《Alvera,the Revenger,Married the Billionaire》 Chapter 1: Prologue Chapter 1: Prologue The beginning of June in Calgary was all thunder but no rain. ... In south Calgary, Alvera Earhart, wearing a high school uniform, knocked fervently on the door of the Francois family''s vi. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. "Antoine, Antoine,e out and save my mom. Please help me." Alvera was crying uncontrobly. It was hard to tell if it was because of the cold or the pain. Soon, the door of the vi was opened and two burly men came out. Alvera trembled slightly, "I... I want to see Antoine." "Miss, pleasee in." Alvera walked quickly into the vi. Soon, she was brought to a room on the second floor. "Mr Francois is inside. Pleasee in." Alvera looked at these two men and suddenly felt something was wrong. Antoine said that he had dozens of servants at home. She did not see anyone else in the vi when she came in. She swallowed her saliva in fear. Before she could do anything, the man beside her opened the door and pushed her straight into the room. The door mmed shut. The room was pitch-dark. With the back against the door, Alvera was not daring to move a finger. "An... Antoine, are... are you here? It''s me, Alvera." Before she finished, she felt someone grab her wrist and pull her into a firm embrace. She struggled against the embrace. It was futile. She was trapped in the tight embrace. The stranger spun her around, lifted her up and threw her on arge bed. As she struggled to get up, a dark figure pounced on her. He tore at her clothes and held her down so that she could not move. "Let me go... Who are you?Let me go. I will sue you. you''remit a crime!" The man breathed heavily by her ear and kissed her. No matter how hard she struggled, she could not break free. She touched an ashtray while she thrashing her arms in the dark. She grabbed the ashtray and smashed it on the man''s head as hard as she could. The man was obviously stunned by the blow. Immediately, he grappled the ashtray from her hand, threw it away, and tore off her clothes. There was no tenderness. Alvera''s virginity was taken away ruthlessly. It was a nightmare to her. The man tortured her for more than seven hours tirelessly. When she finally escaped from the room with the torn clothes, the vi was still empty. It had begun to rain outside. She rushed into the rain without a care and ran all the way to the foot of the bridge. There was a woman lying under the bridge. The puddles under her showed that she had been lying in the rain for a long time. Alvera ran to the woman and knelt by her side. She picked her up and held her tightly. "Mom, mom, it''s raining, why didn''t you find a shelter, mom..." The woman''s body was cold her eyes were shut tightly, even though Alvera cried bitterly. "Mom... Mom, wake up. Don''t go, don''t leave me. Mom, I was wrong. I shouldn''t have left you. I was wrong. Please open your eyes," she cried. The only response to her were the sound of thunder and rain. Her mother would never open her eyes again. She knew her mother was gone. She clenched her fists tightly and recalled what her mother told her before she left. "Alvera, I can''t hold on any more." "Mom, I''ll find someone to save you right now. I''ll definitely save you. I didn''t tell you that I have a boyfriend, he''s the second son of the Francois Family in the south Calgary. The Francois Family is very powerful, they will definitely save you. I won''t let you leave me. I won''t allow you to leave. If you leave, no one will love me." "Alvera, listen to me. Once I''m gone, I won''t be your burden anymore. Leave this ce, and never the unhappy memories in the North Calgary. Don''t do what I did. Find someone who loves you and treat him well. Marry him, have children, live a normal life, and be happy." Alvera held her mother''s cold body and sat in the heavy rain the whole night. The rain stopped at daybreak. ... Alvera wiped away her tears and clenched her fists tightly. "Mom, I promise you. After I get revenge on the Thomas Earhart Family, I will leave this ce and nevere back," she swore. Chapter 2: Four Years of Darkness Chapter 2: Four Years of Darkness Four yearster, Alvera stood at the gates of the North Calgary Prison and watched the heavy iron door shut. She was free. She opened her tightly clenched fist to reveal a pendant in her hand, then she hung it around her neck. In the distance, a ck Audi honked a few times. Alvera ignored the car and walked towards the nearest bus station, which was not far off. Just then, the door of the Audi opened, and a young man got out from the driver''s seat. He looked at Alvera and shouted, "Dude!" Alvera stopped in her tracks and looked back. The sun shone brightly over her as she smiled at the driver. The man got back in the car and drove closer. He rolled down the window and said, "I''ve been waiting for you for a long time. Get into the car." Alvera got into the passenger side, her expression quiet and calm. "Is there any ce you want to go in particr?" "I want to visit my mother." Samuel Lambert paused for a moment. "I''ll drive you there." "Your father... I don''t think he will approve of your friendship with me. You''re the young master of the Lambert Group, and I''ve been to prison." "Can you stop? I don''t care that you''ve been to prison. It wasn''t even your fault, to begin with. You wouldn''t have ended up in prison if it weren''t for the Francois family." Alvera clenched her fists tightly when he mentioned the Francois Family. "What kind of rtionship did Rnd Francois and Andrina Earhart have back then?" "They should have been together for some time already, seeing how Rnd Francois was so dead set on putting you in prison." Alvera shook her head. "No, the day before my mother and I were thrown out, Thomas Earhart was looking to set her up with a suitable man. If Rnd and Andrina were together at the time, they wouldn''t do that." "Yeah, you''re right, Rnd was the most popr bachelor in the high society of Calgary. All this talk about the Francois family reminds me of that scum, Antoine Francois. He didn''t even say anything when his brother was framing you. He even promised me he would protect you forever when you guys first got together. Bah, so much for his promises!" "Don''t mention him." "I''m just so annoyed. He went abroad to enjoy his life thesest four years when you were in prison. You shouldn''t believe in a person like him." Alvera smiled without emotion. Alvera stood silently by the sea at the ce where her mother''s ashes were scattered. Samuel was about to leave quietly when Alvera asked, "Samuel, do you have a lighter?" ... Samuel paused for a moment before passing her his lighter. After he left, Alvera looked at the peaceful sea and said, "Mom, I''m free now." She took two pieces of candy out of her pocket, ced one of them on the soft sand, and put the other in her mouth. "This candy is very delicious. A friend in prison gave it to me. She told me that every time she felt like crying, she would feel better if she ate some candy. It''s true, I''ve tried it." The sea breeze felt damp and sticky on her face. Alvera took out several pieces of newspaper cuttings from her bag. After looking at them intently for a while, All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. she flipped open the lighter and lit the papers on fire. "Mom, I didn''t get my revenge four years ago. From now on, I will get back everything I deserve. Andrina, I won''t be reckless this time," she said. The fire spread across the newspaper in her hand. Through the mes, some headlines from the newspapers caught her eye. "Rnd Francois, the CEO of the Empire Group, and Andrina Earhart of the Earhart Group show their affection on Valentine''s Day. The wedding date ising." "The eldest daughter of the Earhart Group has a bad fever, which has been diagnosed as a fulminant hepatic failure. She is in urgent need of a liver transnt." She gently loosened her grip and let the tide sweep away the ashes. Momentster, she raised her hand put it over her abdomen. Four years ago, the Earhart Family threw her out because her liver was useless to them. Now, her liver had value again. This time, she would get back everything she was owed. "Wait and see, Mum. I will make them pay for our tears with blood. I won''t let you die in vain." Chapter 3: The Betrothal Gifts For Marrying Me Chapter 3: The Betrothal Gifts For Marrying Me In the hospital''s underground parking lot, Alvera stood beside a Bentley, wearing an ordinary white T- shirt and jeans. After an hour, the owner of the car finally came back. He was a graceful man. His tall posture in a luxurious suit showed indescribably good-looking. For the first time, Alvera felt that Antoine was nothingpared to him. The man took off his sunsses as he approached and looked quizzingly at the woman who stopped his way to the car. Alvera put on a charming smile on her beautiful face. "Mr. Francois, you know me, don''t you?" "Have we met before?" "No, we haven''t. But four years ago, you sent me, a mere stranger, into prison. Do you not remember me or have you sent too many people into prison?" "You are Alvera Earhart?" There was a hint of disgust in his eyes. Alvera smiled. "Yes, I am Alvera Earhart. Mr. Francois, do you have time? Let''s talk." "I''m not interested in talking to a woman like you. Get out of the way." Alvera, who had been leaning against the car, did stepped away from the car after he said that. "I forgot. Mr Francois''s car is quite an expensive car. It would be bad luck for someone like me to lean on." "Get away, then. I don''t care what you want, don''t loiter around here." he said as he opened the car door. He said before he got ready to get into the car. "It''s not easy to find a liver donor in such a short time, is it?" The man stopped and looked at her. "You haven''t learned your lesson from the past four years?" "Mr Francois, I''m here exactly because I''ve learnt my lesson. I know where to find a liver donor for Andrina." "Do you?" Alvera shrugged and smiled indifferently. "You must have heard that the Earhart family wants me to go back." She was sure that Earhart family was looking for her right now, but she didn''t want to tell Rnd the real reason why. Rnd raised his eyebrows slightly, but remained silent. "I''m the only one who can find her a liver donor, Mr Francois. Would you rather talk to me or just give up the opportunity to save your girlfriend?" Rnd sneered, "Don''t regret it. Get in the car." Alvera felt a sense of relief as she watched him get into the car. Samuel was right, this man was very dangerous. However, she had enemies on both sides. It would be the best n for her to partner up with one side to deal with the other. Rnd took her to a private wine cer. The staff left after serving them a bottle of wine. "Do you know how to serve the wine?" "Sure." Alvera stepped forward, opened the bottle, and poured some wine for him elegantly. He picked up the ss and swirled the wine around gently. "Go ahead, what do you want from me?" "You''re straightforward. Let''s not beat around the bush. What can you give me?" Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Rnd looked her up and down and scoffed, "An apartment, a car, and three million dors." Alvera shrugged. "The woman you love is worth so little." Rnd''s expression turned to cold, "Looks like you have some ridiculous demands." "I think Andrina is worth more than this. I demand my own vi with a view of the sea. As for the car, I''ll take the one by the door. After all, I don''t think you''ll want to use it anymore after I''ve sat in it. I also want ten million dors." "As I expected, this is a ridiculous demand." Alvera smiled, "Is this ridiculous already? Mr. Francois, I''m not finished yet." Rnd looked at her coldly, "Are you sure you want to continue?" "I want you." She pointed at him with a seductive smile. Literally no one in Calgary would have such courage to ask for what she did. He swirled the wine in his ss and looked at the woman in front of him with an evil smile. He had to admit that she was a stunner. It was a pity that she had a malicious heart. "Me? Are you sure?" There was no emotion in his eyes, but his voice was cold. "Everything I listed before are the betrothal gifts for marrying me. That''s how much I think Andrina is worth. Other than that, whether I want you or not is not important. what imoprtant is to saving Andrina''s life, what do you you think?" she replied. Chapter 4: A Deadly Bet Chapter 4: A Deadly Bet Rnd took a sip of wine silently with his eyes fixed intently on Alvera. ... Alvera did not know what he was thinking about. She couldn''t see through him, and she did not dare to guess. She was just taking a gamble and hoping that Andrina was important to this man. "Don''t worry, I won''t tie you up for the rest of your life. I just need six months," she said. After a long silence, Rnd smiled. Alvera watched him nervously, and her heart was pounding. "I heard that you grew up in the Earhart Family," he said. Grew up? She had spent most of her life in that hellscape. "What are you trying to say?" she asked. "The Earhart family members know a lot about wine. How about you?" Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. "I know a little." She looked at him calmly. He took another sip of wine. Suddenly, before Alvera could react, he pulled her towards him with one hand on her head and the other on her chin and kissed her. Alvera''s mind was in a whirl. She closed her eyes and reminded herself silently that she was making a deal with him so that she could resist her instincts to push him away, but she couldn''t. All she could think about was that night when she was raped. She did not like this feeling. She pushed him away. Her uneasiness did not escape Rnd''s eyes. He loosened his grip on her with a hint of interest in his expression. After regaining her freedom, Alvera took a deep breath and backed away from Rnd, looking at him warily. "Tell me, what year is this wine from? If you get it right, I''ll ept your demands," he said. Alvera turned her head and snorted disdainfully. "Why? do you have a problem with my question?" "Is Andrina''s life just a bargaining chip to you?" she asked. "I''m not putting Andrina''s life on the line. Don''t forget, if I can send you to prison, I can get you to hand over the liver donor to me." He was not wrong. The Francois Family was very powerful and influential in Calgary. If it wasn''t for them, she would not have been in prison. Alvera''s eyes hardened with hatred. Rnd crossed his legs and smirked. "You should have done some research before you came to make such bold demands with me." Alvera clenched her fist. "I warned you before you got into the car. If you regret it now, you can leave. This is yourst chance," he continued. Alvera raised her chin and tried to control her emotions. "I... I didn''t manage to taste the wine just now." "Then you lost." "Let me taste it again. One more time. I can do it," she said. "Are you asking me for a kiss?" he asked. "I can drink the wine myself," she offered. It was already impossible to recognize the wine from a single sip, not to mention... "No way. My wine is very expensive. You don''t deserve it," he said as he picked up the ss and took another sip, looking straight at her. His intention was obvious. Alvera hesitated for a moment, then made up her mind. She leaned forwards and touched his lips with hers. However, he didn''t open his mouth. She pulled him away embarrassedly, and looked at him. She thought about the rough kiss from that night. Alvera closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, her clenched fists trembling. She could not give up. This man was her first step in her n to punish the Earhart family. When she opened her eyes again, they were cold and indifferent. She leaned firmly on Rnd. Her lips touched his and she tried to pry open his mouth with her tongue. Finally, she managed to get some wine into her mouth. She immediately pulled away from him and tasted it carefully. She did not notice the surprised expression on Rnd''s face. He had never felt so sexually attracted to a woman before in his life, not since that night with Andrina when he was under the influence of drugs. Even now, without outside influence, he was not interested in Andrina. This woman had managed to pique his interested just now. "Very good," he thought. "What do you think? When was this wine made, and in which area?" he asked. "You only have one chance. If you''re wrong, there will be no second chance," Alvera sped her hands together to hide her nervousness. "Did I mention that I don''t have much patience?," he continued. "What''s your answer?" "The wine is from 1982, Bordeaux," she answered. Alvera stared at him, her eyes bright and intense with expectation, waiting for his response. She had to be right. She could not afford to be wrong. Chapter 5: Shes Back For Revenge Chapter 5: She''s Back For Revenge "How did I do, Mr Francois?" Alvera asked. "I ept your demands," Rnd said, with a wicked glint in his eyes. Was the answer correct? Did she really get it right? Her taste in wine was not that good in the first ce, and she hadn''t touched wine for four years. What''s more, the way she tasted the wine just now was so differernt... Did God help her? Rnd was fiddling with the cork from the bottle of wine which had the number 2005 on it. He wasn''t going to let her see that, though. From what he could see, this transaction was very interesting. Rnd stuffed the cork back into the bottle and stood up. Alvera followed him and asked, "When can I get what I want?" "Today," he replied. "Then... What about you?" "Oh? You can''t wait to get me?" Rnd approached to her seductively. She took a step back quickly. "I''m talking about the marriage." Rnd smiled. He could see that Alvera was pretending to be calm, even though she was obviously scared. "It''s up to you," he said. "We''ll do it today," she looked at him firmly. Rnd stared at her intently with his arms folded. Alvera held her head high and looked at him in the eyes. "Fine." Rnd agreed? Just like that? Alvera felt uneasy. She knew that Rnd was not a man who would easily agree to her demands. Was this all just for saving Andrina? An hourter, Alvera arrived at the family home of the Earhart Family. She stood opposite the sofa looking at Thomas Earhart and his wife Luna. Luna looked at her coldly. "How dare youe back here, you little b*stard." "Isn''t this my home? Why can''t Ie back here?" Alvera asked. "Do I have to remind you that you and your sl*tty mother were thrown out of the Earhart Family four years ago?" "Were we?" Alvera walked over to an armchair casually and sat down with her legs crossed. "Aunt Luna, do you need my help or not?" Luna''s face was vicious. "How dare you threaten me?" "How could I threaten a vicious woman? Aunt Luna, what do you think who I am." Before Luna retorted, Thomas said indifferently, "What do you want?" Alvera felt sad about the man in front of he. But she stop this thinking quickly. "I want three things. Firstly, I want you to announce that I am Thomas Earhart''s long-lost daughter," she said. "No way." Luna stood up. "Alvera Earhart, you will never be a memeber of Earhart family, not even after I die!" N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Alvera ignored Luna. "Secondly, I want 10 million dors cash." "In your dreams," Luna retorted. "Thirdly, I want my ID card back." This time, Luna did not say anything. Thomas was silent for a while. "Alvera, you should know why you came to the Earhart Family in the first ce." "I know that very well, and I will never forget it," she replied. "I won''t let you join the Earhart Family. You have to remember that nothing here belongs to you. I''ll agree to yourst two demands," he said. "Thomas!" Luna shouted, "Why should we give her money?" "Because she can save our daughter." he replied. Luna gritted her teeth and red at Alvera, without saying a word. The words "our daughter" depressed Alvera hardly. She stood up. "Where''s my ID card?" Thomas got up and went to the bedroom. He came back and handed her ID card. Alvera took it with a bright smile on her face. "Actually, I have a question for both of you. Does my mothere and haunt your dreams at night?" she asked casually. Thomas''s face showed terrified. Alvera smiled and said, "Goodbye." She took a few steps and stopped as if she remembered of something. "Oh, right, Ie here not only for helping you save Andrina, but also preparing a present for you two to thank you for treating me and my mother like taht four years ago. I hope you look forward to it!" After that, she turned around and left. Luna snorted coldly. "What tricks is this b*tch ying?" Thomas''s closed his eyes, "Did you notice that Alvera has changed?" "Has she changed? She did. She''s a woman who had been in prison for many years." Luna said. "No, she has the qualities of a hunter now. She''s back for revenge." Chapter 6: I Don’t Need Roland Francois’ Love Chapter 6: I Don¡¯t Need Rnd Francois¡¯ Love Aftering out of the Civil Affairs Bureau, Alvera looked down at the marriage certificate with a small smile. She put the certificate into her bag carefully, then pulled out a document and handed it to Rnd. "Mr Francois, please take a look at this document," she said. Rnd took the document and nced at it. It was a simple marriage contract. On the contract, it stated that the contractual marriage between Rnd Francois and Alvera Earhart would be six months. Both parties were not to mention the contractual marriage during the agreed duration of the marriage. The defaulting party would have to give up all his or her properties to the other. After six months, apart from the seaside vi, the luxury car, and the savings in her bank ount, Alvera will leave without taking anything else from the Francois family. There was already a date and Alvera''s signature at the bottom of the document. "If there are no problems if the contract, please write your name here." Alvera said. Rnd looked at her and said, "Has anyone told you that you''re really bold?" "Yes, many people said so." "You will pay for your boldness one day, you know?" "Yes, that''s why I''m getting bolder," she replied. "I want to keep you to your word." Rnd took out a pen and signed his name on the contract quickly, using the marriage certificate as a signing pad. However, he did not give her the contract after signing it. Instead, he clipped it with the marriage certificate. Alvera held out her hand. "Mr Francois, I think it would be better if I kept the contract." "Since it''s a contract, it must be in ordance with both parties'' wishes. Your terms are written there, but not mine," Rnd said. "This contract is not unfavourable to you," she said. "That''s what you think." Alvera retracted her hand. "Fine," she thought. "He can add what he wants." She looked at him calmly. "I''ve gotten everything ready. You just need to schedule the surgery for Andrina and let me know the time. I have something else to do, so I''m leaving," she said. She turned around and left. Rnd stayed where he was and watched she walked further with his arms folded. The game was fun only if it was dangerous. In the distance, she took out a piece of candy and stuffed it into her mouth. Then she looked up at the blue sky. Sacrificing her marriage for revenge was probably the stupidest choice she had ever made in her life. However... she would never regret it. In the Midnight Club, Alvera and Samuel sat quietly by the colourful lights of the bar. "Samuel, do you have what I wanted?" Samuel let out a despondent sigh and looked at her solemnly. "I really don''t understand what you are trying to do. That man is in love with Andrina. Even though he is your legal husband, what''s the point of this if he doesn''t love you? The men of the Francois family are all scums. It''s really not worth it to sacrifice your marriage. I''m worried that you will get hurt in the end." "Samuel, I know what I''m doing. I didn''t forget who sent me to prison in the first ce. I don''t need Rnd Francois'' love." Alvera said. Samuel just looked at her worriedly, not knowing what he could do. Alvera had changed. She was not who she was four years ago. There was an imprable coldness in her eyes. "I will do it even if I have to sacrifice my soul. Andrina''s man of her dreams is my husband. Even if she really gets him back, she will always be the other woman." "That''s exactly what I want," she continued. "I want her to be the mistress. That''s what she said, homewreckers should be d*mned to hell. One of them should suffer what my mother had suffered." Samuel sighed when he remembered his kind-hearted aunt, and then handed her a brown paper bag. "I don''t know whether I''m doing the right thing or not, but I''ll have you know, dude, don''t get too All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. involved. I won''t be able to forgive myself if you lose." he said. Alvera took a look at the document in the bag and smiled brightly at him. In a dark corner further away, a pair of eagle eyes stared intently at them. ... This woman... She just married him, and then came to the bar to seduce another man. She was bold indeed. Chapter 7: A Marriage With No Wedding Chapter 7:A Marriage With No Wedding Samuel sent Alvera back to the seaside vi. She had seen the ce earlier during the day and was very satisfied with it. Her mother liked the sea the most when she was alive. That was why she chose to scatter her mother''s ashes by the sea after she died. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. From now on, this whole patch of the sea would belong to her mother. With her mother¡¯s apanying , she would not be lonely. After Samuel left, she went to the beach alone instead of going into the vi directly. The sand on the beach was soft and fine. She took off her shoes, sat on the beach, and ate a piece of candy from her bag. The sea breeze was chilly, but it was also particrly refreshing. "Mom, I got married today." she said. The waves sshed gently on the fine sand as if responding to her words. "It''s a marriage that is destined to have no wedding," she continued. "Andrina, it won''tst too long. I will be able to leave this ce soon and live the life you wanted for me. I''ll be happy wherever I go in the future and live out the rest of my life peacefully." "But no worries, it won''tst too long. I will be able to leave this ce soon and live the life you wanted. I''ll be happy wherever I go in the future and live out the rest of my life peacefully." She lowered her head after she spoke, and drew something in the sand with her fingers with a lonesome expression. At the gates of the vi, a flicker of firelight shed in the ck Bentley parked there. The man rolled down the window and flicked the ash of his cigarette. His gazended on the lonely figure on the beach. He had never seen a figure that was so simr to his. It was a sight that made people feel sorry for it for some reason. He looked at her for a long time. It waste at night when Alvera finally got up and returned to the vi. Therge house was cold and empty. She went upstairs, entered the smallest room she had chosen this morning, and took a bath in the bathroom. When she came out of the bathroom, her footsteps wavered for a moment. "Rnd? Why does hee?" she wondered. Rnd perched on her bed in a nightgown and crossed his legs. "You spent too long in the bathroom." "You... Why are you here?" Although she tried her best to hide her shock, it was still showed in her eyes. Rnd pointed at the marriage certificate on the beside table. "You do know what marriage means, don''t you?" "Our marriage is fake, it''s contractual, Mr Francois. Don''t you remember it?" She said. She tried her best to hide her panic and look at him calmly. Rnd stood up. His white bathrobe was half-open. He had just taken a shower, so he had the same fragrance as she did. Alvera took a step back. He took arge step towards her and pressed her against the wall. "Our marriage is contractual, but the marriage certificate is real. Since it''s a legal marriage byw, we need to honour it. For example, like this." He lowered his head and kissed her on the lips. She turned her head and tried her best to avoid the kiss, but his lips were pressed against her cheeks, radiating warmth. "I thought you loved Andrina? You''d be cheating on her by doing this," she said. "Didn''t I already cheat on her when I married you? You forced me to cheat on Andrina. Did you think that you could get off this easily? Alvera, I want you to fulfil your duty as my wife. That is your punishment," he said. He could feel the heat on her face as he looked at her. "I... I''m not ready for this yet," she stammered. "So, you''re not ready for this, but you''re ready to have a date in the nightclub with the eldest son of the Lambert Family?" She looked at him in surprise. "You''re investigating me?" "You guys know each other well?" He asked, not answering her question. She clenched her fist. "Is it important?" "My wife flirted with another man. What do you think, is it important?" he asked. "I didn''t flirt with Samuel, we''re just friends who grew up together," she replied. "Friends? Oh, that''s a good lie. Who doesn''t know Samuel Lambert is a yboy?" He lifted her up and carried her to the bed. "I have no reason to sacrifice six months of sex for you either, what do you think?" He smiled wickedly with a touch of coldness. At that moment, Alvera suddenly understood what Samuel meant. He was right, she was dealing with Satan. Chapter 8: Turn Off The Light Chapter 8: Turn Off The Light Rnd untied Alvera''s bathrobe, but she shouted, "Turn off the light." "Why? You''re afraid that you''ll lose interest when you see my face?" He asked. "You might bedespise my body," she retorted. "I''ve been in prison, my body is dirty." He frowned as he saw at the stubbornness and pride on her face. "You worry too much," he said. "We''re husband and wife after all. I''m doing this for your sake, Mr Francois," she said, smiling brightly. "Fine, as you wish." He turned off the light. The room suddenly became dark. She clutched the bed sheets tightly. Rnd did not see the fear on her face in the dark. He kissed her fiercely, punishing her weak body. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, enduring all this. It was her who started the game, so she had no reason to regret this. She could remember everything that happened on that horrible night four years ago. She dreamed of killing that man. She was petrified. Rnd stopped suddenly and got up. Alvera loosened her grip on the bedsheet.still petrified. She was still petrified without any movements. Rnd lied on the other side of the bed, his eyes shining in the dark like a predator. This woman... was so much like Andrina at that night four years ago. There''s no need to continue. He was right. He could not forget the body that could ignite his. He got up and left the room. Alvera didn''t know why he suddenly stopped, but she was relieved that she dodged that bullet. ... The next morning, Rnd opened the door to Alvera''s room. She suddenly sat up in shock and looked around cautiously, only to find that she was fine. "Why are you so shocked?" Rnd asked, surprised at her sudden reaction. Alvera flipped her short hair over her shoulder casually. "It was just out of habit. I thought it was a prison guard calling us to work." She got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. Rnd frowned as he watched her turn her back towards him. "Why was she so proud of being in prison?" he wondered. "Bring the liver donor to the hospital at two o''clock this afternoon for a preoperative examination," he said. "Okay." Alvera smiled brightly. He turned around and left angerly for not understanding her smile. Alvera heard the sound of his car leaving outside the vi. She went over to the window, opened the curtains and took a deep breath as she looked at the distant sea. It was a beautiful, sunny day. She went shopping alone and bought herself her favourite snacks. She also bought a lot of stylish clothes, bags, and shoes. In the afternoon, the housekeeper Samuel had found for her arrived. She gave a cleaning brief to the housekeeper then went to the hospital. Alvera, in a brand new white dress, arrived at the VIP room of the hospital with a bouquet of flowers. She looked young and pretty. She handed the bouquet to Andrina. "Andrina, I wish you a speedy recovery." Andrina looked at her surprisedly. Alvera was more beautiful than she was four years ago. There was a seductive charm in her eyes. Thomas and Luna were both there. Luna snatched away the flower and threw it on the ground.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. "We don''t need your flowers," she said coldly. "That''s fine. Some people don''t deserve flowers," Alvera said. Andrina clenched her fist. "Alvera, don''t be so cocky. Do what you should do." Alvera said nothing and just smiled. The door of the ward opened again. It was Rnd. The disgusted expression on Andrina''s face disappeared immediately and she changed a pitiful look. "Alvera, I didn''t mean that I don''t like these flowers. You didn''t have to vent your anger on them. It''s a pity to throw such beautiful flowers on the floor." "Alvera, I know that you are in a bad mood," Luna said, her tone was also suddenly kind. "What''s wrong? You can be angry with me but her. She is too sick to bear these." Alvera watched their hypocritical act apathetically. Andrina smiled at the man by the door. "Rnd, you''re here! Let me introduce. This is Alvera, I''ve talked about her before. We grew up together, so she''s like my sister!" Chapter 9: A Slap Chapter 9: A p Rnd walked over to the side of the bed, ignoring Alvera. "How are you today?" he asked. "I''m fine. Alvera, say hello. This is Mr. Francois of the Empire Group," Andrina answered. Alvera turned to look at Rnd with a bright smile. Andrina clenched her fists tightly when she saw her smile. "What a sl*t," she thought. Rnd nced at Alvera coldly and asked, "Where is the liver donor? Did you bring her here?" "I did. She''s ready for the pre-operative examination anytime," she replied. Andrina was surprised by their conversation. "Rnd, do you know Alvera?" Alvera smiled. "Andrina, since we grew up together and you regard me as your sister, I''ll tell you the truth. Mr. Francois here is my..." Rnd interrupted her before she could finish. "Come with me and bring the donor for the admission procedure." ... Alvera turned and looked at him with a raised eyebrow as he headed towards the door without waiting for her reply. ... Smiling faintly, Alvera followed him out. Andrina sat on the bed, still surprised. "Mum, Why do I feel that they know each other?" Luna gritted her teeth and scowled at Thomas. "Look at that b*stard you had with that sl*t. She''s trying to set up my daughter." "Nonsense, we don''t know what happened yet. I trust Mr. Francois. He has been very good to Andrina these years." Andrina nodded. "You''re right, there must have been some misunderstanding. Rnd is not that kind of person." Alvera stood behind Rnd at the elevator doors. ... He turned around and asked coldly, "What were you going to say just now?" "You can''t keep our marriage hidden from my dear sister forever, can you?" she replied nonchntly. "You''ve stole her man, and you''re proud of it?" "I did, I stole her man," Alvera said viciously with a smile. "I can see now why Mr. Earhart always said that you were an ungrateful b*stard." Rnd sneered. "You are ungrateful." "Ungrateful? He still thinks quite highly of me, then. I thought he would tell you that he raised an ungrateful dog," Alvera retorted. Rnd didn''t want to argue with her. "Where is the person you brought?" Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. "She''s standing right in front of you." "You?" he asked. "Do you really not know, or are you just pretending? Who else could it be?" she replied. "You have the Rh-negative blood type too?" Alvera smiled. "We''re already at the hospital if you want me to take a blood test." Rnd looked at her thoughtfully. He had a feeling that something was wrong. What were the chances that the unwanted child raised by the Earhart family had the same Rh-negative blood type as Andrina? Afterpleting the admission procedure, Alvera went through several examinations alone under the guidance of a nurse. After all the examinations, she returned to her ward to find that Thomas was also there. She was paused at the door for a moment. "What can I do for you, Mr. Earhart?" "Do you know Mr. Francois?" he asked. Alvera walked across the room and sat down on the bed. "Yes, I do." ... "What kind of rtionship do you have with him?" he asked. "The scandalous type you think we have," she replied. "You... didn''t you know he''s in a rtionship with your sister?" "Sister? My mother only gave birth to me. I don''t have a sister." "Alvera, Rnd is Andrina''s boyfriend." Alvera''s face turned cold. "Not anymore." "You..." Thomas started. "Mr. Earhart, did you forget, I told you that I would be giving you a huge present," Alvera interrupted. Hearing this, Thomas pped Alvera in the face. Alvera was caught off guard by the p. She stared at the ground nkly, holding her cheek. After a while, she raised her head and looked at him haughtily. "You b*tch, there are so many men in the world. Why did you choose to seduce Rnd?" Thomas asked angrily. Chapter 10: I Love Him Chapter 10: I Love Him She smiled. "There are many good men, but he is the best." Thomas struck her across the face again as soon as she finished her words. ... Alvera raised her head and wiped the blood off the corner of her mouth. She smiled, but her voice was cold. "Are you done?" "Alvera, what are you trying to do?" Thomas looked at her with his teeth clenched. "You pped me, and you''re asking me what I''m trying to do?" she retorted. "I''m a little confused, Mr. Earhart. Why don''t you tell me the answer?" "I want you to leave Rnd immediately." "Never." Alvera slightly raised her eyebrows. "I love him." "Are you not ashamed of taking your sister''s man?" "This question might be better suited for your daughter," she said. "If anything, she''s the one who is the other woman in this situation. I have nothing to lose." "You..." Thomas raised his hand again. Alvera stood up and grabbed Thomas''s wrist. "Mr. Earhart, you pped me twice just now," she said coldly. "The first is in return for our blood rtion, and the second for the reluctant and cruel upbringing. One more p, and I''ll leave Calgary right away. Andrina Earhart can die for all I care. Think carefully." "How dare you threaten me?" "Yes, I dare." Alvera smiled brightly. "Fine, Alvera, since you don''t want to listen to my advice, you just continue on. Rnd and Andrina have a great rtionship, he would never leave her for the likes of you. I can''t wait to see how happy you end up!" Thomas turned and mmed the door as he left. ... Alvera bit her lips, walked towards the windows, and sat down. She took out a piece of candy from her pocket and ate it, gazing out of the window morosely. She didn''t need to feel happy. She just wanted them hurt badly. Alvera was almost half asleep on the windowsill when the door to her ward was pushed open again. She turned her head towards the sound. It was Rnd. The sunlight streamed in from the window and cast a light on her. With her back to the sunlight, she smiled brightly at him. Rnd was transfixed for a moment. The woman in front of him looked more like an elf that had lost her way in the human world than a human. ... "Well, if it isn''t Mr. Francois. What are you doing here instead of waiting by your beloved woman?" Alvera said. "The surgeons have set a time for the surgery," he said. "I know. They told me." She got off the window sill and poured herself a ss of water. Rnd''s brows furrowed when he saw the palm-shaped marks on her face. "What''s wrong with your face?" ... "My face?" She was confused for a moment before covering her left cheek. "Oh, this? I walked into the door and hit myself earlier." Rnd''s eyes were cold. He knew Alvera was lying, but if she did not want to tell him, he didn''t care Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. anyway. ... He turned to leave, but stopped and turned back, "When did you know you could save Andrina?" Alvera turned to look at him, her expression was cold. The scumbag who sent her to prison was asking her this? He really did not care about her at all. If he really wanted to know, he could have just looked it up. There was no need to ask her. She smiled dryly. "I don''t remember." Rnd''s eyes were cold. He could tell that she was lying to him again. He took ast nce at her and turned to leave. He knew that this woman was resenting him. Fine by him. He didn''t like her anyway. When he returned to Andrina''s ward, she was crying hysterically. "Rnd," she called him sorrowfully. ... Rnd frowned when he saw the mess in the ward. "What''s going on?" "Rnd, I don''t want to do the surgery. Alvera is the donor, I can''t let her suffer for me!! I would rather die!" she cried. "You didn''t know?" "I don''t know!" Andrina continued. "I wouldn''t have agreed to let my parents do such a ridiculous thing if I had known. Alvera is a living person." Luna was also crying. "Andrina, I didn''t want to do this either, Alvera volunteered! She asked for ten million dors from your father yesterday, that''s the reward she asked for donating her liver to you." "She asked ten million dors from you?" Rnd asked coldly. Chapter 11: Arent You An Orphan? Chapter 11: Aren''t You An Orphan? "Yes, Rnd, I know you must think that I''m selfish, but I just want Andrina to live," Luna cried. "You have to do the surgery," Rnd interrupted Luna and looked at Andrina. "It''s best to do it now. Since she has already gotten the money, you have no reason to refuse." "But I can''t," Andrina cried. "Do you want to die?" "I... " N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Luna spoke up at this moment, holding Andrina''s hands. "Andrina, I''m begging you, do the surgery. I don''t want you to die. Alvera will survive just fine without a small part of her liver, but you will die if you don''t do the transnt! I want you to live, please!" "Mom." Andrina hugged her mother as they both cried bitterly. ... Rnd felt a hint of annoyance. "Did she really need all that money?" he thought. At the same time, there was a knock on Alvera''s room. Alvera looked over to the door. "Pleasee in." The door to the room opened and a handsome man walked in with a bouquet of flowers. Alvera was surprised to see him. "Timothy?" Timothy closed the door, walked to the bedside, and handed the flowers to her. "Alvera, this is for you." She took the flowers and took a sniff. "They smell good. Thank you." "You''ve lost a lot of weight," Timothymented. "That''s good, then I don''t have to go on a diet anymore," Alvera replied yfully. "You still have the bestebacks," he replied. "Timothy, the people next door won''t be happy to see you over here." "I don''t care about them. I heard that the examination was over." Alvera nodded. "Alvera, you wouldn''t have to suffer if my blood type had matched with her," Timothy continued. Alvera smiled. "If your blood type matched, I wouldn''t exist in the first ce. It''s not your fault. How''s Auntie?" "Same as usual." Timothy replied. "She told me to tell you something before I came over." "What is it?" Alvera asked. "Get some money from them before the surgery, then get as far away from Calgary as possible. Luna Earhart will make your life miserable." Alvera pressed her lips together. "Please thank her for me." Timothy reached out and held her hand tightly. "Alvera, I know what you''re trying to do, but you''re no match for them. If what happened four years ago happens again, your future will be ruined." "It''s already ruined, Timothy. I have no future," Alvera said. Timothy was stunned by her expression when she said those words. ... Those words were so sad, but Alvera was smiling brightly. "Alvera." He sat down on the side of the bed and hugged her. "Don''t be like this," he said. "Just cry if you''re sad." Alvera smiled and hugged him back. "Timothy, I don''t cry. Crying is for the weak, and I''m not weak." At this moment, the door swung open again. Alvera raised her head and saw Rnd standing at the entrance of the ward. Timothy looked around, hearing the sound of the door opening. He paused a moment when he saw Rnd. He did not know why Rnd was here. Alvera patted him on the back and ended the hug. Timothy stood up, facing Rnd. Rnd looked at the man in front of him coldly, then looked at Alvera, who was lying on the bed indifferently. ... "Get out," he said. Timothy paused for a moment. "Timothy, you can go home," Alvera said. "Don''te and see me anymore. I''ll be fine." Timothy looked at her. "Are you really fine?" She smiled and patted her chest. "Yeah, I''m made out of iron." There was nothing else Timothy could do. He walked around Rnd who was still standing by the door and left. ... Rnd stepped forward angrily as the door to the ward closed behind him and pushed Alvera onto the bed, trapping her underneath him. "You''ve been caught in bed, Alvera Earhart, how does that feel like?" He asked angrily. "I underestimated you. You are really good at seducing men." "You''re technically right, but that was my brother. He doesn''t count," Alvera replied coolly. "You have a brother? Aren''t you an orphan?" Rnd asked, his brows furrowed in suspicion. Chapter 12: She Lied To Him Again Chapter 12: She Lied To Him Again "Am I supposed to be an orphan? I guess so, since my mother passed away," Alvera shrugged. She raised her eyebrows and asked, "Are you sure you want to continue to talk to me in this position?" Rnd stared at her intently as she changed the subject. "Where did your brothere from?" He asked. "He''s my half-brother from my father''s side. We didn''t live together, but his mother was nice to me, so we have a good rtionship," she told him. "Do you like this answer, Mr. Francois?" Rnd replied disdainfully, "Your family''s dynamic is too messy." N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. "Indeed, but it''s not our fault that our father is a scumbag," Alvera agreed. "Can you get off of me now, Mr. Francois? I haven''t eaten yet, so I don''t have the strength to carry you." Rnd stood up and checked his watch. "You haven''t eaten? It''s only five o''clock now." "I meant lunch," she said. Rnd nced at her coldly. She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Mr. Francois, the surgery is starting soon, but I''m craving some snacks now. I probably won''t be able to eat for a long time after the operation, so can you bring me out?" Her tone was inquisitive, but her actions said otherwise. Alvera had already gotten off the bed and had found her clothes from the wardrobe. "We''re not going," he said coldly. "Mr. Francois, I''m exchanging my liver for a meal. It''s a