Wace and Xander had met behind closed doors while all these had been going on," she finished as she took a sip of her coffee to keep herself awake.


    Xavier made sense of what Tracie was trying to say and he couldn¡¯t help but think that could be the truth.


    Ezekiel hummed before saying, "Now I can¡¯t help but wonder if Mr. Wace is manipting Xander into directing all of his anger towards you. What could be his reason for wanting to separate his two sons and have them fight against each other?"


    "To think that Xander is fighting me, thinking I was his main enemy while the real enemy could be our father isughable," Xavier couldn¡¯t help butment with a scoff. "If only he would let us talk things through and hold our father ountable for everything. Unfortunately, his mind is filled with nothing but revenge." Xavier could only sigh helplessly, his mind swiftly drifting back to Anastasia for a split second. "He got her involved in this too."


    Ezekiel frowned. "Father and Mr. Wace were not on good terms in the past. Do you think he let go of his rage and forgot everything?"


    Tracie looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"


    It dawned on Xavier and he clenched his fist in anger.


    "What if..." Ezekiel drawled, looking carefully at Xavier.


    "What if Father and Xander plotted to have Anastasia taken away from me?" Xavierpleted.

 Chapter 407: Getting The Doctor

    "She said she would, but I don¡¯t want to sit around and do nothing," he replied. The image of Jenifer suddenly appeared in his mind, and he instantly shook his head.


    Whenever he looked into her eyes, he would feel an undeniable pull toward her as if she was someone he had known for a long time. He¡¯d tried searching his memories in case she was someone he knew about in the past, but he remembered nothing.


    "But I don¡¯t want to sit around her and do nothing simply because there was some spy in my team." Going after his father would have been the best option, but everything they¡¯d mentioned around the table had just been intuitions. It would be better if Mr. Wace slipped up by himself and they caught him. Besides, Anastasia was yet to be found. If Xavier confronted him, he might go ahead and hurt Anastasia.


    "Jennifer is going on a mission to deal with one of the people that¡¯s close to Xander. Would you like to join her?" Tracie suggested. Although it wasn¡¯t nned, she was d she said what they heard.


    Since she couldn¡¯t tell Xavier he¡¯d already met with his wife, might as well get him near her and find out by himself.


    "What?" Ezekiel asked, confusion etched on his face.


    "Jennifer is going to Xattlewood in the next few days to take out an enemy close to Xander. If you¡¯re interested, the both of you can go together and you can get to know the people that Xander deals with. Hopefully, if they¡¯re willing to reveal anything about him, you can have leverage over him," she exined.


    Xavier gave it some thought before he epted the offer.


    **


    Anastasia was all ready for the night. After going through her murder lists, her gaze fell upon a certain name, Mr. Steven, the man who¡¯d checked her up at the hospital for any diseases a few days before she was taken to the factory.


    She¡¯d wanted to keep him as thest person, but her blood was itching to see his reaction after she revealed her true identity to him.


    Anastasia was ecstatic about tonight, but there was only one thing. Xavier wasing along.


    She subtly red at Tracie who was munching on some cake for suggesting such a thing.


    When Tracie had informed her about it, she¡¯d wanted to reject the whole idea, but her heart had betrayed her by wanting to spend some time with him.


    Tracie noticed Anastasia¡¯s re and made eye contact with her. With cake stuffed in her mouth, making her cheeks all puffy, she asked, "What?"


    Anastasia sighed but didn¡¯t respond.


    All she needed to do was make sure she didn¡¯t slip and say something she would regretter in the presence of Xavier.


    When they were done, they left the house and met Xavier waiting outside.


    The sun was only setting as it was still dusk. They needed to leave early since they couldn¡¯t board a ne and alert Xander, so they had to take a secret route to Xattlewood that had been suggested by Julian.


    A few hourster, they arrived at Xattlewood.


    Both Xavier and Tracie were shocked to see that a city with such serene beauty was riddled with crime. The streetlights cast a breathtaking glow over the nearly deserted streets, creating an eerie contrast to the reality lurking beneath. To think this was the least suspicious ce they had chosen to sneak into¡ªTracie couldn¡¯t help but wonder what might have happened if they had taken the ne instead.


    Would Xander order the pilot to intentionally crash the ne?


    "Let¡¯s go," Anastasia said, getting their action.


    Anastasia had been keeping tabs on Mr. Steven for the past few days, and surprisingly, he had a busy schedulepared to Mr. Russell who was a renowned politician.


    Mr. Steven was operating on a patient and would be finishing his workte today.


    "So what exactly do I have to do?" Xavier asked when they reached the hospital.


    "You will be the one to drive us out of here once we have the nasty doctor in the car," Tracie replied as they got out of the car.


    She was wearing a mask, simr to the hospital nose mask and Xavier was wearing one too, not only because they needed to hide their identity from Xander, but because they might run into someone which would only cause them trouble.


    They were dressed casually like normal people who were only trodding in to get themselves checked.


    Anastasia gave Xavier a look before they went into the hospital.


    Meanwhile, Xavier couldn¡¯t help but have an unknown feeling like something was about to happen.

 Chapter 408: Obtuse Michelle

    There were cameras stationed almost everywhere, so they simply made it look like they were taking a walk around the floor.


    "We won¡¯t be able to hear anything they¡¯re talking about, so I¡¯ll be using this," said Tracie, a tiny microphone in her palm.


    Tracie pretended to be tying the knot around her shoes and swung the device through the tiny gap underneath the door.


    She gave Anastasia an earpiece and they wore it.


    Inside, Michelle took a seat across from Mr. Steven. The man was stunned at first because he could recognize seeing her a few times in the past. But what could she be doing in his office, by this time of the night?


    "I¡¯m sure you¡¯re surprised to see me," said Michelle, twirling a few strands of her hair in her hands. "We¡¯ve never actually had any personal meetings so Ipletely understand. I¡¯m here to request something from you," she finished.


    "And what¡¯s that?" Mr. Steven asked. He¡¯d just finished a risky surgery thatsted for two hours for one of his patients, and he was nning on resting a bit before returning to his family for the night.


    "I want a drug that can help me get pregnant easily if you know what I mean." Her request earned her a raised brow from the man, confused on why she would be requesting such a thing, unless....


    "You want to get pregnant for Xander," he stated.


    A grin stretched on Michelle¡¯s lips as she nodded her head.


    "You see, we¡¯ve been together for a while now and he always uses protection whenever we do it. However, there¡¯s a high chance that he might be snatched away from me by someone. So, I want to get pregnant for him so he never leaves me."


    Anastasia and Tracie who were behind the door nced at each other from across the door and couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Anastasia had always known that Michelle was obtuse but she never thought her case would be this severe.


    Getting pregnant for the man who¡¯d kidnapped her, who was also into sex trafficking, seemed like a case that needed to be taken to court or a mental hospital as soon as possible


    "So you want tablets to get yourself pregnant sooner," Mr. Steven concluded and Michelle nodded.


    "I¡¯ll convince him to stop using protection and trick him into thinking that those pills are birth control pills," she said.


    "In that case, I have several rmendations..."


    "Is she crazy or has she lost it?" Tracie couldn¡¯t help but wonder out loud.


    "It seems to me she and Samantha want to have Xander¡¯s love," Anastasia said, wondering if Michelle¡¯s visit to the hospital had anything to do with why Xander and Samantha have been very quiettely.


    "Since you¡¯re looking for someone who knows the ins and outs of Xander¡¯s work, isn¡¯t Michelle the best option?" Tracie asked and immediately, Anastasia shook her head.


    "Not at all. Michelle is merely a pawn for Xander¡ªa pretty face to warm his bed and lure in new clients. I doubt she knows anything useful to me," she replied, her voiceced with indifference.


    Just then, the door swung open, and Michelle stepped out, her heels clicking sharply against the pristine floor. Her gaze briefly flickered toward them, but with their masks concealing half their faces, she didn¡¯t recognize them. Without a second nce, she continued on her way,pletely unaware of who stood before her.


    It wasn¡¯t long after, the lights illuminating Mr. Steven¡¯s office turned off, signaling he was calling it a night.


    He opened the door and locked it right behind him, his suit jacket in his hands as he strode away.


    The two women split up with Anastasia trailing behind Mr. Steven with silent steps while Tracie searched for the little device she¡¯d slipped in earlier.


    Thankfully, the device didn¡¯t go far off and she was able to reach it by stretching her middle finger further in.


    When she was done, she took the elevator and came down, and that was when she found Mr. Steven already on the ground. Anastasia had already knocked him off and he was sprawled on the ground, deep in slumber.

 Chapter 409: Complicated Feelings

    Xavier was about to appreciate her gesture but Tracie suddenly came to the living room from the kitchen with a ss filled with orange juice. And just instantly, Anastasia started sneezing.


    Her face turned bright red as she instinctively took a few steps back, trying to escape the overpowering aroma of the orange juice. Her skin had already begun to flush, the reaction spreading rapidly, making her resemble a ripe tomato.


    "I¡¯m sorry, are you allergic to oranges?" Tracie asked, concern etched on her face. Deep down, guilt gnawed at her as she silently apologized to Anastasia for triggering her allergies by bringing the ss of orange juice into the room.


    Tracie couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. As much as she respected Anastasia¡¯s decision, watching the two of them dance around each other without truly being together was unbearable. It was torture. If she couldn¡¯t tell Xavier the truth outright, then she would at least leave him breadcrumbs¡ªsmall hints that might lead him to finally figure it out on his own.


    Anastasia didn¡¯t wait to respond. She immediately rushed to her room to take her anti-allergy medicine.


    Xavier stared at her as she rushed into her room, his eyes narrowing.


    ¡¯Anastasia is allergic to oranges,¡¯ he thought to himself.


    Then he decided to wave the thoughts away. Anybody could be allergic to oranges. <i>Jennifer </i>is allergic to oranges but that didn¡¯t mean she was Anastasia. She didn¡¯t even look like Anastasia.


    As Xavier tried to not be paranoid about what had just happened, he could feel something kicking inside him and it left him feeling unsettled.


    Then he nced at Tracie who was already looking at him.


    "I didn¡¯t know she was allergic to oranges," she responded.


    **


    Samantha was at her apartment in Xattlewood. She rarely came here¡ªher work consumed every part of her life, leaving little room for personal space. Most of her days were spent overseeing the girls and managing the factory, ensuring everything ran smoothly. But ever since her argument with Xander, she hadn¡¯t returned to his ce. Instead, she¡¯d chosen solitude, retreating to her apartment and handling business from afar. It was easier this way¡ªless painful.


    Thinking about their argument caused her blood to boil and she didn¡¯t think she was going to forgive him anytime soon.


    Samantha stepped out of her home, dressed in one of her finest gowns that can force people to kneel and worship her, her green eyes instantlynded on someone familiar¡ªthe same person she¡¯d been cursing in her mind the entire time. Her mood dropped dramatically, leaving her with no excitement.


    Xander was leaning against his car, his gaze on Samantha. It was obvious from the outfit, that she wasn¡¯t going to the house or the factory. She was going to meet a special someone. A special someone he¡¯d already deemed unworthy.


    She didn¡¯t even bother to make eye contact with him as she ignored his presence as if he never existed and went to her car.


    "Samantha," he called again, his voiceced with something she couldn¡¯t quite decipher¡ªdesperation, anger, or something in between. She didn¡¯t wait to find out. Instead, she yanked the car door open, determined to leave, but before she could slip inside, a strong hand grabbed her wrist.


    Before she could react, she was yanked backward, and the car door mmed shut with a force that sent a sharp jolt through her. Her back hit the cold metal, and she barely had a moment to regain her bnce before she found herself trapped between him and the car.


    "What is wrong with you?" She questioned, her gaze subtlynded on her arm he was holding. "Let me go!" She yanked it right off his grip.


    "I don¡¯t want you to go to meet with Benjamin," he said.


    "In case you¡¯ve forgotten, I¡¯m not your property that you canmand to do whatever you like," she snapped. "I can see that you still haven¡¯t gotten that through your thick skull."


    "I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re my property, but Benjamin is not the right guy for you," he exined, but all he got from Samantha was a raised eyebrow as she red at him.


    After the past few days of not seeing Samantha, he¡¯de to realize that he¡¯d be attached to her for a very long time. As for love, he wasn¡¯t sure if that was what he felt for her in his heart.


    "What are you even doing here?" Samantha asked.


    "I came to take you out on a date of course," he replied.


    Samantha waspletely caught off guard as she looked at him but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to reply.


    Unbeknownst to them, someone was watching them from a car parked right opposite the house.

 Chapter 410: Intimate Moment

    Fortunately, Xander had flung her confession like a little housefly he didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with.


    It was only recently that he¡¯d started to notice the type of gaze Xander would stare at Samantha with. It was the same kind of gaze he used to look at his deceased wife with. And he didn¡¯t like that at all.


    "I need to separate them, make them hate each other at least," he thought to himself. Then the image of a certain person appeared in his mind. "And I know just the right person for this job," he grinned.


    **


    "Will you let me go? Just head back to wherever you came from?" Samantha demanded, a scowl evident on her face.


    "I don¡¯t want you to go and meet that man," Xander repeated once again but Samantha only stared at him with a confused gaze.


    "And why shouldn¡¯t I do that?" She asked.


    "Because he¡¯s not the perfect man for you, and before you go asking how I know that, I¡¯ve known you for a long time to know the type of men you¡¯re into," he replied after a few beats.


    Samantha¡¯s gaze only deepened then Xander¡¯s gaze deepened.


    "That was the worst pickup line wasn¡¯t it?" He said, a sad grin stretching on his lips as his gaze lowered to the ground. "Look...." He started, reaching for his hand to take it, but she took a step back away from me. "I know that I¡¯ve been a jerk for discarding your feelings like that, and honestly, I¡¯m sorry for the way I¡¯ve mistreated you in the past." His words caught her off guard, instantly stunning her right where she should. "I want to take you out tonight."


    If it had been in the past, maybe she would have been giggling and screaming, happy he was finally considering her. However, her heart didn¡¯t waver as she¡¯d wanted it to.


    Samantha shook her head as she took her hands out of his grip. "You¡¯re not being serious." Xander frowned. "I don¡¯t have feelings for you anymore and what you¡¯re doing is just wrong. Benjamin and I are already in a rtionship so you might as well keep your jokes to yourself. If you¡¯re worried that I will neglect the business, then you shouldn¡¯t. Everything is still under control and we should be making a trip to Regalith soon to take a look at the proper¡ª"


    Samantha didn¡¯t get the chance to finish her sentence when Xander suddenly captured her lips in a fierce kiss. And instantly, her heart melted at that moment.


    At first, Samantha had been so shocked she almost pushed him away.


    Xander started by nibbling on her lips, biting on the soft flesh before sinking his teeth, earning a sharp gasp from her. When Samantha¡¯s lips parted, he stole the opportunity and slipped his tongue, tasting her just immediately.


    Samantha¡¯s spine tickled with a sense of bliss. Although she tried to remind herself that what they were doing was wrong¡ªif Bruce found out about this, she was going to get an earful from him.


    This was the first time she was being intimate with Xander and as much as she wanted to push him back and smack him across the face, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do such a thing.


    Xander wrapped his hands around her waist, and an electrical bolt surged through her body like lightning. His tongue ravaged her like a hungry beast as if it was his first time tasting something so sweet. And before they could realize it, they were already out of breath.


    Reluctantly, Xander parted from Samantha to give her the chance to breathe.


    "In case you¡¯re still nning on refusing to have dinner with me, I have another trick up my sleeves," he said. Before Samantha could process what he meant, he squatted and lifted her to his shoulder with one arm. "I¡¯m going to have to steal you away tonight," he said as he walked towards the car.

 Chapter 411: He’s There

    Mr. Steven narrowed his eyes on Anastasia, and his eyes widened slightly in realization. "You¡¯re that woman, Jennifer Reyez!"


    Anastasia shook her head. "Not at all, I¡¯m Anastasia Wace. Do you remember that name? Does it ring a bell?" She asked, turning to look at him with a smirk that stretched from both corners of her cheeks.


    Mr. Steven went pale from realization and a grin stretched on Anastasia. However, Mr. Steven¡¯s reaction onlysted for a second before he went crackly like a pack of wolves which took Anastasia by surprise.


    "I can still remember that night," he said in the middle of hisughter. "You were like a scared little cat, cornered into a wall. Sadly, you had nowhere to run to. You had no one and no one coulde to your rescue. You know, each time I have a hard time getting my dick to stand, all I need to do is think about that night, and boom....i¡¯m ready for action."


    Anastasia couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing the man spout. She¡¯d thought he would be scared, which would make her day but it was obvious the man was a psycho. He wasn¡¯t even scared that he was captured by the very same woman, trapped in an enclosed space with no single idea of what was going to happen to him.


    "And do you know the craziest thing? Xander recorded every single thing and uploaded it on the inte. Free porn for every¡ª" Before he could finish, Anastasia had already smacked him across the face, unable to take it anymore. She didn¡¯t want to believe that Xander would do such a thing. Who was she kidding? That man operated a sex trafficking organization.


    "Why¡ªdid I say anything wrong?" Mr. Steven asked, spitting out the blood from his torn mouth tissue. "Let me guess, since you¡¯re here, does that mean you never returned to your husband, Xavier Wace? Because if you did, Xander wouldn¡¯t have continued to stay alive, especially with the months that passed after your death.


    "You never went back to him, right?" he asked, a smirk ying on his bloodied lips. "That¡¯s a good thing because he would never ept you. Believe me, no man likes it when his property has been touched by several people. He would never look at you with love because he¡¯ll be disgusted each time he sets his eyes on you."


    A single tear slipped down Anastasia¡¯s eyes even before she could realize it. Subconsciously, she shook her head, "No," her voice was low, barely audible.


    "Oh sweetie, that¡¯s the truth. I wouldn¡¯t lie to you. Since we¡¯re here alone, mind..." And he winked at her, his gazending on her bottom and instantly, disgust crept on Anastasia¡¯s body.


    She gripped his shirt andnded a punch across his face. "You used me that night like I was some toy. I was a human being too¡ªI had emotions, but no, you treated me like an animal, like I was nothing." Her voice cracked as she punched him again, the sickening crunch of bone meeting bone echoing in the room. Blood sttered onto the floor, but she didn¡¯t stop.


    Tears streamed down her face as rage consumed her. "I never wanted this! But you got what you wanted anyway." Another punch, harder this time. "And because of that, I¡¯m going to burn you all alive. Every single one of you."


    She raised her fist again, ready to strike, but then she froze. The hair on her spine stood up, and a chilling awareness crept over her. Someone was watching.


    She made eye contact with Xavier, and instantly, her blood went cold.

 Chapter 412: Could She Be My Wife?

    "So you came back for your wristwatch?" She asked as they headed back to the living room and Xavier nodded. "It¡¯s alreadyte and Tracie is already waiting for me in the car," he added when they reached the door. His heart felt heavy but he decided to ignore the feeling.


    All of a sudden, he reached for Anastasia¡¯s face and tugged her dark hair behind her ears. The gesture caught Anastasia off guard and her heart skipped a beat. She looked at him, but he didn¡¯t say anything.


    Xavier brought his hand to his side and said, "Goodbye." Without waiting a second, he turned and exited from there, leaving Anastasia confused.


    This time, Anastasia waited for the car to drive away before she closed her door and locked it right behind her.


    **


    Xavier arrived in Radiantia with Tracie and thetter stared at him with confusion evident in her gaze. Throughout their journey, from leaving Anastasia¡¯s house to the airport, until they arrived, he never said a word. Which only made her wonder what could have happened inside.


    "Hey? Why have you been quiet ever since? Is something the matter?" She asked, concerned this time around.


    "About the orange juice...." He said and Tracie stiffened for a second before getting herself back together. Then Xavier shook his head. "I¡¯ll drop you off at the rk mansion."


    After dropping Tracie at the rk mansion, he turned the car and went to meet with a long-time friend. It was Mark, the doctor who¡¯d treated Anastasia after he¡¯d saved her three years ago.


    "Xavier, what brings you here?" Mark asked.


    "I want you to do something for me," Xavier asked, his toneced with so much seriousness it caused Mark to shiver slightly.


    "Go on."


    Xavier brought out two transparent bags from his pockets. "In these two bags are hair strands from two different people. I want you to run a DNA test as soon as possible and let me know if they¡¯re rted," he said, his breath getting tighter with each word he said.


    "Okay, but who does this strand of hair belong to?" Mark asked as he took the bag from


    Xavier, sampling them.


    "A...a certain woman and Tracie," Xavier replied.


    From Xavier¡¯s tone, Mark could sense he didn¡¯t want to continue the conversation and only wanted him to run the DNA tests as soon as possible.


    "Wait here, I¡¯ll run the test immediately. The result shoulde out in a few hours. Will you wait for it here or have me deliver it to your house?" He asked.


    "I¡¯ll wait." Without saying another word, Mark turned on his heels and went to do the DNA test.


    Xavier took a seat, his heart beating rapidly against his chest.


    Earlier, he was about to drive off but recalled he couldn¡¯t find his wristwatch. He went back, only to find out that <i>Jennifer</i> didn¡¯t lock the door. He pushed the door slightly open, thinking he would find her in the living room but he didn¡¯t.


    Xavier found his wristwatch on the table, he wore it and attempted to leave but still, he couldn¡¯t feel the woman¡¯s presence. He searched for her in the house but nothing, until he came around some contact lens containers in her room. He felt guilty for snooping around the house but worry filled his heart.


    He remembered the basement and decided to head down there only for him to hear a woman yell. And that was when he found her, beating up Mr. Steven. Although he couldn¡¯t understand what they were talking about because he came down toote, he already sensed it was a sensitive topic for her tosh out at the doctor.


    She¡¯d stared at him with tearful blue eyes and instantly, the first person toe to his mind was Anastasia. Xavier wanted to believe he was being paranoid, but he wanted to clear up this confusion today. So when he was about to leave once again, he stole a few strands of her hair when he¡¯d tugged her hair behind her ears. He tugged it ever so gently so she wouldn¡¯t feel any pain. As for Tracie¡¯s, thetter had slept on their way back, so he took his opportunity and cut a few strands of her hair.


    Xavier closed his eyes, as his heart continued to hammer against his chest. What were the possibilities that <i>Jennifer Reyez </i>was his wife he¡¯d been searching for?

 Chapter 413: She’s My Wife

    Xavier nodded, folding the papers and keeping them back in his pants.


    "Thank you so much," he said, turning to leave.


    "Wait...whose hair strands were those?" He asked, still curious.


    Xavier halted. "It belongs to Anastasia and Tracie."


    Mark¡¯s eyes widened in shock. "Wait what? You already found her?"


    "I need to get going now and don¡¯t tell anyone about this. Thanks once again," he said as he left and Mark didn¡¯t intend to stop him again.


    Xavier entered his car, his hand gripping hard on the steering wheel as tears fell from his ears. He couldn¡¯t fathom how he was feeling at the moment. He was happy because he¡¯d finally found Anastasia. But he was worried that she might have been thinking he wouldn¡¯t ept her after all she went through in Xander¡¯s hands.


    Xavier wiped his tears away, turned on the engines, and zoomed off.


    Anastasia was at her home, watching her next target, Mr. Walter. He was one of the people she¡¯d met at Mr. Justin¡¯s anniversary a few months back.


    She was able to sessfully hack into his home cameras. But unfortunately, he only had them stationed outside of his mansion. She couldn¡¯t see what was going on inside the house as there was nothing to hack in there.


    Surprisingly, he lived a simple life. He had no gatekeeper or bodyguards to follow him around for protection. He was married with a son who was still in high school.


    He had a farm at the back of the house which he would spend at least two hours working on daily.


    He was all bright and shiny, full of spirits but only someone who didn¡¯t know him would think he was an angel.


    Anastasia tried to focus on herputer, but her thoughts went back to Xavier when he¡¯d tugged her hair behind her ear. She felt butterflies in her stomach like she was a teenage girl once again, who caught her crush staring at her.


    "I need to focus," she mumbled under her breath. But that attempt was short-lived when her phone dinged with a phone call. She checked it only to find out it was Tracie.


    "Hello?"


    "What happened between you and Xavier when he came to retrieve his wristwatch?" Tracie asked as soon as the call was connected.


    Anastasia¡¯s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"


    "He was quiet throughout our trip like he was nning on building a bomb that would destroy the whole world," she replied and Anastasia¡¯s eyebrows furrowed even further. "He never said anything and when I asked him what the problem was, he asked about the orange juice."


    Anastasia¡¯s heart immediately sank.


    "He saw me when I was dealing with Mr. Steven," she answered, rubbing her temple in frustration.


    "Did you say something that hinted your true identity? Or did he see something?" Tracie asked.


    Anastasia stood up from her chair due to a cramp from sitting for so long.


    "I said a lot of things but I don¡¯t think he overheard anything because if he did, he would have confronted me," she responded, standing in front of the mirror as the scene when Xavier tugged her hair behind her ear reyed in her memory. She looked at herself in the mirror and found herself blushing.


    ¡¯Come on.¡¯


    "That is true." Tracie¡¯s tone was less tense and worried now. But Anastasia was now too quiet on the other side. "What¡¯s wrong?" Tracie asked, concernced in her tone.


    Anastasia was staring at her reflection. More like she was staring at her eyes. They weren¡¯t hazel anymore because she¡¯d taken off her contact lenses a few hours ago.


    Her blue eyes stared back at her as she started to wonder if Xavier had seen her in her hazel or blue eyes.


    She tried to recall what she¡¯d done before Xavier came in. Indeed, she¡¯d taken off the contact lenses before going to the basement because they started to irritate her. After all, she wore them for too long.


    She recalled Xavier¡¯s reaction. He was stunned but he didn¡¯t say anything.


    First, it was orange juice, and now this. If Xavier had seen her with blue eyes but didn¡¯t say anything, it could only mean...


    Anastasia wasn¡¯t able toplete her thoughts when she suddenly heard a knock on the door.


    Right there, the hairs on her spine stood on all ends.

 Chapter 414: I don’t Remember You!

    "Who¡¯s there?" She questioned but only silence responded to her.


    All of a sudden, Anastasia heard a creak from inside of her home.


    Her heart sank. The person was sneaking in through the window.


    "Shit!" She cursed from under her breath as she rushed back inside, making sure to lock it so that the intruder wouldn¡¯t have the chance to escape.


    Anastasia waited to hear the creak once again, and she did. However this time, it was the jamming sound of a window from her room which only meant that the intruder was already inside.


    Without wasting a single moment, Anastasia tiptoed over there and paused when she noticed a shadow spilling from her room. Her grip on the baton even further, and once the head of the intruder was in sight, she struck the baton against the head as hard as she could and the person slumped on the ground, losing consciousness almost immediately.


    Anastasia dropped to her knees to check the face of the intruder, and she froze when she saw the face.


    "Xavier!!" She yelled, attempting to pick him up.


    Hourster,


    Xavier opened his eyes and nced around the familiar room before he recalled what had happened before he went unconscious.


    He tried getting up, but his head felt too heavy.


    "You should refrain from getting up. I put a cold towel on your head to stop the bleeding," he heard a voiceing from the door.


    Anastasia walked inside, dressed in casual clothing consisting of simple jeans and a top. She held a white bang in her hand and it had a green cross printed on the front.


    "You went to the pharmacy?" He asked.


    "I already ran out of medicines in my first aid kit box so I went to get them," she replied, settling on the bed. Anastasia¡¯s head was lowered, staring at the ground but she could feel Xavier¡¯s gaze on her the whole time. "Why did you sneak in through the window?" She questioned.


    "You didn¡¯te to the door even after I¡¯d already rang the bell," he defended immediately. "Look at me," he urged, his hand reaching to touch her face.


    Anastasia locked eyes with him, her rage still burning like an uncontained fire. "Do you realize that if I hadn¡¯t looked at your face before hitting you again, you¡¯d already be dead by now?!" Her voice wavered slightly, but she forced herself to stayposed.


    She took a deep breath, her fists trembling. "You could have called me. You could have told me you wereing. But instead, you just show up at this hour?! If you were so desperate to know what the doctor would reveal, I already told you¡ªI would have informed you about everything!"


    Anastasia continued to run her mouth but paused when she saw Xavier staring at her with his eyes smiling.


    The air felt different and there was also something different with the way he was staring at her. Something told her he already knew...


    "Why are you hurting me?" He suddenly asked, catching her off guard. "I understand that you must have gone through a lot, but you could havee back to me."


    "I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about," Anastasia immediately replied as she stood up from the bed and took a few steps back. But Xavier didn¡¯t let her escape.


    He stepped down from the bed and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards him.


    "I know you¡¯re my wife," he dered. "You¡¯re Anastasia Wace, my wife so you can stop with this act of yours because I¡¯m not buying it."


    Although Anastasia¡¯s instincts had already told her he knew, she still couldn¡¯t help but be bbergasted.


    "I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about," she said, intending to yank her wrist free from his grip but he held it tightly, although not too tight to hurt her.


    Xavier reached into his pocket with the other hand and brought out a sheet of paper.


    "This is the DNA test I conducted with yours and Tracie¡¯s strands of hair and it has a 99.9% match!" He showed her the paper.


    "Xavier..." Anastasia could only mumble as tears started pooling in her eyes.


    "Why didn¡¯t youe back to me, Ana? Why did you stay here? Why did you change your face and your name? Do you know how worried I was about you? Why didn¡¯t you reach out to me?" He questioned, hurt evident in his tone.


    "That¡¯s because I don¡¯t remember you!"

 Chapter 415: What The Fuck Happened?!

    "You are not filthy," he said firmly, his fingers twitching with the urge to hold her. "You didn¡¯t choose this. None of this was your fault."


    She shook her head violently. "You¡¯re supposed to hate me. You¡¯re supposed to look at me with disgust¡ª"


    Xavier cupped her face, forcing her to meet his gaze. His dark eyes burned with something fierce, unwavering. "I could never hate you." His voice was raw, filled with conviction. "And I sure as hell will never leave you."


    Tears continued to pour down her cheeks, her lips trembling. "Why?" she whispered.


    "Because I love you," he said without hesitation. "No matter what, I will always love you."


    Xavier wrapped his arms around her, bringing her to his chest as he hugged her as tightly as possible but not tight enough to suffocate her.


    It¡¯s almost been a year since she went missing, so hugging her right now felt like a dream. Anastasia hugged him just as tight as if her life depended on it.


    After spilling everything, her chest felt light. At first, she¡¯d thought he was going to walk out the door like she¡¯d expected, but he was still here with her, not feeling disgusted or irritated that he was touching her.


    ¡¯Tracie was right all along,¡¯ she thought to herself.


    Reluctantly, Xavier released her and wiped away the rest of her tears from her eyes. The gesture had only been a small thing but it meant a lot to Anastasia.


    All of a sudden, Anastasia shrieked. "You¡¯re bleeding."


    Panic surged through her as she quickly pulled Xavier off the ground. Blood dripped steadily from the open wound¡ªher earlier strike with the baton had done more damage than she¡¯d realized.


    "I thought it would¡¯ve stopped by now," she muttered, her hands hovering uncertainly over the injury. Her anger from before was momentarily forgotten, reced by a growing sense of urgency. "We need to get you to a hospital. Now."


    Xavier simply stared at her without saying anything. It was only blood, and he was fine. However, Anastasia was worried.


    They rushed out of the house after Anastasia had already cleaned the blood and put a bandage to prevent it from dripping onto his clothes.


    At the hospital,


    Anastasia was seated across from Xavier who was getting his injury stitched. ording to the doctor, there was nothing serious to be worried about. Although he might suffer from a few concussions from time to time.


    Anastasia sighed. So much had happened in just one day. Months back, she was sure she was going to achieve her revenge before going back to Xavier. Then, Tracie found out first, and so did Xavier.


    The whole time Xavier was getting stitched, his gaze was on her. She wanted to avoid his gaze but she found herself staring back at him as butterflies swamped in her belly.


    "That¡¯s all for now," said the nurse as she arranged her tools and got ready to leave.


    "Thank you," said Anastasia. The nurse bowed her head with a smile before taking her leave.


    Anastasia stood up from her chair and walked towards him.


    "Is it painful?" She asked with concernced in her tone as she stared at him. He shook his hand, pulling her to sit by himself as he nuzzled his head on her neck, breathing in her scent. He still couldn¡¯t believe she was in his arms once again.


    All of a sudden, the door opened with a bang as Tracie walked inside.


    "What did you say happened to you? You just called me all of a sudden saying you were at the hospital! Are you hur¡ª" Tracie choked on her own words when she saw the scene in front of her. "What the fuck happened?!!"

 Chapter 416: The Informant

    Xavier nced at Anastasia before his gaze returned to Tracie. "And you decided to listen to her? You know how emotional Anastasia can be."


    "Hey!" Anastasia snapped.


    "You were well aware she was making a terrible decision and you still decided to support her?"


    "Will you stop nagging me? I only did what she asked me to do. If there¡¯s anyone you should be nagging, it should be Ana!" Tracie immediately defended herself. "You know what? I¡¯m going to go away now and catch my breath. I booked the quickest flight because there was something wrong with my jet. Then there was traffic on the way here. I had to run halfway to get there and this is what I get? I¡¯m going! Baibai!" Tracie turned to leave and closed the door behind her.


    Anastasia was now worried that Xavier might have hurt Tracie¡¯s feelings a little. "Wait..."


    "Let her be...she¡¯s too loud to be in here with us." Xavier stopped her and continued to nuzzle his head on her neck.


    After Xavier was discharged, he suggested moving in with Anastasia or having her move back to their mansion in Radiantia. Since Radiantia was a long distance from Xattlewood, she had to give it a second thought.


    But Xavier didn¡¯t allow her to think about it as he decided on her behalf that she would be moving back to their mansion.


    Anastasia had no choice but to agree because she also wanted to be close to him every day. But she would only be moving out after disposing of Mr. Steven¡¯s body because just like Mr. Russell, he waspletely useless.


    Anastasia and Xavier arrived in Radiantia.


    "I¡¯m not sure if your men told you about this but I was the one who snuck into the Harrison mansion months ago," she informed with a cheesy smile on her lips.


    "Impossible," Xaviermented, staring at her in shock.


    Months ago, he¡¯d received feedback from his men whom he¡¯d sent toe to check over the construction because he and Anastasia had been nning to demolish the mansion and turn it into a vacation home, only for them to return saying there¡¯d been a female intruder.


    "I went there because I wanted to remember some things," she said.


    "And how did that go?"


    Anastasia went silent for a second before she replied, "I remembered how I had my first miscarriage, but that¡¯s okay. It¡¯s all in the past now." She tried to sniffle back the tears that were about to trickle down her face. "Then I lost our baby too¡ª"


    Xavier interlocked their fingers together as he locked eyes with her. "You need to stop thinking about the past, Ana. It¡¯s okay if you can¡¯t remember anything, we¡¯ll make new memories. As for a baby, we can make another whenever you¡¯re ready."


    Anastasia forced a smile to stretch on her cheeks so she would look happy and content, but she wasn¡¯t.


    Anastasia shook her head, deciding not to keep any secrets from him. "I can¡¯t give birth anymore. I¡¯ve be barren," she informed.


    She was expecting him to retract his hand from hers, but if anything, he only held it tighter.


    "That¡¯s alright. I have a friend who¡¯s great in his field as a doctor. He can rmend some remedies but if there¡¯s nothing that can be done, we can always adopt." He wanted to ask how that happened, but didn¡¯t want her to remember the past any more.


    His reply shocked her to the extent her jaws almost dropped.


    Anastasia nodded in understanding as they reached the rk mansion. She was going to see her family. She was beyond excited.


    **


    In a simple yet sophisticated apartment, someone was lying on the bed but groaned when they heard their phone ringing.


    Grunting, the person reached out to get their phone from the other side of the bed and epted the call without checking who it could be.


    "It¡¯s been so long already, and you haven¡¯t even tried reaching out to me with something new," said the caller.


    The receiver checked the caller¡¯s name and only grunted more internally as he red into space.


    "That¡¯s because there¡¯s nothing to reach out to you for. Everything has been extremely quiet around here, it is almost like a graveyard," he replied.


    "Are you sure it isn¡¯t because they¡¯ve started suspecting you¡¯re the informant they¡¯ve been searching for?"


    The receiver chuckled, the deep sound rumbling in his throat. "I¡¯m too smart and sneaky for them to think of suspecting me," he replied boastfully.


    The caller could scoff. "Still as cocky as always. Inform me when something newes up." After the receiver grunted, the caller hung up on the phone.


    The man yawned as he stepped down from his bed, his hands searching for his sses.


    "Time to go meet my <i>best friend.</i>"

 Chapter 417: Happy Family

    Kael was about to retort but a scowl from his father, Jeffrey, had him swallowing his words just as soon as he was about to open his mouth.


    ¡¯What an active family,¡¯ Anastasia thought to herself.


    On social media, everyone acted poised and mannered, but in private, it waspletely different.


    She couldn¡¯t help but chuckle softly.


    After being lonely for a while, her heartfelt warmth just from looking at them.


    Anastasia walked toward Nora and clicked her arms with the woman.


    "What have you prepared for me, mother? I¡¯m famished. Xavier didn¡¯t give me anything to eat along the way here," she said, and instantly, everyone¡¯s eyes were on Xavier, silently cursing at him.


    "Xavier didn¡¯t give you anything to eat? Don¡¯t worry dear, I prepared lots of meals for you and you have to finish them. You¡¯ve lost so much weight," said Nora, pulling Anastasia into the house while subtly ring at Xavier.


    Thetter could only sigh as he followed them in. Nothing he said they would believe anyway.


    The family settled down and munched on their lunch.


    Xavier felt a path of guilt for not inviting Kace. He despised the fact that he had to suspect his brother of working with Xander, but there was a chance of that happening, although Kace and Xander rarely interacted in the past. Besides, Kace was only a few years old before their father kicked Xander out of the house. Either way, Xavier couldn¡¯t invite his brother to the dinner or inform him Anastasia was already found. It was sad since they were best friends, but he needed to do what had to be done until the culprit was found.


    Anastasia couldn¡¯t stopplimenting her mother throughout and the heart of the woman felt warm.


    "Hey, I assisted in cooking too just for you," Tracie interjected, a scowl on her face.


    "You found Anastasia and never told either of us," Jeffrey suddenly said, and Tracie could only sigh.


    "Why am I still getting med for that? She was the one that suggested not telling anyone," she immediately defended.


    Anastasia looked at Tracie with an innocent look, before shaking her head. "That¡¯s a lie, I never told her to lie to anyone," she said.


    Not only Tracie but Xavier was also stunned at how smoothly Anastasia just lied.


    "What did you say?" Tracie gasped dramatically, her hand against her chest as if she¡¯d just been heartbroken.


    Anastasia didn¡¯t reply but only winked at her before continuing to munch on her food.


    Meanwhile, the rk couple red at Tracie for a few seconds beforeughing.


    The atmosphere around the table was inviting, and truly beautiful. For the first time in a while, they were eating dinner like aplete family once again.


    Nora continued to feed Anastasia and thetter ate until her belly was about to burst.


    **


    Anastasia and Xavier were sitting on a swing on the terrace of the mansion but it wasn¡¯t close to the edge of the building so they wouldn¡¯t fall off.


    Anastasia¡¯s head was resting on his shoulders with their hands intertwined together. It was quiet as they stared at the stars in the sky.


    "This feels like a dream," Anastasia mumbled. "I¡¯m scared that once I close my eyes, I¡¯m going to wake up and you won¡¯t be here anymore. I even though they would be disgusted to look¡ª"


    "Don¡¯t say that," Xavier interrupted her. "They¡¯re your family, and they wouldn¡¯t do such a thing because they love you."


    Anastasia nodded.


    For the past few days now, everything had been great. Her life had been calm but she had this inkling feeling that something bad was going to happen.


    With Xander and Mr. Wace still roaming about, it wouldn¡¯t be a surprise. They still needed to get rid of them after all.


    "I just remembered the time you almost shot me during the trade," Anastasia recalled,ughing.


    A look of guilt crowded Xavier¡¯s face as he held her tighter this time around. "I didn¡¯t know what I was thinking."


    "Stop worrying. I should be beating Julian up for shooting you," she replied.


    Realization dawned on Xavier. No wonder he was thinking he¡¯d seen Julian somewhere before. He was the one who¡¯d shot him in the leg the other time. But that wasn¡¯t it. Xavier still believed he¡¯d seen the man in another ce.

 Chapter 418: A Promise

    "I don¡¯t mind at all," Xavier said, his voice steady. "I don¡¯t care if we don¡¯t have a child of our own. As long as you¡¯re happy, then I¡¯m happy." He pressed a soft kiss to her head.


    Anastasia pulled away slightly, studying his face. His expression was unreadable, calm as always.


    "But wouldn¡¯t that be bad for the Wace legacy?" she asked. "Having someone who isn¡¯t rted by blood take over everything?"


    The Wace family was powerful, and she knew the weight of their name. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if the elders opposed the idea of an outsider inheriting the empire they had built.


    "Who¡¯s going to say no? My father?" Xavier scoffed. "It won¡¯t be long before I deal with himpletely."


    The sheer certainty in his voice sent a shiver down Anastasia¡¯s spine, but she understood his anger. Though nothing had been proven yet, there was a strong chance that Mr. Wace was behind many of the horrors they had endured.


    Anastasia sighed, wishing everything could magically resolve itself so she and Xavier could finally have their peace.


    "I got you something," Xavier suddenly said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a small velvet box with the brand name Klerene elegantly inscribed on it.


    Anastasia¡¯s breath hitched. She knew that brand well¡ªit was one of the luxury brands she had been an ambassador for.


    Xavier flipped the box open, revealing a breathtakingly intricate diamond ring. He gently took her hand and slipped the ring onto her finger. "This was supposed to be your wedding ring," he said softly.


    She blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"


    Xavier¡¯s gaze remained fixed on the ring as he spoke. "Before you were kidnapped by Xander, we were nning to have a proper wedding¡ªa white wedding. This was the ring I chose for you. I kept it safe because I knew... I knew you woulde back to me." He finally looked up, his deep eyes glistening. "And I wanted to be the one to ce it on your finger."


    Anastasia¡¯s heart clenched. The pain, the longing in his voice¡ªit was overwhelming.


    Xavier lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a lingering kiss against her fingers.


    Anastasia reached out, her fingertips brushing against his face, and that was when she noticed it¡ªhis eyes were filled with tears.


    She gently wiped them away, offering him a trembling smile. "I¡¯m here now," she whispered. "And you can put as many rings as you want on my finger. I promise I¡¯ll never leave your side again. But you have to promise me the same."


    Xavier exhaled shakily, his grip on her hand tightening. "I promise to go wherever you go."


    Ovee with emotion, Anastasia surged forward, pressing her lips against his.


    Xavier¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. He had held back all this time, waiting for her to be ready, never wanting to push her¡ªbut now, she was the one closing the distance between them.


    A small grin formed on his lips before he deepened the kiss, tilting her head back as he sucked on her bottom lip, silently seeking entrance. She parted her lips, and he wasted no time slipping his tongue inside.


    One of his hands cradled the back of her head, angling her just right as their tongues met.


    Out of instinct, Anastasia¡¯s arms wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him closer, eliminating any space between them. Butterflies erupted in her stomach as her heartbeat raced uncontrobly.


    Xavier¡¯s grip slid from her waist to her lower back, holding her against him. The heat between them intensified.


    Anastasia lost herself in the moment, in him. She didn¡¯t want to stop, even as she felt her breath growing short.


    But Xavier¡ªalways the one with control¡ªfelt a certain part of himself reacting too strongly. He needed to stop before things escted further.


    And then¡ª


    A sudden ringtone shattered the moment, making them jolt apart.


    Anastasia gasped for air, her cheeks flushed, while Xavier groaned in frustration. He debated ignoring the call, but Anastasia urged him otherwise. "It could be important," she reasoned.


    Sighing heavily, he reached for his phone, which was still in the jacket Anastasia wore. As she pulled it from the pocket, her eyes brieflynded on the caller ID.


    Maxwell.


    She handed the phone over, watching as Xavier hesitated before answering.


    "What?" His voice was clipped.


    "Hey, where are you?" Maxwell¡¯s voice came through.


    "I¡¯m at my mansion," Xavier lied automatically. After everything that had happened, secrecy had be second nature.


    "Oh... One of the security feeds you hacked just picked up something," Maxwell said, his tone more serious now. "We got an image of Xander."


    Xavier¡¯s body went rigid, his entire demeanor shifting. His fingers curled around the phone as his heartbeat pounded in his ears.


    "Where?" he demanded.


    "It was quick, but we caught a clear shot of him entering some restaurants."

 Chapter 419: Home Sweet Home

    Maxwell was a little stunned when he heard that Xavier would being over the next day. It was unusual. And being tired, tired from what exactly? He couldn¡¯t help but wonder since Xavier barely came to the hideout, he had no idea what he could be spending his time on.


    He could only sigh.


    "Go ahead and rest then," he replied and hung up on the phone.


    Xavier stared at his phone screen for a second, his eyes narrowing at it before he locked it and put it back in his pockets.


    He walked back towards Anastasia and tapped her on the shoulder.


    "You must be tired, let¡¯s head back home," he said.


    <i>Home. </i>That word felt foreign to her but she didn¡¯t react much to it.


    Pulling the jacket closer towards her, they went downstairs, their hands intertwined.


    The family were all watching movies when they arrived. When they sensed their presence, Nora quickly asked, "You¡¯re going home already?"


    "Yes, mother," Anastasia responded.


    "I thought you two were going to spend the night here?" Jeffrey asked.


    "Not today. But we¡¯lle some other time and spend the night too," Anastasia replied.


    Jeffrey watched them, regret settling deep in his chest. He had once tried to tear them apart, pushing for a divorce over sins that weren¡¯t Xavier¡¯s to bear. But now, seeing their intertwined hands, he realized how wrong he had been.


    Despite everything Anastasia had endured, Xavier never wavered. He stayed by her side, loving her just as fiercely¡ªif not more¡ªthan before. Jeffrey could see it now: they weren¡¯t just a couple; they were meant for each other. And for the first time, he felt at peace knowing his daughter was truly in good hands.


    Anastasia and Xavier bid everyone a goodbye before they started heading back to their home.


    The ride was silent but still very muchfortable.


    Anastasia¡¯s thoughts drifted off to Izara. For sure, the girl didn¡¯t want to continue whatever business her family was into, but she also didn¡¯t want any help from her.


    ¡¯Could it be that she doesn¡¯t trust me or thinks that I¡¯m just a bad person?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Then she realized that she¡¯d posed as someone who¡¯s into trafficking in the first ce. If only she could just find where their hideout was, then everything would have been easier.


    Since Izara wasn¡¯t willing to spill anything to her, maybe it was high time she met Desmond, her twin brother. However still, there was no guarantee that he would tell her anything that would benefit her.


    ¡¯I¡¯ll just give it a try,¡¯ Anastasia thought to herself.


    She looked out the window and realized they¡¯d reached.


    The mansion was huge, and it looked familiar. Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he¡¯d been living in this huge mansion all by himself.


    "Let¡¯s go in," he said, taking her hand.


    They walked inside and everywhere was as dark as midnight, making it impossible to see.


    Xavier switched on the lights and everywhere was bright once again.


    Anastasia stared at the living room, everything looking so familiar but they were all blurry in her memories.


    All of a sudden, she felt Xavier behind her as he wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his head on her shoulder.


    "If you can¡¯t remember anything, then don¡¯t force yourself. They¡¯lle eventually," he said.


    "Did you live here all by yourself?" Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    She felt Xavier nod. "Everywhere was quiet when you left. Even with the maids being around making some faint noises here and there, it was still too quiet. So I sent them away."


    "Didn¡¯t that make it even more quiet?" She asked.


    "It did. But now that you¡¯re back," he turned her around so that she would be facing him. "Everywhere won¡¯t be quiet anymore." He leaned towards her and ced a soft kiss on her lips. But he wasn¡¯t satisfied. He was tempted to deepen it and have her out of breathe but he doubted the night was only going to end with kissing. He¡¯d been able to hold himself back at the rk mansion. But now, he was starting to lose control.


    Together, they headed towards their room.


    Xavier smiled, already sure he was going to have a sound sleep tonight, the kind he¡¯s never had since she went missing.

 Chapter 420: The Firstborn

    Not because she had given up¡ªbut because she had learned something valuable.


    No matter what she said, no matter what she did, they wouldn¡¯t change.


    But that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t change things herself.


    "This is revolting," she muttered under her breath, shifting in her chair.


    The man beside her chuckled, leaning closer. "Princess, you say that every time."


    Mario, the club¡¯s manager, was an entric man. He wore a rainbow-colored suit, his beard an odd patchwork of dark and silver hairs, resembling eagle feathers. He was always grinning, always scheming, the mastermind behind making sure the men were "trained" properly before they were put on disy.


    "You know my stance on this, Mario," Izara said sharply. "Stop acting like I¡¯ll ever approve."


    Mario rolled his eyes. "And yet, here you are, sitting front and center. Your father made sure of it."


    Izara clenched her fists. That was true. She hadn¡¯te here willingly. Her father had ordered her to evaluate the new batch of captives, and if she refused, there would be consequences.


    She had learned a long time ago that defying the king openly was a mistake.


    "You want to get this over with?" Mario sighed, stretching. "Come on, then. There¡¯s someone else you need to see."