great deal for you," she said as she headed into the bathroom to change. She was dressed within two minutes. "Come on, let''s go." She grabbed his wrist and pulled him out. Rnd had always disliked indecent women like her. Not even Andrina was allowed to pull him by the wrist without his consent. Logically speaking, he should be angry, but he felt no anger towards Alvera right now. ... He brought her out of the hospital for dinner. In the car, Alvera directed him towards a taco shop opposite the Calgary Middle School. "My God, I didn''t think the shop would still be here," Alvera said, pleasantly surprised. Rnd frowned. "This is the snack that you''re craving?" Alvera turned and smiled at him charmingly. "Yes, rigth here." She walked into the taco shop. Rnd nced furtively around the dirty street before following her in. ... "I''ll have two chicken enchdas, a te of tostadas, and two fajitas," Alvera said loudly over the bustle of the shop. "Extra hot sauce, please!" Hearing her voice, the shop owner came out from the kitchen. "Hey, I thought that order was familiar. It''s you! I haven''t seen you since you graduated, youngdy." Alvera smiled at the middle-aged shop owner and said, "I''m not a youngdy now. Hurry up with the food, I''m hungry." "Okay, it won''t take long," the shop owner replied cheerfully. Rnd looked at the chair in disgust and remained standing opposite her. Alvera raised her head to look at him. "What''s wrong, Mr. Francois, too dirty for you?" He snorted and said nothing. Alvera pouted and took some napkins and wiped down his chair for him. She tilted her head and nced at him, smiling. "There, please take a seat." ... Rnd sat down and said, "Hurry up and eat so we can leave." The shop owner brought out the food she ordered. He looked at Rnd and said teasingly to Alvera, "Your boyfriend? He''s quite the looker." "This is my husband," She said, smiling. "What a perfect match." The shop owner returned to the kitchen afterplimenting them. Rnd fixed his gaze on Alvera''s excited face. "Do you know the shop owner?" ... "Sort of. I used toe here with my boyfriend often," she replied. "Boyfriend?" She pursed her lips and said, "Mr. Francois, I was very popr in high school, you know. You can''t really expect someone with my looks to be a loner." Rnd''s face turned colder. "Hurry up and eat. Don''t talk nonsense." She picked up one of the enchdas and took a bite. "Wow, this is delicious. This was what I dreamed of eating in prison when I''m hungry. Amazing." Rnd frowned. "Why were you hungry in prison?" She looked dazed for a moment. "Because... I was disobedient." She picked up a fajita and offered it to him. "Do you want to try, Mr. Francois?" "No thanks," he said. He knew she had lied to him again, and even changed the subject so he wouldn''t ask any further. ... "D*mn it," he thought. "She really has a way to spoil my mood." Chapter 13: Scumbags Chapter 13: Scumbags "You can''t eat spicy food?" Alvera asked. "Who said I can''t?" Rnd said coldly. "I just don''t eat rubbish like that." "Then you''re missing out on a lot of delicacies. Sometimes, the best food is found in small restaurants like this, not in the high-end restaurants," said Alvera. "Come on, try it. If it''s not good, that''s on me." He raised his eyebrows. "On you?" "Yes, I''ll eat whatever horrible food you treat me to in the future," she replied. Speaking of horrible food, he did have a ce... He smiled and ate the food. "How''s it? Delicious, right?" She looked at him expectantly. Rnd wiped the corner of his mouth and said nothing. Alvera smiled, "You didn''t taste it? Try some more." She handed him a fork. Rnd took the fork and took a bite of each dish. They actually tasted good. "See? I said it''s delicious," Alvera said. He put down the fork. "No, they''re not." Alvera pouted. "You''re lying, then. My ex-boyfriend told me that this was the best Mexican food he has ever eaten." He frowned, suddenly irritated. "What''s so good about this food?" he thought. He vaguely remembered that Antoine had hired a chef to make Mexican food a few years ago. He had scolded him about this back then. "Your boyfriend must be very poor, then, if he likes this kind of food too," he said. "Now that I think about it... Yeah, he''s not much of a keeper," Alvera said. Rnd smiled slightly when he heard her words. "Why did you break up with him?" "Break up? There was no breakup, just... he disappeared when I went to prison." "Scumbag." "Indeed, I know a lot of scumbags. Almost every man I know is a scumbag," she replied, ncing at him indifferently. ... "What are you implying?" Rnd asked coldly. She smiled and said, "Mr. Francois, don''t tter yourself." Rnd just sat there with his arms crossed, watching her enjoy the food. He did not touch his fork N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. again. Alvera finished the four tes of spicy Mexican food with some drinks. After she finished, she pulled out a tissue and wiped her mouth. "That was enjoyable," she said satisfiedly. "Mr. Francois, pay the bill." "You want me to pay for your meal?" Rnd asked incredulously. "I don''t have any money." Alvera put her purse on the table, unruffled. "You can check if you want, Mr. Francois." "No money? You got ten million dors from me and the Earhart family each," he said. "You''re telling me now that you don''t have any money?" Alvera tossed the tissue on the table, feeling annoyed. "The Earhart family is so stingy. Did they reallyin to you just because I asked them for ten million dors? Their daughter''s life should be worth more than ten million dors," she said. "I''ve already paid you ten million," Rnd said. "Yours is yours, and that was my dowry. Their money was for saving their daughter''s life. They''re different," she said, then pointed at the empty tes on the table. "Mr. Francois, the more important thing right now is the bill, not the 20 million dors." ... "I don''t have any cash in my wallet," Rnd replied coldly. "What?" She stood up in surprise. "Isn''t a wallet supposed to be used to carry money?" she asked loudly. Several people turned around to look at them. Rnd''s expression turned colder. "Sit down. You don''t carry any money in your purse either." She sat down and said, "I really have no money. I saved all the 20 million dors. You''re a millionaire, why don''t you have any money?" Rnd didn''t want to talk to her anymore, so he called his secretary. Fifteen minutester, his secretary arrived with some cash. After paying the bill, he sent her back to the hospital. At the entrance of the hospital, she got off the car and watched coldly as Rnd and his secretary drove off into the distance, and then she went upstairs. ... When she arrived at the hospital''s VIP area, she met Andrina in the corridor, who was going to get an examination. "Miss," Andrina said to the nurse softly, "Wait a minute, I want to have a few words with my sister alone." Alvera looked at Andrina, who was in a wheelchair. After the nurse walked away, Andrina asked coldly, "What''s your rtionship with Rnd?" "Does it have anything to do with you?" Alvera replied with another question. "Alvera, you''d better not do anything stupid," Andrina warned. "Rnd is mine. He will marry me." "That''s funny," Alvera said. "Thew only recognises the marriage certificate, not a verbal promise. Don''t you know this?" Chapter 14: Delivering Medicine Chapter 14: Delivering Medicine "We have been together for four years. Everyone knows that Rnd loves me very much," said Andrina. "Do you want to be like your shameless mother, being the other woman in someone else''s family?" Alvera gritted her teeth. "You have no right to mention my mother. Andrina, why do you think I''m here to save you?" Andrina looked at her coldly. Alvera bent down and whispered in her ear, "Andrina, I won''t let you die. You will live and know how unrequited love feels like. You will pay for what you have done. I shouldn''t be the only one to learn this lesson." She straightened and patted Andrina on her shoulder, changing her tone suddenly. "Andrina, you poor thing, you must be suffering after all these checkups and examinations." Andrina gritted her teeth, her hands trembling in anger. Alvera turned around and said to the nurse, who was not too far away, "Miss, sorry for the trouble." The nurse came forward, nodded to her, and pushed Andrina away. As they left, she heard the nurse say, "Ms. Earhart, you have such a close rtionship with your sister. I''m envious." In the evening, Alveray alone on the hospital bed in the dark, unable to sleep. She finally got out of bed and put on a coat. She nned to take a walk in the garden. When she arrived in the lobby on the first floor, she met Rnd''s secretary from earlier this evening. "Terry, you''re still working? It''ste," she said. "Ms. Alvera, are you okay?" he asked. "Me? I''m fine. What''s wrong?" she replied. "Mr. Francois asked me toe and check on you. He had severe diarrhoea after having the Mexican food this morning," he said. Alvera was a little surprised because Rnd only took a few bites of the food. "How is he now?" "Mr. Francois didn''t let me go over, he just called me and told me toe and check on you," Terry replied. Alvera shrugged. "I''m fine. You can go back and rest." Terry nodded and left. Alvera was going to continue on her walk, but she suddenly changed her mind. ... She went to the pharmacy opposite the hospital and bought a box of antidiarrheal medicine. Then she went to the underground parking lot and drove to Rnd''s house. His house was only a four or five-minute drive away from her vi. When she appeared at his door, Rnd was a little surprised. However, he still let his housekeeper open the door for her. Butler Lee took her into the study, where Rnd was still working. When she entered, he put down the file in his hand and asked, "Why are you here?" Alvera stepped forward and put down the box of antidiarrheal medicine on the table. "Terry said that you''ve been feeling unwell after eating the food at the Mexican restaurant," she said. "Alvera, did you do this on purpose? Why are you fine after eating those things, but I''m having problems?" he asked. "Mr. Francois, you underestimated me. Whatever happens, I''m still your wife byw, so I''m not going to kill my own husband. You can only me your delicate stomach, Mr. Francois. You''ll get used to it once you''ve eaten it a few more times," she replied. He said coldly, "I don''t think you''re here to deliver medicine. You''re here tough at me." Alvera sighed and put on a disappointed expression. "Mr. Francois, I''m disappointed that you think of me that way." "You''re a bad actress," he said coldly. Alvera smiled and changed her attitude. After talking to Andrina earlier that night, she changed her mind. She decided that she was going to make Rnd fall in love with her. It might be a little difficult, but it was worth a try. Since all the men of the Francois family were scumbags, it would be fun to let him tell Andrina himself that he did not love her anymore. Rnd should have a taste of unrequited love as well. Her four years of pain in jail should not be in vain. "Fine, no more acting. Take one tablet of this, three times a day. I''ve taken this before, it works well. Since you''re busy, I''ll excuse myself," she said seriously. As she turned around to leave, she heard Rnd''s voice from behind her. "Stop there." N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ... When she turned around, Rnd was already in front of her. He smiled evilly and pulled her into his arms. "Who allowed you to leave?" Chapter 15: She Ran Away Chapter 15: She Ran Away Alvera was nervous, but she managed to control her emotions. "Mr. Francois, you''re not well. You''d better sit down," she said. "Do you really think that I don''t have a family doctor?" Alvera was stunned for a moment. "So you''re fine now?" "Do I look like I''m not? I can show you if you like," he replied. "No need," Alvera replied immediately, "Looks like I didn''t need to get the medicine after all. I''ll go back to the hospital, then." "You did just remind me, you''re my wife. I haven''t done my duty as a husband yet. Since you''re not sick, you don''t need to stay in the hospital. Go upstairs and take a bath," he said. Alvera looked at him. He was bad at acting as well, but his hormones were obviously out of control. She had to stay away from him, but resistance was not a good idea right now. ... She listened to him and went upstairs. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. She remembered that he also took a bath next door while she was showering yesterday. She stayed in the bathroom for two minutes, and then pulled the door open. Sure enough, there was no one in the room. She smiled and left the room quietly. Downstairs, she met Butler Lee. "Butler Lee," she said calmly, "Mr. Francois is looking for you. I''ll be leaving now." "Okay, Ms. Alvera, take care." Alvera watched the butler head upstairs. Once he was out of sight, she ran outside quickly, got into her car, and drove away triumphantly. ... ... When Rnd came out of the room, he saw Butler Lee standing at the door. He raised his eyebrows in question. "Why are you standing here?" Butler Lee hesitated for a moment and replied, "Ms. Alvera said you were looking for me before she left." "Left?" Rnd turned and walked quickly into the next room. The door to the bathroom was open, and there was no one in the room. To his own surprise, he smiled. She ran away. He took out his cell phone and dialled her number, but her phone had been turned off. ... "Very good," he thought. "This woman..." ... Alvera did not go back to the hospital. Instead, she went back to her seaside vi and slept there for the rest of the night. The sound of the crashing waves lulled her to sleep like soothing music. She slept well that night. Before leaving for the hospital the next day, she told Becky, her housekeeper, to bring her meals at the hospital from today onwards. When she arrived at the hospital, she was worried that Rnd would find trouble with her for what happened the night before. Thankfully, he did not. In fact, she did not see him for the next four days. She only saw him again on the day of the surgery, in front of the operating room. He was with Andrina. Andrina, lying on the bed, held Rnd''s hands tightly. "Rnd, if I die, you must forget me. Find a woman who loves you and lead a good life," she said tearfully. "Don''t be silly. It''s just a minor operation. You''ll be fine," he replied. "Don''tfort me anymore," Andrina said, with tears in her eyes. "I know... what kind of operation this is. I am happy to have known you in my life and been your woman." Luna was also crying beside them. Alvera looked on at their tearful goodbyes, her heart as cold as a stone. She said to the nurse who was pushing her bed, "Let''s go in first." Rnd raised his head and looked at Alvera, but she had already closed her eyes, so she did not see the worry in his eyes. ... Andrina, noticing this, quickly called out to her, "Alvera." Alvera opened her eyes and looked at Andrina. "Alvera, I''m sorry you have to suffer for me. If I die, you must take care of my parents for me," she said. Alvera smiled without any emotions. "Okay." The atmosphere around them was awkward. "Let''s go," Alvera said told the nurse again. "Wait!" Just then, a breathless voice yelled from the distance. Alvera sat up and looked around. It was Samuel. Samuel ignored everyone else and came to Alvera''s side. "Thank goodness I made it," he said. Alvera frowned. "Why did youe? I told you not to." "How can I let you face this huge operation by yourself?" he replied. "I''ve got good news for you." Chapter 16: She Could Smile Chapter 16: She Could Smile "Good news?" Alvera looked at him in bewilderment. A momentter, she suddenly smiled. "You''ve done it?" Samuel nodded. "Okay, I understand now," she said, as they looked at each other. Samuel patted her on the shoulder. "You chose your own path, so you have to walk it. If you die in this surgery, I''ll pretend that never happened." "Are you sure you''re here to see me, not curse me?" Alvera asked jokingly as shey back down on the bed. "Miss, let''s go quick, I don''t want to see this a*shole." ... Samuelughed and stepped back from the bed. "Good luck. I''ll wait for you here." ... Alvera and Andrina were pushed into the operating room one after the other. As the doors closed, Alvera could hear Andrina crying bitterly and calling out Rnd''s name weakly. She was put under anaesthesia as was required in the operating room. Everything after that just felt like a long dream... Outside the operating room, Luna was crying while leaning on Thomas. ... Samuel paced back and forth at the door, checking the time repeatedly. Rnd was the only person who was indifferent as if nothing was happening. He yed with an unlit cigarette in his hands, ncing at Samuel from the corner of his eye. ... This man was making him feel ufortable. He knew all of Alvera''s secrets. Rnd''s expression turned cold as he thought of all the times Alvera had lied to him. Alvera recovered well after the surgery and was soon transferred to the general ward after being in the ICU for just three days. When she was sent back to the general ward, Rnd was in the room. She nced at him but said nothing. "I''ve hired these four nurses to take care of you," he said. "If you need anything, let them know. If you''re not well, you can also tell them and they will find a doctor for you as soon as possible." "Okay," she replied. Rnd looked serious as he asked, "Does the wound... still hurt?" Alvera looked at him and forced a smile. "Guess." Rnd felt as if he had been kicked when he saw her smile. His irritation threatened to burst from him as he turned around and left. ... "How is Andrina?" Alvera asked one of the nurses. "I heard that the preliminary examination is very good. She still needs to be observed in the ICU for a few more days," the nurse replied. Alvera nodded and did not ask any further. She closed her eyes and rested. About two hourster, Samuel arrived. Alvera asked the nurses to wait outside when he came. Samuel was extremely worried. "How are you? Does the wound still hurt?" "You don''t need to ask such a dumb question? Go get cut and see if it hurts," she replied. "I guess it doesn''t hurt, then, since you can still make me angry. I shouldn''t have worried." Alvera sighed. "It hurts. It''s really painful. I miss my mother." "How can I not know?" Samuel said. "You were such a fragile kid when we were younger. When you scraped your knee while running back then, you cried for half an hour. Now, you don''t cry or fuss even though you''ve had a piece of your liver cut out from your body." All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. "Alright, alright, stop talking," sheughed. "You talk as if I''m so brave and noble. I would give myself an honourary medal if I could." "God, you''re so annoying. Here, let me show you something to ease your pain." He pulled out an iPad from his bag and showed her some photos from the gallery. ... "How is this? Are you satisfied?" he asked. Alvera nodded as she looked at the photos and smiled. "I''m very satisfied." "Don''t worry, since you didn''t disappoint me and made it out of the operating room alive, I''ll help you realize your dreams too," he said. Alvera smiled sweetly. Her smile was genuine and reached her eyes. Luckily she still had Samuel. He was probably the only good thing that had ever happened to her in her life. Outside the ward, Rnd watched her genuine smile from the opposite side of the ss and raised his eyebrows. She could smile. What kind of charm did this Samuel Lambert have that made her treat him so sincerely? She could confess her pain to him and smile with him. He frowned as he looked at her smile again. Samuel said that in the past, she would cry for half an hour because of a scraped knee. The Alvera he knew would never cry. "Do I know a fake Alvera?" he wondered. Chapter 17: Your Fake Smile Is Disgusting Chapter 17: Your Fake Smile Is Disgusting "Rnd?" Thomas was calling him from the end of the corridor. Rnd came back to his senses and turned around. He left the door of Alvera''s ward and walked towards him. "Mr. Earhart, what''s up?" Thomas looked at the door of Alvera''s room, concerned, and said, "Andrina is awake and wants to see you. Can you go see her?" Rnd put his hands into his pockets and started to walk away. He took a few steps, then looked back at Thomas as if he had thought of something. "Mr. Earhart, did you adopt Alvera because she has the same blood type as Andrina?" he asked. Thomas did not expect that Rnd would ask this question. He remained silent for a while before nodding. "Andrina wasn''t sick at the time." ... He sighed and continued, "Several rtives on Andrina''s maternal grandmother''s side passed away from a gic liver condition, including her own brother. When Andrina was born, we were afraid that she would have the same condition, so we found Alvera and adopted her." "Did Andrina know about this?" "She didn''t. She never knew." Rnd looked at the expression on Thomas'' face and then turned around to see Andrina. After being in ICU for ten days, Andrina was also transferred back to the general ward. By that time, Alvera had already recovered well. She could now walk on her own without any help. When Andrina was sent back to the general ward, she was walking around in the corridor,. Andrina was escorted back by her parents and Rnd. Before, she was sent down here by a nurse, all alone. Both scenarios contrasted sharply. Rnd saw her from afar. Their eyes met, but her expression was indifferent. She had not seen him since she was transferred back to the general ward. She only looked at them briefly before going back into her private ward. Suddenly, Luna called out to her. "Alvera." Alvera gritted her teeth, stopped, and turned around with a faint smile. "Alvera, it''s all thanks to you that Andrina has recovered very well. She wants to invite you to dinner as thanks after she is discharged from the hospital," Luna said. Alvera smiled and said, "We don''t even know when Andrina will fully recover. Alvera''s appreciation dinner would be meaningless if we wait for too long, so why don''t Mr. Francois treat me in ce of Andrina?" Luna froze for a moment, looking at Alvera coldly. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. "How dare this little girl fight back," she thought. "We can''t possibly trouble Mr. Francois, he''s not part of the Earhart family," she said. "I don''t think Mr. Francois would mind, right, Mr. Francois?" Alvera replied, smiling at Rnd. ... Andrina frowned and nced at her mother, displeased. Rnd raised his eyebrows and said, "Okay, you decide the time." Thomas nced at Alvera coldly and pushed Andrina into the ward. At the door of the ward, Rnd looked back at Alvera without even thinking about it. She was squatting by the wall with her back to him, one hand holding the wall for support and the other covering the side of her abdomen. He frowned. Was this woman an idiot? Why was she walking around when she wasn''t feeling well? After Andrina was settled down, he left her ward immediately. Alvera was no longer in the corridor. He walked over to the door of her ward and looked in. Alvera was lying on the bed with her back to the door. She was just staring nkly out the window. When she heard the sound of the door opening, she closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. She did not feel like talking. Rnd walked up behind her and said, "I know you''re not sleeping." Alvera opened her eyes and turned,ying t on the bed. She smiled. "Hi, busy man. Long time no see." "Have you asked a doctor for a check-up?" he asked. "What?" "Weren''t you unwell just now?" he said in a displeased tone. Alvera paused for a moment and stared at him, before smiling half-heartedly. "That''s normal, I''m not a god after all. A 10-centimetre wound will take some time to heal." ... Rnd''s expression turned cold when he saw her smile. "Stop smiling. Your fake smile is disgusting," he said. "No one asked you toe here and see me smile, Mr. Francois. You can choose to turn a blind eye," she said, and then she turned her back to him and closed her eyes. ... Rnd gritted his teeth, frustrated. He had never met a woman that could drive him crazy as she does. Chapter 18: Alvera, Youre Too Arrogant Chapter 18: Alvera, You''re Too Arrogant He snorted and turned to leave. "Oh, right," Alvera said suddenly, as if she just thought of something. He stopped and turned around, but she didn''t move. ... "When are you going to treat me that dinner you owe me?" she said. "Is this the time to talk about this?" He thought coldly. She continued lightly, "If you haven''t nned it yet, I''ll decide the time." He opened the door and left the ward without answering. Alvera frowned, thenughed mockingly at herself. She took out her phone and called Samuel. "Samuel, how much more money does the project need?" ... "It''s... a bottomless pit," Samuel replied. "Really?" She thought for a moment. "I see. I know where to get the money." "What are you doing again?" "Don''t ask. Just do me a favour." At the door, Rnd found the doctor and said, "Go check Alvera up. Her wound doesn''t seem to be healing well." "Okay, Mr. Francois. By the way, Ms. Alvera wants to be discharged today." Rnd frowned, "Can she leave the hospital now?" "It''s not rmended." Rnd''s expression turned cold. "Then why did you tell me this?" "This..." the doctor hesitated. "Isn''t it your dereliction of duty to let a patient who can''t be discharged leave the hospital?" he asked coldly. "Yes, Mr. Francois, I understand. I won''t let Ms. Alvera leave the hospital," the doctor said, and then left quickly. ... He could tell that Rnd was in a bad mood right now. He did not dare to offend him. Alvera was in a very good mood on the day of her discharge. She packed up her things early in the morning. After thest examination, she grabbed her bag and prepared to leave. Rnd, pushing Andrina in her wheelchair, was standing by her door when she opened the door. Andrinalooked at her, her face pale. "Alvera, my parents told me that you are getting discharged today." Alvera did not look at Rnd and waved the bag in her hand. "Yeah, I''m leaving." ... "I haven''t had the time to thank you," Andrina said. "Thank you for saving my life." "That''s all right, just remember to repay me in the future." C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Andrina lowered her eyes, her expression was full of guilt. "Alvera, I''m sorry." Rnd''s expression was cold. "Alvera, watch your words. You didn''t do this for free." "Did I say the wrong thing? Let me try again," Alvera said. "No need to thank me, your family gave me ten million dors to save your life." Andrina raised her head to look at her tearfully. "Alvera, don''t be like this, you make me sad. I will never forget your kindness." Alvera pouted. "Great, remember that I gave you your new life. In the future, don''t try and take what I want. If you really want it, just wait until I''ve had enough fun, then we''ll see." She looked at Rnd pointedly. She knew that both of them were smart enough to know what she meant. Rnd looked at Andrina worriedly, and then he said coldly, "Alvera, you are too arrogant." Alvera shrugged and smiled. "Mr. Francois is feeling sorry for you, Andrina. Congrattions on finding such good support." Andrina sighed. "Rnd, don''t be like this. Alvera had always like to joke around when we were young. She doesn''t mean what she said." "I wasn''t joking around," Alvera retorted. "I''ll leave and hope you two enjoy yourselves, now. Get well soon." She flung her bag over her shoulder walked down the long corridor. Rnd turned to watch her thin figure leave with an indescribable feeling in his heart. ... Her eyes were like bottomless pits, cold and emotionless when she spoke to them. Well that day, he saw her smiling beautifully in front of Samuel Lambert. Andrina lifted her head to look at Rnd and saw him fixated on Alvera''s leaving figure. She clenched her fists under the nket. "Rnd," she said. Rnd came back to his senses and looked down at her. Her voice was delicate and frail. "Rnd, I owe Alvera my life. Do you think I can ever repay her back?" "She didn''t donate her liver for free. Don''t think too much. I''ll send you back to your ward," he replied. Andrina nodded, smiling bitterly, The gentleness in her eyes was reced by coldness when she looked away from Rnd. "Alvera," she thought. "D*mn it." ... Chapter 19: Honey, Pay Up Chapter 19: Honey, Pay Up Alvera stayed at home for two days after she was discharged from the hospital. On the afternoon of the third day, she drove herself to a used-car shop. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. She nned to sell the car. People judged her every time she drove the four-million dor Bentley out. She felt like a sugar baby driving the car. It was not easy to sell such a luxurious car. She registered the car with the shop and went to a bookshop nearby. The bookstore was very quiet, so she also jumped when her phone rang suddenly. Several people in the store were starting to look at her. She took out her phone hurriedly and epted the call without looking. She regretted picking up the phone when she saw the caller ID, but it was already toote. A cold voice came from the other end of the phone. " Where are you?" ... "Outside." "Address." Alvera looked down at the book she was reading and gave him the address without any hesitation. After hanging up, she grabbed ten more books as fast as she could, then sat down and continued reading leisurely. ... Half an hourter, Rnd arrived at the bookstore. He found Alvera sitting on the floor against the bookshelves. From afar, her quiet stature was pleasing to the eye. A shadow appeared in front of Alvera. She looked up from her book and smiled, "Mr. Francois, you''re quick." Rnd hated her half-hearted smile. "Come out," he said. Alvera did as she was told and picked up the books beside her. She walked around him, walked to the counter and put down the books. Then she turned and looked at him. "Honey, pay up." ... Rnd paused and stared at her. "Honey?" The cashier was already checking out the books. No wonder she was so quick to tell him where she was just now. "You can pay with your card," Alvera added, before he could refuse. He took out his wallet and handed over a credit card. After paying for the books, they walked out of the library together. Rnd nced at her coldly and said, "You don''t bring money when you go out? Is that a habit?" She smiled and said, "Thank you for buying me these books, honey. I will read them well." Rnd felt a twinge of frustration when he saw her cheeky smile. He was here to pick a fight with her, but he somehow felt less angry when he saw her. "Why are you selling the car?" he asked. "How did you know I was going to sell the car?" Rnd looked at her coldly and said, "The car is still under my name." "It''s still under your name?" Alvera said. "If I had known that I wouldn''t have been so scared when I ran the red light just now." "You... Tell me, why are you selling the car?" Rnd asked, exasperated. "Do you love money so much that you can even give up the car?" She handed her purse to him. "I don''t love money, but I am short of money. If you don''t believe me, just look at my empty purse. I''m really poor." "Why are you still buying things if you''re poor?" "Who said I''m here to buy things? I''m just here to read for free," Alvera said. "I decided to buy these books on the spot because you''re here. Your money will rot if you don''t spend it." Rnd red at her and said, "Don''t talk nonsense. You cannot sell the car." "No, I have no money. You can''t expect me to drive a luxurious car and starve in a vi," Alvera said. "No money? What about that 20 million dors?" "I spent it." "Spent it?" "Yeah, I spent it. Don''t ask me how. I used it on something meaningful." "So, you are penniless now?" "Not really, Samuel gave me a credit card, but it would be shameless to use his money." "You know shame?" Rnd had never met such a woman before. She was one of the most shameless woman he had ever met. "Mr. Francois, there''s no need to provoke me like this. I''ve heard worse things before. This doesn''t affect me," Alvera said. She walked to her car and asked, "Do you want to take ast ride in this car?" Rnd looked at her coldly. His long look made Alvera ufortable. She pouted and asked, "Mr. Francois, what did you want from me?" Rnd took out his wallet again, pulled out a card and threw it to her. She caught it agilely. "What''s this?" "You are not allowed to sell the car. If you need money, use this card. Give Samuel''s card back to him. I can''t let my wife use another man''s card," he said. Chapter 20: Wedding Rings Chapter 20: Wedding Rings After he finished, Rnd red at her coldly and turned to leave. Alvera stopped him and asked, "Tell me the password." "The first three numbers on the card." Alvera watched as he drove away, smiling speechlessly. So... a free lunch fell from the sky? She put the books in the back seat of the car and drove away. She went to the bank and found out that the card had unlimited credit, so she immediately withdrew 1,010,000 dors from it. ... She did not go home directly after withdrawing the money. Instead, she met with Samuel and gave him the money, only leaving 10,000 dors for herself. By the time she got home, night had already fallen. After parking the car, she was attracted by the glow of the sunset over the horizon and walked over to the beach. She took off her shoes and sat on the soft sand, enjoying the beautiful scenery. A whileter, Rnd''s voice suddenly came from behind her. "How much longer are you nning to sit here?" He asked. Startled, Alvera turned around. "Mr. Francois? Why are you here?" Rnd''s expression was dark and stormy. "What do you think?" ... "I don''t know," Alvera answered honestly. "I''ll give you another chance to think about it," he said. "If you still can''t remember what you did wrong, I can help you recall it." Alvera looked at his tensed expression and knew that he was not lying. She pursed her lips in thought. "Is this because I took your money this afternoon?" "See, you know why I''m here," Rnd jeered. Alvera smiled and said, "Mr. Francois, you were the one who told me to use the money in the card and not use another man''s money because it''s an insult to you. Why are you so angry now that I actually took some pocket money from the card?" "I''ve never seen a woman who needs 1,01,000 dors as pocket money," he replied angrily. "What are you going to spend that much money on?" Alvera pouted. "Do I really have to tell you what I''m spending it on?" "Do you really think I''m going to throw money into a bottomless pit?" "I''m not going to tell you where the money went," she replied, "But don''t worry, I''m not taking your money for free. I''ll give you something else in exchange." "In exchange?" She opened her bag and took out an intricately embroidered pouch. From it, she took out two rings handed him therger one. "Here, this is for you." ... Rnd did not take the ring. He just stared at it without moving. Alvera smiled. "Don''t worry, there''s nothing hidden in the ring. This is a family heirloom passed down from my great-grandmother, dating back to the 1910s." She stood up, took his left hand, and slipped the ring onto his ring finger. Rnd was distracted for a moment by her gentle gesture. "Wow, that''s amazing, you have the same ring size as my great-grandfather," she eximed. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. "So this silver ring is in exchange for my one million dors?" Rnd asked. "Mr. Francois, listen to yourself," Alvera said cheekily. "By rights, with your current status, I should be getting a huge diamond ring for our wedding. I heard that diamond rings cost well above ten million dors, so I''m saving you that cost. We''ll just use this as our wedding ring." "You''re eloquent." Alvera smiled and did not continue to bicker with him. She took out another smaller ring and put it on her ring finger. "Mr. Francois, look, they''re a set. It''s only right that a married couple has matching rings. We should Married couple... He lowered his eyes to look at her. The smile on her face was dazzlingly beautiful. "Mr. Francois, don''t lose your ring. It''s very important to me," Alvera continued. Her mother once said that the rings were magical. The two generations who had worn them before her were happily married and loved each other until the end of their lives. Sadly, she did not meet the right person when she was alive, so she never got the chance to give the ring away. And Alvera? She will never have a lover in her life anyway, so it did not matter who she gave the ring to. Rnd looked down at the ring on his hand. Without saying a word, he turned around and walked back towards the vi. Alvera pressed her lips together in a wry smile. "Bye, Mr. Francois. Drive safe." Rnd looked back at her and said, "Who said I''m leaving? I''m sleeping here tonight." Alvera froze. "Sleeping here?" she thought. Rnd smiled wickedly and continued, "You just said we shouldplete the act. You escapedst time, but do you think you can escape this time?" Chapter 21: Goodnight, Honey Chapter 21: Goodnight, Honey Alvera was rooted to the same spot for quite a while. From the distance, Rnd shouted, "Why are you still standing there? Aren''t you leaving?" She stood up and followed him gloomily. A deep feeling of disgust welled up in her as she stared at Rnd from behind. She could not do it with him. She would not let him do what he wanted. She blinked, an idea forming in her head. They entered the house one after another, where Becky had already prepared dinner. "Ms. Alvera, dinner is ready." ... "Thank you, Becky, you''ve had a long day. Add another set of cutlery for Mr. Francois. He will have dinner here tonight," she said to the housekeeper. "All right." The food for dinner was very light. Alvera could not eat heavy foods after the operation. Rnd was not a picky eater, so he ate what she ate. After dinner, Becky cleaned up the table and left the room quickly by Rnd''s orders. As soon as Becky left, Rnd curled his lips into a wicked smile and looked at Alvera. "Who''s showering first? Or would you rather we shower together?" ... Alvera said with a faint smile, "Mr. Francois, I just donated my liver in a life-saving operation." "I''ve consulted the doctor. You''ll be fine as long as you''re not too tired," he replied. He came prepared. Alvera gritted her teeth. "Mr. Francois, aren''t you worried that I''ll leave just likest time?" "This is your home." Alvera nodded. "You''re right. I''ll shower first." She headed upstairs while speaking. Alvera surmised that Rnd would not be waiting for her outside the entire time. After all, he was already experienced. She took a very long bath, taking her sweet time. In fact, she sat in the bath long enough to feel a little dizzy. Suddenly, there was a dull knock at the door. "Do you need my help?" "I''ming out," she replied. She put on her bathrobe, left her cell phone by the sink, and went out. As expected, Rnd had already finished his bath and only had a bath towel around his waist. With an evil but charming smile on his face, he picked her up and put her on the bed. "You''re not going to resist?" He asked surprisedly. "Is there any use resisting?" "No." "So, why should I struggle and make us both sweaty and unhappy?" She pointed to the light. "I have only one request, Mr. Francois, turn off the light." Rnd reached out to the switch with his long arms and turned off the light. Alvera took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Rnd''s kiss was very suffocating. Disgust filled her heart as she gripped tightly at the bedsheets. She did not resist him, but she also did not respond to his provocation. She counted silently. "One, two, three... twenty-seven." Rnd''s cell phone rang. At first, Rnd ignored it. Alvera pushed him away by the shoulder. "Answer your phone. You have plenty of timeter, the night is long." Rnd''s snorted coldly in the darkness. He got up, grabbed the phone from the side of the bed and picked up the call. Andrina was crying weakly from the other end of the phone. "Rnd." ... "What''s wrong?" "Rnd, I miss you," she cried. "I''ve been waiting for you. Why didn''t youe to see me tonight? Do you hate me? I used Alvera''s liver to save myself. Do you also think I''m disgusting?" Rnd frowned and said impatiently, "Don''t think too much. I have something to do tonight." "I want to see you, can youe see me now?" Andrina continued crying. "Rnd, I can''t live without seeing you all day. I know I''m very annoying, but... but I ¡ª" She coughed. "You have a cold?" Rnd asked. "I was out in the wind for a bit this morning, so I got a little sick." He rolled out of bed and turned on the light. "Who brought you out? Wait, I''ming." He hung up the phone and threw it on the bed. He began to put on his clothes. Alvera had wrapped herself up tightly with the nkets. She watched him get dressed quickly and said, "I didn''t run away this time, so we''re even now." Rnd nced at her and said, "Sleep early." "OK, good night, honey," she replied, her smile was cold and distant. ... Rnd hated this smile the most. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. However, he was in no mood to argue with her. He picked up his bag and left the room. Alvera waited for the sounds of the car leaving before getting up and putting on a bathrobe. She walked into the bathroom and picked up the phone she left by the sink. ... The screen showed that the phone was in a call with Andrina. Just now, right before she came out of the bathroom, she had called Andrina. Chapter 22: Yes, I Have No Conscience Chapter 22: Yes, I Have No Conscience Alvera looked at herself in the mirror. The hickeys on her neck were ironic to her. The fading white scars on her body contrasted sharply against her skin. She clenched her fists, picked up a ss from the sink and threw it at the mirror. The mirror was shattered. She took off her bathrobe and went back under the shower, washing the areas on her body that Rnd had touched. She felt disgusting. She hated herself. She really hated herself. After the shower, she stood in front of the broken mirror and re-examined herself. The sadness in her heart was still overwealming. She went back to the room, took out a handful of candy from a transparent box, and began stuffing them into her mouth one by one. Suddenly, her cell phone rang. It was Andrina. She sneered and picked it up. Andrina was screaming hysterically from the other end. "Alvera, you b*tch! How dare you touch Rnd. Just wait. I will make you pay. I will tear you apart!" ... Alvera smiled indifferently and said, "You should thank me for reminding you. This is thest time I will let you know. Next time, I''ll keep him with me in bed." "Alvera, you''re just like your mother. Do you think that Rnd will like you? He''s just using you because I can''t be with him now. You''re a just prostitute, you know that?" "Andrina, I warned you before. You have no right to mention my mother. Listen, you won''t have this man unless I let you. Wait and see if you don''t believe me," Alvera said coldly and hung up the phone. ... She was determined to win Rnd''s heart. The next morning, the door to Alvera''s bedroom was suddenly pushed open loudly. Alvera opened her eyes, no longer as jumpy as she was when she first got out of prison. Rnd was standing at the door. She pursed her lips in a smile and said hoarsely, "Good morning, honey." Rnd stepped forward, leaned over her while pulling her nket off, kissed her roughly, and bit her lips. Alvera frowned in pain and tried to push him off. "Rnd Francois, what are you doing?" "How dare you call Andrinast night?" He asked angrily. Alvera frowned. "You guys really keep no secrets among yourselves." "Alvera, I''m warning you, she hasn''t recovered fully yet. You''d better not bother her, or else..." "I know. It will only take you a few minutes to send me back to prison." She smiled. "Don''t smile." "Why not? Should I cry instead? Or does Mr. Francois prefer crybabies? I''m sorry then, I can''t cry, and I won''t cry in front of you." She tried to push him away, but he was too strong for her. "Mr. Francois, please get up," she said. Rnd''s eyes were cold as he stayed motionless. Alvera pressed her lips together. "Look, Mr. Francois, as I''ve said before, I''m not ready for this yet. You forced me into this. Our marriage is just contractual, it''s not real. If I didn''t call Andrinast night, we would have done it. I''m sorry if I not letting you cheat on my sister was wrong." "You''re sorry? You have no conscience, but you''re sorry. Did you know Andrina almost diedst night because of your call?" "No conscience..." She murmured under her breath while looking at him. After a moment of daze, determination returned in her eyes. "Yes, that''s right, I have no conscience. Conscience has no value. Why would I want something like that?" She said defiantly. "Do you know what it''s like to go through hell and back, Rnd Francois? Do N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. you know how painful it is to just give up after all that? If you don''t, drop your holier-than-thou attitude." ... "I never said I''m a good person, so I don''t need anyone to teach me to be good," she continued. "Why should I care whether Andrina Earhart lives or dies? So many people die every day. Should I be concerned about them?" "You..." Angered by her words, Rnd raised his hand and pped her in the face. Chapter 23: I’ll Make You Sleep With Me Willingly Chapter 23:I¡¯ll Make You Sleep With Me Willingly Alvera did not show any fear. She raised her chin haughtily and fixed her eyes on Rnd. Rnd''s hand stopped less than a centimetre away from her face. Alvera smiled coldly. "What''s wrong?" Rnd grabbed her under the chin and said, "Don''t make me do it." "Rnd, I wouldn''t have called Andrina if you didn''t insist to stayst night," Alvera said, her tone and expression full of sarcasm. "We''re both at fault here. You have no right to take the higher ground and me me." ... "I''ve told you, don''t regret your decision. I''m not going to let you off so easily. You asked to be mywful wife, and now you are, so it''s only natural that we sleep together," Rnd said. "So what if it''s legal? The marriage will onlyst for six months." "So what if it''s only six months?" "What about it? I said I don''t want to!" Alvera yelled, finally unable to hold in her anger. ... "You don''t want to? Finally, you can express your true feelings. Good, Alvera, just you wait, I''ll make you sleep with me willingly," he replied, flinging her to the side and leaving angrily. ... Alvera''s eyes were filled with coldness. She will never sleep with him willingly, unless she was dead. She got up, put on her clothes calmly, went downstairs and had breakfast. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. "Becky," she said, while eating. "Ms. Alvera, what can I do for you?" "Do not breathe a word about whatever you heard or saw here today to anyone, especially Samuel. I don''t want him to worry." "Yes, Ms. Alvera." After her breakfast, Alvera went to the bank and withdrew another million dors from Rnd''s card. This was her punishment on him for angering her. Terry broke out in cold sweat when he received the notification about the withdrawal. He knocked on the door and walked into the CEO''s office. "Mr. Francois." ... "Yes?" "One million dors was withdrawn from the card you told me about yesterday," he said, making his report short and to the point. He could tell that Rnd was in a bad mood today. ... "Find out where Alvera Earhart''s money is going now," Rnd replied and his expression was chilly. "Yes." Terry left and he felt relieved that Rnd did not take his anger out on him. Later that night, in the Mountain Club, Rnd sat alone in the corner of a private room, surrounded by the sounds of people socializing over alcohol and smoke. ... He held a ss in his hand, his expression was dark and serious. "Rnd, wasn''t Andrinas''s operation sessful?" Someone in the room teased him. "Why are you so gloomy? Come on, let''s have a drink together." Rnd rolled his eyes at him, silencing him immediately. He was indeed very angry today. He came here for entertainment to cheer himself up, but right now all he could think about was Alvera Earhart. ... "Damn it," he thought. His phone rang from the table. He felt a little irritated when he saw Andrina''s name on the caller ID. This was her sixth call to him today. Andrina had been calling him to check where he was all day sincest night. This feeling of being stalked annoyed him. He would never have let her act like this if it weren''t for that night four years ago when he took her virginity. He picked up the phone but did not say anything. "Rnd, where are you?" asked Andrina from the other end of the call. "Mountain Club." "Are you... stilling to the hospital?" "Andrina, I''ve told you, stop calling me. I won''t see Alvera." "I''m sorry, Rnd. I didn''t want to bother you, but... but I just can''t control myself. I don''t know what''s wrong with myself. Don''t me me," she said and began to cry in a low voice. Rnd said irritatedy, "All right, I don''t me you. Andrina. It''ste. You should go to bed early." "Rnd, wait a minute. You''lle and see me tomorrow, right?" "Okay." He hung up the phone and left the club. As soon as he got in the car, his cell phone rang again. He was about to lose his temper when he saw that the call was from Terry. He picked up the phone and heard Terry''s respectful tone over the phone. "Mr. Francois, I''ve found out where Ms. Alvera''s money has gone." ... Chapter 24: Where The Money Went Chapter 24: Where The Money Went Rnd raised his eyebrows slightly. "Go on," he said. "Ms. Alvera entrusted her money to Samuel Lambert, the eldest son of the Lambert family, to fund and build an orphanage in a rural area," Terry reported. "The construction has already begun. It''s supervised by Samuel Lambert''s trustees. The cash that Ms. Alvera withdrew these two days was also given to him for this purpose." "Alvera orphanage?" Rnd frowned with his tone sceptical. "Yes, that''s right." "Send someone to keep an eye on them. Report to me if anything happens." "Yes, sir." "Also, go to the bank and set a withdrawal limit on the card. Set the limit to 20,000 dors. No one should be able to take more than that without my consent," he added. "Yes, sir." After hanging up, Rnd took out a cigarette and lit it. He rolled down the window and flicked the ash off his cigarette. "What kind of woman was this Alvera?" he pondered. She funded an orphanage even though she was not doing so well herself. What was she trying to do? He said that she had no conscience this morning... He frowned. His irritation was clearly reflected on his face. Alvera did not see Rnd again for the next two weeks. She did not look for him either. She cooped up at home every day, reading books and enriching herself. After dinner, Becky left on some personal business. It was raining outside. Alvera read for a while in the living room, then locked the doors and windows and went upstairs to rest. The doorbell suddenly rang in the middle of the night. She woke up with a shock and went downstairs to check the CCTV. She saw Terry standing at the door, supporting Rnd by his arm. She opened the door and smelt the strong alcohol emitting from the man in front of her. Terry saidboriously, "Ms, Alvera, please prepare a room for Mr. Francois. He''s drunk." N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Alvera frowned and took a look at Rnd, who was leaning against Terry. She turned around, went to the guest room on the first floor, and gave the room a quick clean. Terry put Rnd on the bed and helped him take off his shoes. He breathed heavily as he turned to Alvera and said, "I''m sorry, Ms. Alvera, please take care of Mr. Francois tonight." "Why should I?" Alvera asked. "Aren''t you his wife?" Alvera choked, she was speechless. He was right. Seeing that she could not object, Terry quickly slipped away and left the house. Alvera stood by the bed, looking at Rnd, who had fallen into a deep sleep. She was at a loss between caring for him or just leaving him like this. "You know what, forget it. I won''t lower myself to your level. If I don''t take care of you tonight, you''ll find fault with me tomorrow morning anyway," she finally decided. She stepped forward and unbuttoned his shirt. His tough muscles revealed. ... She was distracted for a bit before she realized what she was doing. When she came back to her senses she frowned and stepped back immediately. She turned around and went into the bathroom. She filled a basin with warm water so that she could wipe him down. When she reached his neck, he suddenly grabbed her hand and opened his eyes. Alvera was startled by his sudden movement. She was just about to break free from his grasp when he pulled her onto the bed and rolled over to pin her underneath him. "Why are you here?" he asked. Alvera recovered from her dizziness after a moment. "This is the Floral Vi." Rnd frowned, he is confused. "Terry sent you here," Alvera continued calmly. He was looking at her sceptically. Seeing this, she sighed. "If you don''t want to stay here, I can send you back now. I didn''t drink, so I can drive." He rxed a little, sat up, and rubbed his forehead. She quickly turned over and got out of bed, keeping a significant distance from him. He gave her a sidelong nce. "Does she hate me so much?" he thought. "I''ll get you something for your hangover," she said, and left the room quickly. Rnd sat on the bed for a few minutes, then got up and staggered out of the room. The kitchen door was open. He could see what was going on in the kitchen from where he stood at the doorway of the guest room. Alvera was standing with her back against the wall, her expression was anxious and nervous. It was unlike her normal domineering, tricky, and argumentative manners. Chapter 25: The Anger In Her Eyes Chapter 25: The Anger In Her Eyes When Alvera came out of the kitchen with the chicken noodle soup, Rnd was sitting on the sofa in the living room. She walked over and set the soup on the coffee table. He was looking at a copy of Advanced Mathematics that she had left on the coffee table. She snatched the book away and closed it with a snap. "Don''t look at other people''s stuff." "Advanced Mathematics?" he asked. "Aren''t you a little old for this?" Alvera''s face turned cold. She picked up the several exercise books on the table and put them to the side. Her voice was tight and cold. "I was in prison at the age I was supposed to read these." ... Rnd frowned unconsciously at the mention of prison. He looked at her and said with an annoyed face, "It''s your own fault for not studying well." "Not studying well?" Alvera scoffed silently. "Me?" ... He knew nothing about her past. He had no right to say that. Alvera clenched her fists and red at him, her eyes was glowering with anger. Once upon a time, she had worked so hard at her studies, all just so she could get into a good university, find a good job, earn a decent living and escape Quebec City, escape the Earhart family with her mother. ... ... ... ... Well now, this dream had been trampled into the ground by the Earhart family and this man in front of her. He saw the hatred in her eyes and said coldly, "Why, did I hit the nail on the head? You did this yourself, there''s no need to act like this now. What''s the use of studying now?" She gritted her teeth and swallowed her anger. She couldn''t let this b*stard see her pain. She pursed her lips and smiled. "Drink the soup. Get yourself sober, then rest well." After that, she picked up the books and turned to go upstairs. "Stop there." Rnd stopped her suddenly. ... He stood up, walked to her, and stared intently at her. She kept her smile and asked, "Is there anything else you need, Mr. Francois?" His eyes were cold. He grabbed her by the chin and warned, "Don''t act in front of me. I''m sick of you acting like this." "Life is a drama, everyone is acting. If you really want to know what I''m thinking of underneath all these, I''m happy to oblige. I want to kill you. I want to rip you apart and feed you to the dogs." The smile lingered on her lips as she spoke. Rnd felt a chill down his spine when he heard her cruel words. No one had ever dared to speak to him like this before, never. This woman kept challenging the bottom line of his anger. He gripped her chin tighter, but she did not even frown. ... He had nowhere to vent his anger, so he leaned down and bit her lips viciously. The strong smell of alcohol entered her mouth. The books in her arms all fell to the ground as she raised her arms and pped his shoulders, trying to break free. Rnd did not budge. He pinned her between his arms, not allowing her to move away. She struggled the entire duration of the kiss. When he finally let go of her, both of them were exhausted. Alvera raised her hand to p him, but he grabbed her wrist. "Alvera Earhart, you started this game. Don''t think you can still control it." ... Alvera''s hands were shaking in anger as he let go of her wrists. "Don''t challenge me," he warned. "You''re my legal wife now. No one will say anything even if I raped you." Alvera stepped back. Then she turned around and rushed to a candy box that was on a shelf in the corner. She grabbed a piece and stuffed it into her mouth. The candy was very sweet. The sweetness dried up the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. Rnd frowned. Hes was confused when he saw her strange behavior. Alvera swallowed the candy. "The act goes on, Mr. Francois. If you don''t like it, you just have to endure it for another four months. Once the contracted duration ends, we''ll both be liberated. Mr. Francois, you should take a bath and brush your teeth. Your breath stink." All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. She turned and went upstairs. Rnd watched her as she ascended. He had never met such a woman. Stubborn, strong, but also... fragile. "Who are you, Alvera Earhart?" He thought to himself. He looked down at the exercise book that fell open on the ground. The page of mathematical problems was filled in with the answers. He squatted down and picked up the exercise book. A quick scan of the questions surprised him. The answers were all correct. These problems were quite hard. It would but impossible to solve them without a decent foundation in Mathematics. How could an ignorant, rebellious girl do this? Chapter 26: I Wont Let Her Get Her Way Chapter 26: I Won''t Let Her Get Her Way Rnd closed the exercise book. On the back cover, in graceful handwriting, were the words, "Forget your name. Be the light, be the fire, even if it crushes you to pieces. Be determined. Hold on for dear life. Growing up involves pain and determination. ¡ª Al." They were just ordinary words of encouragement, but he could see the hopelessness in the eyes behind those words. ... He looked up the stairs with a trace of doubt in his eyes. The next morning, Terry came to pick him up at the door. He got in the car, and his expression was cold. Terry guessed that his boss did not have a good night ... After he got in the car, Rnd said coldly, "Who told you to send me herest night?" Terry was stunned for a minute. "Mr. Francois,st night... you said you wanted toe here. I dare not disobey your order." Rnd frowned. He said he wanted toe here? He rolled down the window and let the wind blow in. He needed to get sober. "Mr. Francois, should we go to thepany or the hospital first?" Terry asked. "Thepany." As soon as he finished speaking, his phone rang. Seeing that it was from Andrina, he paused for a moment before picking up. "Hello?" "Rnd, when are youing?" "What''s wrong?" "No, just... you didn''te overst night. I wanted to see you." "I''m busy. I''m going to thepany first." "Rnd," Andrina stopped him before he could hang up. Rnd remained silent and waited for her to continue. She said anxiously, "We''ve been together for so many years, I know you. I just have one request. You can leave me for anyone, just not Alvera. Please." Rnd''s eyes turned cold and said nothing. He didn''t want it to be Alvera either, but his body disagreed. On the other end of the phone, Andrina was sobbing. "Rnd, I owe Alvera too much. You know I can''t refuse her if she insists she wants you. Alvera is my closest sister, I cannot bear the thought of you bing my brother-inw. I''ll die!| Rnd''s eyes was cold as he said irritably, "I told you not to think too much." "I''m scared. I''m scared that I''ll lose both of you if you get closer." "If you are really afraid of losing Alvera, why didn''t you plead for her when I sent her to prison four years ago?" Andrina paused. "Are you... are you ming me?" N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. "I''m just reminding you not to think too much. Alright, I''m busy. I''ll hang up now." He hung up the phone. "Terry, help me investigate something." Terry looked back at Rnd and said, "Just let me know, Mr. Francois." "I want to know how Alvera Earhart did when she was in school." Terry nodded and said, "Yes, I''ll do it right away." In the hospital, Andrina gripped her phone tightly, and her eyes were chilly. She covered her ears and began screaming hysterically. The door of the ward was pushed open as Luna ran in quickly. "Andrina, what''s wrong? Are you not feeling well? I''ll call the doctor now!" "Mom," Andrina screamed miserably, "My heart is not feeling well, I hate her, I hate Alvera Earhart! Mom, I don''t want Rnd to be taken away. He is mine. He is mine." Luna held her in her arms. "I know, I know, Andrina. He''s yours. Andrina, I won''t let that b*tch get her way. I''ll think of something." "What can you do? I want her to get out of my world, I don''t want to see her anymore!" "Okay, then we''ll make her disappear," her mother replied. At Floral Vi. Alvera came out of her room and found that Rnd had left. She looked at the cold, untouched soup on the table. Her expression was indifferent. She picked up the bowl and poured all the soup into the sink in the kitchen. Becky was on leave today, so she had to be independent. After breakfast, she changed her clothes and prepared to go shopping. She went out the door, unlocked the car, and opened the car door. A familiar voice came from behind her. "Alvera." ... Alvera paused and stunned. Tears welled up in her eyes. Chapter 27: Lets Break Up Chapter 27: Let''s Break Up Alvera stood rooted to the same spot for what seemed like a long time. The voice behind her called her again. "Alvera." It took her all her strength to m her breathing before turning to look at the owner of the voice with a faint smile. ... "Long time no see, Antoine Francois." She looked at him. He still looked the same as he did four years ago. He was tall and thin with handsome features. The only thing that changed was his hairstyle, which made him looked more mature. "I''m sorry." Antoine lowered his eyes and he was shuddering. "Alvera, I''m really sorry." ... Alvera smiled. "We haven''t seen each other for so long, and the first thing you do is apologize? That''s a little weird. It''s okay." "No, don''t say it''s okay. You should hate me. You can hit me or curse me, but don''t say it''s okay, Alvera. Your attitude is scaring me." Alvera''s expression was very calm as if it was just a normal friend standing in front of her. "I don''t me you for avoiding me with the situation at that time. I don''t hate you." ... "Alvera, the situation wasn''t what you thought it was, I ¡ª " "Actually, I wanted to see you too," Alvera interrupted. "There are some things we didn''t get to talk about four years ago. Antoine, it''s time for closure." "No." Antoine stepped forward and grabbed her by her shoulders. "There''s nothing to close between us. Alvera, I''m back, I''ll take you away." He looked at her with deep affection, but his heart was bitter. When she looked up at him, her expression was still calm and unchanging. "Let''s break up." "I won''t break up with you." Antoine shook his head firmly. "I never thought about breaking up with you." "Everyone has a first love that ends without any pain. We are the same," Alvera said calmly. "We''re both grownups now, Antoine, our past should be gone with the wind. I''ve decided. If you''re really sorry, then the best thing to do is to not bother me anymore. We... can never be together again." She lifted her wrist and checked the time. "Sorry, I have something to do. Bye." She turned around, got into the car, and closed the door. Antoine reached for the handle, but she had already locked the car doors. "Alvera, open the door. Let''s talk. Don''t be like this, Alvera," he pleaded. Alvera did not look at him. She just put her foot on the elerator and left. The car rolled into a stop at the entrance of the parking lot of the supermarket. She leaned on the steering wheel and closed her eyes. It turned out to be hurt when you saygoodbye to your entire youth. She had thought it would be easy for her to meet Antoine again now, but in reality, it was really hard. Suddenly, her phone rang. Seeing that it was Samuel, she picked up immediately. "Samuel." ... "Promise me, do whatever I ask of you next," Samuel said over the phone. "Huh, why so serious?" "Promise me first," he insisted. "Okay, I promise." She nodded. "Go ahead, what''s the matter?" "Antoine is back. You are not allowed to see him. You are not allowed to have any contact with him. Cut C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. him off clearly." Alvera fell silent. "Hello? Are you there?" "You should have called half an hour earlier, then I could''ve avoided him," she said. "You saw him? The b*stard went and saw you?" "Yeah. I made good on my promise actually. I''ve talked to him. Don''t worry, I won''t... we won''t continue the rtionship. I''m not dumb." "That''s good," Samuel said and felt relieved. "Do you still remember that charity auction you asked me to arrange?" "Yeah." "It''s ready. Just set a time." "How about... tomorrow night?" "Okay. I''ll go and make the preperations. Don''t forget your promise." "Trust me." After hanging up, Alvera leaned on the seat. She hesitated for a minute, then took out her phone again. She found Rnd''s number in her contacts and called him. Rnd was surprised to see Alvera calling him. He answered. Alvera''s soft voice came over the phone. "Mr. Francois, are you free at noonter? I want to treat you to lunch." ... Chapter 28: The Distance Between Love You and Waiting For You Chapter 28: The Distance Between Love You and Waiting For You "Get straight to the point, what do you want " "Some things are hard to exin over the phone. We can talk over lunch. I''ll send you the address Alvera hung up the phone before Rnd could reply. After that, she let out a sigh of relief. She would be eating out for lunch, so there was no need to shop for groceries anymore. She started the car again and went home. When she got close to the house, she checked the front door from a safe distance. There was no one there. She drove over to the door and parked. When she got out of the car, she saw a pile of pebbles by the door, forming the words: "Waiting for you." .. She squatted in front of the pebbles drops of water welling up in her eyes. Waiting for you... Four years ago, he had used pebbles to write ''love you''. Now, the message had changed to "waiting for you". No one knew what happened to her between love and wait. Back to that year, he disappeared when she needed him, when her mother was dying. She did not even get to meet her mother for thest time before she passed. She did not know if her mother shed tears, or if she regretted her choices, or if she called out her name telling her she loved her. She did not know how frightened her mother was at that time. After her mother passed away, she was devastated. She thought Antoine would help her because he was her boyfriend, but he didn''t. Later, She was afraid and anxious when she was taken away by the police. She expected him to save her, but he didn''t. In the end, she was sentenced and sent to prison. She waited for him to visit her in prison, but he didn''t. It was like he never existed. In that year, she had nothing but him. Well he was the one who hurt her the most. ... The scars that he had left on her heart could never be healed. She did hate him, and she hated him so deep that she couldn''t even recognize it. She kicked away the stones on the ground. Wait? Let him wait. She would like to see how long he could wait. He could do whatever he wanted. She opened the door, went in, chose a restaurant and sent the address to Rnd. Then she calmed herself down and began studying. ... At 10:30 in the morning, she tidied herself up and went out again. She went to the restaurant first and waited for Rnd in a private booth. She waited until 12:30, but Rnd never showed up. The waitress came in for the third time and asked politely, "Miss, would you like to order?" Alvera sighed and nodded. "Yes, give me the menu." The waitress handed over the menu. Alvera ordered four of the most expensive dishes she could find. At one o''clock, all the dishes were served. She picked up her fork and began eating. She had almost finished all the food when the door opened from the outside suddenly. When she saw the person standing at the door, she was stunned for a second before smiling. "I thought you weren''ting. I''m almost done." Rnd looked at her and with puzzle on his face . He waste for two whole hours, why was she not angry with him? "No," he talked to himself silently. "She must be angry, but she was just toozy to vent her anger on me." All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. He walked over and sat down in the seat faced to her. "I had somethinge up just now. Why didn''t you just leave when I didn''t show up?" She looked at him and pondered silently. Was he exining why he waste to her? It doesn''t matter, she did not care anyway. "What do you want to eat? I''ll help you order." Rnd knew that she did not want to discuss his tardiness with him. "Do you think I can eatfortably if you''re buying me lunch with my won money?" He asked. "Your money?" She said. "Why would you think that? I''m using my money." Rnd raised his eyebrows at her. "So