    Reluctantly, Izara followed him through a narrow hallway, leaving behind the loud music and the cheering crowd. The deeper they went, the quieter it became, until they reached a heavy door at the end of the hall.


    Mario pushed it open, revealing a cold, dimly lit room.


    Inside, a group of young men sat in silence, their wrists bound with metal cuffs. Some had bruises, evidence of a struggle before they were taken. Others simply stared at the floor, their expressions hollow, their spirits broken.


    Mario crouched beside one of them, running his hand along the boy¡¯s face. "This one is beautiful," he mused. "If we shave his stubble and add a little makeup, he¡¯ll pass as a woman."


    The boy flinched violently, his muffled cries barely audible through the gag tied around his mouth.


    Izara¡¯s stomach twisted.


    "I¡¯m done here," she said abruptly, turning on her heel.


    Mario didn¡¯t stop her, but just as she reached the door, his voice followed.


    "You¡¯re going to see him, aren¡¯t you?"


    Izara froze.


    "I haven¡¯t told your parents," he continued smoothly, "yet."


    Slowly, she turned back, her jaw tightening. "You promised."


    "I did," Mario admitted, standing up. "But at the end of the day, I work for them, not you."


    Izara¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    "I¡¯ve been covering for you for years," Mario said. "I watched you struggle, telling yourself you¡¯d fix things, but you still haven¡¯t done anything."


    "You think this is easy?" she snapped. "I have to do everything alone."


    "Then ask for help," Mario said simply, his expression unreadable. "You need to act before it¡¯s toote. Your brother¡¯s life is in your hands now."


    Izara inhaled sharply, trying to calm the storm in her chest.


    She had no time left.


    Without another word, she turned and walked away, her pace quickening as she made her way to the ce Mario had been hiding him.


    When she reached the door, her breath caught.


    Steeling herself, she pushed it open.


    There, lying on a thin mattress, staring nkly at the ceiling, was Edward.


    Her older brother.


    The one their parents had disowned.


    Edward had been the firstborn, the rightful heir to the throne. But he hadn¡¯t been what they wanted. He hadn¡¯t been "strong enough," hadn¡¯t been "obedient enough." And so, they had cast him aside, erasing his existence from history.


    But he wasn¡¯t.


    Mario had saved him, hidden him away in the shadows of the kingdom.


    Now, here he was¡ªweak, frail, barely a shell of the brother she had once known. After her parents had used him countless times, he¡¯d lost himself in the process of it all. But they didn¡¯t care at all. All they cared about was the money he was bringing in.


    It was a sad reality. No one had to teach her the right thing, she had to teach herself all of that.


    Edward felt a presence in his space and turned to look at her with curiosityced in his gaze.


    "Who are you?" He asked.

 Chapter 421: Broken Brother

    Izara nodded quickly, afraid that if she spoke, her voice would betray the emotions bubbling up inside her.


    Edward let out a shaky breath, his lips trembling as he took her in. "Look at you," he murmured. "You¡¯re all grown up now."


    Izara wanted to run to him, to wrap her arms around him like she had when they were children. But she forced herself to stay still. If she got too close, there was no telling how he would react.


    Then, Edward¡¯s eyes darted around the dimly lit room. "Where¡¯s Desmond?" he asked, his voiceced with anticipation. "He didn¡¯te with you today?"


    "I¡¯m here."


    Izara turned sharply at the voice.


    Desmond stood in the doorway, his face partially obscured by the dim light.


    Her pulse quickened. "What are you doing here?" she demanded.


    Desmond sighed and held up a ck mask in his hand. "Don¡¯t worry," he assured her. "I wore a mask the entire way here."


    Izara¡¯s shoulders remained tense. She feared the club¡¯s patrons¡ªespecially the older noblemen¡ªmight have caught sight of him. Even though their family specialized in trafficking men, there were still powerful figures who would take an interest in someone like Desmond.


    Edward¡¯s gaze locked onto Desmond, his lips parting slightly in surprise.


    Their family had always been unconventional. The king and queen of Regalith had used surrogacy to conceive their children. However, Edward, the firstborn, had been born frail, constantly falling ill. His more delicate, feminine features had been considered an abomination in a kingdom that worshipped strength.


    From the moment he was born, their parents had deemed him unworthy of the throne.


    But the king was not a man who wasted resources.


    Instead of simply discarding Edward, he had found a way to make a profit.


    That was how their father¡¯s sex trafficking empire had begun.


    Edward had been his first victim.


    Izara¡¯s stomach churned at the memory.


    She and Desmond had fought to save him. With Mario¡¯s help, they had tracked down the buyer and repaid everyst dime to get him back. But the damage had already been done. The trauma Edward had suffered at the hands of their own family had left him shattered.


    Now, he was a ghost of the brother they had once known.


    "Desmond!" Edward suddenly shouted.


    Before either of them could react, he ran forward and pulled Desmond into a tight embrace.


    "You¡¯re so big now," Edward whispered, his voice filled with awe. "Oh my... what happened to time? It feels like it¡¯s been ten years since Ist saw you."


    Desmond stiffened. He nced at Izara, his expression filled with unease.


    He was remembering thest time Edward had lost control.


    "You two..." Edward¡¯s voice wavered. He took a step back, looking between them. "You¡¯ve forgotten about me, haven¡¯t you? That¡¯s why you never visit anymore."


    Izara felt her heart squeeze.


    "That¡¯s not true," she said softly.


    Edward¡¯s gaze darkened.


    "I¡¯M TALKING TO THE BOTH OF YOU!" he suddenly roared.


    Izara and Desmond flinched.


    "Yes," they replied in unison, their voices barely above a whisper.


    The tension in the air was suffocating.


    Then, Edward¡¯s lips curled into a small smile. "Come," he said, motioning toward the bed. "I want to tell you two a story."


    Izara and Desmond froze.


    That was the warning sign.


    Edward always wanted to tell them a story.


    But every time, without fail, something in his mind would snap.


    Desmond¡¯s eyes met hers. They didn¡¯t need words. They both turned on their heels and bolted for the door.


    "DON¡¯T RUN FROM ME!" Edward screamed.


    They barely made it out in time, mming the door shut behind them. The metallic ng echoed through the room as they locked it.


    BANG.


    Edward¡¯s fists pounded against the door.


    "LET ME OUT!" he howled, his voice filled with rage.


    Izara pressed her forehead against the cold metal, biting down on her lip to keep from crying.


    Behind her, Desmond exhaled shakily.


    "So," he said, breaking the silence, "what¡¯s your n?"


    Izara wiped at her eyes. "The military officer I spoke to said he can¡¯t act against the royal family," she admitted, her voiceced with frustration. "But he gave me a file with a list of names. People from other nations who might be willing to help."


    Desmond frowned. "Do you trust them?"


    "No," she admitted. "I don¡¯t know if we can."


    Desmond hesitated before saying, "What about Jennifer Reyez?"


    Izara stiffened.


    "She offered to help," he reminded her.


    Izara shook her head. "Jennifer is involved in sex trafficking, too. They deal with women, and their operations are even worse than what our parents are doing."


    Desmond exhaled sharply. "But she¡¯s powerful. She has influence. If she¡¯s offering to help, maybe¡ª"


    "I don¡¯t trust her," Izara interrupted.


    Desmond ran a hand through his hair. "Look, if we don¡¯t act soon, Mom and Dad are going to start paying attention. If theye here, they¡¯ll find Edward." Izara¡¯s stomach twisted. And if they found Edward, it would all be over.


    "It¡¯s not like we have anything we have that can be of great interest to her. If she wants, she might as well take over this trafficking business." He added.


    They need to act. Fast.

 Chapter 422: Meeting With Izara

    "I hear you loud and clear," he replied, exhaling deeply as he leaned back against the bench. "If there¡¯s one person I¡¯m relieved to be rid of these past few days, it¡¯s Tracie. Finally, some peace¡ªfeels like a weight¡¯s been lifted off my neck."


    The image of Tracie¡¯s face appeared in Julian¡¯s mind and his mood instantly went sour. He didn¡¯t despise her, but she was always hanging around because she thought he was going to harm Anastasia in one way or the other. After all, he still hadn¡¯t revealed the main reason he¡¯d helped escape from Xander¡¯s clutches.


    Not having her around made him breathe fresh air. She was a menace.


    "But you know, she kind of reminds me of Isabe," Alex added. Isabe was Julian¡¯s dead wife. "She was just as tough as her, fighting like a mother hen ready to protect her chicks."


    "Don¡¯tpare Tracie and Isabe together. Tracie is a loose screwpared to Isabe," Julian replied.


    Isabe was barely mentioned in a conversation with Alex, but whenever she was, Julian would regret ever having that conversation in the first ce because she was all he could think of.


    After he and Isabe had married, she found out about this source of ie and wasn¡¯tfortable with it. Instead of leaving him like every other woman should have done in her position, she decided to try to convince him to quit. Julian had to give it several thoughts and tried considering it since he loved the woman, and truly, he wanted to stop.


    He wanted to quit living the life of misery he thought he enjoyed by selling women.


    The day he was going to meet Xander to inform him he was going to quit, he received a phone call that his wife had gotten into a car ident. The truck that crushed her car made sure not to leave anything behind.


    Julian was suspicious at first, wondering if the ident was real or nned, only for him to find out that the truck driver had been heavily drunk.


    Julian was devastated, and after that, he wasn¡¯t sure of the right decisions to make anymore. To top it all off, Isabe had been pregnant with their second child when she died. That day, he lost two people all at once.


    She¡¯d wanted him to quit so that they could live a peaceful life, but she¡¯d died. Every day, Julian lived with the guilt that maybe it was his fault she was dead. This was why when he saw Anastasia, he suddenly felt like helping for the first time. He felt the urge to try to do the right thing once again. And he did.


    "You look deep in thoughts once again," Alexmented.


    "I was thinking about Isabe," he replied genuinely and Alex hummed in understanding.


    "You¡¯re still thinking her death was nned?" He asked. "Who could have done such a thing? I mean, there¡¯s a chance but there¡¯s no clue or evidence to start investigating from anywhere that can help us find anything out."


    "You¡¯re right," he replied.


    **


    Samantha, Xander, together with Julian, and Anastasia arrived in Regalith to take a look at the property and have some talk with the king and queen. Anastasia wasn¡¯t there to have any talk with the king and queen. All she wanted to do was have a chance with Desmond and try speaking with Izara once again.


    However, Anastasia couldn¡¯t take her eyes off Xander and Samantha. They seemed oddly closer with each other although there was still that tension lingering between them.


    Anastasia shared a look with Julian and thetter seemed to have noticed it too.


    "This ce is looking beautiful day by day," Xandermented.


    "It wouldn¡¯t be long before the project isplete," Samantha added.


    They saw the king and queen walking towards them with big smiles on their lips as if they were excited to have them around.


    "Pleasee to the pce. My servants have prepared some snacks for our lovely guests," the king said with a generous smile.


    Everyone followed them back to the pce. They weren¡¯t scared if they were going to be poisoned because the royal family wouldn¡¯t dare do that, at least not yet.


    However, something shing caught Anastasia¡¯s attention. She looked up at a building. It wasn¡¯t too far off, but she recognized the person.


    It was Xavier, and he was with a weapon.


    Anastasia¡¯s heart plummeted when she realized the sniper in Xavier¡¯s hands was aimed directly at Xander. He was going to shoot him.


    At first, she was stunned¡ªwhy was Xavier in Regalith at all? And more importantly, why was he trying to kill his own brother? This wasn¡¯t part of the n. Eliminating Xander wasn¡¯t supposed to happen¡ªat least, not yet.


    Anastasia held her breath, waiting for the inevitable gunshot¡ªbut it never came. Xavier kept the sniper trained on Xander as he walked into the pce, yet his finger never pulled the trigger.


    Then, as if sensing her gaze, he looked directly at her. Their eyes met, and to her utter confusion, he smiled. It wasn¡¯t a warm or reassuring smile¡ªit was tight, controlled, masking something far darker beneath the surface.


    And in that moment, Anastasia knew¡ªXavier was furious. But at what, she couldn¡¯t yet tell.


    Anastasia followed them towards the dining room where several foods had beenid out for them.


    "Please take a seat," said the king. Everyone took a seat. He noticed no one made any attempt to touch the food. "And please, don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t poison the food if that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking," he said.


    Everyone around the table stared at him but not a soul believed him.


    "We would like some food testers toe and taste it since it¡¯s not poisonous," Xander said.


    The king shared a look with his wife before she gave a subtle nod. She called out a servant who was standing nearby in case they needed anything, and ordered her to taste the food from each te with a different spoon.


    Anastasia didn¡¯t care about the food tester at all. Both Desmond and Izara weren¡¯t sitting at the table and she didn¡¯t know where they could be. She needed to speak with both of them and now that they weren¡¯t sitting on the table, she had no idea where she was going to find them.


    She couldn¡¯t leave the table and go searching for them¡ªthat would make the royal couple suspicious of her and that was thest thing she needed. She wondered if she should excuse herself to use the restroom and go searching for them from there.


    Some time passed and the food tester didn¡¯t have any reactions which gave them the go signal to go ahead and eat.


    "I came today to ask how you n to announce the call for volunteers for our program," Xander said, his toneposed but expectant.


    "The surrogacy program?" The king¡¯s expression remained neutral, but Anastasia noticed the subtle tension in his jaw. "You don¡¯t need to worry about that. I¡¯ve already arranged for an event where it will be formally announced." Under the table, his fist clenched, a small but telling gesture.


    Anastasia barely heard the rest of the conversation. From the corner of her eye, she spotted Izara descending the grand staircase. Her presence pulled Anastasia¡¯s attention like a ma.


    She knew she needed to talk to her. Now.


    Quickly, she straightened in her seat and spoke up. "Excuse me, but where¡¯s the restroom?"

 Chapter 423: A Gun Shot

    Izara and Desmond exchanged a look. They already knew what she wanted. She would try to convince them to show her the hideout and offer her help.


    Izara hesitated, clearly torn. Her stance was rigid, her lips pressed into a thin line.


    Desmond, however, was watching his sister carefully, waiting for her reaction.


    Anastasia exhaled, slipping her hands into her pocket and retrieving a small card. "This is my phone number. Contact me if you need anything." She stretched out her hand, eyes filled with silent hope.


    For a moment, neither of them moved.


    Then, surprisingly, Izara reached forward and took the card.


    Anastasia raised a brow, slightly taken aback.


    "Actually, you were right," Desmond admitted. "We do need help." He shot his sister a nce before continuing, lowering his voice. "We actually have a br¡ª"


    "Izara."


    The trio froze.


    Anastasia turned sharply and found herself face-to-face with the queen, her piercing gaze sweeping over them with suspicion.


    "What are you doing here?" The queen¡¯s question was directed at Anastasia, her voice carrying a subtle edge.


    Anastasia masked her shock quickly, her mind racing for an excuse.


    "I saw Izara and Desmond out here and decided to greet them," she said smoothly. "I didn¡¯t see them at the table, so I was a bit worried."


    The queen didn¡¯t buy it. That much was obvious. But Anastasia wasn¡¯t concerned¡ªshe knew the older woman wouldn¡¯t push her too hard. Not when she still had leverage over both the king and queen.


    The queen¡¯s gaze flickered to her children.


    Izara was the first to move. "We were just about to leave," she said, her voice unreadable.


    Desmond followed her lead without hesitation. While their mother¡¯s attention had been on Anastasia, Izara had discreetly slipped the card into her pocket.


    Anastasia and the queen locked eyes once more.


    Just as she was about to walk away, the queen spoke again.


    "I hope you¡¯re not out here threatening my children."


    Anastasia stopped.


    A wry smile yed at her lips. "Why would I do that when I already have you and your husband wrapped around my finger?" She tilted her head slightly. "Unless... there¡¯s something they know that you don¡¯t want me to find out?"


    The queen¡¯s expression darkened.


    "You should know your ce," she warned. "You are still a foreigner here. And I am the queen."


    Anastasia let out a soft chuckle, tilting her head in mock amusement. "What do you expect me to do? Bow down and chant, <i>May the queen live long</i>?" She rolled her eyes. "Oh, please."


    The queen¡¯s lips parted, but before she could respond¡ª


    A gunshot.


    Loud. Echoing.


    Anastasia¡¯s stomach dropped.


    Her mind immediately went to one person.


    Xavier.


    Without hesitation, she turned and ran toward the source of the gunshot, the queen following closely behind.


    By the time they reached the courtyard, chaos had erupted.


    Xander was on the ground, blood seeping from his leg. He clutched his thigh, his expression twisted in pain.


    "Fuck!" he cursed, his breathing ragged.


    Julian was already there, barking orders to the pce guards. "Get him to the hospital. Now!"


    Xander had been retrieving documents from his car when the bullet struck him. It hade out of nowhere.


    Anastasia¡¯s gaze instinctively flicked up¡ªtoward the rooftop.


    Xavier was gone.


    Her pulse quickened.


    He had been the one to pull the trigger.


    But why?


    She turned her attention back to Xander as he was loaded into a car, the tires screeching as it sped toward the hospital.


    Anastasia exhaled sharply, pushing away the flood of questions racing through her mind. She needed answers.


    At the hospital, Xander had already been admitted, doctors working on his injury.


    Anastasia lingered outside the hospital, arms crossed, her mind still reeling.


    Then, her phone buzzed.


    A message.


    From Xavier.


    <i>I¡¯m here.</i>


    She nced up and saw him standing at the far end of a corner, leaning casually against the wall.


    Without hesitation, she walked toward him.


    The moment she was close, she didn¡¯t bother with pleasantries. "Why did you do that?"


    Xavier smirked slightly. "You already know the answer."


    Her eyes narrowed. "We never nned to kill him¡ªnot yet. So why?"


    Xavier exhaled through his nose, his amusement fading. "I wasn¡¯t trying to kill him."


    Anastasia crossed her arms. "Then what was that?"


    "I needed to remind him that he¡¯s not invincible," Xavier said, his tone cold. "Xander walks around like he owns everything. He needed a reality check."


    Anastasia scoffed. "So, you just... shot him?"


    Xavier tilted his head. "It got the message across, didn¡¯t it?"


    She wanted to argue, to tell him he was reckless, but a part of her understood.


    Xander had been growing bolder, taking more risks. He had assumed he was untouchable. Xavier had just shattered that illusion.


    Anastasia sighed, rubbing her temple. "You¡¯re impossible."


    Xavier smirked. "And yet, you¡¯re still here."


    Before she could respond, he reached out, gently pulling her closer.


    "I missed you," he murmured.


    Anastasia stiffened at the unexpected words.


    Her heart tightened.


    "...I missed you too," she admitted quietly.

 Chapter 424: New Doubt

    No, there was only one person ruthless enough to take a shot at Xander without hesitation and that person was Xavier.


    Julian knew it, but he wasn¡¯t about to voice it aloud, at least not to Samantha.


    Instead, he tried a different approach. "Samantha, you¡¯re exhausted. Why don¡¯t you step outside for some air? I¡¯ll let you know the moment the doctores out."


    She hesitated, ncing toward the closed doors of the operating room. But after a moment, she nodded. "Fine. But let me know right away."


    With that, she turned on her heel and walked away.


    The night air was crisp against Samantha¡¯s skin, tugging at her red curls as she stepped outside.


    She exhaled deeply, trying to clear the tension knotting her shoulders.


    But just as she started to rx, her eyesnded on a familiar figure at a corner.


    It was <i>Jennifer</i>.


    Her brow furrowed. Jennifer was standing with a man, her back to Samantha, embracing someone.


    Samantha¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    Who the hell was that?


    She took a step forward, trying to catch a glimpse of the man¡¯s face. But his head was angled away from her, and shadows cloaked his figure.


    Suspicion prickled at the back of her mind.


    Jennifer didn¡¯t strike her as the type to have a secret lover. And why would he be here¡ªat a hospital?


    Samantha debated confronting her. But before she could act, her phone buzzed in her pocket.


    She nced down. A message from Julian.


    <i>The doctor¡¯s done removing the bullet.</i>


    She looked back toward Jennifer, but the man was gone.


    Vanished.


    Jennifer was now walking toward her, aposed smile on her lips.


    Samantha¡¯s stomach twisted. "Was that a friend?"


    Jennifer¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. "Yes."


    The short reply put Samantha on edge.


    She studied Jennifer for a moment longer before nodding slowly. "Right."


    Without another word, she turned and walked back inside.


    Anastasia watched her go, her own tension hidden beneath a carefully crafted mask.


    It was a good thing Samantha hadn¡¯t seen his face.


    If she had, everything would have crumbled.


    Xandery in his hospital bed, his leg bandaged and throbbing. The pain was dull now, numbed by medication, but his pride still burned.


    He had been careless. Too careless. And now he was paying for it.


    "Sam, can you get me some food?" he asked.


    Samantha nodded immediately. "I¡¯ll be back soon."


    With onest nce at him, she left.


    But Xander hadn¡¯t sent her away because he was hungry.


    He had seen the worry in her eyes, the way she had hovered over him, unable to hide her distress. And for some reason, it made him feel... guilty.


    An unfamiliar, unwee emotion.


    Xander exhaled, rubbing his face. His emotions toward Samantha were a tangled mess. He didn¡¯t want to think about it now.


    His thoughts were interrupted by the soft creak of the door.


    He looked up, expecting Samantha.


    But the moment he saw who stepped inside, his blood ran cold.


    Xavier.


    Xander tensed instinctively, his hands curling into fists beneath the nket.


    Xavier closed the door behind him with a quiet click, his movements slow, deliberate. A smirk yed at the corner of his lips as he walked toward the chair beside Xander¡¯s bed and sank down with unhurried ease.


    "It¡¯s been a long time, big brother," he murmured.


    Xander¡¯s jaw clenched. "You little¡ª"


    "Shh." Xavier raised a finger. "You¡¯re in a hospital. Best not to cause a scene."


    Xander¡¯s heart pounded. He was alone. No Julian. No Samantha. No one to witness whatever Xavier nned to do.


    Xavier could kill him right here and now.


    Xander forced himself to stayposed. "Were you the one who shot me?"


    Xavier didn¡¯t answer.


    Silence.


    And that silence was answer enough.


    Xander exhaled sharply through his nose. "If this is revenge for Anastasia, you could have just finished the job." His lips curled into a cruel smirk. "I mean, I did kill your weak little wife, didn¡¯t I?"


    Xavier didn¡¯t flinch.


    Instead, he let out a quiet chuckle. "Ipletely understand why you did it," he said, his voice eerily calm. "You wanted to get back at me. I get that."


    Xander¡¯s smirk faltered slightly.


    "But..." Xavier leaned in, his gaze dark and unyielding.


    "Have you ever stopped to wonder if I was framed for Arabe¡¯s murder?"


    Xander¡¯s breath hitched.


    Xavier tilted his head slightly. "What if she was killed by someone else?"


    Xander¡¯s pulse thundered in his ears. He had spent years ming Xavier for Arabe¡¯s death. Years seething with hatred.


    And now, in a single moment, Xavier was shattering the foundation of that hatred.


    Xander swallowed hard. "What are you trying to say?"


    Xavier exhaled slowly. Then, with chilling certainty, he said, "What if the person who murdered Arabe... was our father?"


    The world seemed to still.

 Chapter 425: Seed Of Doubt

    "You sound like you¡¯re trying to convince yourself," Xavier replied, and without wasting a second, he left the room.


    He met with ady with fiery red hair and emerald green eyes outside whose eyes nearly popped out of her sockets once her eyesid on him.


    Xavier merely nced at her before he walked past her like he never saw her and disappeared.


    At first, Samantha was shocked to see a lookalike to Xander outside his room, then she realized it was his twin brother, Xavier. It was the first time she was seeing him in person. Quickly, she rushed inside and found Xander on the bed, deep in thought.


    "I just saw him outside, did he do anything to you?" She asked, ready to call the doctor but Xander shook his head, confusing her. There was no way Xavier woulde in there and not hurt Xander. She believed something must have happened.


    "Everything is fine," Xander replied, but deep down, he was sure nothing was alright. Doubting his father to be the one who killed Arabe was thest thing he thought was ever going toe out of her case. It was impossible because of several reasons.


    Xander closed his eyes and decided to dismiss the thoughts. He believed Xavier intended to confuse him and direct him into hating their father because of what he¡¯d done to him by kidnapping Anastasia.


    But at the same time, he also wondered why Xavier didn¡¯t finish him off. He could have shot him and easily escaped without being spotted by anyone and no one would ever know. So what was Xavier thinking?


    Meanwhile, Xavier was heading outside, relieved that he¡¯d informed Xander of what he knew. He¡¯d been nning on taking care of their father all on his own, but their father didn¡¯t only offend Xavier, he¡¯d offended Xander more by getting rid of his lover several years ago.


    Xavier wasn¡¯t sure what his brother was going to do. There was a chance that he wasn¡¯t going to believe all he said, but he was d he¡¯d nted that seed of doubt in him. If he and Mr. Wace were seeing each other, Xander would at least attempt to confront him on the situation and try to get a direct answer from him.


    Xavier sighted Anastasia and Julian. With his stance, thetter still felt familiar but Xavier didn¡¯t bother trying hard to recall where he¡¯d seen him anymore.


    "Did he believe you?" Anastasia asked when she saw him. She nced around to make sure Samantha wasn¡¯t closeby before stepping closer towards him.


    "It doesn¡¯t look like it, but what¡¯s done is done. If he¡¯s smart like he says he is, he would put his nose down and start digging for clues," Xavier responded, his hands in his pockets.


    "If Mr. Wace was the one who killed Arabe, then could there be a chance that Bruce knew about it but never told him anything?" Julian suddenly asked, earning him a questionable stare from Anastasia.


    Xavier nodded. "That is very much possible. They¡¯re friends after all and partners in crime too or some sort. So it¡¯s very much possible for Bruce to know about everything that my father has done and never told Xander anything."


    "Bruce values Xander even more than his very own daughter, Samantha, so if that was the case he¡¯s also betraying Xander."


    Xavier scoffed. "I didn¡¯t think either of them cared about who they betrayed along the way to achieve their goals."


    Anastasia¡¯s head was lowered, the weight of the conversation dropping on her shoulders. If Xander acted right, Mr. Wace would be caught in no time. Not like everything would be over with Xander choosing to quit his sex trafficking business and surrender, but at least, one enemy would be down.


    Anastasia was about to say something when she suddenly got a text from someone. She checked it only to find it was an odd number, but her eyes widened in shock when she read the text she received.


    <i>It¡¯s Izara</i>


    <i>I¡¯m willing to tell you everything</i>


    Anastasia couldn¡¯t believe her eyes because she thought it was going to take a while before Izara would think of contacting her or be willing to inform her of the information she needed.


    She quickly replied and nced up at Xavier.


    "It¡¯s Izara," she said to him.


    A secondter, Anastasia received a text with the time and address of where she would be meeting up with thetter.


    **


    It waste at night, and Xavier and Anastasia arrived at the address that Izara had shared with her earlier. Xavier had insisted on going with her because he hasn¡¯t met with Izara and neither did he trust her.


    The ce was almost on the outskirts of Regalith, several miles away from the pce and Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was where their hideout was. To their surprise, the address led them to a club.


    The neon sign read <i>The Cockpit.</i>


    She exchanged a confused expression with Xavier, wondering if Izara was going to have a drink with her at the club or...


    Several cars were parked everywhere, a sign that the inside must be bustling with people. The bouncers gave them a suspicious look but didn¡¯t say anything.


    The couple were tempted to go inside, but they hesitated still because there was a chance it could be a trap.


    Not long after, Izara came out through the door, her gazending on Xavier and instantly, she halted.


    "I told you toe alone," said Izara, staring at Xavier suspiciously. "Who is he?"


    Anastasia paused for a second before she replied, "He¡¯s my husband."


    "What?"


    "You can trust him and believe me when I say he also wants to help you too," Anastasia added.


    Izara sighed. She¡¯d already brought Anastasia to the main location and even if she changed her mind by deciding not to take her inside, thetter could force her way in.


    "Alright then,e in."


    They passed the bouncers and entered the club and what weed the couple nearly had their jaws falling on the ground.


    It was a normal club, however, the strippers were something they¡¯d never seen before. Instead of female strippers, half-naked and all, the people standing on stage were men. Half-naked men with feminine makeup on that entertained the audience.


    Anastasia suddenly felt a nauseating feeling and she had to take a deep breath to feel better.


    "I know you have a lot of questions to ask me," Izara started as they headed towards a metallic door that looked like an elevator. But the couple could swear there was only the ground floor. "But I promise I¡¯m going to answer everything."


    The door to the elevator opened, but before they could step inside, Xavier asked, "Where will this lead?"


    "It goes down to the underground sex trafficking ring," Izara responded. "Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t intend to harm people I need help from."


    Xavier shared a look with Anastasia before they stepped inside.


    Once the elevator opened, Anastasia wished they could go back and never return.

 Chapter 426: Who’s Worse?

    The younger ones, however... they had already given up.


    The same could be said for the adult women who were seated on the side, dressed in revealing outfits they clearly hadn¡¯t chosen for themselves. Their eyes were dead¡ªvoid of hope, void of life.


    Anastasia resisted the violent urge to gag.


    She turned her head sharply, her fingers curling into fists. She needed to get out. She needed air.


    Izara must have noticed, because she spoke up. "Come with me. There¡¯s someone I want to show you."


    Xavier tore his gaze away from the horrific scene and turned to follow her. But just as they started moving¡ª


    A foul stench of cigarette smoke and alcohol filled the air.


    A man staggered toward them, his ssy, bloodshot eyes fixed on Xavier.


    "Izara, is this one of your recruits?" The man slurred, his words barely coherent as he sized Xavier up.


    Xavier¡¯s muscles tensed.


    The man¡¯s gaze lowered, slowly running down Xavier¡¯s body before a sick grin curled on his lips. "He¡¯s quite tall."


    Xavier¡¯s stomach twisted with revulsion.


    Before he could react, another man nearby turned his head toward them, his hungry gaze locking onto Xavier.


    "He¡¯s very handsome," he mused, licking his lips. "How much do I need to pay to buy him?"


    Silence.


    For the first time in his entire life, Xavier was too stunned to speak.


    His mind barely had time to register the pure absurdity of the situation before the first man stepped even closer, his breath reeking of stale alcohol.


    "I¡¯m sure his cock is just as big. Let me touch it and see¡ª"


    The next thing he knew, his body was flying across the room.


    A sickening crash filled the chamber as he mmed into a table, shattering it into pieces.


    Gasps erupted around them.


    The room fell into a tense, suffocating silence.


    All eyes turned toward Xavier, who hadn¡¯t even flinched.


    But the second man¡ªthe one who had tried to buy him¡ªdidn¡¯t back away.


    Instead, his expression twisted into rage.


    "Who the hell do you think you are?" he roared, stepping forward. "Do you know who I am?!"


    He turned sharply to Izara. "Haven¡¯t you already trained this one? That must be why he¡¯s misbehaving! You better teach him some manners, else¡ª"


    He didn¡¯t get to finish that sentence.


    Because in less than a second, Xavier¡¯s hand wrapped around his throat.


    A strangled gasp left the man¡¯s lips as he struggled, choking on his own breath.


    Xavier¡¯s grip tightened.


    His gaze darkened.


    "What did you just say?" The man kicked and wed, his body convulsing like a fish freshly pulled from the ocean. Xavier¡¯s voice dropped into a deadly whisper. "Men like you shouldn¡¯t be called men in the first ce."


    And with zero hesitation, he threw the man against another table.


    Another crash.


    Another round of gasps.


    The entire club was now watching.


    The music had stopped. The dancers on stage stood frozen, their eyes wide as they took in the scene unfolding before them.


    But no one dared to step forward.


    Izara, meanwhile, felt her heart m violently against her ribcage.


    Shit.


    Those two men weren¡¯t just anyone. They were powerful. Elite men with political influence.


    If word got out that they had been attacked and humiliated, their parents woulde storming down.


    And when they did¡ªthey¡¯d find Edward.


    A door opened somewhere, and a man in a dark suit stepped into the room. It was Mario.


    His eyes widened in horror as he took in the wreckage¡ªthe broken tables, the unconscious bodies. He stared at Izara who gave him a pleaded look.


    "Come on. We need to go," she said with urgency evident in her tone and they left.


    As they moved down the hall, Izara heard Mario¡¯s voice faintly trying topose everyone and act like nothing happened.


    "I apologize for what happened earlier," she murmured.


    "I¡¯m sure you must have felt ufortable."


    Xavier let out a low chuckle.


    "Ufortable?" He shook his head. "After what I did, I doubt anyone will try that again."


    They arrived at a door.


    And standing beside it¡ªwas Desmond.


    Izara¡¯s stomach dropped.


    Something was wrong.


    Her brows furrowed as she stepped forward. "What happened?"


    Desmond¡¯s jaw was tight.


    "He¡¯s been unstable since this morning," he muttered. "And it¡¯s getting worse."


    Xavier and Anastasia exchanged nces.


    "Who?"


    Before either sibling could answer, a loud bang echoed from behind the door.


    A violent, desperate scream followed.


    "GET ME OUT OF HERE!!"


    Anastasia flinched.


    "JUST GET ME OUT OF HERE!!"


    Xavier¡¯s brows knitted together. The voice was thick with agony. Who the hell was in there?


    Izara¡¯s throat was dry.


    She hesitated for a moment before saying, "That¡¯s our elder brother."


    Xavier¡¯s eyes snapped to her.


    "...Elder brother?"


    Anastasia¡¯s lips parted in shock. "You have an older brother?"


    Izara nodded.


    And then¡ªshe told them everything.


    She told them what their parents had done to Edward.


    The years of torture. The maniption. The destruction of his mind.


    She told them how he had tried to escape, but failed every time.


    How he had once been sane¡ªonce been normal¡ªuntil their parents broke him.


    By the time she was finished, both Xavier and Anastasia were speechless.


    They had known the royal couple was evil. They had known they were psychopaths.


    But this...This was beyond evil. This was monstrous.


    And now, for the first time¡ªXavier wasn¡¯t sure who was worse.


    Xander... or the royal couple.

 Chapter 427: Enraged

    He barely spoke. He barely reacted to anything.


    His gaze was always distant.


    His mind¡ªelsewhere.


    Finally, as their private jetnded in Radiantia, she broke the silence.


    "Why did you suddenly want to meet your biological father?"


    Xander didn¡¯t answer.


    Samantha had suggested that Mr. Wacee to Xattlewood instead.


    Xander¡¯s wound was still fresh. He could barely walk, even with crutches, and flying all the way here was reckless.


    But Xander had ignored her.


    And then, something even more surprising happened.


    Mr. Wace told them he wasn¡¯t home.


    He was at a party with Bruce.


    Samantha had been furious.


    How could Xander, in his condition, still be so stubborn?


    She didn¡¯t trust him to handle this alone, so, she was left with no choice but to follow him.


    And now, here they were.


    Outside an extravagant party, surrounded by people who had no idea what kind of monsters lurked among them.


    The event wasvish, the kind only men of their status could afford.


    Gold-ted chandeliers. Endless champagne towers. Conversations coated in deception and power ys.


    But Xander had no intention of going inside.


    Instead, he fired off a text message announcing his arrival.


    Then, he took a seat far from the main building.


    Samantha sighed, sitting beside him.


    She wasn¡¯t giving up that easily.


    "What did Xavier tell you that has you this worked up?" she pressed.


    Xander¡¯s grip on his crutches tightened.


    He let out a slow exhale before finally muttering, "You¡¯ll find out soon enough."


    His voice was calm, but Samantha felt the weight in his words.


    She hated this.


    She hated how closed off he had be.


    She hated how she could feel something was wrong, yet he wouldn¡¯t tell her.


    Still, she stayed by his side.


    Even when the tension was suffocating.


    Even when she knew she might not like the answers.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Mr. Wace and Bruce to step out of the venue.


    Their suits were pristine. Their watches gleamed under the streetlights. The faint scent of expensive cigars and whiskey lingered in the air.


    They had been enjoying themselves.


    But the moment they saw Xander¡ªeverything changed.


    Bruce¡¯s eyes immediately fell to the white bandage wrapped around his foot.


    "Who did this to you?" he asked, voice sharp.


    Mr. Wace¡¯s expression darkened. "Were you attacked?"


    Xander studied their faces, his heart pounding against his ribs.


    He replied after a few beats, "I was...by Xavier."


    The reaction was instant.


    Their eyes widened in shock.


    Bruce¡¯s fists clenched and Mr. Wace¡¯s posture stiffened.


    The silence stretched for what felt like an eternity.


    Then, finally, Mr. Wace spoke. "...What?"


    Xander could hear the edge in his voice.


    The mixture of disbelief and something else.


    Something deeper.


    But he didn¡¯te here to talk about Xavier.


    That wasn¡¯t what had been keeping him awake at night.


    There was something else and that was far more important.


    His gaze locked onto Mr. Wace. Then, he asked the question that had been haunting him for days.


    "Do you remember Arabe?"


    Silence.


    Everything¡ªthe faint music from the party, the distantughter, the soft chatter of the guests¡ªfaded.


    Bruce and Mr. Wace froze.


    For a brief second¡ªa mere heartbeat¡ªMr. Wace¡¯s expression shifted.


    Then, just as quickly, he masked it.


    "...Arabe?" he echoed. His voice was calm, too calm. "Who¡¯s that?"


    Xander¡¯s gaze darkened.


    "Arabe," Xander repeated. "The girl I took to the hospital two decades ago. The one Xavier murdered."


    Mr. Wace pretended to think.


    Then, after a moment, he let out a small, casual chuckle.


    "Ah... right. Arabe."


    His smile was practiced. His tone¡ªunnatural.


    "...Why bring her up now?" Mr. Wace asked, forcing another chuckle.


    Xander didn¡¯t blink.


    "I want to know the truth."


    Mr. Wace¡¯s brows furrowed. "The truth?"


    "Did you kill Arabe?"


    The moment those words left his mouth¡ªMr. Wace¡¯s mask cracked.


    For the first time, his reaction betrayed him.


    His breath hitched. His pupils dted. His jaw tightened. And then, just as quickly, he took a step back¡ªas if the usation had physically struck him.


    Samantha¡¯s eyes widened, but she remained silent.


    Bruce was utterly still.


    The weight of Xander¡¯s words settled over them like a noose.


    Then, finally, Mr. Wace¡¯s shock morphed into anger.


    "What the hell are you saying?" His voice was sharp, cold. "That¡¯s an outrageous usation."


    Xander didn¡¯t waver.


    The way his hands clenched.


    The way his breathing changed


    The way his eyes darted ever so slightly¡ªjust for a second.


    Xander leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I¡¯ll ask you one more time." Time seemed to have stopped as he said those words. "Did you kill her?"


    The silence that followed was suffocating.


    Mr. Wace¡¯s jaw clenched.


    Then, he spoke, "What sort of nonsense question is that?"

 Chapter 428: Found Him

    Xander remained silent.


    The man had a point. His father could be a lot of things¡ªapathetic, dismissive, neglectful¡ªbut was he really capable of murder?


    For years, Xander had been certain¡ªabsolutely certain¡ªthat Xavier had been the one who killed Arabe. The police report, the fingerprints, everything had pointed in that direction.


    But now... things weren¡¯t adding up. Why was he suddenly here in Radiantia, using his father of someone that he didn¡¯t do. Xander almost believed that he¡¯d been put in a trance.


    However, there was this inkling feeling that something wasn¡¯t right. And what if...what if Xavier was right? What if their father had been the one to murder Arabe and pin the me on him?


    Xander didn¡¯t think he would be able to forgive himself if something like that ever happened. He¡¯d taken Xavier¡¯s love away from him because of his hatred towards his brother. If everything he¡¯d been told was a lie and he was harming Xavier for absolutely no reason, Xander didn¡¯t think he would be able to take that regret.


    He was afraid.


    He sighed, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over him.


    "Forget it."


    Mr. Wace blinked, caught off guard.


    Xander exhaled slowly, his expression unreadable. Why am I even here?


    He looked up at his father onest time, searching for... something. Some kind of confirmation. Some kind of sign.


    But all he saw was a carefully constructed mask.


    "I spoke without thinking," Xander said, the words surprising even himself.


    Samantha¡¯s head snapped toward him. Even Bruce looked slightly taken aback.


    Mr. Wace, on the other hand, only narrowed his eyes, his gaze shifting between his son and Bruce as if trying to decipher if this was some kind of trick.


    "You don¡¯t go around using someone of murder," Mr. Wace said after a long pause, his voice tight. "Be careful with your words, Xander."


    "I know," Xander murmured, ncing down.


    And for a moment, he almost believed it.


    **


    Xavier sat at his desk, fingers moving swiftly across his keyboard.


    His screen was filled with data¡ªblueprints, schedules, confidential reports¡ªall rted to the Regalith sex trafficking ring.


    It had been days since Izara had taken them down to see the horrific reality of what was happening under the city¡¯s pristine surface.


    Xavier had seen a lot of darkness in his life, but what he saw in Regalith had sickened him.


    He had spent the past few days digging deeper, uncovering the extent of the royal couple¡¯s crimes. The more he uncovered, the more he realized¡ªRegalith wasn¡¯t just corrupt. It was rotten to the core.


    A voice interrupted his thoughts.


    "What are you doing?"


    Kace¡¯s voice was casual, but when he leaned in to get a look at Xavier¡¯s screen, his eyes widened.


    "Wait. Isn¡¯t this Regalith?"


    His reaction earned a sharp nce from Maxwell, who had been seated across from them.


    "It is," Xavier replied, his voice steady.


    Kace frowned, taking in the disturbing images and files spread across the screen. "You¡¯re investigating them?"


    "I was able to confirm something," Xavier said. "The royal couple of Regalith aren¡¯t just involved in sex trafficking. They¡¯re the ones running it."


    Kace stiffened. "What?"


    "And they¡¯re not trafficking women," Xavier continued, his voice colder now. "They¡¯re trafficking men."


    A heavy silence settled over the room.


    Kace looked stunned. Maxwell¡¯s expression remained neutral, but Xavier didn¡¯t miss the way his fingers twitched slightly.


    "Those sick bastards," Kace muttered, shaking his head. "And you¡¯re saying no one knows about this?"


    "No one dares to speak because they fear for their life," Xavier replied. "But that¡¯s about to change."


    Kace¡¯s hands curled into fists. "We need to expose them," he urged.


    "We will," Xavier said. "But there¡¯s something else."


    Both Kace and Maxwell turned their attention fully toward him now, waiting.


    Xavier leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping idly against the desk.


    "You remember Fiona?" he asked, his tone deceptively casual.


    Kace frowned, trying to recall the name. Maxwell, on the other hand, stiffened just slightly.


    "Yes," Kace said. "She¡¯s the girl from high school, right? The one who might¡¯ve seen what happened to Arabe the night she¡¯d been killed?"


    Xavier nodded.


    "She finally decided to talk."


    Silence.


    Kace and Maxwell exchanged a nce.


    "What do you mean?" Maxwell asked carefully.


    Xavier¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t waver.


    "I mean, she was a witness to Arabe¡¯s murder," he said, watching them closely. "And she knows who really did it."


    Maxwell¡¯s jaw tensed and Kace¡¯s expression twisted in shock. However, Xavier didn¡¯t seem excited about the truth which could only mean it was something they perceived as good news.


    Xavier¡¯s lips curved into something that wasn¡¯t quite a smile.


    "I never killed Arabe," he said. "It was our father."


    The room felt too quiet.


    Kace looked like he¡¯d just been punched in the gut. Maxwell, however, was more than surprised.


    "That¡¯s impossible," Kace muttered. "Dad wouldn¡¯t¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t do something like that..."


    But his voicecked conviction.


    Xavier leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. "Think about it, Kace. Father has been meeting up with Bruce behind our backs. He¡¯s been hiding things from us for years. Fiona has no reason to lie, and the pieces are finally falling into ce."


    Kace swallowed hard, his shoulders slumping. "This is insane."


    Xavier barely spared him a nce before turning his attention back to Maxwell.


    "And what do you think?" he asked, watching him like a hawk.


    Maxwell took a breath, his face unreadable. Then, finally, he said, "If this is true... then Mr. Wace needs to face justice." His tone was about to stutter but he managed to say his words wlessly."


    Xavier¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly.


    Was that genuine? Or was he covering his tracks?


    He couldn¡¯t be sure. Not yet.


    "After we handle Regalith," Xavier said, "we take care of this."


    Kace nodded, his jaw tight. "He needs to pay for what he¡¯s done."


    "Agreed," Maxwell said.


    For a while, they discussed their uing mission in Regalith, making ns to expose the royal couple in a way that the world wouldn¡¯t be able to ignore despite their status and make sure they were served proper punishment.


    Eventually, Kace excused himself to call Alice who used to be Anastasia¡¯s makeup artist back when she was still an actress.


    Maxwell stood as well, saying he needed the restroom.


    The moment he left, Xavier opened hisptop and switched to the live security feed he had nted earlier.


    One camera showed Kace on his phone with Alice.


    The other showed Maxwell in the restroom.


    Texting someone.


    Xavier¡¯s jaw tightened.


    At that same moment, Xander¡¯s phone vibrated back at where he was with Bruce, Mr Wace and Samantha.


    He pulled it out, his expression unreadable, but the moment his eyesnded on the familiar name, <i>Fiona</i>, something in his chest tightened.

 Chapter 429: It’s Maxwell

    Once inside and out of Xander¡¯s sight, Bruce turned to Mr. Wace. "Now just what did you do for Xander to start questioning Arabe¡¯s death?"


    "I didn¡¯t do anything," Mr. Wace replied, pulling at his tie. Standing in front of Xander earlier had felt suffocating. The tension had weighed so heavily on him that he hadn¡¯t even realized he¡¯d been holding his breath. Now, as he finally inhaled deeply, he felt a fleeting moment of relief. "I should be asking you that question. You spend more time with him than I do, so what in the world did you say?"


    "I didn¡¯t say anything," Bruce insisted. "But this isn¡¯t good. I¡¯ll ask Samanthater if he met with someone who nted that doubt in his mind."


    "If Xander finds out the truth, things are not going to end well for either of us," Mr. Wace muttered. For over twenty years, he hadn¡¯t had to worry about this. His teeth clenched in rage, and he silently cursed whoever had nted that seed of doubt in Xander¡¯s mind.


    "Who¡¯s ¡¯we¡¯?" Bruce scoffed. "You were the one who handled everything, even when I told you it wasn¡¯t necessary."


    "Oh, really?" Mr. Wace shot back. "Like you didn¡¯t help me lie to him? Like you didn¡¯t bribe the doctors and police officers at the hospital?"


    Bruce said nothing. His jaw tightened, his face lowering slightly as worry filled his chest. "I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to keep up this charade much longer. Xander is smart. He¡¯s going to find out, one way or another."


    "That¡¯s impossible," Mr. Wace dismissed coldly. "Have him watched and followed. That way, we can monitor his movements."


    "And if he meets with someone privately?" Bruce asked, his voice wary.


    Mr. Wace¡¯s answer came without hesitation. "Make sure that person is killed." He met Bruce¡¯s gaze. "No matter what, we have to keep this secret. The truth can nevere out."


    Meanwhile, back at Xavier¡¯s hideout, he sat inplete silence, his emotions simmering just beneath the surface. His gaze was fixed on Maxwell, who had just sent a message and was now stepping out of the restroom.


    Xavier had always known betrayal was a possibility. But no amount of preparation could have braced him for this one.


    His best friend¡ªhis childhoodpanion¡ªwas working with Xander.


    The same Xander who had kidnapped his wife.


    A storm of rage surged through Xavier¡¯s veins. He clenched his jaw, his fingers twitching with the urge to hurl his phone against the wall. The only thing stopping him was the need for control.


    The only thing he wanted to do was beat Maxwell to a pulp¡ªmake him suffer until he was drowning in his own blood.


    But at the same time... he needed answers.


    At Xavier¡¯s mansion, Anastasia¡¯s eyes fluttered open. She pulled the duvet close, inhaling deeply. The scent of her husband lingered on the fabric, calming her. She exhaled slowly, repeating the action a few more times before finally pushing the covers away.


    Ever since Xavier had found out about her true identity, their days had been filled with rekindled memories. He had made her watch the movies she had starred in, taken her to visit different ces around Radiantia, and even scheduled appointments with Mark and his medical team to help her recover her lost memories.


    And it had worked.


    Anastasia could now recall the first time she had met Xavier. The moment she had woken up in the hospital after the Harrison family had tried to dispose of her. The betrayal, the pain, the resilience that had led her to where she was now.


    She had remembered everything.


    Despite theirplicated past, Xavier had made time for her¡ªtaking her out on dates, bringing her to his hideout, and staying by her side as she slowly pieced herself back together.


    But today, Anastasia had a different focus.


    She had a target to monitor.


    She showered, got dressed, and settled in front of herputer, ready to track her next prey. But before she could begin, the door burst open.


    "Anastasia!"


    Tracie and Kael barged in, voices loud and urgent.


    Anastasia sighed, closing herptop. There was no way she could concentrate with these two around.


    Since she was always alone when Xavier was at work, Tracie and Kael had made it a habit to visit her regrly.


    But before they could drag her off to whatever they had nned, Xavier walked into the room, his steps heavy.


    His presence shifted the atmosphere instantly.


    "I know who the informant is," he announced, his voice firm.


    He walked straight to Anastasia, cupped her face, and pressed a tender kiss on her lips.