it''s yours once I give it to you? Makes sense for someone like you." "I already told you, I''m not treating you to lunch with your own money," she replied. "I took this money from my own card. I earned it with mybour in prison. It''s not much, but it''s enough." His expression turned cold. "Are you saying this intentionally to annoy me?" "I have better things to do," sheughed. "You brought up this topic first, I was just borating. Mr. Francois, what do you want? I have limited funds, so go easy on me." "I''ve already eaten. Just tell me, what do you want from me?" "You''ve eaten... Okay, fine, let''s get down to business. I need to ask you a favour." Chapter 29: The Reason He Was Late Chapter 29: The Reason He Was Late "Are you free tomorrow night?" "Tell me what you want to do first." "There''s a charity auction tomorrow night," Alvera told him. "I want something there, but as you know, I''m broke now. Can you buy it for me?" Rnd looked at her and frowned, "What tricks are you ying again?" "If I''m ying tricks, I wouldn''t wait for you for two hours here. Of course, if you''re convinced that I am, then that''s fine too." She put her hands together with a smile. "Please." ... Rnd stood up. "We''ll see how tomorrow. I can apany you if I have the time." "It''s fine if you don''t have the time, I can just bid for it. You just have to pay." He nced at her out of the corner of his eye, ignoring her. "Right, I''ll take that as a yes, then." She pped her hands. "Waitress, pack this up." Rnd looked at the tes on the table that barely had any leftovers on them. "What is there to pack up?" "The soup is good, I can heat up up for dinner and have it with instant noodles." "Having instant noodles in your condition? I thought you hired a housekeeper." Alvera shrugged. "Becky is on leave today." When Rnd returned to thepany, Terry was waiting for him. The two of them entered the office together. Terry handed him a folder. "Boss, here''s the information you asked for." ... "I just heard that Mr. Antoine is back," Terry said, as Rnd began to open the folder. Rnd''s expression turned cold. "Who allowed him toe back?" "I''m... I''m not sure." Rnd said coldly, "Tell him to meet me." "Yes, sir." After Terry went out, Rnd opened the folder. It contained Alvera''s academic reports during her time at Calgary Middle School. Rnd was surprised at her academic record. She was the top of her garde for three years in a row. His expression darkened as he frowned. This was the report of a high-achieving student, but ording to Thomas Earhart, Alvera was a bad student and often got into trouble by abusing the Earhart family''s influence. ... He pinched the space between his eyebrows and felt ufortable for some reason. When Alvera got home, she received a call from Andrina. "How does it feel to be waiting for someone?" She asked. Alvera''s expression was cold and emotionless. She did not answer her. "Do you know why he waste for lunch just now?" Andrina continued. "He was with me. I told him I wanted some desserts from downtown, so he drove all the way there and bought some for me. He watched me finish before he left." Alvera sneered. "So, you are here to gloat?" "I''m warning you, Rnd is mine." Alvera curled her lips slightly. "Really? Andrina, I might as well tell you. I don''t care about Rnd Francois at all, but because of you, I''ll try my best to seduce him. Hold on to him tightly, because I want you to watch him fall in love with me." She hung up without waiting for Andrina''s response. Her hatred for Rnd deepened further as she recalled that she had waited for him for two hours just now. The next evening, Alvera attended the auction in a sleeveless ck dress with light makeup and a pair of high heels that were at least 3 inches high. She texted Rnd to let him know that she had arrived, and that if he couldn''t make it, send someone with a credit card. ... Rnd turned up right before 6:00. He sauntered in from the front door gracefully with his hands in his pockets. His appearance caused quite a stir. He found Alvera in thest row with a just quick nce into the crowd. She was so beautiful today that many people found it hard to take their eyes off her. He sat down by Alvera and crossed his legs. Alvera pouted. "I didn''t expect you toe in person." "What did you have you eye on?" "The third item. It''s not up yet." Rnd picked up the auction list and flipped through it. The third item was a wooden carving of a giraffe by an unknown artist. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. When did auction houses start selling these kind of things? "What''s so special about this?" She smiled. "This was my grandfather''s work. It was mine originally." Chapter 30: Ill Sleep With You Willingly Chapter 30: I''ll Sleep With You Willingly Rnd put down the catalogue and observed the room quietly. When the third item came up for bidding, he could clearly see the disdain in the crowd. The starting bid for the item was 100,000 dors. At first, no one offered a bid. Alvera frowned. She turned to look at Rnd, but he did not move, so she grabbed his wrist and raised his hand. "One million dors." Rnd smiled but said nothing. The bidders sitting in front of them were surprised to see Rond bidding so much. When they turned and saw Alvera sitting beside him, they realized that he was spending for love. The hall was still silent. As the auctioneer picked up the gravel to seal the price, Alvera shifted in her seat uneasily. Suddenly, someone in the first row called out, "Two million dors." Alvera looked over, clearly relieved. Rnd raised his paddle and said, "Three million." They went back and forth, bidding against each other, until the price reached nine million dors. At this point, Rnd stopped bidding and lowered his paddle. Alvera looked at him nervously. "Mr. Francois, please." "Alvera, you''re smart. This is a clever trap to get my money, isn''t it? Tell me, why should I fall for it?" He asked calmly, crossing his arms. ... Alvera froze, suddenly realizing that he knew about her n. How did he know? Rnd smiled. "No good businessman will buy at a loss." Alvera swallowed nervously as the auctioneer began calling for final bids. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists tightly. "I''ll sleep with you if you bid for this." "You?" "You said you want me to sleep with you willingly," she continued. "If you buy this item, I''ll sleep with N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. you tonight." Rnd smiled and shifted his eyes towards the stage. "How much do you want?" "20 million dors." Rnd raised his paddle calmly. "20 million dors." This time, the hall was quiet. Nobody countered his bid. Alvera let out a sigh of relief. After the auction, Rnd drove the two of them home. Alvera sat in the passenger seat, fondling the wooden giraffe in her hands gently. "You have nothing to say to me?" Alvera nced at him. "I''m not going to apologize for lying to you. I''m broke, this was the only thing I could think of. Also, I didn''t lie when I said this giraffe was a gift from my grandfather." Rnd sneered and said nothing. "How... how did you see through my n?" "I told you, you''re a bad actress, so don''t try and act in front of me." Alvera frowned, her mind reeling with anxiety. When they arrived home, Alvera told Becky to rest early tonight, then turned to Rnd and said, "I''ll go upstairs and take a bath." "Who are you going to call this time?" He crossed his arms and looked at her. She smiled. "I keep my promises, Mr Francois, don''t worry. If I say I''ll sleep with you willingly, I''ll follow through." She went upstairs. In the bathroom, Alvera clenched her teeth as she looked at herself in the mirror. The ugly scars on her body reminded her of all the hardships and humiliation she had experienced over the past years. "It''s fine," she told herself. "I''m already unclean. There''s nothing to be scared of." It would all be worth it as long as Andrina is hurt, watching the man she loved be hers. When she came out of the bathroom, Rnd had already finished his shower and was waiting for her on the bed. "It''s not toote to back out now." "I should be saying that to you, Mr Francois. I wasn''t the one who backed out thest two times." "Are you ming me?" She raised her eyebrows. "Of course not." She turned off the light and walked towards the bed. In the darkness, he pounced on her like a lion and pinned her on the bed. "That was yourst chance, you can''t back out now." He pinned her arms above her head with one hand and tore open her bathrobe with the other, all the while kissing her. Alvera submitted to him silently in the darkness. It took her all her energy to stop herself from screaming in fear and anger. She tried her best to hold in her emotions, but her tears fell uncontrobly. Chapter 31: Its Not Your First Time Chapter 31: It''s Not Your First Time In the darkness, Alvera turned over and wiped her tears away. She would never let anyone else see her as fragile, much less this man in front of her. ... When he prated her, she felt as if she could explode with anger. The trauma lingered in her mind. Rnd felt a tugging sense of familiarity when he was with Alvera. Her body felt like that night four years ago, except this time he was sober and wide awake. ... He did not understand why he felt this way. Annoyed, his movements became more violent. He finally finished up after what felt like forever. Alvera quickly pulled the nket over herself when she saw him get up to turn on the light. The light flooded the room, dazzling her eyes. She frowned, stood up with the nket still around her, and walked into the bathroom without a word. After she left, Rnd looked at the messy but clean bedsheets and frowned. Alvera was taking a very rough shower in the bathroom. When she came out, Rnd was still in the room. She smiled at him. "Mr. Francois, why are you are still here?" "You''re not a virgin?" Alvera paused for a moment then raised her eyebrows and looked at him. "I never said I was." "Who did you do it with? That ex-boyfriend who left you?" Alvera did not answer his question. "I didn''t know you preferred virgins. If I had known, I would have done a reconstruction surgery. It''s not toote now, is it?" She smiled charmingly. He detested her indifferent attitude, but that was how she presented herself to him every time he saw her. "Get out." ... Alvera raised her eyebrows, shrugged, and left the room. She went into the next room, closed the door and slumped her back against it. She slid to the floor and curled herself up, hugging her knees tightly against her chest. She smiled as she heard Rnd m the door as he left the room outside. She got back to her room and ate a piece of candy. Since she couldn''t sleep, she picked up a book and began reading. The next morning, Antoine stood in front of Rnd in the CEO office of the Empire Group, looking at him fearfully. "Rnd." ... ... "Who allowed you toe back?" Rnd asked coldly. "I... I came back to look for an old friend." Rnd threw his pen on the table, his expression chilly. "I told you, don''te back here ever again. You can die overseas for all I care. Did you not listen?" ... "I will leave right after I find my friend." "Your old friend... a woman?" Antoine kept quiet. Rnd sneered, knowing that he was right. "Does Grace know you''re back to look for a woman?" "Rnd, I don''t like Grace. I want to cancel our engagement." "I set up your engagement. If you want to cancel it, let your mother be punished for what she did, and I''ll let you go." He lit a cigarette and looked at him pleasantly. "I gave you a choice four years ago. You chose to be punished in ce of your mother. You don''t get to regret it now." Antoine clenched his fist tightly and said, "I already have someone I love deeply. I have loved her for seven years, but we were separated for four years. I don''t want to lose her, Rnd, please. We''re your family, let us go." He sneered. "Do you think I will?" He flicked the ashes from his cigarette into the ashtray and raised his eyebrows. "I''ll give you a month. Finish your business and leave the country. You can find as many mistresses as you like, but your engagement with the Taylor family will remain." Antoine stood up, looked at him for a moment, then staggered away. Alvera met with Samuel in a cafe. She held her cup in her hands as she stared distractedly out of the window. Samuel rapped loudly on the table with his fingers. Alvera came back to her senses. "What did you say?" "I didn''t say anything. You''re here to have a coffee with me, focus." She smiled and did not reply. "I say, what is wrong with you?" "Nothing''s wrong. I was just distracted by that." She pointed to the opposite side of the road. A young man was riding a bicycle with a young woman in the backseat. The young woman wrapped her arms around the man''s waist as they talked while waiting for the light to turn green. "Something''s not right, Alvera," Samuel said. "Are you thinking about Antoine Francois? You didn''t forget your promise, did you?" Alvera looked at him. "Why are you so sensitive? I was just thinking how long that willst." She took a sip of coffee and continued, "The young man said something to the girl and made herugh. It will take her many years to realize that men will say anything when they still love you, but once they lose interest in you, they won''t even talk to you truthfully." Samuel frowned. "Did Antoine hurt you that much?" She smiled bitterly. "He was all I had at the time. I thought he would be my salvation, but... he left me." There was a deep sadness in her eyes. "He didn''t just hurt me," she continued. "He destroyed all my hopes. I keep thinking how different this would have all been if I had asked you for help instead of looking for him that night." Samuel''s heart ached for her when he saw her expression. He reached out and held her hand. "It''s all in the past now." She smiled and nodded. "It''s all in the past now. I have a new life, I shouldn''t think so much." "Great." "All right. Keep the money. I''ll go back first." "Call me if you need to talk," Samuel told her. "Don''t keep it to yourself." She nodded. "I know." When she got home, Alvera parked her car at the gates and got out of the car. As she unlocked the doors to the vi, a pair of hands stopped her from opening the door. She jumped and turned around. It was Antoine. She frowned. "Why are you here again?" "Alvera, let''s talk." "I really have nothing to talk about with you. Antoine, we''re both adults. There''s no need to keep bringing up the past," she said. "Don''t tell me you miss me, because I won''t believe you. I''m not going to let you in my life now. I don''t love you anymore." ... "I don''t believe you." "I don''t care whether you believe me or not. I''m not going back to you," she said calmly, and then turned around to go in the house. ... Antoine grabbed her and enveloped her in a hug from behind. "Alvera, please, don''t treat me like this. I know you''ve been through a lot, and I know I should have been here for you. We''ve been separated for so many years. I don''t want to lose you. I''m here to take you away, I''ll bring you to America, and we can start over there." Alvera frowned. It was a tempting offer, but... "If you told me this four years ago, I would have gone with you without hesitation. Well I can''t go anywhere right now, Antoine." He spun her around to face him and grabbed her shoulders. "You can, Alvera, just say the word, we''ll leave this ce together and nevere back." She smiled and pushed his hands over her shoulders gently. "My mother died because of the Earhart family. Your brother sent me to prison without any charges. I was in prison for four years. That''s four years of horrors that you can''t even imagine. Do you really think I can just simply say ''It''s all right'' now as I did four years ago? Do you really think I can pretend nothing ever happened and just go back to you happily? You might be willing to live a fake life like that, but I''m not." ... "Antoine, thank you for apanying me during my childhood," she continued. "You were my first love, and you helped me grow up. It was a very sweet dream, but we''re both adults now, and I cannot build my life on unrealistic dreams. I beg you, please leave me alone. Just consider this as karma for leaving me four years ago." ... She smiled at him brightly after she finished. "No, it shouldn''t be like this, Alvera. I haven''t lost you yet. You''re just angry with me, right? I can take that, but please, don''t break up with me," he implored. Alvera looked at him and sighed, "It''s not like you don''t understand, you just don''t want to listen to me. Fine, I''ll make this clearer. You''re the second son of the Francois family. If you can make the Empire Group go out of business, I''ll go back to you. If you can''t, then forget about me." After that, she turned, went into the house and mmed the door. Antoine knelt on the ground wailed loudly. "Alvera!" Alvera took a deep breath and sat down on the sofa. Then she picked up a piece of candy and ate it. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. She could hear him yelling for her outside the door. She picked up a pair of earphones, put them on, and opened a book, but she couldn''t concentrate. She wasn''t sure when Antoine left, but when Becky left after dinner, there was no one at the door. ... She put on a coat, closed the door, and walked to the beach. She sat alone by the sea, listening to some light music with her earphones and looked out to the moonlit sea. It was the most beautiful scene she had ever seen. She smiled. This time, her smile was sincere, but there was no one around to see her beautiful smile. ... At the same time, unbeknownst to her, several burly men crept up to her from behind. They grabbed her and put a bup sack over her head. Alvera''s vision went dark suddenly and she felt someone grabbing her. Terrified, she struggled against her captors. Her earphones fell out as she struggled. She heard a voice yell, "Beat her up" Then a kicknded on her. Her head was covered so she couldn''t see, but she was familiar with being beaten up. She curled up tightly on the ground and protected her head with her hands. Her captors were intent on maiming her. The kicks almost made her pass out. Chapter 32: Owen Perez, Her Savior Chapter 32: Owen Perez, Her Savior Her attackers kicked her for ten minutes until she stopped moving. They nced at each other and then quickly left the scene. Alvera was left on the beach like a discarded rag. She was still conscious, but she had no more strength left to struggle. After the beating stopped, shey there for half an hour before lifting her aching arms and removing the sack from her head. Then she copsed on the ground, unable to move. She fumbled around for her phone and tried to call Samuel, but he did not answer his phone. She was in so much pain. The only other person she knew could save her was... Rnd Francois. She took a deep breath, found Rnd''s number and called him, her hands trembling in pain. After a while, Rnd''s cold voice came from the other end of the phone, "What''s the matter?" "Sa..." Before she could finish, she heard Andrina''s voice from the other end of the phone. "Rnd, who''s that?" Alvera froze as her hopes crumbled. Not a lot of people in this city wanted her dead, but the two people over the phone were amongst them. ... Sheughed scornfully at herself and hung up. She would rather die than ask him for help. She must have lost her mind just now. Rnd frowned at the call hung up suddenly. "What does this woman want?" he thought. Her voice didn''t sound right to him. He looked up at the time. It was nine o''clock. "Rnd?" Rnd came back to his senses and looked at Andrina, "What''s wrong?" "You''re not listening to me," Andrina said coquettishly. "Here, I peeled a banana for you." "You can have it. I have no appetite." "Who called you just now? Why did you hang up so quickly?" "It was a wrong number," Rnd said, his expression unchanging. "Your phone number is so different, how can anyone have your number?" Rnd raised his eyebrows and said, "Women be annoying if they are too suspicious." Andrina paused for a moment before smiling and said, "I am not suspicious of you. I''m just wondering who could have had your number and call you mistakenly. If you don''t want the banana, I''ll eat it." "Go ahead." He stood up. "Well, it''s gettingte. I should go back." Andrina grabbed his wrist and said, "Rnd, can you... stay with me tonight?" "This is a hospital," Rnd said. "I can''t sleep here. I have important work to deal with tomorrow." Andrina pouted. "But..." "Don''t be unreasonable. I''ve told you, a woman who is unreasonable is hardly a woman of great elegance." "Alright." Andrina let go of his hand, even though she didn''t want to. "You''lle to see me tomorrow, right?" ... "We''ll see how." With these words, Rnd turned around and walked out of the room. Andrina smiled, satisfied with herself. "See, Alvera Earhart," she thought gleefully. "He still loves me." Alvera wasn''t sure how much time had passed when she suddenly saw a tall figure approaching her. "Miss, Miss, are you alright?" "This voice... it''s so beautiful," she thought to herself. She nced at him dazedly, but her eyesight was blurry. "Help... Help me." She used up all her remaining strength in those two words and fainted. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in a hospital ward. The man sitting next to her was wearing a navy blue suit. His handsome features were a work of art in and of itself. "Miss, how are you feeling?" He asked when he saw her wake up. She forced out a smile. "It''s you." Before the liver transnt, she had been jogging every morning. One day, it had rained heavily while she was out jogging, so she took shelter in one of her neighbour''s porch not too far from her home. ... A few minutester, she saw him running towards the house as well. They both nodded to each other politely. She had thought that he was taking shelter from the rain as well, but he opened the door with a key, much to her surprise. ... She moved away from the door awkwardly. "Miss, I don''t think the rain will stop any time soon," he told her politely. "Do you want toe inside?" She shook her head quickly. "No, it''s fine, I can just stay out here. Thanks." "Okay... I''ll head on in, then." She nodded. After that, they would nod at each other whenever they met when they were out jogging. It was him who saved her tonight. The saying was true, a close neighbour is better than a rtive afar. She believed it now. The man smiled elegantly. "I don''t know if I should say ''nice to meet you'' under these circumstances, because you almost died tonight." She nodded. "Thank you for saving me." "You''re wee. You also live in Floral Vi, right?" She nodded again. "I live right next to you." He smiled gracefully. "My guess was right then, we''re neighbours. Not a lot of people live around there. Let me introduce myself. My name is Owen Perez, nice to meet you." Alvera thought that the name was fitting for an elegant man like him. "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Perez. I''m Alvera Earhart." Suddenly, the door of to ward was pushed open from the outside. Samuel rushed in. Alvera was relieved to see him. He went to the side of the bed and held her hand. "D*mn it, who did this? I''ll f*cking kill them!" Alvera pursed her lips. "Don''t be like this. It doesn''t hurt anymore. Why are you here?" "I was busy when you called me. I didn''t have my phone with me. When I called you back, a stranger picked up and told me you were hospitalized." Alvera looked at Owen. "Thanks, Mr Perez." Samuel nced at Owen, finally noticing him, and he was surprised. "Mr Perez? Owen looked at Samuel. "Samuel, long time no see." "Samuel, do you know Mr. Perez?" Alvera asked in surprise. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. "Yes, we work together sometimes," Samuel replied. "Mr. Perez, are you the one who saved Alvera today? Thank you so much." "It looks like Ms Alvera is your girlfriend," Owen said, elegant as ever. "She''s my childhood friend. We grew up together, so we''re closer than siblings. Anyway, thank you." Owen''s eyebrow twitched imperceptibly. "No need to be so polite. Since Samuel is here, I''ll take my leave now. I have some stuff to deal with." Alvera tried to get up and walk him to the door, but she couldn''t. "It''s okay, don''t get up," Owen said. "Take care of yourself. Samuel, Alvera needs to have another X-ray takenter, don''t forget." "Okay, I''ll see you off." Samuel headed towards the door with Owen. Suddenly, Alvera''s phone rang. She turned and nced at the phone, then lifted her handbouriously to reject the call and turn off her phone. In his car, Rnd felt a flicker of irritation when he saw that his call was rejected. He called again, but this time, her phone was turned off. He looked at the driver coldly and said, "Go to Floral Vi." The driver turned the car around and drove to the vi. Rnd got out of the car and looked at the dark house. Was there nobody home, or was she just pretending to be asleep to avoid him? He found the spare key, opened the door, and turned on the light. He looked around the house, but Alvera was nowhere to be found. Her car was still parked outside, though. Where could she have gone at this hour? Rnd''s irritation turned into worry when he could not find her. He turned around, walked out of the vi, and called Terry. "Find out the whereabouts of Alvera Earhart now. Start with Samuel Lambert." "Yes, Boss." In the hospital, Samuel had returned and sat by her bed. "Do you know who did this?" "They covered my head, so I couldn''t see, but I think it has something to do with Earhart family." Looking at the bruises on her face, Samuel clenched his fist. "How could they do this to you? Are they trying to kill you?" Alveraughed. "They want to kill me, they never hid their intentions. Don''t be so angry, that''s what they want to see." "Why are you so calm? I can''t believe you''re not angry." Her expression was calm. "Angry? No, I''m not angry, I''m just plotting for revenge." Samuel frowned, seeing the vicious look in her eyes, "What are you going to do?" Alvera raised her eyebrows. "It''s none of your business. I have a n." "I''ll help you do whatever it is." "I''m not going to involve you in this." "D*mn it, am I an outsider to you?" Samuel said angrily. "Do you know how sad it is to see you beaten up like this? Mr Perez told me you could''ve died if he hadn''t found you in time." "They were trying to kill me. It''s all thanks to Mr Perez I''m still alive right now." "Oh, by the way, speaking about Mr Perez, keep away from him," Samuel said. "Why?" "He is good and sessful in his business, but he is unlucky in marriage. He had two wives, but both died." Alvera rolled her eyes at him. "We''re just neighbours. You''re thinking too much." "You''re just neighbours now, but who knows?" Samuel teased. "You might be attracted to a handsome, mature man like him. If you get with him, I''ll have to worry about you." Alvera red at him and said, "That''s enough. Stop talking nonsense." "I''m telling you the truth. He knows he''s unlucky too, so he doesn''t live with his daughter. A lot ofdies still want to be with him, though. He hasplicated rtionships. Just listen to me. Come on, I have to bring you for another checkup." Samuel stepped forward and helped her to her feet. She gasped in pain, breaking out in cold sweat as she stood up. "What''s wrong? What''s wrong?" Samuel asked anxiously. "It hurts." "What should I do, then?" "Go ask the nurse for a wheelchair. I''ll move over there slowly." Her entire body was bruised badly. It hurt too much to walk. Samuel nodded and went out to get a wheelchair. Not long after he left, the door of the ward was pushed open again. "That''s..." She stopped mid-sentence. The man standing at the door was not Samuel, but Rnd, the very person she did not want to see right now. Chapter 33: Are You In Love With Me? Chapter 33: Are You In Love With Me? Alvera looked at him coldly and emotionlessly. Rnd stepped into the room and frowned as he looked at her bruised face. "What happened to you?" Alvera smiled. "Aren''t you supposed to be with the other woman? Why are you here?" "I''m asking the questions here. What happened to you, and how did you get those injuries?" Sheughed. "I think you know exactly what happened, Mr Francois." "Don''tugh," he said angrily. "It''s not funny." "Life is short, I''d rather spend the rest of my daysughing." Her words angered him, but he could not do anything to her. "Fine,ugh all you like, but tell me what happened to you. Who beat you up?" Alvera shook her head dismissively. "I don''t know. I was just sitting on the beach, then someone covered my head and beat me up." Rnd gritted his teeth in frustration. He was furious at the thought of someone beating up his woman. He would not spare those b*stards. "Why did you call me and hang up suddenly?" He asked. "I''m worried about taking up your time that you could have spent with your beloved. I''m considerate, aren''t I?" "I only see Andrina once a day," Rnd said coldly. "There''s no need to make such a big deal out of this." Alvera smiled. "I don''t care." Suddenly, there was a loud thud at the door. Samuel''s voice came from the doorway. "This wheelchair is too..." He trailed off when he saw Rnd in the room. Samuel''s expression turned cold as he shoved the wheelchair to a side, strode up to Rnd and grabbed him by the cor. "How dare youe here! Haven''t you hurt Alvera enough?" ... Rnd''s eyes were cold. "Let go." Alvera, also startled by his actions, shouted, "Samuel, let him go!" Samuel ignored them. "Rnd Francois, I know you''re very influential here in Calgary, and you can get me in trouble easily, but I have to warn you, Alvera has been through a lot. Stop making things hard for her, or you''ll regret it." Rnd pushed Samuel away and said coldly, "I won''t regret what I''ve done. Who do you think you are to warn me?" "Samuel!" Alvera yelled warningly as Samuel surged forward again. He turned and look at her. Alvera frowned and shook her head, pleading with him with her eyes. She did not want Samuel to get in trouble because of her. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Samuel took a deep breath and stopped in his tracks. "Bring the wheelchair over," Alvera said. Samuel turned around and brought the wheelchair to the side of the bed. "Where does hurt less? Let me help you." "You don''t have to do that," she said,ughing. "You can just watch me inch my way there." Rnd watched as sheughed. Herugh was rxed when she was around Samuel. Both Alvera and Samuel seemed to have forgotten about him, which irritated him. He couldn''t help wondering if Samuel was her first love she mentioned, since she was so worried about hiim. He felt anger welling up uncontrobly in him at that thought. He pushed Samuel away and picked Alvera up. His sudden movement aggravated her wounds. Alvera closed her eyes and gritted her teeth in pain. "Don''t touch her!" Samuel yelled. "It''s painful for her!" Rnd had already ced her in the wheelchair before he finished speaking. Alvera took a deep breath and smiled up at him, her brows wet with sweat. "Thank you, Mr. Francois. Samuel, let''s go." Samuel red at Rnd coldly and wheeled her out of the room. Rnd frowned. "Painful for her..." he recalled. Alvera never told him she was in pain. Outside the inspection room, Samuel was annoyed when he saw that Rnd did not follow them. "Why did you stop me just now?" He asked. "Your dad didn''t approve of our friendship in the first ce," she replied. "If your family had gotten in trouble with Rnd again because of me, he won''t let you see me again. I don''t want that to happen." "Anyway, what''s done is done, I''m already beaten up," she continued lightly. "There''s no point getting angry with Rnd. He''s dead set on pretending that he doesn''t know Andrina did this. You''re just setting yourself up and giving him power over you if you try and beat him up." Samuel looked at her and lowered his head. "You''ve really changed." "Everyone changes." Samuel crouched down by her wheelchair and looked up at her. "Alvera, what happens after you''ve gotten your revenge? Can you go back to how you were?" She lowered her eyes and said nothing. Samuel took her hand. "Don''t forget how you were before all these happened. You have toe back, okay?" She smiled and nodded, but she knew deep down in her heart that she could never be the same. After the check up, Samuel sent her back to the ward. Rnd had already left. Alvera told him to go home, but he refused to leave. Knowing that she couldn''t change her mind, Alvera didn''t insist. There was a separate bed for him in the room anyway. Just as she settled down to rest, Samuel''s phone rang. The call was from his father. Samuel picked up the phone. "Dad." They spoke over the phone for a while. When he finally hung up and turned to her, Alvera smiled at him. "Go home." Samuel sighed. "Yeah, I should. If I don''t, my dad wille here and take me home. Are you sure you''ll be fine alone?" "Of course. There are so many nurses around." "I''ll keep my phone with me at all times. Call me if you need anything." She nodded. Samuel was still concerned, but he left. Alvera smiled, knowing that Samuel was the only person in the world who cared about her. She closed her eyes and fell asleep. She had had a long day, and she was really tired out. She had just drifted off to sleep when the door to the ward opened again. She had always slept lightly, waking up at the slightest noise, so she opened her eyes immediately at the sound. She was quite surprised to see Rnd standing at the door. They looked at each other for a while. Alvera shifted her nce. "Why did youe back?" He went to the sofa and sat down. "To keep youpany." She could not believe her ears. "What?" ... Rnd looked at her coldly. "Are you deaf?" "No, I mean..." She stuttered, "You''re here to keep mepany?" Rnd was not happy either. He wasn''t sure why he had decided toe back. He actually called the head of the Lambert family just so that he could see her. He red at Alvera, annoyed. "Don''t flirt with other men when I''m around. You''re still married to me, don''t be so shameless." Alvera said sullenly, "Do you have to be so mean? I didn''t flirt with Samuel, he''s my best friend." "Just your best friend? Not your ex-boyfriend?" "Of course not," Alvera said loudly, indignant. The words took too much of her effort and made her cough. Rnd raised his eyebrows and got up to pour her a ss of water, but Alvera ignored him. ... Rnd smirked. It was rare for her to show her displeasure in front of him. He left the ss of water on the bedside table and sat back down, crossing his legs. "Who did you lose your virginity to?" Alvera gritted her teeth in frustration. "Rnd Francois, why are you so curious about this? Are you in love with me?" Rnd''s expression turned cold immediately at her words. "Watch your words, woman. In love with you? Are you dreaming?" "Then why do you care so much about my past? It has nothing to do with you." "So ording to your logic," Rnd said coldly, "You must be in love with me as well since you''re so interested in my rtionship with Andrina." Alvera replied with a disdainful smile, "Mr Francois, you''re thinking too much. You''re thest person I would ever fall in love with." She turned her back towards him and tried to go back to sleep. Rnd looked at her back coldly. He was thest person she could ever fall in love with? "Fine," he thought. He didn''t care anyway. He snorted, took off his shoes, andy down on the sofa. Neither of them slept well that night. Alvera could not toss and turn in her bed because of her pain, but she barely slept at all. ... She heard the nurseing in to take her temperature several times during the night. At daybreak, when the nurse came in again, she gave up trying to sleep and got up. Rnd woke up from the sofa as well with a disgruntled expression. It was clear that he also did not sleep wellst night. He turned to Alvera, who pursed her lips and greeted him, "Good morning." Rnd ignored her. He took out his phone and called Terry. "Terry, hire a private nurse to take care of Alvera." After hanging up, he stood up and said, "I''ve gotten someone to look into what happenedst night. I''ll get to the bottom of this." "Get to the bottom of this? You can''t," sheughed. "I don''t think you should bother with the investigation, you''ll just be disappointed." "So you know who did this to you?" Alvera pursed her lips. "No." "You..." He knew she was just trying to annoy her. He didn''t want to argue with her anymore, so he turned around and left. Alvera stared at the door coldly. So what if he found out that it was the Earhart family who did this? Would he send someone to beat up Andrina? Obviously not. She would still be the one who had topromise in the end anyway. There was no need for him to waste his efforts. After breakfast, shey in bed and drummed her fingers on the bed railings. After a while, she sat upzily and called Andrina. When the call got through, she said sweetly, "My dear sister." "You b*tch," Andrina said from the other end of the phone, "You have no right to call me your sister!" "Would you say that in front of Rnd?" "Why would I say that in front of him? Rnd will never know that you''re just a lowly b*tch to me." Alvera was not provoked. "I don''t really care how you see me, because you''re worse than an animal to me. I also don''t care whether he knows it or not, like I said, I don''t care about your precious boyfriend." Andrina snorted coldly. "You''re so stubborn." "Whatever. Now, since the Earhart family gave me such a big presentst night, it''s only right that I return the favour. Check your email for your surprise gift!" At that, she hung up the phone and sent a photo to Andrina. Chapter 34: Roland Francois, What Are You Trying To Do Chapter 34: Rnd Francois, What Are You Trying To Do Andrina opened her email. Her pupils contracted when she saw the attached photo. ... It was a picture of Rnd''s and Alvera''s marriage certificate. She shook her head, unable to believe what she saw, but a closer look told her that the certificate was real. ... Andrina covered her ears and screamed. A nurse heard her from outside and opened the door anxiously. "Are you okay, Ms Earhart?" Andrina picked up her phone and threw it at the nurse. "Get out, get out!" The nurse jumped and left quickly. Andrina was hysterical. She could not believe that Rnd would marry Alvera. To her, it was impossible. She got out of bed, staggered over to her phone which was on the ground, and called Luna. "Mom, mom, what should we do? Rnd and Alvera are married. They are married," she cried. "What?" Luna was also shocked. "Are you sure?" "Of course I''m sure, I saw the marriage certificate! Mom, why did Rnd do this to me? I''ve been waiting for him for four years, and he married someone else. Mom, why are they doing this to me? It''s not fair!" Luna gritted her teeth. "Don''t cry. What''s the use of crying? What''s done is done, we need to think of a way to get through this. Alvera Earhart, that little b*tch... I''ll make her pay for this." "But they''re already married." "Silly girl, don''t worry. So what if they''re married? They can get divorced. You still have a chance as long as Rnd is still with you. It''s a good sign that he didn''t tell you about the marriage, that means he still has feelings towards you." Andrina clenched her fists. "Then what should I do now?" "Just wait and see. Remember, men don''t like woman who harass them too much." "But..." "Just listen to me." Andrina stopped talking. "I''ll be arriving at the hospital soon," Luna told her. "Get a grip on yourself. That b*tch is trying to provoke you by sending you that marriage certificate. Just wait for me, we''ll figure something out together. All you have to do now is get better so you can marry into the Francois family. We''ll get them to divorce, don''t worry." Andrina breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay." At noon, Alvera was just about to have her lunch when someone knocked on the door. "Come in," Alvera replied. Owen came in with a bouquet of lilies. "How are you feeling today, Ms. Alvera?" He asked, with a gentle smile on his face. "Mr. Perez, what are you doing here?" Owen pursed his lips and handed over the fresh flowers. "I had some free time, so I came here to visit you." Alvera could not help herself and smiled. "These flowers are so pretty!" She took the bouquet and sniffed the flowers. "And they smell good, too." "Well, I think you''re prettier than them." She was a little embarrassed. "Mr. Perez, are you always such a sweet talker?" "Is this sweet talking?" He was a little confused. "Don''t you know your own beauty?" Alvera touched her face without thinking, and was brought back to her senses by a jolt of pain. "I didn''t dare to check myself in the mirror today," she said. "I must look awful." "Awfully pretty, you mean." Alvera giggled. "You''re quite funny." "Well, we have to find humour where we can, or life would be too miserable." Alvera nodded. She agreed with him. "Mr. Perez, have you had your lunch?" "Not yet." "Do you want to eat with me?" He nced at her lunch on her table and smiled. "Never mind, I feel bad eating a patient''s food." Alvera pouted. "My housekeeper cooked quite a lot, I can''t finish it all anyway." "You should eat more," Owen smiled. "You''re too thin. You felt like a feather when I was carrying you yesterday." Alvera blushed. She didn''t know that he had carried her yesterday. ... "Mr Perez, you''re just trying to show off your strength, aren''t you?" she said. "Busted." Owen smiled. He checked his watch for the time and said, "Get some rest, Ms Alvera. I have to leave now for some personal matters." "Well, then... thank you for visiting me. I''ll treat you to dinner after I''m discharged." "That''s a deal." Alvera pursed her lips and nodded. "Bye, Mr Perez." After Owen left, Alvera looked down at the lilies in her arms and smiled. Getting flowers made her feel happy. Samuel visited her in the afternoon after her nap and stayed for two hours. When he heard that Owen hade to visit her earlier, he asked anxiously, "You haven''t forgotten what I told you yesterday, right?" "What?" "Stay away from Owen Perez! This man grew his business into a formidable corporation in just a few years after he arrived in Calgary. You won''t be a match for him if you try and get in a rtionship with him." "Why are you so worried? I''ve got nothing for him. He''s just visiting me out of kindness, so I can''t exactly throw him out, right? He did save mest night." Samuel was still worried. Owen was not someone who would involve himself in things that did not concern him. He was surprised enough that he would save Alvera, but now he was even visiting her... He had cause to worry about Alvera . It was already past eight o''clock at night when Rnd turned up at the hospital. Alvera was sitting by the table and studying. "Why are you here again?" She eximed with exaggerated surprise when she saw him. "To keep youpany," he said curtly, and sat down by her bed, putting down a basket of fruits on the side table. ... "Which would you prefer? Apples? Bananas?" Alvera looked at him, confused. "What is he trying to do?" she wondered silently. Since she did not say anything, he decided for himself. "Apple, then." Alvera watched as he peeled an apple with a small knife and handed it to her. She looked up at him curiously. "Rnd Francois, what are you trying to do? I''m not as smart as you think I am, so it might be easier if you just be straightforward." "I''m just here to apany you," Rnd replied coldly. "What else can I do? I can''t just leave you here alone." "Why not?" "I''m still your husband for now. If you want to be left alone, you can wait until after the divorce." He forced the apple into her hand. "Eat." Alvera could not understand why he wasn''t here to fight with her since she had told Andrina about their marriage earlier this morning, but she still ate the apple. ... ... ... Rnd frowned. "Why are you looking at me like that? Did I get something on my face?" Alvera shook her head, took a big bite out of the apple, and continued studying. Rnd stood up and stared at her as she worked out a maths problem. He was puzzled. "What''s the use of studying now?" "Nothing. Just passing time." "Are you that bored?" Alvera did not respond. "If you have nothing to do, how about I get you a job?" Alvera froze for a moment and looked at him. "A job?" "You can work as a clerk in mypany," he offered. Alveraughed. "At the Empire Group? As far as know, you need at least a postgraduate degree to work there. Are you really going to hire a high school dropout?" "Do you want the job or not?" Alvera looked at his face and pondered for a long time. "Rnd, what on earth are you trying to do?" "What do you think?" "I... I''m not a mind reader. How would I know?" Rnd grabbed her book and shook it. "Wouldn''t it be better if you get a job instead of wasting your time with this useless stuff? Don''t you want to work?" ... She nodded. "I do." "You can report to thepany once you''re recovered." Before she could say anything, Rnd continued, "I''m not going to give you special treatment. Keep your distance from me at work, okay?" Alvera sneered. "No worries, I''m not looking for trouble." Rnd raised his eyebrows sceptically. He turned around and noticed the vase of lilies by the bed. "Who came here today?" Alvera followed his gaze, slightly impressed by his observance. "Samuel," she replied. "Are you sure Samuel Lambert does not have any feelings for you?" Alvera looked at him coldly. "No, I''m not his type." C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. "Did he say that? Men often lie, you know." "I''m going to answer this question onest time," Alvera replied, imperturbably. "Samuel and I are just very best friends. We grew up together, so we''re as close as siblings. He took care of me when we were younger. He had a girlfriend that he loved, so I know very well that I''m not his type. Samuel''s not my type either." Rnd sneered. "Your type?" He crossed his legs together and ced his hands on his knees. "What''s your type?" he asked. "That''s a weird question." "Weird? We''re just chatting," he said. "The only things we can do when we''re alone in a room is chatting and doing exercise. Would you rather exercise with me?" He raised his eyebrows suggestively as he spoke. ... Alvera pulled the nket over herself. "I''m a patient, how dare you have that kind of dirty thoughts." "What kind of thoughts? Push-ups are exercises too. Are you sure you''re not the dirty one?" Alvera blushed. She knew that was not what he meant. Rnd was pleased to see the change in her expression for once. "Make your choice. Chat with me, or do some exercise." Alvera clenched her teeth in frustration. "We can chat." "Okay, then you can