    "Really? Who?" Tracie asked, urgency clear in her tone.


    Xavier¡¯s gaze darkened.


    "It¡¯s Maxwell." He responded.

 Chapter 430: Regret

    Tracie¡¯s expression hardened. "That means he¡¯s going after her."


    "That¡¯s a good thing," Xavier responded. "Xander will see her and learn the truth himself."


    Tracie ced a hand on her chin, deep in thought. Fiona was still in the middle of filing for divorce from her abusive husband, a man who had beaten her so severely she had ended up in the hospital. Tracie still remembered how terrified and apologetic Fiona had been while recounting her story.


    But could she handle facing Xander?


    Tracie didn¡¯t know much about Xander beyond his reputation, but if he couldn¡¯t handle the truth, Fiona could be in danger.


    "I need to warn Fiona so she can be prepared," Tracie said, excusing herself to make a phone call.


    Anastasia and Xavier exchanged a nce. Although learning about Maxwell¡¯s betrayal was painful, at least now, Xander was on the path to uncovering the truth.


    Xander stepped out of the car with Samantha beside him, his crutches clicking against the pavement as they made their way toward the hotel entrance.


    People stared.


    Not because of who he was¡ªbecause they didn¡¯t know. They stared because they thought they were seeing Xavier walking around with crutches.


    "You need to put on your mask," Samantha whispered, noticing people reaching for their phones. "Your face will be all over the inte in minutes, and Xavier will know you¡¯re in Radiantia."


    "Let him," Xander replied tly.


    Xavier had already managed to track him down in Regalith and shoot him in the leg. If another bullet wasing his way, so be it. Right now, his mind was so clouded with everything else that he could barely muster the energy to care.


    Even after all these years, the world didn¡¯t know he existed or had forgotten he ever existed.


    A heavy feeling settled in his chest, but he shoved it down as they entered the hotel, checked in, and made their way to their room. Although they hadn¡¯t ced an official title to their rtionship, they didn¡¯t mind spending the night in the same hotel room.


    As soon as they were inside, Samantha turned to him. "About what you told your father earlier... was that what Xavier told you?"


    Xander nodded after a pause. "He said Mr. Wace was the one who killed Arabe."


    "Do you believe him?" Samantha asked cautiously.


    Xander exhaled sharply. "There¡¯s a chance. My father conveniently forgets that he kicked me out two decades ago because I refused to break up with her." A bitter scoff left his lips. His fists clenched as his teeth gnashed together.


    Ever since Xavier¡¯s usation, he hadn¡¯t been able to think about anything else.


    "He kicked me out of the house because he didn¡¯t want me with a middle-ss girl," he added through gritted teeth.


    Samantha hesitated. "Do you think that¡¯s enough reason for him to kill her?"


    Silence stretched between them.


    Then, atst, Xander spoke. "I¡¯ve never heard him talk about killing anyone before." His jaw tightened. "But now that I think about it... yeah. It¡¯s possible. When I kidnapped Anastasia, he encouraged me to torture her before killing her. He waspletely willing to have me murder her in cold blood." His voice dropped to a chilling whisper. "So yes, he is capable of it."


    Samantha settled beside him, cing a hand on his shoulder.


    She knew what was truly tormenting him.


    Regret.


    If Xavier was right, then Xander had spent all these years hating the wrong person. Targeting the wrong enemy. Hell would break lose if that was the truth and there was a chance that Mr Wace might not live to see the next day.


    She spoke softly. "If you feel uneasy about this, maybe you should meet with Xavier. Ask him how he found out¡ª"


    "Maxwell already told me about Fiona," Xander interrupted. His voice was strained, like the words were choking him. "She¡¯s the one who told Xavier. She saw everything the night Arabe died."


    Samantha¡¯s breath caught in her throat. Samantha was silent for a while, registering his words. As much as she didn¡¯t want to, they needed to know the truth.


    For a moment, neither of them spoke. Even though the truth wasn¡¯t revealed yet, Samantha was starting to feel regret. After everything she¡¯d done to Anastasia¡ªjust for them to find out that she¡¯d been innocent all the time.


    Samantha also seemed to forget that she has other girls who were innocent and didn¡¯t need to be sold off like objects.


    Then, with quiet finality, she said, "Then we need to meet with her."

 Chapter 431: She’s Been Stabbed

    Xander¡¯s gaze flickered to the woman walking beside Fiona. She had her arm around Fiona¡¯s back, guiding her protectively through the chaos. There was something oddly familiar about her. He narrowed his eyes, trying to ce where he¡¯d seen her before. The feeling nagged at him, but no memory surfaced.


    "Fiona!" a reporter shouted, shoving her microphone dangerously close.


    "What led to your separation from Marcus?"


    "Was it family pressure?"


    "Or hispany¡¯s bankruptcy?"


    The questions came relentlessly.


    Tracie, who had been attempting to push them away, clenched her jaw in frustration. They weren¡¯t going to back down.


    "I¡¯ll answer them," Fiona suddenly announced, her voice steady despite the madness.


    Tracie shot her a sharp look. Are you sure?


    Fiona nodded.


    Instantly, the crowd fell silent. The cameras stopped shaking. The reporters stilled, leaning in, microphones poised.


    Fiona took a breath. "Marcus and I were perfect¡ª"


    A shadow moved across the street.


    Unbeknownst to Fiona, Xander, or anyone else, a man stood watching from the other side of the road, leaning against his car. A cigarette dangled from his lips, the smoke curlingzily into the air. His left eye was scarred, the jagged mark running down his cheek like a cruel signature.


    His phone vibrated.


    Lifting it to his ear, he spoke in a low voice. "Xander is here. I can see his car but he¡¯s no where near the woman. He seems to still be inside his car. The woman¡ªFiona¡ªjust walked out."


    The voice on the other end was cold. "When you get your chance, get rid of her. Make sure you do the job right and don¡¯t leave any evidence behind."


    The scarred man smirked, exhaling smoke. "Consider it done." He threw the cigarette bud on the ground and stepped on it.


    He ended the call and sent a quick signal.


    Across the chaotic crowd, another man¡ªa reporter indistinguishable among the others¡ªfelt his phone buzz. His grip on the microphone tightened.


    Then¡ª


    A sudden shove. A sharp, calcted movement.


    Fiona gasped, her body jolting violently as pain tore through her stomach.


    Blood.


    A crimson stain bloomed across her dress, stark and unforgiving.


    The moment stretched, frozen in horror.


    Then¡ªchaos.


    Screams erupted. Reporters stumbled backward, horrified but still snapping photos. The shes illuminated Fiona¡¯s paling face as her knees buckled.


    Tracie¡¯s heart mmed against her ribs. "Fiona!"


    The bodyguards reacted toote, shoving people aside in search of the attacker, but he was already gone¡ªvanishing into the sea of bodies like a ghost.


    Xander, watching from his car, stiffened. His fingers curled into fists as he took in the scene. Everything had happened so quickly no one saw the intruder.


    "What the hell just happened?" Samantha whispered, her voice barely audible over the noise.


    There was no time to wait for an ambnce. Fiona¡¯s men lifted her into the car, shouting for space as they sped toward the hospital.


    Samantha didn¡¯t hesitate. She mmed her foot on the gas, tailing them.


    Staying behind would only mean getting caught up in police questioning. And right now, they needed to know if Fiona would survive.


    **


    The hospital smelled like antiseptic and desperation.


    Tracie stood outside the operating room, pacing relentlessly. Her bloodstained clothes clung to her like a second skin, but she didn¡¯t care. She barely noticed the curious nces from passing nurses.


    Her mind was racing.


    Who did this?


    Her hands clenched into fists. Marcus. It had to be him.


    When the divorce was finalized, Marcus had lost everything. Fiona had been smart¡ªtransferring all her assets to her sister before the ruling. The court had ruled in her favor, leaving Marcus with nothing. He¡¯d been humiliated, forced to pay damages despite his financial ruin.


    Was this his revenge?


    Or...


    Tracie¡¯s stomach twisted as another thought crept in.


    Could it have been Mr. Wace? That thought lingered.


    A chill ran down her spine. Mr. Wace was dangerous, his reach extending further than most knew. Fiona had powerful enemies, and Tracie hade to mourwood to be by her side, believing she¡¯d be safe with bodyguards.


    But in the end, none of it had mattered. Fiona had still been stabbed. Fiona needed to stay alive. She¡¯s the only person who can tell Xander the truth and he would believe her.


    The operating room¡¯s green light glowed above the door, signaling that the surgeons were still working. Every second felt agonizingly long.

 Chapter 432: At The Hospital

    Xander clenched his jaw. If Harry was here, it wasn¡¯t by coincidence. He was either following Bruce¡¯s orders or handling business of his own.


    What if Fiona was his target?


    Without wasting another second, Xander got out of the car, grabbing his crutches, and Samantha hurried to follow him as they entered the hospital.


    At the front desk, they asked about Fiona¡¯s condition, but the receptionist refused to give them any information. She likely assumed they were just more reporters trying to sneak inside. Fiona¡¯s attack had already sent the inte into a frenzy, and soon, the hospital would be swarmed with the media.


    Xander and Samantha exchanged nces before stepping away from the counter. They would have to find Fiona¡¯s room on their own. Since she was a high-profile patient, it was likely she had been ced in the ICU before being moved to a VIP room.


    As they searched, they spotted Harry again. This time, he appeared to be searching for someone as well. But he didn¡¯t spot the couple as they stared at his back.


    Xander hesitated. He didn¡¯t want to believe that Bruce had ordered a hit on Fiona¡ªespecially not after theirst conversation where he¡¯d used Mr. Wace of murder. But he couldn¡¯t ignore the sinking feeling in his gut.


    He could have easily called Harry over and ask him of his business in the hospital, but his instincts told him not to.


    Something wasn¡¯t right.


    Outside the ICU, Tracie stood rigid, her arms crossed as she paced in front of the door. She had just ended a call with Anastasia, Xavier, and Ezekiel, updating them on the situation.


    Fiona¡¯s life was still in danger¡ªnot just from the person who had already attacked her, but from whoever had sent the attacker in the first ce. The hospital was supposed to be a safe ce, but Tracie wasn¡¯t taking any chances.


    She didn¡¯t trust anyone at the moment.


    Even Fiona¡¯s bodyguards that were stationed outside the room made her uneasy. They¡¯d tried convincing her to change out of her bloody clothes but she¡¯d refused. The enemy could be hiding in in sight.


    When the green light above the ICU door flicked off, signaling the operation had ended, Tracie¡¯s pulse quickened. The doctor stepped out and informed her that Fiona had survived the surgery and was being moved to a VIP room.


    Relief washed over her, but it was brief. She knew this wasn¡¯t over, at least not yet.


    As Fiona was transferred to a VIP room for recuperation, Tracie debated whether to finally change out of her bloodstained clothes. But as she was about to leave, something caught her attention.


    A man in a dark hoodie and cap, his head lowered, moving around the hallway with suspicious steps.


    Tracie¡¯s instincts red.


    The bodyguards seemed to sense it too. They stiffened as the man approached, their hands hovering near their weapons ready to fire if need be.


    But, without warning, the man pulled a gun from his pocket and fired.


    The guards copsed to the ground instantly, blood pooling beneath them. The silencer on the weapon made it nearly impossible for anyone outside the hallway to hear the gunshots.


    Tracie barely had time to react or check it the bodyguards were dead before the man turned the gun on her.


    "Don¡¯t move if you don¡¯t want to end up like them," Harry sneered, his yellowed teeth shing in a smirk.


    Tracie remained perfectly still. But unlike Fiona¡¯s guards, she wasn¡¯t just some hired protection. She had done this kind of work before.


    And she wasn¡¯t about to die here.


    With a sharp, precise movement, she dropped low and kicked his legs out from under him. Harry hit the ground hard, groaning in pain, but his grip on the gun didn¡¯t loosen.


    Before he could recover, he raised the weapon and fired¡ªbut he missed. Tracie was already moving.


    In a sh, she lunged at him, knocking the gun from his hand. It skidded across the floor as she pinned him down, pressing the stolen weapon against his temple.


    Harry red up at her, frozen in ce.


    "I¡¯m only going to ask this once," she said coldly, pressing the barrel harder against his skull. "Who sent you?"


    Before he could answer, a voice cut through the tense silence.


    "Harry?"


    Tracie nced up, locking eyes with Xander. Beside him, Samantha stared, wide-eyed.


    "Oh look," Tracie smirked, her voice dripping with amusement. "You¡¯re here."

 Chapter 433: What Do You Have To Say For Yourself?

    His eyes darkened as he stared down at Harry. "Did youe here to kill Fiona?"


    Harry didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he tried to push himself up, but Tracie stepped down on his chest, pinning him back down.


    Xander¡¯s jaw tightened. "Was it Mr. Wace?" he asked, his tone eerily calm. "Or Bruce?"


    Tracie¡¯s eyes flickered with slight surprise. So he already suspects them? She hadn¡¯t expected Xander to connect the dots this quickly.


    Harry let out a weak chuckle, shaking his head. "Xander, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about," he rasped. "I only came here to see a rtive, and this woman attacked me¡ª"


    Tracie hissed in frustration. She had already figured out that Harry wouldn¡¯t admit the truth so easily.


    With an impatient sigh, she signaled for medical attention for the injured security guards. As they were carried away on stretchers, the hospital security stepped forward, suggesting that Harry be taken into custody.


    But Tracie shook her head.


    "I¡¯ll handle him myself," she said coldly, her grip on her gun unwavering.


    Xander barely paid attention to the scene. His mind was already elsewhere, piecing things together.


    Bruce. Mr. Wace.


    His hands clenched into fists at his sides. His entire life, he had believed in their lies, trusted them. And yet, here they were, plotting behind his back.


    A bitter chuckle escaped his lips as he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.


    Meanwhile, in Radiantia, Bruce and Mr. Wace were seated in their usual high-end club, drinks in hand. The dimly lit VIP lounge reeked of expensive whiskey and cigars as the two older menughed, their voices slurred from intoxication.


    "Now, there¡¯s no way for Xander to find out," Mr. Wace said, his words slurred as he poured himself another ss, his trembling hands spilling some of the liquor.


    Bruce let out a deep chuckle, clinking his ss against Mr. Wace¡¯s. "Cheers to us," he grinned.


    Just as they downed their drinks, Mr. Wace¡¯s phone rang. He frowned at the screen, the name <i>Xander</i> shing across it.


    "Xander?" he muttered, confusion shing across his face. "It¡¯s not every day he calls me. I¡¯d better answer."


    Bruce nodded, watching him closely.


    Mr. Wace put the phone to his ear. "Xander?"


    "You lied to me."


    The coldness in Xander¡¯s voice sent an uneasy shiver down Mr. Wace¡¯s spine. His drunken haze began to fade almost instantly.


    "What are you talking about?" Mr. Wace forced out, sitting up straighter.


    "Fiona already told me everything."


    Mr. Wace¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Beside him, Bruce straightened as well, his drunkenness dissipating in an instant. Mr. Wace quickly put the call on speaker.


    "To think you¡¯d send Harry to kill her," Xander continued, his voice calm but dripping with disgust. "You truly are monsters."


    Neither man spoke. But their silence was more than enough of an answer.


    A smirk tugged at Xander¡¯s lips as he spoke again, his tone mocking. "And Bruce?"


    Bruce stiffened, his breath hitching. He hadn¡¯t made a sound. How the hell had Xander known he was there?


    "You shouldn¡¯t worry about Harry," Xander continued smoothly. "I¡¯ll be sure to bring his body back to you."


    Then¡ª<i>BANG</i>.


    A gunshot rang through the speaker.


    Bruce and Mr. Wace flinched.


    A deafening silence followed before Xander¡¯s voice returned, deadly calm.


    "Both of you had better get ready for what¡¯sing for you."


    Then the line went dead.


    Xander slipped his phone back into his pocket, his cold gaze watching as his men who were always in the shadows dragged Harry¡¯s lifeless body toward the van.


    Then, slowly, he turned to Tracie. His expression unreadable, his voice low and calm as he repeated his earlier question.


    "Who are you?"


    Tracie clenched her fists.


    Then, without warning, she mmed her fist into his jaw.


    Xander staggered back, tasting blood in his mouth.


    Samantha let out a startled gasp and quickly stepped forward. "What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?!"


    But Tracie didn¡¯t even spare her a nce. She grabbed Xander by the cor andnded another brutal punch to his face.


    "You¡¯re seriously asking me that question?" she spat, her voice trembling with fury.


    Xander wiped the blood from his lip, his eyes darkening. "You¡ª"


    "I¡¯m the sister of the woman you killed," Tracie hissed, her voice filled with pure, unfiltered rage. "You used her. You killed her. All for what? Some pathetic revenge against Xavier?"


    Xander¡¯s breath hitched slightly.


    Tracie¡¯s hands trembled with fury. "You killed Anastasia. And now you find out Xavier didn¡¯t kill Arabe?" She let out a bitterugh, her voice cracking. "Tell me, Xander, what the hell do you have to say for yourself?"

 Chapter 434: Hello…Father

    Instead, she reached into her pocket, pulled out her phone, and dialed a number.


    It was time. Time to finally take down Thomas Wace and his aplice.


    Xander no longer waited for Fiona to wake up. He didn¡¯t need to. The truth had already beenid bare before him, raw and undeniable. He and Samantha left immediately, heading straight for Radiantia.


    They stared up at the imposing Wace Enterprise building. Samantha hesitated before asking, "Do you want to go inside? See him?"


    Xander didn¡¯t respond right away. His gaze remained locked onto the building¡ªthe ce that had once been his future, his birthright.


    "If things had been different," he murmured after a long silence, "Maybe Xavier and I would¡¯ve worked here together. Maybe I would¡¯ve been the COO, standing beside him, sharing in thepany¡¯s sesses instead of..." He trailed off, his voice hollow, his hands tightening into fists.


    Samantha closed her eyes, swallowing down the ache in her chest. She had never seen Xander like this before¡ªso vulnerable, so utterly lost.


    She reached out and ced a hand on his shoulder, offering silentfort.


    She had done horrible things to Anastasia, things she couldn¡¯t take back. And for what? For a lie. Because she had been so blinded by her love for Xander, she had be an aplice to his vengeance. And now, all that was left in its wake was guilt. Crushing, suffocating guilt.


    Meanwhile, inside the towering building, Xavier sat in his office, his eyes fixed on the security feed. He zoomed in on the figures standing outside thepany entrance.


    A man in a ck mask.


    But Xavier didn¡¯t need to see his face to know who it was.


    His twin.


    His expression remained unreadable as he stared at the screen. His name had finally been cleared, and the brother who had betrayed him now stood outside his doorstep.


    Despite everything Xander had done, Xavier couldn¡¯t bring himself to feel anger.


    Only pity.


    He pushed himself up from his chair, straightened his suit, and strode out of the office.


    By the time he reached the entrance, Xander and Samantha were already turning to leave.


    "And where do you think you¡¯re going?" Xavier¡¯s voice cut through the air like a de.


    Xander stiffened. Slowly, he turned around.


    "Brother..."


    Xavier arched a brow at the word, but he said nothing.


    Xander took a shaky breath. "He¡¯s caused too much damage to our rtionship. He deserves to be punished for what he¡¯s done." He hesitated, as if struggling with his own words, then looked up at Xavier with something that almost resembled desperation. "Take me home."


    Xavier studied him for a long moment.


    Xander had no right to ask for such a thing. No right to im a home he had abandoned.


    But there was something in his voice¡ªsomething raw, something broken.


    Without a word, Xavier turned and walked toward his car.


    Xander and Samantha took that as a sign and silently followed behind, heading to their car.


    Meanwhile, across the city


    Thomas Wace hasn¡¯t slept.


    He had spent the night at a club instead, drowning himself in alcohol, trying to push away the gnawing fear wing at his gut.


    How had Xander found out the truth?


    And what was going to happen now?


    His hands trembled as he brought another ss to his lips, downing the drink in one gulp.


    "This is bad," he muttered under his breath.


    Bruce, sitting beside him, let out a heavy sigh. He, too, was at a loss.


    "There¡¯s still a chance this is all a setup," Bruce said weakly. "Maybe it¡¯s a misunderstanding."


    Mr. Wace stared at him as if he¡¯d lost his mind.


    "You¡¯ve been here for too long and your wife has been calling you nonstop," Bruce reminded.


    "What if <i>he¡¯s </i>already there waiting for me?"


    "Xander? That¡¯s impossible. Xander wouldn¡¯t fly from mourwood to Radiantia just to¡ª"


    "He flew from Xattlewood to Radiantia just to ask me questions regarding Arabe¡¯s death, remember?" Mr Wace reminded.


    Bruce ran a hand through his hair, his frustration evident. "So what do we do now?"


    Thomas didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he pulled out his phone and called his wife.


    "Has anyonee by looking for me?" he asked, his voice sharp.


    "No," his wife replied. "Why? Should I be expecting someone?"


    Mr Wace exhaled, relieved.


    Maybe he still had time to fix this.


    He bid Bruce farewell and left the club, driving home.


    But when he arrived, his relief vanished.


    Xavier¡¯s car was parked outside.


    His blood ran cold.


    "What the hell is he doing here?"


    A sense of dread settled in his stomach as he stepped into the house.


    And then¡ªhe froze.


    Standing in the living room, waiting for him, were his two identical sons.


    Both ring at him with fire in their eyes.


    "Hello... Father," Xander sneered, his voice dripping with mockery.

 Chapter 435: Taken Away

    Then¡ªwithout warning¡ªXander¡¯s fist connected with his face. Blood sttered as Mr. Wace stumbled from the impact.


    "After everything you¡¯ve done, you still have the audacity to spew nonsense?" Xander seethed, grabbing him by the cor andnding another punch.


    Mrs. Wace flinched as if she wanted to intervene¡ªbut she didn¡¯t.


    Suddenly, sirens red from outside.


    Mr. Wace broke into a cold sweat.


    Police officers stormed in, separating Xander from him.


    "Mr. Wace, you¡¯re under arrest," one of the officers stated firmly.


    Shock spread across Mr. Wace¡¯s face. Was this how it was all going to end? Just like that? After everything he had done to get this far, was he really going to jail?


    Then, Xavier¡¯s voice cut through his spiraling thoughts.


    "Because of you, Anastasia was taken from me." He paused, his expression unreadable. "But it¡¯s sad, really... because she was never dead."


    The color drained from Mr. Wace¡¯s face.


    "What do you mean?" He thrashed against the officer¡¯s grip. But there was no time for Xavier to exin himself. "Don¡¯t you dare touch me! I¡¯m not going anywhere with you!" He turned desperately to Xander. "Son, help me! Xander is lying¡ªhe¡¯s not thinking straight!"


    Xavier scoffed. "You¡¯re the one who¡¯s not thinking straight. But I believe the police station offers medical assistance for mentally derailed people like yourself." His tone was dry, void of emotion. "Take him away."


    The officers didn¡¯t hesitate. They hauled Mr. Wace out of the mansion, dragging him towards the squad car as he yelled, cursed, and pleaded his innocence.


    With him gone, the tension in the room thickened.


    Xander went stiff. His lips parted as he turned to Xavier, but before he could utter a word¡ª


    A punchnded straight on his nose.


    Blood dripped instantly.


    Xavier didn¡¯t stop. He grabbed Xander by the cor and struck him again. Then again. Xander didn¡¯t fight back. He didn¡¯t even raise his arms to shield himself. He knew he deserved it.


    "Xavier! Stop! You¡¯re going to kill your brother!" Their mother shrieked, but Samantha held her back.


    Xavier ignored them. He yanked Xander to his feet, his voice trembling with rage.


    "You have no idea how much I want to kill you right now." His fist tightened. "To make you go through everything you put Anastasia through. You don¡¯t know¡ª" He struck again.


    Xander barely remained standing. Blood coated his face, staining his shirt.


    "I¡¯m sorry," he choked out, tears mixing with the crimson streaks on his cheeks. "I know there¡¯s no way to fix what I¡¯ve done. I was blinded by revenge. I didn¡¯t see the real enemies were right in front of me."


    Xavier¡¯s grip faltered.


    His fingers brushed against the gun hidden beneath his jacket. Every cell in his body screamed to pull it out. To put an end to this.


    But he couldn¡¯t.


    He hated that he couldn¡¯t.


    With a sharp exhale, he took a step back, watching Xander break down in regret.


    Before he could say anything, his phone buzzed.


    A bad feeling crept into his gut.


    He answered.


    "Mr. Wace," the officer¡¯s voice came through the line. Xavier cringed at the name.


    "We¡¯ve been ambushed. A few of my officers are dead and..." The officer hesitated.


    "And what?!" Xavier barked.


    "They took your father. He escaped."


    Xavier didn¡¯t wait to hear more. He hung up and immediately dialed Anastasia.


    <i>Meanwhile...</i>


    Anastasia sat at her desk, fingers flying across the keyboard as she monitored her next target. So much had happened. Between Xavier discovering her identity and everything unraveling with the Waces, she hadn¡¯t had time to continue her personal mission.


    Her phone rang.


    She almost ignored it¡ªuntil she saw Xavier¡¯s name.


    She answered immediately.


    "Ana, leave the house. Now."


    The urgency in his voice made her blood run cold.


    She shot to her feet, quickly throwing on a pair of jeans and a simple top. "What happened?"


    "My father escaped. I told him about you before he got away. There¡¯s a good chance he¡¯lle after you."


    She had barely stepped outside when she saw them.


    Bodies littered her doorstep. Her security team¡ªdead.


    And standing before her, unfazed, was Bruce.


    Beside him, Mr. Wace smirked with a bloodied face and lips.


    Anastasia¡¯s stomach churned with fear.


    Bruce tilted his head, eyes narrowing. "Aren¡¯t you supposed to be Jennifer Reyez?" He scoffed. "I should have known. You appearing in our lives was suspicious enough."


    Anastasia didn¡¯t respond.


    All of a sudden, she felt a sharp pain on her head. She tried to fight to keep her eyes open. She fell and thest thing she heard was <i>Pick her up </i>before she sumbed to darkness.

 Chapter 436: Psychopathic Old-Timer

    "Stay out of my way," Xavier warned, his voice cold, final. Then he was gone, storming out of the house with a mission clear in his mind.


    He was going to find Anastasia.


    And anyone who stood in his way was going to die.


    Xavier had arrived at his mansion and found several of his security guards¡¯ bodies lying bloodily on the ground. The scene was gruesome, leaving a mark on what his father was capable of doing.


    Xavier clenched his fist, his blood boiling in rage as he went into the mansion, already on the phone to Kace toe over with some men from the hideout to clean up the mess before the police caught a whiff of the murder. He wasn¡¯t going to entertain them with some statement of when he saw when they couldn¡¯t even handle taking a middle-aged man to jail.


    Xavier pulled out hisputer and started tracking. He¡¯d made a mistake before that caused him to be separated from her for over a year¡ªhe didn¡¯t nt any tracking device on her. But this time, he¡¯d been prepared.


    He¡¯d nted a tracking device in her earrings he¡¯d gifted to her one time. She¡¯d been wearing them when he left for work and could only hope it was still on her.


    After a few minutes, a smirk graced Xavier¡¯s lips when he spotted her location on the screen. The van was still moving, but he¡¯d gotten a lead.


    Immediately, he prepared to rescue his woman.


    Anastasia¡¯s head throbbed, her vision blurring as she forced her eyes open.


    The room was dimly lit, the scent of dust and damp wood heavy in the air. A faint hum of fluorescent lights buzzed somewhere above her.


    She was tied to a chair.


    How... predictable.


    Her head lolled slightly, blinking through the pain as she took in her surroundings. The warehouse was abandoned, but she wasn¡¯t alone.


    Mr. Wace sat in front of her, legs crossed, a sickeningly smug smile ying on his lips.


    Bruce stood beside him, arms folded, his gaze unreadable.


    "Awake already?" Mr. Wace mused. "I thought you¡¯d stay unconscious a little longer."


    Anastasia exhaled sharply. "Sorry to disappoint."


    Mr. Wace chuckled, but there was no warmth in it. "You¡¯ve been quite the little nuisance, haven¡¯t you? I have to admit, I never imagined you¡¯d still be alive. And yet, here you are."


    Anastasia flexed her fingers subtly, testing the tightness of the ropes. They were firm. Good.


    "What do you want?" she asked, her tone uninterested.


    "Oh, nothing much." Mr. Wace leaned forward, his voice lowering. "Just to make sure you stay dead this time."


    Anastasia didn¡¯t flinch. "You¡¯ll have to try harder thanst time."


    Mr. Wace¡¯s eyes darkened. "Oh, I intend to."


    Bruce, who had remained silent this whole time, suddenly scoffed. "So, what now? You kill her and then what? You think Xavier isn¡¯t alreadying for her?"


    Mr. Wace smirked. "That¡¯s the n."


    Anastasia¡¯s stomach twisted, but she kept her expression neutral.


    They weren¡¯t just using her as bait.


    They were nning to end this once and for all.


    She just had to make sure she was the one who walked out of there alive.


    And if she yed her cards right, maybe¡ªjust maybe¡ªshe¡¯d take them both down with her.


    "What did I ever do to you?" She questioned. It¡¯s been a question she¡¯d been meaning to ask.


    The first time they met, he¡¯d been <i>normal</i>, not the deranged psychopathic old-timer in front of her now.


    "Oh, you? You didn¡¯t do anything to me at all," he said, making her frown in confusion. "Your father..." He slurred as if bitterness that greeted his tongue as soon as he mentioned that name. "That man stole the woman of my dreams."


    Confusion clouded Anastasia¡¯s face even more, not sure if she understood what Mr Wace was saying.


    "I¡¯m sure you¡¯re going to tell her your nonsense story. I¡¯m heading outside to get some fresh air. Also, be prepared when Xavieres for her," said Bruce, excusing himself.


    "So where should I start from? From how your father stole the woman I loved? He stole Nora from me!" He bellowed.


    Anastasia thought only young people experienced love triangles but not old people such as Mr Wace. Even though she didn¡¯t know her parents had a love triangle in the past, she couldn¡¯t imagine her mother being together with Mr Wace. That image made her subconsciously cringe.


    "In college, Jeffrey and I were friends. Best of friends. I told him how much I loved Nora and wanted to make her my woman and your useless father went behind my back and stole her from me," he said through gritted teeth and gnashed teeth.


    "It¡¯s not <i>stealing </i>if she willingly went to him." Anastasia could see the love her parents had for each other through their actions. "She loved him and probably didn¡¯t have any single feelings towards you. I don¡¯t me her. Who would love a psychopathic maniac like yourself?!"

 Chapter 437: Back To His Senses

    All of a sudden, there was a sudden bang, and her head whipped to the direction the sound came from.


    Then there was a familiar faint voice.


    Anastasia tried to listen in as hard as she could, but the voice didn¡¯t belong to the person she was expecting.


    Instead, it belonged to someone else.


    Mr Wace stepped out and red outside to find out what could be happening. Because his back was facing Anastasia, she couldn¡¯t see his frightened face when he saw his son approaching him.


    "Thomas!!" Xander called as he matched in, while the henchmen with guns tried to stop him, but when Mr Wace didn¡¯t give them any signal to stop him, they gave up and went back to their positions.


    Bruce was at the side, staring at Xander and wondering how he got to find out where they were.


    There was just one of the buildings Mr Wace had purchased in Radiantia as another one of his properties.


    Bruce recalled now that Mr Wace had informed Xander about it because he suggested if any day he had the time, Xander coulde over for them to hang out. Mr Wace even went as far as giving Xander the address thinking Xander would surprise him one day with a visit. And he did.


    "I¡¯m your father. You should call me <i>father. </i>It¡¯s very rude to call me by my name," said Mr Wace, his face molding into a smile. "Are you here to hang out with me? We can talk. Ignore everything here, including her." He pointed to Anastasia who was looking more than shocked to find Xander there.


    Xander made eye contact with her, his eyes trembling with a sort of emotion Anastasia couldn¡¯t ce a finger on.


    Meanwhile, Xander still found it hard to believe the same woman who¡¯d died almost a year ago, came back as someone else. And now...


    "You need to let her go," Xander said. Faster than lightning, Mr Wace¡¯s smile faltered into something that creeped Xander out. "She had nothing to do with this."


    "Oh, she very much does," Mr Wace replied calmly, his grip tightening on the gun. "Everything happened because of her parents, and somehow, she always manages to escape death, not once but twice, or maybe even more." There was frustration evident in his tone.


    As much as Anastasia didn¡¯t want to enjoy the moment, she felt proud of herself.


    She resumed trying to untie herself. The rope was tight, but she started by twisting her wrist, enduring each tear it gave her skin until she finally got an opening.


    "Where¡¯s Samantha?" Bruce said, intervening.


    "She¡¯s in the car," Xander lied.


    "Isn¡¯t that wonderful?"


    "I will ask someone to get you some drink so we can talk about things," said Mr Wace, about to call someone over but Xander stopped him.


    "I didn¡¯te here to talk or drink anything with you. I¡¯m simply asking you to let Anastasia go," he said with so much venom in his tone, eyes ring at Mr Wace.


    The father cocked up an eyebrow at him.


    "You killed Anabe for your selfish reasons¡ª"


    "I told you I didn¡¯t kill anyone!" Mr Wace interrupted, rage evident in his gaze as he red at Xander, but then they softened almost immediately.


    Anastasia only listened to their conversation while subtly loosening the rope tied around her hands. When she felt her hands-free, she held the joy that rose in her heart. She kept her hand behind her, pretending to be tied together.


    "Let¡¯s just have a good father and son conversation now, don¡¯t you think¡ª-" Mr Wace was interrupted when there was an explosion at the front gate. It was so loud and unsudden it caused everyone¡¯s heart to jump in fear.


    Anastasia took the opportunity and jumped up from the seat she¡¯d been tied to and ran towards the opposite side.


    When Mr Wace heard the sound of firing bullets, he ordered some men, "He¡¯s here. Grab that woman and¡ª" He paused when he found the seat Anastasia was tied to empty. He gritted his teeth out of anger and ordered. "Look for her, and when you do, shoot her down!"


    Xander froze.


    "Xander, follow me. If Xavier sees us, he¡¯ll kill us."


    "I¡¯m not going anywhere."


    "Don¡¯t tell me you think Xavier would forgive you for everything you¡¯d done to Anastasia." Mr Wace¡¯s eyes shifted to the bruises on Xander¡¯s face. "I bet he was the one who did that to you."


    "Yes, he was the one. And I¡¯m d he did because now that I¡¯m finally back to my senses, I want to be the one who kills you myself." Xander pointed a weapon at his father.

 Chapter 438: Ignored

    Teeth gritted, he wed his way toward the fallen gun, ignoring the pain thatnced through his leg. His fingers finally wrapped around the weapon¡¯s grip, and he fired again. One shot. Then another.


    Two more men dropped, blood pooling beneath them.


    "Damn it!" one of the remaining guards roared. "Kill him already!"


    "Don¡¯t you dare shoot my son," Mr. Wace warned through gritted teeth, still clutching his arm. But his voice had no weight now. His men were in survival mode.


    "Take the bosses to the car. Leave us behind if you have to," the guard leader said. "Not all of us are making it out."


    The guards obeyed, rushing out with their wounded leaders in tow.


    One lingered behind.


    "You should have just obeyed your father," the man hissed, stepping toward Xander, gun raised. "Or should I say your adoptive father?" He scoffed. "Funny. He gave you everything¡ªand you still shot him."


    Xander didn¡¯t flinch, though he knew he couldn¡¯t raise his weapon in time. His strength was draining fast.


    The guard aimed. "Goodbye, Xander."


    Then¡ªboom.


    A single shot, perfectly aimed. A hole bloomed in the center of the guard¡¯s chest, and he dropped like a ragdoll.


    Xander blinked in confusion.


    A familiar voice called his name.


    He turned his head¡ªand saw him. Kace.


    The youngest Wace son, his youngest brother.


    "Kace?" Xander¡¯s voice cracked, both from pain and disbelief.


    Kace rushed to him. "Are you okay?" He asked, an edge in his tone.


    Xander stared. He hadn¡¯t seen his brother in nearly twenty years. Not since their father had kicked him out of the house like trash.


    "I¡¯m fine," Xander mumbled.


    Kace¡¯s gaze dropped to his blood-soaked leg. "No, you¡¯re not."


    More gunfire echoed in the distance. Shouts. Screams. The sound of bodies hitting the floor.


    Xavier and his men were carving through what remained of Bruce and Mr. Wace¡¯s forces.


    The secluded location of the estate¡ªhandpicked by Wace to avoid spies¡ªwas now working against them. No one was around to hear the bloodshed. No one would interrupt.


    The remaining guards, seeing they were abandoned, began to surrender. Others tried to run but were gunned down within seconds. It was a ughter.


    Inside the mansion, Xavier kicked down a door, gun drawn. His eyes scanned the room in seconds until theynded on her¡ªAnastasia.


    Her clothes were torn and bloodied, her hair messy, and scratches marred her arms, but she was alive. Her eyes widened when she saw him.


    "Xavier," she breathed, rushing into his arms.


    He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight, his heart pounding with relief. "You¡¯re safe," he whispered, holding her more tightly.


    "Your father is a maniac," she said against his chest.


    "I know," he muttered.


    Once he¡¯d confirmed Anastasia was safe, Xavier switched to war mode. He ordered his men to search every escape route. No airport, no train, no border crossing would be left unguarded. Every possible exit point would be watched.


    He got on the phone with federal contacts and ordered discreet surveince on anyone connected to Bruce or Mr. Wace. The media was told that Thomas Wace was <i>missing</i>¡ªa clever lie to buy time while the real manhunt began.


    "They won¡¯t get far," Kace said, wrapping a bandage tightly around Xander¡¯s wounded leg. "Not if we get to them first."


    Xander grunted. "Thanks, Kace."


    Kace ignored him. Instead, he walked to Anastasia and hugged her tightly. "You were alive this whole time and didn¡¯t tell me?" he said, voice cracking.


    "I wanted to surprise you," she said sheepishly.


    "You suck at lying," Kace snapped, pulling back. "Don¡¯t ever do that again." He warned.


    Xander watched the exchange from the floor, his heart sinking deeper.


    "Xavier," Xander called out, drawing the others¡¯ attention. "Bruce and Wace have hidden properties. I know where some of them are."


    Xavier looked at him, a mix of skepticism and curiosity in his eyes. "I¡¯m sure you do," he replied dryly. Then his tone shifted. "But before we do that, there¡¯s something I need you to do first."

 Chapter 439: Not Anymore

    Maxwell¡¯s body was extremely battered from being punched around. His face was filled with bruises and his eyes were puffed up so hard he could hardly see. Despite his pitiful state, one could see the regret on his face.


    "I thought you were the one," he managed to say.


    Two days ago, when Anastasia had been kidnapped by Mr Wace, Maxwell had been at the hideout as usual when he was suddenly attacked by Kace who knocked him out unconscious. And that was when he realized that he¡¯d been figured out, and everything that he¡¯d always believed had been nothing but lies.


    His cousin hadn¡¯t died in the hands of his best friend but in the hands of the person he¡¯d been working for.


    "I¡¯m sorry," Maxwell apologized. "I wanted revenge, so when Xander contacted me, I saw the opportunity to make you pay for killing her, except that..." he stalled, unable toplete his sentence.


    He¡¯d been going after the wrong person, and so had Xander.


    "I¡¯m not surprised that you were going to betray Xavier," Kace chimed in, tearing open a pack of snacks and grabbing a handful to stuff in his mouth. "Since the disappearance of Anastasia, you¡¯ve been doing things more on your own¡ªbut my suspicion only got worse when you suddenly popped out of nowhere after that trade where Tracie found Anastasia."


    Kace leaned on the chair he was sitting on and continued, "Not shocked but rather disappointed."


    "You saw how worried I was about finding Anastasia," Xavier added.


    He suddenly became confused¡ªconfused about how he should handle the situation. Kill Maxwell or let him live.


    "What Maxwell did was all my fault. I was the one who convinced him to work with me," Xander interrupted, feeling his own shared pang of guilt.


    Xavier simply decided to leave, but Xander trailed right behind him.


    "About what I asked you to do..."


    "I¡¯ve started taking care of it. Once the construction is over in Regalith, the women will be moving there," Xander replied.


    Two days ago, Xavier had demanded Xander destroy every single hideout he had, including his factory.


    However, it wasn¡¯t easy to get that done within two days, so Xander had to wait for the construction in Regalith to bepleted. As requested by Xavier, he wanted the ce to be burnt down to ashes and nothing should be left untouched.


    Xander didn¡¯t think twice before agreeing, not because he was scared of his life since Xavier could kill him if he wanted to, but because he was disgusted he ever started such a thing. He¡¯d been young when Bruce had enrolled him into military training then when he got older, he told him about his <i>family </i>business since Mr Wace had a hand in starting up the human trafficking ring.


    Now he felt utterly disgusted for killing women daily.


    "I know you haven¡¯t forgiven me¡ª"


    "I¡¯m d you do, so don¡¯t expect any forgiveness. What you did to my wife was unforgivable." Xavier paused for a second. "You had her raped!" His jaws clenched as he resisted the temptation to break Xander¡¯s jaws once again. "She might bring herself to forgive youter in the future, but I certainly won¡¯t," he promised.


    Before Xander could say anything else, Xavier cuts him off once again, "The list of men that gang raped her, I want you to bring them to me. They may be politicians, soldiers, or even presidents, I don¡¯t care how you will get them, but I want you to bring them to me. Anastasia has stained her hands with so much blood while I wasn¡¯t around, but not anymore. I¡¯ll take care of things from now on."


    Xander sighed as he nodded his head in understanding.


    "I¡¯ll find them," he responded. He also made a mental note to get rid of his other business partners and expose every other president who had been into what he did, or those who supported him.


    Bruce¡¯spany in mourwood was going bankrupt soon because the man only spent time in the club drinking and plotting with Mr. Wace, and Xander made no attempt to save it.


    Xander turned to leave, but Xavier stopped him. "Mother wants to invite you for dinner tonight."


    Xander¡¯s heart instantly warmed up. Despite everything, his mother still cared for him.


    "I¡¯ll be there," he replied, a faint smile on his lips. He was happy because there was another chance he might get to spend time with Xavier, and Kace most especially because he could feel thetter seething in rage whenever he made eye contact with him, but Kace never said anything yet.

 Chapter 440: Michelle’s Gone

    "Why don¡¯t you want me to hug you?" She asked Xander. "I¡¯ve missed you."


    "Someone¡¯s here to see you," Samantha said with a grin on her lips.


    Michelle¡¯s brows furrowed, wondering who could havee to see her.


    The door to another car Michelle didn¡¯t see driving in because her entire attention had been on Xander the entire time opened, and <i>Jennifer Reyez </i>stepped out.


    "<i>Jennifer</i>," Michelle called, all smiles but the woman only stared back at her with a stoic expression, one that made her heavily gulp down her saliva.


    "Michelle," Anastasia called. On the other side, Xavier came out of the car, and Michelle¡¯s expression immediately turned sour.


    She nced between Xander and Xavier. This was the first time she was seeing them up close and the facial simrities they both carried were undeniable. For a second, she almost mistook who was who. However, that wasn¡¯t what she was worried about.


    ¡¯Why is Xavier here?¡¯ She wondered, a cold sweat already breaking across her skin.


    "X-Xavier," she stuttered. "Do you know this woman?" She pointed at <i>Jennifer</i>.


    "Michelle, I¡¯m not this <i>woman</i>, at all," Anastasia replied, walking towards Michelle with a smile on her lips.


    After everything that¡¯s happened, even though Mr Wace and Bruce were still in hiding, she decided to visit Michelle.


    "I¡¯m your sister. What? Don¡¯t you remember me?" She ced a hand on Michelle¡¯s cheeks. "It¡¯s me, Anastasia."


    In a blink of an eysh, Michelle had already pped Anastasia¡¯s hands away, and taken a few steps back as if she¡¯d seen a ghost.


    "That¡¯s impossible," Michelle imed.


    "I¡¯ve always known that you were an idiot, but do you think anyone would want to y jokes with you?" Samantha quipped, rolling her eyes. Then she faced Xavier. "I think you and Xander should go inside. Anastasia and I will handle this idiot," she suggested.


    Xander and Xavier shared a silent look. Xander headed inside first. Xavier followed after cing a soft peck on Anastasia¡¯s forehead.


    He red at Michelle who was looking at them in disbelief before he followed his twin brother into the hell hole his wife had stayed in a year ago.


    "So, where were we?" Samantha asked, her emerald eyes staring at Michelle as if she were her prey.


    "Anastasia is dead," Michelle deadpanned and Samantha only rolled her eyes.


    "Unbelievable, right? Been there."


    Michelle didn¡¯t understand why Samantha was being so lenient about the situation. If Anastasia was alive, then she should kill her off.


    "This is a joke," Michelle said. "This is a <i>joke!"</i>


    Anastasia simply hummed, walked past Michelle, and stared at the house where she¡¯d spent months getting vited. It was bizarre staring at it now.


    Her mind went to Angelina and Elizabeth, the two girls who¡¯d been killed in the crimson hunt. Then Avery who¡¯d wanted to make her life a living hell.


    Anastasia sniffled back the tears that were about to pool in her eyes.


    "This is not a joke at all, Michelle," she finally replied. "I¡¯m alive, I¡¯ve always been alive, even I¡¯m surprised about that," she added. "However, I¡¯m not sure you¡¯re going to be after this day."


    Michelle¡¯s face instantly went pale.


    Come to think of it, she had no rtives left. Jack was dead, she¡¯d seen it in the news. She bet Anastasia had killed her father a long time ago already. Her mother was a long story, together with her stepfather, if she could even call him that.


    Her entire life was destroyed. Years ago, she had it all until Anastasia came back into her life. It was almost like the more she reappeared in her life, the more she stole what belonged to her. Which was why she¡¯d asked Avery to kill her, but the girl got herself killed instead.


    "I¡¯m going to kill you first before you think of doing anything to me!!" Michelle charged forward, but Anastasia gave her a bored look before swiftly moving out of the way.


    "After all this while, you still haven¡¯t gained any sense of knowledge, I see." Then she pulled out a gun from her pocket, immediately facing Michelle. "Sadly, I¡¯m not here to y tag with you, Michelle." Her face faltered into a cold and distant look. "Goodbye, sister."


    She pulled the trigger.


    The shot rang out, echoing through the trees. Birds scattered into the sky, pping away like fleeing witnesses.

 Chapter 441: How Pathetic

    They left for outside where they saw Michelle¡¯s body being dragged away, probably to get buried in the bushes close by.


    Samantha was stiff, standing next to Anastasia who paid her no attention at all as she wiped the gun he¡¯d given to her earlier.


    Without exchanging any word, they got into the car and left for the baby factory.


    Anastasia was ted to see a certain someone and she didn¡¯t bother to hide her happiness.


    As soon as they arrived, she began searching for Eve, the girl who¡¯d been by her side after the death of Angelina and Elizabeth.


    Xander and Xavier had already disappeared for their business while Samantha lingered close, not sure why but she felt she needed to.


    Anastasia found Eve with her caretaker, her belly bump bigger than thest time she¡¯d seen it.


    Eve was speechless when she found an unfamiliar woman talking to her, but after Anastasia exined herself, and what had happened to her, Eve¡¯s shoulders rxed.


    The two got into a heavy conversation and Eve was bothered Samantha was going to get her punished. After a while, Eve¡¯s caretaker came to take her away for her rest.


    "How do you do it?" Samantha blurted out before she could stop herself.


    Anastasia turned to her with a cocked eyebrow. "Do what?"


    "Talk to people like they¡¯re family. She¡¯s a stranger you just met and you were in a haste to see her," Samantha exined. But Anastasia¡¯s eyebrow only cocked up higher.


    "Well, when you¡¯re in a simr situation with people, you end up getting attached to them since you¡¯re both after the same thing. Freedom and Survival."


    Samantha was silent for a few seconds.


    "Look, I¡¯m truly sorry for what I did to you. I was just..."


    "Just following Xander¡¯s instructions," Anastasia cut her off, her voice surprisingly cold and distant. Her icy blue eyes red at Samantha and thetter suddenly felt her throat tighten. "Don¡¯t you have a mind of your own, Samantha? If he tells you to jump into a volcano, are you going to do it?"


    Samantha couldn¡¯t answer.


    "That¡¯s what I thought. I don¡¯t know what is going on between the both of you, but it¡¯s obvious you¡¯re so smitten by him that you can¡¯t even think for yourself."


    "I love him," Samantha blurted out once again.


    All her life, her father barely acknowledged her because he saw her as a disappointment because she was a girl. As soon as Xander entered their lives, hepletely discarded and she had to stand in his face for him to notice her.


    After seeing the way Bruce treated Xander like his biological son, she decided to cling to him¡ªmaybe then he would take notice of her, and he did.


    However, Samantha couldn¡¯t tell right from wrong when she started having feelings for him.


    "What¡¯d happened wasn¡¯t the best thing. I know simply apologizing isn¡¯t enough to make you forget about the gruesome things you¡¯ve gone through," she continued, her head lowered. "I¡¯m your fellow woman and treated you in such a way. I¡¯m deeply sorry, Anastasia."


    Anastasia only grinned, her expression still cold.


    "Is that how you¡¯re going to apologize to all of these women whose lives you¡¯ve also ruined, because in case you¡¯ve forgotten, it wasn¡¯t only my life you ruined, Samantha. Look at them," Anastasia gestured to the woman surrounded everywhere. Some looked happy and didn¡¯t care about where they ended up as long as they had a roof over their head and were fed well.


    "You took them away from their families all because of your selfishness for money and youe here and tell me you only did it because you love him." Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. "How pathetic."

 Chapter 442: Get Back At Them

    "Why don¡¯t you say that to my face?!!" Mr Wace demanded.


    Bruce, who had been quiet the entire time, finally stood from the chair beside him. "If you keep treating them like dogs, don¡¯t be surprised when they start biting back."


    Mr. Wace scoffed, waving him off. "We¡¯ll find more people. There¡¯s always someone desperate enough."


    "You really believe that?" Bruce snapped, eyes narrowed. "In this situation? Look around you, Wace. We¡¯re cornered like rats. We can¡¯t get to the airport, the train station¡¯s locked down, the borders are sealed. We can¡¯t step outside without risking capture. And you think men will still be lining up to work for us? Get real."


    Mr Wace was quiet because no matter how much he wanted to argue with Bruce, he was right.


    Not much longerter, a knock was heard.


    "Who the hell is it now?" Mr Wace asked, exasperation evident in his tone.


    Another henchman¡ªthis one thinner, twitchier, and less battered¡ªstepped into the room.


    "Boss, I was able to contact another one of the guards at the baby factory, and he said that Xander ns to burn down the ce."


    Mr Wace immediately froze as if a bucket of cold water had sshed on him.


    "That¡¯s impossible," Bruce was the one who spoke. "What is that fool thinking?"


    Mr Wace was still too stunned to speak.


    "Something must be done about this. We can¡¯t let this happen. I put my hard work into building that ce. Xander is not going to throw it out the window just like that," Bruce added, a determined look on his face.


    He attempted to sit up from the chair he was on the whole time but hissed in pain as his hands quickly went to his chest, gripping it hard.


    The bandage wrapped around his chest where Xander had shot him soaked with his own blood.


    "Shit," he cursed.


    Since they were not able to go to a doctor or be able to bring one in order to receive treatment, they resolved to what they knew by simply taking out the bullet and disinfecting it but Bruce was aware that was not enough.


    Unlike Mr. Wace¡¯s gun wound, his was more riskier and he could die at any moment since he wasn¡¯t receiving treatment.


    "No," he said atst, voice trembling with fury. "No, no, no! We can¡¯t let this happen. That bitch Anastasia had to stick her nose where it didn¡¯t belong. Now they¡¯re turning everything to ash?"


    He turned to the waiting henchman, barking orders. "Find out the exact date. I want details. Then gather men¡ªanyone. Friends, enemies, whoever. Tell them I¡¯ll reward them handsomely if they help me put a bullet in everyst one of those traitors!"


    The man nodded and turned to leave.


    Mr. Wace faced Bruce. "Why don¡¯t you try to reach out to Samantha? She can still help us. She¡¯s your daughter!"


    Bruce scoffed as if he¡¯d heard themest jokes. "You think like a fool. If she had any loyalty left, it died the moment she knew I helped you get rid of Arabe."


    Outside, the first henchman who¡¯d spoken to Mr Wace took a puff of his cigarette as he red at the second one who¡¯d entered right after him.


    "Why did you have to tell them that? Now they want you to gather more men," he scoffed.


    "They only want to get back what was taken from them," the second one defended, inserting a sim card into his phone, ready to make a few phone calls.


    "At our expense? You saw what happened a few days ago. A lot of our friends died when Xavier attacked, and it was only by luck that we managed to survive. And now you¡¯re telling me we have to go through the same thing just so they could get their revenge? Oh please."


    The second one paused. "If you don¡¯t want to do this anymore, just leave and stop giving me a headache," he snapped. "I¡¯m doing what a loyal man would do, even if it means I die in the process, as long as they get their revenge, I¡¯ll be satisfied."


    The first one slowly shook his head, as it dawned on him that he was surrounded by fools.

 Chapter 443: New Tradition?

    Old Wace smiled back,pletely oblivious to his thoughts.


    "But what exactly made youe back?" Richard suddenly asked. "I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not just some dish that forced you to drop by. You¡¯re up to something."


    Xander simply stared at Richard¡¯s digitless hands, wondering what could have happened to him before he looked up at his brother.


    "Is there something wrong if I drop by for some home-cooked meal?" He asked.


    "Of course there is," Richard replied in a heartbeat. "First youe back from out of nowhere, and this bitch," he pointed to Anastasia who was trying to be as quiet as possible because she was sure Richard would call her names. "She got kidnapped, rumored dead and now shees back with a new face! What sort of movie is this? Something is happening and no one is telling me anything."


    Xavier¡¯s hands clenched when he heard Richard¡¯s words.


    Only the so-called <i>blood is thicker than water</i> quote managed to stop him whenever he thought of ways to kill Richard.


    "No one is telling you anything, because you¡¯re not supposed to know anything." Kace finally spoke. "Did your injuries somehow manage to slow down your brain functions?"


    "What did you just say?" Richard questioned.


    Richard stood up, ready to fight but a re from Xavier forced him to sit back down and shrink.


    No one spoke a word except old Wace who tapped Xander a few times and tried to get him to say something now and then. And in a blink of an eysh, dinner was over.


    Anastasia went to the Wace garden to take some fresh air after the awkward dinner which wasn¡¯t exactly awkward since old Wace spoke a few times.


    Her hands wrapped around herself as she sighed and waited for Xavier and Xander to finish their conversation.


    Staying in the same space as Xander made her blood boil, goosebumps rise on her skin, anxiety surge through her, and worst of all, it made her feel suffocated.


    To think she would have to forgive him someday.


    "What are you thinking about?" Kace suddenly appeared by her side and asked.


    Anastasia nced at him before she replied. "Just thinking about how I would have forgiven Xander one day after everything he¡¯d done to me," she forced through her teeth.


    "No one is asking for you to forgive him though," he replied. "What he did to you was unspeakable so it¡¯spletely fine if you don¡¯t forgive him. Even I don¡¯t forgive him for what he did to you," he added, looking at the stars.


    Anastasia turned to look at him. "Kace..."


    "I want to kill him," he dered. "I want to hurt him so badly that he¡¯d start begging for mercy but that¡¯s not my judgment. Both you and Xavier are the ones that have the right to punish him how you deem fit."


    Anastasia sighed once more. "I had so many ideas, but now that things took a whole different turn, I¡¯ll have to think things through."


    "What are you two talking about?" Richard spawned from out of nowhere. "Xander did something, didn¡¯t he?" He towered Anastasia, scanning her face with narrowed eyes. "Even with your new face, you still look like the bitch you¡¯ve always been. Maybe on one of these days, you cane over and have fun. I was already used to your previous face under me, but now I would like to see how you look with this new one while I¡¯m fuckin¡¯ ya!!"


    Anastasia muttered a curse under her breath, her eyes narrowing with cold fury. Without hesitation, she clenched her fist so tightly her knuckles turned white, then drove it into Richard¡¯s jaw with the full force of her rage. The sound of bone meeting bone cracked through the air like a whip, and Richard staggered backward, stumbling several feet before crashing into a nearby wall.


    He held his cheeks, baffled at what had happened.


    Anastasia wore an unimpressed look, wondering if this was going to be their new tradition whenever she visited the Wace mansion.


    "I¡¯m starting to think you like being hit. What now? Do you want me to carve your face so you always have something to remind you not to cross my path whenever you look in the mirror because I¡¯m starting to get bored of this already," she said.


    Richard took a step forward but Kace immediately blocked him.


    "If I were you, I would think before doing anything."

 Chapter 444: Chaos

    Kace exhaled, rolling his shoulders back with a slight groan. "And that¡¯s thest of it," he muttered, stretching his arms high above his head to ease the stiffness built up from hours of tension. "God, I thought this day would never end."


    The convoy began moving slowly, nked by armed security and Xavier¡¯s most trusted men. The route was long and rough, and with most of the women heavily pregnant, extra care had to be taken. The journey to the airport was taxing, and from there, it would be another long flight to Regalith. But it would be worth it. For the first time, these women were going somewhere safe.


    "Start it up," Xavier ordered.


    The rest of the men remaining opened the gallons of fuel and went inside.


    Anastasia and Xavier followed behind them, Anastasia holding him dearly as they went into one of the empty mansions.


    "I¡¯m sure this ce must hold several memories for those women," she said, looking at the TV, couch, and chandeliers.


    Xavier didn¡¯t want anything that was from the baby factory to follow the women to Regalith even though they were some simplest objects.


    "They¡¯re going to a better ce where they will make as many memories as they want. They won¡¯t be tortured and they will be allowed to live however they want," he said, holding her close.


    Anastasia nodded. She still couldn¡¯t believe it. After burning the baby factory, it was over.


    Xander and Samantha would go to jail and their happily ever after would beplete.


    Xavier looked behind them and found Xander and Samantha trailing behind them. Something shed in his eyes before he turned back.


    Fortunately, the baby factory was in a secluded area in Xattlewood, so the smoke wouldn¡¯t disturb anyone.


    Outside, Tracie was standing beside Julian.


    "You and that friend of yours have been making eye contact like ex-lovers that didn¡¯t end things on a good term. Why don¡¯t you go and say something to him?" She asked, half ring at him.


    Julian¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, analyzing what she just said. "Ex-lovers?"


    "Well, what can I say?"


    Julian stared down at her. It¡¯s been a while since hest saw her, and he noticed the way her face was glowing. She¡¯d lost a little weight because he could practically hold her corbone for dear life if he was hanging down a tree.


    "And what has been stressing you outtely?" He asked, suddenly interested.


    "Nothing serious. Fiona¡¯s husband ended up in jail some time ago and she¡¯s not taking that news well. It seems she still loves him even after the way he treated her," she huffed. "She hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet, but she¡¯s stressing over him more than her health. Is this how people in love act?" Her arms were folded around her chest, deeply wondering. "It¡¯s stupid."


    "Love is stupid," Julian said quietly. "Stupider than you¡¯d think. You can lose someone, go years without them, and still feel like they¡¯re in your chest every damn day. Even if they hurt you, betrayed you... You remember who they used to be, and that makes moving on harder. Fiona hasn¡¯t had time to let go. A month isn¡¯t long enough to unlove someone."


    He looked down at Tracie and found her giving him a weird look with her eyebrows cocked up.


    "Well, she¡¯d better get over it as soon as possible before her health starts to deteriorate even more," she snapped, ncing around the huge field.


    "You know for someone who has a sharp tongue, you sure care about Fiona, considering the both of you aren¡¯t even friends."


    Tracie rolled her eyes. "I don¡¯t need to be friends with Fiona to help her. She¡¯s also a person, and unlike you, I don¡¯t sit and wait around and let people suffer. I¡¯m not a coward." She spat.


    If Julian was hurt by her words, he didn¡¯t show it. His expression was unreadable.


    "You two are arguing again," Alex stated from the other side. "My goodness," he shook his head like a parent who¡¯s had enough of his children pulling each other¡¯s hair.


    Tracie simply scoffed and walked away, however, two vehicles from a distance caught her eye.


    Two vehicles were barreling toward the factory at high speed. Rusted, dented, andpletely out of ce¡ªthey weren¡¯t part of Xavier¡¯s transport fleet. Worse, armed men clung to the sides, guns in hand, eyes scanning the field like predators closing in.


    Tracie¡¯s gaze locked on the lead car¡ªand there, in the front seat, was Mr. Wace, his face twisted with grim determination.


    A slow, deadly smirk curled her lips. In one fluid motion, she reached behind her back, drew her gun, and fired.


    Three shots. Three bodies dropped.


    "Everyone, TAKE COVER!!" she screamed, her voice slicing through the air like a siren.


    Chaos exploded in an instant.

 Chapter 445: Dead Father

    His tone dripped with rage and desperation, and saliva flew from his lips with every word.


    Xander didn¡¯t flinch. He stood tall and silent, his jaw clenched, refusing to acknowledge the man who had ruined so many lives.


    Mr. Wace¡¯s fury only intensified.


    Then he turned his re to Xavier. "And you¡ªyou¡¯re siding with him?! After everything I taught you?!"


    "You taught me nothing!!" Xander exploded, voice cutting through the air like a de.


    His eyes scanned the area quickly, alert.


    "Where¡¯s your partner in crime?" Xander asked mockingly. "Didn¡¯t you bring Bruce to enjoy the show? What happened? Did he finally realize you¡¯re nothing but a bitter old man chasing ghosts?"


    "I¡¯m your father!!" Mr. Wace bellowed, spit flying. "You¡¯re supposed to be at my mercy! But look at you! None of my sons respect me. Not you. Not Xavier. And definitely not Kace!"


    Mr. Wace didn¡¯t look like a powerful patriarch anymore. He was filthy, his usually pristine suit crumpled and stained. His once polished shoes were caked in dirt. Days of unshaven stubble darkened his jaw, making him look like a deranged fugitive rather than a mafia boss.


    "Let¡¯s just get this over with," Xavier finally said, tone low and t. "You¡¯ve been barking like a rabid dog since you got here. What do you want?"


    Mr. Wace¡¯s eyes twitched.


    Then a slow, smug smile spread across his face. "To think I¡¯d be weed with at least a look of surprise. You blocked every route, locked down every border, but I still got in."


    Xavier and Xander exchanged a sharp nce¡ªbut any unspoken message between them was cut short when the rk couple, Jeffrey and Nora, were dragged out of one of the buildings by two unfamiliar men¡ªclearly Wace¡¯s henchmen.


    "Oh, look who we have here," Mr. Wace said, grinning wide. "Nora, my sweetheart."


    From her hidden position in the shadows, Anastasia narrowed her eyes.


    "Such a psychopath," she whispered. Tracie was crouched beside her, loading fresh rounds into her pistol.


    "He really thought Xavier wouldn¡¯t be expecting this," Tracie murmured, rolling her eyes. "Men like him don¡¯t think¡ªthey assume."


    Anastasia studied the scene. She counted twelve men. Some were inside the mansion, but those visible were mostly untrained. Sloppy posture. Nervous eyes. Unclean weapons.


    "I bet he picked those thugs straight out of the gutter," Tracie added under her breath.


    "Insane," Anastasia muttered.


    "You¡¯re insane, Thomas!" Nora¡¯s voice rang out clearly. "After all these years, you still can¡¯t let it go!"


    "You betrayed me by choosing him!!" Mr. Wace roared.


    Even Tracie visibly winced at the bitterness in his voice. "Who would¡¯ve guessed old people could have such messy love lives," she said dryly. Anastasia elbowed her.


    Anastasia saw the tiny redser dot appear on one of the thugs. It was her signal from Kace.


    She inhaled sharply.


    "Three..." she whispered.


    Jeffrey and Wace were shouting over each other. The tension was boiling.


    "Two..."


    Mr. Wace¡¯s veins bulged. His eyes were bloodshot.


    "One."


    The first bullet hit home. One of the henchmen holding Nora copsed, his chest a bloody mess.


    Anastasia and Tracie burst from their hiding ce, guns drawn, and ran to their parents, shielding them and ushering them away as the chaos erupted. Same with the men Xavier had instructed earlier.


    More gunfire followed. Mr. Wace¡¯s men didn¡¯t stand a chance. One by one, they dropped¡ªsome before they even realized they were under attack.


    From all sides, Wace¡¯s army was being cut down. The men who had stormed the mansion earlier rushed out in panic, only to be met with swift, merciless bullets.


    Within seconds, Mr. Wace was surrounded by corpses. The ground was littered with bodies, blood staining the white stone driveway.


    And yet, Xavier, Xander, and Samantha hadn¡¯t moved an inch. They simply stood and watched, as if the carnage unfolding was inevitable.


    "You came here for a reason only you understand," Xavier said, eyes cold. "But the least you could¡¯ve done wase prepared... Father."


    Mockery coated the word like venom.


    Mr. Wace¡¯s rage exploded. "FUCK YOU, XAVIER!!"


    Without thinking, he pulled the trigger¡ªaimed straight for Xavier¡¯s heart.


    But someone stepped in.


    Xander.


    The bullet struck him squarely in the chest. Blood spurted from the wound. His body jerked violently from the impact. Eyes wide in shock. Then he copsed to the ground.


    Everything stopped.


    Xavier¡¯s breath caught. For a moment, the world went silent.


    "XANDER!!" he screamed, voice breaking.


    Samantha gasped, rushing to Xander¡¯s side, hands trembling as she tried to stop the bleeding. But it was bad.


    Xavier¡¯s eyes turned crimson with fury. His jaw tightened. "Kace," he said into the mic on his cor, "Finish him."


    The red dot shifted.


    "No!" Mrs. Wace cried, running toward Thomas. "He¡¯s still your father!"


    Toote.


    One clean shot. Mr. Wace¡¯s head snapped back as the bullet tore through his skull. His body dropped beside the corpses of the men he had brought with him.


    Silence fell again¡ªthis time heavy, final.


    Mr. Wace was dead.

 Chapter 446: Rushed To The Hospital

    Xavier¡¯s jaw clenched. His voice dropped into a deadly tone. "If you don¡¯t start treating him right now, I swear to God, you won¡¯t have a job to wake up to. And God so help me, if anything happens to my brother, every single person in this hospital will pay for it with their lives¡ªincluding you."


    Xavier didn¡¯t care if there were CCTV cameras recording his threat. They coulde to himter for questioning if they wanted.


    The doctor paled at the threat, spine straightening with fear. He gave a quick nod. The nurse pushed Xander into the emergency room, and Xavier followed close behind.


    "Stop crying... you look old," Xander tried to joke even in his condition, but coughed up blood the next second.


    Samantha tried to go in with him, but the nurse stopped her. She fought, resisted, until Anastasia pulled her back.


    "They¡¯ll take care of him," she said softly. "Xander¡¯s strong¡ªnothing¡¯s going to happen to him."


    Not even in her worst nightmare did she imagine she¡¯d be the oneforting Samantha.


    The rest of the family arrived. Mrs. Wace sobbed uncontrobly while the rk couple tried tofort her.


    Xavier stood in front of the operating room, watching the green light blink steadily¡ªindicating the surgery had begun. Without a word, he turned and walked out of the hospital into the cool evening air. But it didn¡¯t bring the relief he was hoping for.


    He heard footsteps behind him and didn¡¯t need to look to know who it was.


    "I wish he was still alive so I could kill him over and over again. And maybe hunt his soul to hell and make sure he doesn¡¯t get out," Xavier muttered.


    Anastasia ced a hand gently on his shoulder but said nothing.


    "He was my father." The words were hollow. No venom, no emotion¡ªjust a tired truth. "And he didn¡¯t even hesitate. Pulled the trigger like it meant nothing, to shoot <i>me</i>. Now Xander¡¯s the one paying the price. He was supposed to be the only one to die today... not Xander."


    "Xander is not dead," Anastasia said softly, turning him to face her. Her heart clenched at the sight of his tears. "He¡¯s going to be alright."


    "He coughed up blood," Xavier said hoarsely. "I know he¡¯s not perfect. He¡¯s messed up¡ªso many times¡ªbut... why can¡¯t I stop wishing that nothing had happened to him? He kept calling me... trying to patch things up. Golf. Chess. Drinks at the bar. I ignored every attempt. But now... now I want him to survive. Just so we can do those things even though I have to endure hisme jokes."


    Anastasia couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. She threw her arms around Xavier and held him tightly. He clung to her like a lifeline, burying his face in her shoulder.


    "I don¡¯t want him to die," he whispered. "I just want him to survive this."


    After a long moment, Anastasia pulled back and gently wiped the tears from his cheeks.


    She¡¯d thought the same thing before¡ªthat Xander deserved every bit of the pain he was in. But if he died, Xavier would carry that guilt forever. She couldn¡¯t let that happen.


    "Xander¡¯s tougher than you think," she said. "When he was still hiding me in one of his hideouts, he came back once with a bullet in his leg. I can¡¯t even count how many times he¡¯s been shot there. He always made it. A chest wound? That¡¯s just another scar in the making."


    She gave him a small smile. "You¡¯re his brother. You¡¯re allowed to be mad, but you also love him. No matter what he¡¯s done, he¡¯s still your elder brother. He¡¯s going toe out of that room, y golf with you, challenge you to tennis, and drag you to a bar you¡¯ll hate. But you have to stay strong. And honestly, he¡¯s right¡ªyou do look old when you cry."


    Xavier let out a shortugh, a smile cracking through his pain.


    Anastasia grinned too. She cupped his face, leaned in, and kissed him softly.


    "I doubt he would want to leave when he¡¯s not sure that we¡¯d forgiven him," she added. Xander had not been the best, but he was just human like everyone else who made mistakes.


    "Let¡¯s go back inside," she whispered.


    Hand in hand, they returned to the hospital, Xavier feeling just a little stronger than he had five minutes ago.

 Chapter 447: Death

    "I¡¯m sure you hate me," he murmured. "I was never a good father to you¡ª"


    "You were never a father at all," she cut in coldly. "If I¡¯d been a stranger on the street, you would¡¯ve sold me off or killed me without a second thought."


    Her wordsnded like a knife. Bruce flinched.


    "All I ever wanted... was to be loved," she said, her voice cracking despite her effort to hold it steady. "You treated me like a curse, like I was your greatest mistake. I begged for your affection. I tried to prove I was worth your love. But you¡ªyou made me feel like I didn¡¯t belong, like I was nothing." She didn¡¯t care if her words came out sharper than she¡¯d intended it to be.


    She¡¯d been holding back, neverining, but it was time he knew how he made her feel.


    Bruce¡¯s lips trembled, a single tear slipping down his wrinkled cheek.


    "I¡¯m sorry," he whispered. "I med you for her death... your mother. She died giving birth to you, and I was too broken to face it. So I turned that me on the only person who didn¡¯t deserve it."


    Samantha looked away, the words hitting deeper than she expected. After everything, an apology shouldn¡¯t have meant anything¡ªbut it did. And that made it worse.


    "Sorry doesn¡¯t bring her back. Sorry doesn¡¯t fix the years of pain you caused me," she said bitterly. "And it won¡¯t fix what you made Xander be. You manipted him. You made him believe the wrong thing when you knew the truth."


    Bruce¡¯s breath hitched.


    "Xander is in aa," she said, voice trembling now. "He¡¯s fighting for his life. Do you know why? Because your best friend¡ªThomas¡ªshot him in the chest. That¡¯s why he¡¯s in the hospital, and why none of us know if he¡¯s going to wake up."


    Bruce¡¯s eyes zed over. The guilt was immediate and crushing, but he didn¡¯t have the strength to react. He simplyid there, breath growing shallower.


    Breathing felt like a workout while moving seemed almost impossible.


    "I know it¡¯s toote," he whispered. "But I couldn¡¯t go without telling you... I¡¯m sorry, Samantha. I know I don¡¯t deserve your forgiveness, but I needed you to hear it. I needed you to know... that I love you."


    Tears finally spilled from Samantha¡¯s eyes. For years, she¡¯d fantasized about hearing those words from the man who had given her life but taken everything else away. And now that he said them, it only made the pain sharper. She wanted to forgive him, but was she wrong for finding it hard to do so?


    "You might not have been a father to me..." she said softly, sitting beside him. "But you were to Xander. And believe me, if he were here, he¡¯d kill you for what you did."


    She reached for his hand ¡ª rough, cold, calloused ¡ª and held it gently in her own.


    "It¡¯s toote for hospitals," she murmured. "Even if I took you now... you wouldn¡¯t make it."


    Bruce managed a weak smile. "You look just like her... your mother. I was too blind to see it. Too stupid to appreciate the blessing in front of me."


    His eyes drifted shut, his chest rising once more, then falling ¡ª and stilling. His hand grew heavier in hers.


    "I love you so much, my dear..." he whispered onest time.


    And then he was gone. His body rxed into the couch as his eyes closed shut. He looked like earlier when she¡¯d walked in, eyes closed, sleeping. But this time, his chest wasn¡¯t rising. There was no sign of life anymore.


    Samantha didn¡¯t scream. She didn¡¯t sob. She simply sat there, holding his lifeless hand, her tears falling in silence. She kept caressing his skin as though he could still feel it¡ªas though he might open his eyes again and tell her she was wrong, that he wasn¡¯t leaving her too.


    But he didn¡¯t.


    This was the first time she was losing someone so close to her, but she didn¡¯t want to feel it again.


    And in that moment, Samantha realized that she had finally been given the thing she¡¯d always wanted¡ªfar toote to matter.

 Chapter 448: Arranged Marriage

    James Harrison paced around the living room again, giving Anastasia a subtle gaze. Thalia didn¡¯t notice it because she was talking about all the awful guys she¡¯s dated in the past.


    However, Anastasia noticed him. He went back to the kitchen as soon as he came to the living room.


    "I need to use the bathroom real quick. Wait here for me," said Thalia. Without waiting for Anastasia to respond, she excused herself, rushing upstairs towards her room.


    Anastasia nced around. The servants were not around.


    She stood up, headed to the kitchen, and saw James pouring himself a ss of liquor.


    "You know alcohol is not good for your health, uncle," she said, reaching for a jug of water and pouring herself a ss.


    "I know what¡¯s best for me," he replied. There was a pause. "And I¡¯m not your uncle." There was an edge to his tone, making Anastasia certain it wasn¡¯t going to take time for him to spit out what his problem with her was.


    "You¡¯re Robert¡¯s younger brother. Even though he wasn¡¯t my biological father, you¡¯re still my uncle," she responded, raising the ss to her lips.


    James turned to re at her.


    "I¡¯ll never consider a murderer like you a part of my family!" He barked. If Anastasia was hurt, she didn¡¯t show it.


    Her expression was calm and collected.


    "I¡¯m a murderer. What about it?" She asked.


    James gritted his teeth, with his hands clenched around his ss. "You killed my brother. You destroyed his family, and you act like you don¡¯t even care."


    Anastasia had no idea how he¡¯de to know that she was the one who killed Robert. Maybe it was because if Robert was still alive, he would have contacted him. But it¡¯d been a year since he disappeared¡ªdead.


    "You and that husband of yours are murderers and need to be punished for your crime," he continued. Anastasia took a deep breath but didn¡¯t reply. "I don¡¯t want someone like you hanging around my daughter. You¡¯re only going to put her in danger. So please, don¡¯t evere to my house ever again."


    Anastasiapletely understood where he wasing from. Thalia was her cousin after all. If Thalia had not been around, Anastasia had no idea what would have happened to the children at the orphanage.


    "What¡¯s going on here?" Thalia suddenly asked. Anastasia¡¯s head snapped towards her, hoping she hadn¡¯t overheard her conversation with James.


    "Nothing. I¡ª"


    "Anastasia was just leaving," James said, cutting her off.


    Anastasia turned to scowl at him. He didn¡¯t want her hanging around her at all and he meant every word.


    "Wait. You just arrived," Thalia said, turning to Anastasia. "My mum wants to cook dinner for you."


    "Tell her I¡¯lle again next time and we can talk another time. I still have to visit my parents," Anastasia replied.


    She gave Thalia a tight hug and turned to leave.


    She suddenly felt something was wrong somewhere. She wasn¡¯t sure what it was.


    "Did you say anything to Ana?" Thalia immediately attacked James.


    "Not at all. Anastasia is a busy woman. She has apany to run, a family to see," he tried to exin but Thalia didn¡¯t believe him.


    Without giving him an answer, she also turned to leave.


    When James was sure that Thalia was out of sight. He brought out his phone and sent out a text.


    Upstairs, Thalia was texting Anastasia, asking if her father had said something wrong to her. She¡¯d pretended to not notice it, but the man had been giving Anastasia the looks since she arrived.


    There was suddenly a knock on her door.


    "Come in," she said.


    James entered the room.


    "I have something very important to tell you," he said, his hands in his pockets. From his stance, Thalia could already sense it wasn¡¯t good news, at least from her end.


    "What is it?" She asked.


    "I have arranged someone for you. He¡¯s going to be your husband."

 Chapter 449: Escape

    She watched him walk out the door and the next thing she heard was the clicking sound of the door locking.


    Her father had just locked her right inside her room.


    She couldn¡¯t believe it. She¡¯d thought she was dreaming but now she was finally awake and realized that she was sleeping at all.


    Her father definitely wasn¡¯t making any jokes either. This was real.


    She got up from the bed and rushed towards the door to try to pull it open but it wouldn¡¯t budge.


    She banged hard against the door, trying to get attention.


    "Father, open this door," she demanded but there was no response. This still felt unreal to Thalia. An hour ago, she was thinking of how to celebrate one of the children¡¯s birthdays at the orphanage, and now she was locked up and being forced into a marriage she doesn¡¯t even want.


    "Father!! Let me out!!" Yet, silence was the only thing that responded to her.


    Thalia couldn¡¯t let this happen. She wasn¡¯t going to stay here and wait till she met this so-called man. She needed to escape.


    <i>At Anastasia¡¯s home,</i>


    Xavier dropped a ss of water on the dining table, gently rubbing on Anastasia¡¯s back as he urged her to drink the water.


    "You need to stop thinking about that man before you get sick," he said. "I doubt he would want to do anything against you now. If he were interested in doing anything to you, he would have tried long ago," he added.


    Anastasia nodded but still couldn¡¯t take her mind off it.


    She¡¯d killed his brother after all, so it may be better she stopped visiting their home and only invited Thalia out for a hangout once in a while.


    "Did you go to the hospital today?" She asked Xavier.


    He nodded slowly. "He has not woken up yet. But the doctor did say that his health is improving."


    Since Xander had been admitted into the hospital, Xavier had lost weight overthinking about everything.


    Sometimes he would keep meals and she would have to remind him to eat. She¡¯d never seen him like this before and she could only hope that Xander woke up soon.


    "It¡¯ll be fine. I don¡¯t think Xander would want to leave without having a chat with you." She stood up, wrapped her arms around his neck, and gave him a peck on the lips.


    His hands instinctively wrapped around her waist as he pulled her closer.


    "I¡¯m sure he will," he replied as he pressed his lips on hers for a second. Her fragrance attacked his nostrils and her fingers that were slowly massaging his hair didn¡¯t help the situation at all.


    He was starting to lose control.


    "It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go to bed," he said, reluctantly parting from her.


    Anastasia¡¯s shoulders slumped while she reluctantly nodded.


    It was obvious Xavier was trying to control himself. After everything, she¡¯d tried initiating sex but he always pulled away whenever they were close to doing it.


    It always ended like this, with him reminding her it was time to sleep.


    Anastasia was about to respond but the heavy knock from the door came crashing through the heavy silence.


    She jumped, gasping because the cause had ripped through the silence, right from nowhere.


    "Ana!!" She heard that familiar voice calling from behind the door.


    She nced at Xavier before she walked towards the door to find Thalia, panting for breath with her clothes wet from sweat.


    She was wearing a backpack right behind her, her hands on her chest as she tried to catch her breath.


    "Let¡¯s go in quickly," she urged as she gently pushed them inside while locking the door herself.


    Anastasia and Xavier stared at her in confusion.


    "What happened?" Anastasia asked, her tone mixed with concern and confusion.


    "I¡¯ll tell you everything, but first, can I stay here for a few days?" Thalia requested, staring at them with hope in her eyes.

 Chapter 450: Breath Of Life

    If Mr. Harrison was forcing his daughter to marry some stranger, then that means that he has a problem somewhere. Perhaps he¡¯s broke and needs financial assistance.


    Even so, why would he force Thalia to marry in the first ce? He could ask for a loan from the bank.


    "I don¡¯t want to marry anyone. At least not now, and even if I wanted to, I want it to be a love marriage."


    Anastasia immediately understood Thalia.


    When they were still kids, they would y games about how they would meet the love of their life and how many children they would have.


    "It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll find out what your father is nning, and you can stay here in the meantime," Xavier said while Anastasia nodded.


    "I¡¯ll have the servant prepare one of the guest rooms for you immediately¡ª" Anastasia didn¡¯t get the chance to finish her sentence when she suddenly heard a knock on their door.


    "Mr. Wace." Xavier cringed at that name. He still despised being called by that name even though his father was dead now.


    That voice belonged to one of their security guards.


    He walked towards the door and opened it.


    "Sir..."


    Xavier¡¯s gazended on Mr. Harrison, who was standing outside with his hands in his pockets, a grim expression on his face, obviously not pleased that his daughter had run out of the house and sought shelter in the home of the woman who ruined his brother¡¯s family.


    Mr. Harrison peeked into the corners of the house, immediately sighting Thalia and Anastasia who held her tightly.


    It was obvious that she¡¯d told them everything now, but they couldn¡¯t stop him.


    "Thalia,e out now," Mr. Harrison said,pletely ignoring Xavier.


    "I¡¯m not going anywhere with you," Thalia said, her tone firm. "I told you I don¡¯t want to get married and now, you¡¯re forcing me."


    Mr. Harrison was about to insist but Xavier interrupted him.


    "I suggest you leave. When Thalia is ready toe back home to you, then she will," he said.


    Mr. Harrison red at Xavier, rage surging through him but he couldn¡¯t say anything else.


    Obviously, with the security guards standing ready for action, he couldn¡¯t simply drag Thalia out of the house and take her with him.


    He tore his gaze from Xavier to look at his daughter who was hugging Anastasia like a ko bear, but making even the slightest gesture toe to him.


    "I¡¯ll leave you to think about it. But Thalia, I want you to know I would never intentionally put your life in danger," he said.


    Thalia didn¡¯t respond. He simply turned and left, looking dejected.


    But deep down, this wasn¡¯t good. He didn¡¯t think Thalia would escape until he asked the servant to bring her dinner, only to find out that she¡¯d escaped through the window.


    She was close with Anastasia, so that was the first ce he thought she would go, and he wasn¡¯t wrong.


    That night, after giving Thalia everything that she would need for the night, Anastasia retired to her bedroom where Xavier was waiting for her.


    He was reading a book, and once he saw hering in, he closed it shut.


    "How¡¯s she?" He asked.


    "She¡¯s alright. But she¡¯s very adamant about not returning. I don¡¯t think she trusts her father very much," Anastasia replied.


    Xavier scoffed. "I wouldn¡¯t if I were in her ce."


    Anastasia could only smile as she rubbed her lotion then slipped under the nkets right after.


    Without saying a word, she ced a kiss on Xavier¡¯s lips, soft and tenderly.


    She parted her lips and took his bottom lip between her and nibbled on it.


    Xavier¡¯s hands went to her waist to pull her closer but she immediately separated from him.


    "Let¡¯s sleep?" She asked with her doe eyes looking at him so lovingly.


    Xavier had been trying to control himself for the longest time possible, and Anastasia wasn¡¯t making things easy for him at all.


    Anastasia was about to pull the nkets over her body but Xavier was fast.


    He pulled her towards him so fast she was lying on hisp, his hands on her butt.


    Her lips parted in shock but Xavier didn¡¯t let her say another word. He captured her lips in a heart-melting kiss, slipping his tongue into her mouth the second she parted her lips further while his hands worked their ways on her butt.


    He kissed her like there was no tomorrow. Like she was the breath of life and he needed to have as much as possible.


    Anastasia moaned, but he swallowed everything. She could feel his member growing and she needed it.


    He has been holding back for the longest time, and now, she needed him balls deep inside of her.

 Chapter 451: Thali Kidnapped

    Instantly, Xavier lost the little self control he¡¯d been clinging to.


    The night was a blissful one filled with rekindled love for the couple, but in the other room a few meters away from them, Thalia couldn¡¯t fall asleep.


    She pulled the covers to her face but sleep had made it known not toe tonight.


    Besides, how could she sleep when she knew that her father was nning on marrying her off to some man she didn¡¯t know and didn¡¯t even yet?


    She searched for her phone on the bed and tried to call someone.


    If she needed to leave Radiantia due to her father¡¯s madness, then she needed to be ready.


    The next morning, after having breakfast with Anastasia and Xavier, Thalia prepared to head to the orphanage.


    Xavier had assigned one bodyguard to tail behind her and not make his presence noticed just in case Mr. Harrison would visit the orphanage.


    Thalia remained vignte even as she was at the orphanage, taking care of the kids.


    Thanks to Anastasia¡¯s support, the orphanage was running better than it did about three years ago. She¡¯d hired more staff and with extra money, she had the ce renovated, expanding the space as they take in more children.


    "Are you alright?" Thalia suddenly heard. She looked down to find a little boy who shouldn¡¯t be older than eight with dark curly hair and blue eyes staring at her. "You look worried."


    Thalia sighed with a smile as she bent to his level and ruffled his hair. "It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m alright. Why don¡¯t you go join them and y, hmm?" She gestured the little boy towards the yground and he hurried after his friends.


    As soon as he was gone, the forced smile on Thalia¡¯s lips dropped. So far, her father hadn¡¯t contacted her, and hopefully, things would stay that way, but she knew she was asking for the impossible.


    A few hourster, it was time for her to head back to Anastasia¡¯s home.


    Thinking that she was going to go through the day without meeting her father and having a word with him, she found him standing by his side, hands folded with two men by his side.


    Instantly, Thalia halted.


    "Get in the car, I¡¯m taking you home," he said firmly.


    "I¡¯m not getting into any car," she refused instantly, slowly walking back towards the gate of the orphanage.


    Mr. Harrison, who was about to get into the car, instantly paused. He turned to look at her, and instantly, she noticed the glint of something evil pass his eyes.


    "What did you say?" He asked, as if daring her to repeat her words. "Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t trust me."


    Thalia didn¡¯t respond however.


    She nced around, waiting for the shadow bodyguard that Xavier had given to her that day to interject, but she didn¡¯t spot him.


    Mr. Harrison nced around with her, a chuckle escaping through his lips.


    "You don¡¯t need to look for that wannabe bodyguard of yours. My men already took care of him."


    Thalia frowned deeply at this, but instead of demanding what he meant, her instincts told her to her which she did.


    She ran towards the gate of the orphanage, hoping to reach it before the bodyguards caught up to her.


    Unfortunately for her, they did right before she was about to take five steps.


    "Get her in the car." She heard her father¡¯smand. She tried to yell, but her mouth was already covered with a cloth. Before she could muster any energy to wiggle out of their grip, she felt her body losing all its strength, making it even more easier for them to drag her away.


    Back at home,


    Anastasia checked the time on the clock and then her phone, her eyebrows furrowing as if the times shown weren¡¯t the same but they clearly were.


    "She¡¯s not back yet," she said. "What if something happened to her?" She asked, worryced in her tone as she faced Xavier who was also trying to contact the bodyguard he¡¯d asked to protect her. But the call kept going to voicemail. "Xavier..."


    Xavier immediately pulled Anastasia towards her and ced a kiss on her forehead to calm her down.


    "You don¡¯t need to worry, my love. We¡¯ll find her." He assured her.


    He pulled out hisputer and after a few minutes of typing, the screen disyed the street of where the orphanage was.


    Both of them stared at the screen with the utmost focus, taking in every detail until they saw a car pull over opposite of the orphanage. They watched for only one minute more and instantly knew what could have happened to Thalia.


    Anastasia¡¯s fists clenched tightly to her sides, her eyes ring daggers of Mr. Harrison disyed on the screen after he kidnapped Thalia.

 Chapter 452: Rescued

    The sight made her shift back into the couch, her skin crawling from disgust.


    "I¡¯m sorry we had to keep you waiting, Mr. Sterling. We had a minor problem earlier, but it¡¯s fixed now," her father apologized, a smile on his lips.


    It didn¡¯t take Thalia two brains to realize that was the man her father had arranged for her to marry. He looked unfamiliar, but his presence definitely wasn¡¯t ordinary. There were also men d in ck suits carrying weapons surrounded in their living room.


    "That¡¯s no problem. This is the marriage contract. We can start with this first, and have the wedding ceremonyter," said the man, his gaze still fixed on Thalia like she was dinner he was about to haveter.


    "That wouldn¡¯t be a problem at all," Mr. Harrison responded. He shifted the document to Thalia, his gaze stern. "Sign it."


    Thalia scoffed. He didn¡¯t give her any exnation as to why he wanted her to get married to a withering man all of a sudden.


    "Just sign it. I¡¯ll exin everythingter¡ª"


    Before he could finish his words, they heard gunshots from outside.


    Mr. Sterling instantly became alert and ordered his men to go check it out. But before they could step out of the living room, a bunch of men had already stepped inside, surrounding them.


    Thalia¡¯s shoulders sagged in relief when she saw Anastasia and Xavier, a smile blooming on her lips.


    While her father and the so-called arranged husband were watching them with shock written all over their faces, she immediately ran towards Anastasia who hugged her tightly.


    "Did he hurt you?" Anastasia questioned, scanning Thalia who shook her head.


    "Just a bruise on my arm but I¡¯m good," she responded.


    Xavier¡¯s gazended on Mr. Sterling with heavy contempt.


    He¡¯d managed to dig into Mr. Harrison¡¯s problem that morning knowing fully well a father wouldn¡¯t sell his daughter off just like that.


    Mr. Harrison wasn¡¯t a wealthy man like his dead brother, Robert. Unfortunately for him, his business wasn¡¯t getting new investors, and the current ones threatened to pull out if he didn¡¯t make new decisions that required lots of capital.


    Mr. Sterling was one of the investors who offered to help him, but under one condition which was to marry his daughter.


    Apparently, the man had been monitoring Thalia for a while already.


    "Thalia,e back here and sign this marriage contract!!"


    "She¡¯s not signing anything," Xavier responded. He¡¯d met Robert and knew how rotten-minded the man was, but he didn¡¯t think that bad blood ran in the family.


    "I think you should mind your business, Mr. Wace."


    Kace scoffed.


    "Sorry to interrupt but I have a dinner date with my girlfriend and if I don¡¯t meet up with her on time, she¡¯s going to make me sleep on the couch. So if you don¡¯t mind..." Without giving them a chance to process what he¡¯d just said, Kace shot Mr. Sterling in the leg and the man cried in pain.


    His bodyguards were about to interfere but with the guns pointed at their heads by Xavier¡¯s men and the fact that they were already surrounded, they couldn¡¯t afford to risk losing their lives.


    "We¡¯ve already called the police toe pick you up since you have your hands deep into some dirty business," Kace said as he picked him up from the floor. "And you..." He faced Mr. Harrison. "I think I should just let Xavier deal with you. I don¡¯t have much time to spend here."


    With that, Kace took the old man outside where the police had already arrived and waited.


    Since Mr. Harrison couldn¡¯t be charged with any criminal offence, he was left with a restraining order to never step closer to Thalia ever again.


    The bodyguards were also packed, leaving the house empty.


    Thalia¡¯s rtionship with her father might have been ruined, but if her father could so mindlessly sell her off to a sleazy old man, it was best to stay far away from him.


    However, Thalia would stay with Anastasia and Xavier until she found her own ce.


    When they arrived home that night, Xavier suddenly received a call from his mother.


    He frowned slightly when he saw the call.


    He exchanged a look with Anastasia before he responded.


    "He¡¯s awake."

 Chapter 453: Happy Ending

    Xavier entered the room and found Xander already staring at him. It seemed thetter was expecting him longer than he expected.


    "Took you long enough," Xander mumbled under his breath, but it was audible enough for Xavier to hear him loud and clear.


    "I should be saying that to you." Xavier walked to his side and took a seat. "For a second I thought you didn¡¯t want to wake up. Scared of what I would do to you if you did?"


    A small smile stretched on Xander¡¯s lips.


    "Even if I didn¡¯t wake up, I don¡¯t think I would escape it."


    The moment was silent for a second as neither of them knew what to say next.


    Xavier wanted to punish Xander for everything he¡¯d done to his wife but how could he when Xander had misunderstood everything right from the start?


    Their father¡ªthe mastermind of everything that had happened was dead, but did that mean that things would easily go back to the way they used to be when they were sixteen?


    "You¡¯re probably thinking of how you¡¯re going to end my life." Xander¡¯s words brought Xavier out of his thoughts.


    "I wish," Xavier sighed. He ran his fingers through his hair, sighing even harder this time. "I¡¯m d that you¡¯re awake, Xander. Since I want to make you pay for what you did to Anastasia, I can¡¯t bring myself to do it. You¡¯re still my twin brother and you were manipted. I gave you the chance to fix things and you didn¡¯t disappoint me but there¡¯s only one person who can decide your fate now and I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t need to borate on who that person is."


    Xander was silent for a moment as he took Xavier¡¯s words.


    "I never thought our lives would get thisplicated. You¡¯ve tried to kill me many times and I¡¯ve done the same and yet somehow, we managed to survive each other. However, shooting me from a building wasn¡¯t on my bucket list of the year you know?" He feigned a frown while a grin stretched on Xavier¡¯s lips. "And what¡¯s with you and snipers? Do you have an obsession with them or what?"


    "You¡¯re only talking because my hands slipped," Xavier responded, his tone teasing but firm.


    Indeed, if he hadn¡¯t missed, Xander would have been dead a long time ago.


    However, what he didn¡¯t tell Xander was that he didn¡¯t miss at least not intentionally. But that was a talk for another day.


    "I¡¯ll make things up to you, Xavier. And if Anastasia decides not to forgive me, you can do whatever you want with me."


    That was all Xavier wanted to hear.


    He stood up from the couch, ready to leave.


    Even though he¡¯s made it clear to Anastasia that she didn¡¯t need to wait up for him, he still had the inkling feeling that she was on the living room couch, pacing left to right while looking into her phone, waiting for a text from him.


    "I have to go home to my wife."


    And with that, Xavier left. He shared a few words with his mother, gave a nod to Samantha, and returned home to Anastasia who was exactly where he presumed she would be.


    <i>Four monthster...</i>


    "Are you sure you have everything I asked you to bring?" Kace questioned Kael.


    "I¡¯m not illiterate. I read the list you gave me," Kael bit back with a subtle re.


    "Just making sure. Hold on, let me see." He snatched the bag Kael had with him and settled the drinks on the kitchen counter, scanning everyone to make sure that Kael had every single one of them.


    "You know, for a get-together family dinner, I don¡¯t think we need this many drinks," said Allison as she frowned when she saw the number of drinks there were.


    "Oh, baby...I assure you, we¡¯ll need lots of them for gamester."


    Allison and Kael gave each other a questionable look but didn¡¯t say anything.


    "I¡¯m here!!" Someone announced.


    All heads turned to look at Tracie who literally barged into the house carrying even more drinks.


    Kace turned to Allison.


    "See...I told you. We would need lots of drinks."


    Not long after, the rk family together with Old Wace and her daughter-inw arrived.


    "Hold on, Xander isn¡¯t here yet," said Anastasia.


    As if on cue, the doorbell rang once again.


    "I¡¯ll get it," Tracie said.


    She walked towards the door and opened it.


    Immediately, her face turned sour when she faced Xander and Samantha.


    But she managed to force a smile on her lips.


    "Come in." She gestured with her hand.


    Xander shared a handshake with Xavier and his younger brother, Kace.


    The family wasplete now as they all sat to have their first family dinner.


    "I don¡¯t know what went into the mind of Kace and Tracie that led them to bring so much whine, but you can¡¯t have much," Xavier whispered to Anastasia.


    "You know I can hear you right? I¡¯m not deaf," Tracie interjected with a scowl.


    Anastasiaughed lightly.


    "You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I can¡¯t have alcohol for a while."


    Her voice may have been soft, but everyone at the table heard her loud and clear.


    Xavier turned to her, eyebrows cocked.


    "Why not? Are you sick or something?" Kace questioned, a frown on his face.


    "I can¡¯t have alcohol for the next eight months." She repeated, a rosy hue painting her cheeks. "I¡¯m pregnant."


    The table went silent for a moment before Kael screamed.


    "I¡¯m going to be an uncle!!"


    "We¡¯re going to be uncles!!" Kace followed.


    However, Xavier was still too shocked to say anything.


    "You¡¯re..."


    "I¡¯m pregnant, Xavier," Anastasia repeated.


    "We¡¯re going to have a baby?"


    She nodded.


    "Well, that makes this dinner even more special." Tracie wrapped her arms around Anastasia and kissed her on the cheeks. "Finally, a sibling is going to make me an aunt."


    Ezekiel couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes from across the table.


    "Congrattions Anastasia," Xander said.


    "Congrats Ana," Samantha followed, a smile on her lips.


    Anastasia had forgiven the two for what they¡¯d done to her. After all, they¡¯d been lied to the entire time.


    Then the dinner continued with everyone suggesting baby names, gifts, and baby shower preparations. Tracie was the mastermind of everything.


    After dinner, Anastasia went to the terrace that overlooked the city lights. It was beautiful and mesmerizing.


    For the first time in a while, she was genuinely happy.


    "You shouldn¡¯t stay out for long." She heard a familiar voice. "It¡¯s chilly."


    She felt a warm nket drape over her shoulders while Xavier¡¯s arms wrapped around her from behind. She rxed her body on his chest.


    "It was nice having everyone here," she said. "We¡¯re finallyplete again."


    Xavier caressed her t tummy, a faint smile on his lips. "Not only that, but we have a babying on the way." He buried his head on her shoulders. "This is the greatest gift you¡¯ve ever given to me, Ana."


    They¡¯d already lost a child once so Xavier was terrified something bad would happen again.


    Anastasia turned to look him in the eyes.


    Instead of replying, she went on the tip of her toes and ced a kiss on his lips. However, Xavier deepened it into a passionate kiss and he only let her go when she was out of breath.


    "I love you, Ana."


    This was it¡ªtheir happy ending.


    "I love you, Xavier."