answer my question now." Alvera thought for a moment. "I like gentle men with broad shoulders who can protect me. He doesn''t have to be handsome or rich, as long as he doesn''t hurt me." Hurt her... Rnd thought of her four-year imprisonment. Chapter 35: Dont Touch Me, Roland Francois Chapter 35: Don''t Touch Me, Rnd Francois She looked at him with pain in her eyes. Rnd frowned and looked away. Alvera smiled. "Since we''re chatting, can I ask you a question?" "Go ahead." "When did you start going out with Andrina?" "What do you mean?" "Your rtionship." He thought for a moment. "Four years ago." Four years ago... she hated that year. "Why were you attracted to her?" "She has a great body." He raised his eyebrows, not at all shy about the topic. "Alright," Alvera said disdainfully. "All men are the same. You like a woman''s body, simple as that." "What do you know?" He nced at her coldly. "I started going out with her because of guilt." ... Guilt? Alvera sensed something unusual going on. "What do you mean by guilt?" she asked. Rnd continued to re at her coldly as he walked to the sofa and sat down. She shifted ufortably under his gaze. "You don''t have to tell me if you don''t want to." "I was drugged. Andrina lost her virginity to me." Alvera was shocked for a moment. So Rnd''s love for Andrina was all based upon guilt. She looked at him for a while, theny down. "What? The conversation''s over?" Alvera turned over and looked at him. "Is there anything else you want to talk about?" "When did you know you could save Andrina?" he asked. Alvera smiled. "I thought I answered thatst time." "Your weren''t honest then," he said. "I want your full honesty." Alvera''s expression was cold as she said sadly, "I''ve always known. My mother had always told me that I''m the backup organ supplier for Andrina. Anything she needs, blood, liver, even my life, I have to give unconditionally." "Is it true that you were raised by the Earhart family when you were young?" Alvera nodded. "Yes, it''s true." "Then why did you push Andrina off the stairs four years ago?" he asked. "You grew up with her. What made you do that?" Alvera''s heart sank. She was quiet for some time before looking at him with a smile. "It''s been so long, I can''t remember that. Mr Francois, it''s time for bed, I''m tired." Rnd studied the sadness in her expression, suddenly feeling sad for her himself. He watched as she closed her eyes and turned her back to him. He did not insist on her answer. At least she had been much more honest tonight than she had ever been with him. Rnd stayed with her every night for the six days she was hospitalized. For a fleeting moment, Alvera actually had the impression that he was not as bad as she had thought. Unfortunately, he was, and he proved it to her all too soon. ... Rnd did not turn up when she left the hospital, because Andrina was also discharged on the same day. He had gone to pick up Andrina. Samuel helped her with the paperwork and sent her home. As Alvera walked towards the door, she noticed that someone had put up several CCTVs around the house. The path leading from the entrance of her house to the beach was also lined with streemps that weren''t there before. She was surprised. Who would do this? ... In the house, Becky had prepared a lot of nutritious food for her. Alvera said with a smile, "Becky, do you know who set up the CCTVs outside?" "The people who installed them said Terry arranged it," Becky said. "They came the day before yesterday." If it''s Terry, then he must have done it under Rnd''s orders. Becky had a son who was in his final year in high school, so Alvera let Becky leave in the evening so that she could go home and care for him. ... After Becky left, the vi felt empty and lonely. Alvera finished her shower and went to her room alone. Shey on the bed, turned on herptop, put on her earphones and started watching a foreign movie. Outside, Rnd rang the doorbell. He could see light in the upstairs window, but no one answered the door. He opened the door with his key and went upstairs. He pushed open the bedroom door gently and saw Alveraughing delightfully on the bed. Rnd crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway, watching her. After finishing the movie, she turned off herptop. As she got out of bed to put it on the table, she suddenly saw the figure standing in the doorway. Shocked, she screamed and backed away as theptop fell out of her grip andnded on the ground. When she finally realized that it was Rnd, she asked despondently, "Why are you standing there? You scared me." ... She bent over, picked up theptop, and turned it on to check on it. Thankfully, it was not broken. Rnd walked in with both hands in his pockets. "You were wearing your earphones. You wouldn''t have heard me even if I knocked." Alvera cast a nce at him. "Why are you here?" Rnd looked at her with annoyance. "Why do you ask me that every time I''m here? This is my house too, you know. I cane and go as I please." "This is my house," she said firmly. "Don''t get that wrong, Mr. Francois. "You''re my wife, so this house is mine too," he replied, walking towards the bathroom. Alvera followed him. "Rnd, can you follow the terms of the contract? This is not a real marriage..." While she was talking, he had already taken off his clothes. He nced back at her. "I''m going to take a bath. Are youing with me, or would you rather stay out here?" She gritted her teeth in frustration. "Is there no water in your own house?" He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her into the bathroom. "Since you like to chat with me, we can take this bath together while talking." She pulled away from his grip hastily and red at him. "I''ve already showered." She walked out of the bathroom and mmed the door loudly. Rnd smirked. She had a bad temper. Alvera red at the bathroom door, angry and confused. She thought he would be with Andrina today since she was discharged from the hospital this morning. It was hard toprehend what he was thinking. She packed her things and went straight to the next room. Just as she was about to sleep, the door was pushed open from the outside again. She should have locked the door. Alvera sat up and looked at Rnd. "What else do you need, Mr. Francois?" "What do you think?" He strode over to the bed and sat down. Alvera frowned. "Are you going to sleep here tonight?" "Of course, we''re married." "It''s a fake marriage." "The title is there, Alvera, and we''ve also done the deed. It doesn''t matter whether it''s fake or not now." He pulled her pillow behind him and said, "Go to sleep." Alvera frowned and sighed. "Rnd, what the h*ll are you doing?" "What did I do?" He raised his eyebrows, his expression rxed and pleasant. Alvera shifted away from him, her expression serious. "Why do you keep provoking me? You told me yourself you would never fall in love with me, and I would never love you either. What''s the point of keeping up the act like this?" ... "Keeping up the act?" Rnd nodded, "You''re not wrong. I''ve told you many times before, you were the one who started this. I''ve also told you not to regret it. Do you really think you still have the upper hand in this game?" Alvera bit her lips and looked at him. "It''s not only the fake marriage. We''re also enemies. Do you really not know that, or are you just pretending? I hate the Earhart family. I''m doing all this to get back at them." "I don''t care about your grudge with the Earhart family. You started it, you don''t get to back out now. I''m punishing you. Or rather, I''m punishing you on behalf of Andrina." Alvera took a deep breath, trying to control her anger. "Forget it," she thought. There was no point arguing with him about menial stuff like this. Sheid back down, pulled the nket over herself, and turned her back to him. Rnd smirked. "You''re probably wondering why I''m doing this for Andrina." Alvera frowned but said nothing. "Andrina asked me why I married you this morning." Alvera froze for a moment. That''s what he meant by punishment. She closed her eyes and did not respond. "Alvera, do you know what is your biggest weakness?" Alvera said nothing. Rnd said, "You''re not honest enough. Because of this, you''re losing out on a lot of opportunities." A flicker of anger rose in him when Alvera continued to ignore him. "Are you not going to tell me why you told Andrina about this?" "No specific reason why. I just don''t like her," she answered. Rnd sneered. She was not taking him seriously. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. He leaned to one side, pulled her body over to face him, and hoisted himself over her. "I''ll give you onest chance. Why did you tell Andrina?" "Like I said, I just don''t like her. I want her to feel pain. I want her to die." "You wicked woman." He gritted his teeth. He hated to see her so emotionless. Alvera smiled. "You''ve known me for some time already. If I''m not wicked, why would I push her down the stairs four years ago?" "Shut up." Alvera had no ns toply with him. "It''s unfortunate that I didn''t kill her that time," she continued. "I told you to shut up." "If she dies, then everything in the Earhart family would be mine. Thomas Earhart told you I''m ungrateful, right? He''s not wrong, I have my eye on the Earhart fortune. I can''t wait for the day they go bankrupt and end up on the streets." His eyes hardened as he bent down to bite her lips. Alvera began to struggle, but his grip was too strong. .. She turned her face away and avoided his kiss. It didn''t stop him. "Don''t touch me, Rnd Francois!" "Don''t touch you? Do you think just one night is worth 20 million dors? Alvera Earhart, you think too highly of yourself. I paid for your body. If I want you, you do not have the right to refuse." Chapter 36: Where Did These Scars Come From? Chapter 36: Where Did These Scars Come From? "Rnd Francois, are you insane, get off me!" Alvera struggled wildly, but he was too strong for her. "You''ll regret this," she said, her eyes full of hopelessness as she watched him tear at her clothes. ... "I never regret the things I do." "I hate you, Rnd Francois. I will never forgive you and the Earhart family." Rnd pulled off her clothes, but she pulled the nket over herself quickly. ... As he reached out to pull the nket away, she screamed, "Turn off the light!" He sneered and pulled the nket off of her. When he saw her body, Rnd frowned and stopped. ... Her pale skin contrasted sharply against every scar and bruise on her body. Amongst the old scars, there was a new, barely healed scar across the right side of her abdomen. He knew that was from the liver transnt. Alvera squeezed her eyes shut as he observed her body. Both of them remained silent for a while. Rnd frowned. He felt his heart tremble as he looked at the scars all over her body. What had happened to her? His finger gently caressed her scars. She opened her eyes and yelled, "Don''t touch me!" His hand paused in mid-air. "I told you to turn off the light the first time you touched me," she said hoarsely, her eyes full of hatred. "I told you, I''m dirty. If you''re disgusted, this is your own fault." "Where did these scarse from?" She sneered. "What does it have to do with you?" "Alvera." He didn''t like her attitude. She raised her eyebrows. "You really want to know? Fine, I''ll tell you. Every single scar is caused by you." "Me?" She gritted her teeth. "Did you think you sent me to prison to enjoy my life?" His heart ached a little. "You were tortured in prison?" She smiled. "Guess." "I didn''t know what happened to you in prison." "Of course you don''t. If you don''t know, then it''s got nothing to do with you, does it? Doesn''t change the fact that I hate you, though." She pulled the nket over her body and covered herself. "Do you want to continue, or can you f*ck off now?" He lowered his eyes to look at her. She was like a cactus, full of thorns and ready to prick anyone who came near to her. He had always thought that this was a sign of her bad character. He did not expect this. Every scar on her body showed every near-fatal injury she had ever had. "You can''t hide your disgust anymore, so get off me now," she said. Rnd came back to his senses and looked at her, still not moving. She was about to sit up when he suddenly kissed her gently. ... After the kiss, theyy in bed together without saying anything. After a while, she got up slowly. The buttons of her pyjamas had been torn off in the scuffle, so she held her shirt together at the cor. Rnd grabbed her wrist as she got out of bed. "Where are you going?" he asked seductively. She ignored him, pulled her wrist away from him and left the room. Upon returning to her room, she found herself a fresh new set of pyjamas and put them on. Then, she grabbed a handful of candy from a jar on the shelf and began eating them. Rnd came out to look for her when she did not return after some time. When he cracked open her door, he saw her sitting by the windowsill with several candy wrappers littered around her feet. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. He felt his heart sink in some indescribable emotion. Alvera''s gaze was fixed on the distant sea that was illuminated by the new streemps. She was regretful. She really regretted everything she had done. She had been too anxious for revenge when she first got out of prison. She should not have struck a deal with this Satan. When Alvera woke up in the next morning and went downstairs, Rnd was still there. He was having breakfast at the table. Becky smiled at her when she saw her. "Come and have breakfast, Ms Alvera. Mr. Francois just came down too." Alvera nced at Rnd, sat down, and thanked Becky with a smile. Becky set down her breakfast for her and went back to the kitchen. Alvera did not look at Rnd. Rnd drank some of his milk and put the ss back on the table. "Are you free today?" Alvera did not reply. "Are you going to stop talking to me forever?" Alvera was still silent. "I guess you''re trying to burn this bridge, then, now that you have enough money for the orphanage." She paused midway in her meal and looked at him. "How did you know..." "Now you''re talking." She threw the piece of bread back on the te, suddenly realizing something. "You investigated me." ... "I just found out where you spent all your money. Your best friend isn''t good at keeping secrets." Alvera red at him fiercely. Rnd smirked. "You don''t have to be so hostile towards me. You should count your lucky stars that I found out where the money went. If you had used it somewhere else, I would not have given you another 20 million." Alvera stood up angrily and turned to leave. Rnd said coldly, "Sit down." Alvera ignored him continued to walk out. "You know I can make your orphanage disappear as easily as I can fund it, right? It''s not a big deal to me." "You..." Alvera red at him. "Sit down and have your breakfast." Alvera took a deep breath, sat back in her seat and looked at him. "Rnd Francois, do not meddle in my project, or I''ll take you down with me even if I die," she warned. "Building an orphanage is a good deed. Why are you hiding it?" he asked. Alvera''s expression was calm. "Do I have to announce my good deeds?" "You must have your reasons." Alvera picked up the bread again and put it into her mouth. "I don''t want people to know that the orphanage was built and funded by a criminal so that the kids in the orphanage won''t be criticized because of me. I want them to grow up happily. Is this a good enough reason?" He was shocked by what she said. Alvera smiled bitterly. "Rnd, does it feel good forcing me to share my secrets?" "I was just curious because you had so many secrets. Like I saidst night, you''re not honest enough, that''s why you lost out on a lot of opportunities. You could have just told me you needed the money to build an orphanage without having to n so many things." Alvera bit her lip. He spoke as if he would support whatever she did. "Do you have any other arrangements today? Or do you have anything you need to do?" She looked at him and asked, "What do you want?" "Remember, I found you a job in mypany." Alvera was surprised. "Can I start so soon?" she asked. "It''s just a small position as a clerk, it doesn''t take long to arrange." "I''m free today." "Then you can go to work with meter." Alvera nodded. After breakfast, she went upstairs to change her clothes. When she came down from the upstairs, the doorbell rang suddenly. Becky took a look at the doorbell camera and told Alvera, "Miss, it''s that man again." Alvera felt a twinge of nervousness, knowing that it was Antoine outside. "Tell him I''m not in, Becky. Make him leave," she said hurriedly. "I''ve told him several times already, but he stilles here everyday." "Tell him again." "Okay." Becky opened the door and went out. In the living room, Rnd raised his eyebrows and squinted at her. "A man? Your admirer?" Alvera''s expression was uneasy as she answered, "Maybe. Can we wait a while before leaving?" Rnd didn''t object. Becky did not take long. She came back and smiled. "This young man is really persistent, but I managed to persuade him to leave." Alvera smiled. "Thank you, Becky. Mr. Francois, we can leave now." She headed towards the door. Rnd was silent, but his expression showed his displeasure as he followed her to the door. This woman was really attractive. She had only been out of prison for a few days, and she had already managed to get herself an admirer. He was not happy about this. Alvera stepped out of the door before him. Just as she stepped out, a hand grabbed her from the side and pushed her against the wall. "Alvera, why are you avoiding me?" Chapter 37: Was He Your First Man? Chapter 37: Was He Your First Man? Alvera stared at Antoine, who was holding her in front of him, her pupils contracted in shock. "Why are you still here?" she asked. "You were at home the whole time. Why did you lie to me? The Alvera I knew would never lie to me." Alvera chuckled. The old her had been long dead. She arched an eyebrow and looked him over. Fine then, there''s nothing she could do if he wasn''t going to leave. At that moment, Rnd pushed open the door and saw Antoine. As their eyes met, Antoine let go of Alvera and took a step back nervously. "Rnd..." Rnd''s expression was chilly as he swept his gaze between the two of them. It took Antoine a little while to notice that something was not right. "Rnd, why did youe out from Alvera''s house?" "Alvera?" Antoine raised his eyebrows and asked Alvera coldly, "What''s your rtionship with him?" Alvera smiled. "Is this question really necessary? You should be smart enough to figure that out, Mr. Francois." Antoine stepped forwards and grabbed Alvera''s wrist. "Rnd, Alvera is my girlfriend. I mentionedst time, I came back to bring her with me." Rnd sneered as he looked at his hand around her wrist. "Let go." Antoine did not move. Rnd''s eyes were cold as he said. "Antoine, Do you have a death wish?" Antoine had no choice but to let go of Alvera under his brother''s chilly gaze. "Rnd, please, let us go. I love her. I don''t think I can live without her." Rnd crossed his arms and smirked. "Then where were you four years ago?" "Four years ago... I was wrong, Alvera, I made the wrong choice four years ago. Can you give me another chance? I will never leave you again, I swear!" "You will," Rnd said with certainty. "I won''t!" Antoine said, raising his voice. "Never!" "Really? I''d like to put your determination to the test," Rnd replied with a disdainful smile. He nced at Alvera. "I''ll give you three minutes to deal with this." He left the doorstep and walked towards the car. After Rnd left, Alvera looked at Antoine and said, "I have made myself very clear. Why are you still here?" "Did my brother stay over herest night? Why are you with him? Alvera, are you..." Alvera smiled. "Yes, I''m with him now." "You..." Antoine looked at her in disbelief. "Alvera, have you gone crazy?" "Why do you say that? Your brother is every woman''s dream husband. I was just the only one who managed to get him." He grabbed her shoulders with both hands. "Don''t say that, Alvera. I know you. You''re not like this. Tell me what happened. Did he force you into this? Alvera, I know I''m not a match for him now, but we can leave anytime you want." "Leave?" Alvera asked incredulously. "Why would I leave a rich, eligible bachelor like Rnd to be with an ipetent man like you? I''m not dumb." "Stop it, don''t talk like that." Antoine pulled her into his arms and hugged her. "Alvera, you don''t know how hard it''s been for me all these years. Please don''t hurt me like this." How hard it had been for him? She really had no idea, but she knew how hard it had been for herself. ... They were both selfish people who could only see about themselves. "Antoine, your brother is watching us from the car," Alvera reminded him. "You know you''re not a match for him, so you''d better let go of me now." Antoine''s body stiffened. "He was the one who took you away from me." "You''re wrong." She pushed him away forcefully and took a step back, keeping a distance from him. "I was the one who seduced him." ... "You... why did you do that? Did you forget how he put you in prison four years ago?" "I seduced him exactly because of that," she said. "He should be taking responsibility for that. Moreover, he''s quite manly, you know..." "p!" Antoine pped her in the face. The sound of the p was so loud it left her eardrums buzzing. She was stunned for a moment before bursting intoughter. When she looked up at him again, her gaze was cold and indifferent. Realizing what he had done, Antoine clenched his fists, his expression full of regret. "I''m... I''m sorry, Alvera, I must have lost my mind. I just don''t want you to say such hurtful things. You''re better than this." "Antoine, for thest time," Alvera said calmly, "I''ve changed. Leave me alone, and don''te here again." After that, she turned around to leave and got into the car. Behind her, Antoine slumped to the ground dejectedly, looking at his palm with regret. As he watched he car leave the house, he raised his hand and pped himself hard. ... He shouldn''t have taken out his anger on Alvera, and he hated the fact that he couldn''t do anything to save her. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. As the car sped down Ocean Road, it was so quiet they could hear each other breathing. Alvera opened her bag, took out a piece of candy and stuffed it into her mouth. She crossed her arms and stared out of the windows, trying to calm herself down. Rnd pretended to study some documents as he waited for Alvera to say something. Finally, he closed the file and said to the driver, "Stop at a pharmacy on the way." "Yes, sir." Ten minutester, the driver stopped in front of a pharmacy. "Go and get some ointment for her." "Yes, sir." As soon as the driver left, Rnd turned to look at Alvera. "Was he your first man?" he asked. Alvera''s heart sank as he red at him angrily. "What? Are you angry because I''m right?" "Why is it so important to you? You don''t have to touch me if you''re so disgusted." "You ..." Rnd had just realized that the ex-boyfriend Alvera had mentioned was Antoine. Alvera like Mexican food, and he recalled that time when Antoine hired a Mexican chef. If Antoine had not left the country because of his mother four years ago, they would still be together today. The thought annoyed Rnd. "You''re my wife now, so keep away from Antoine Francois," he warned her. "You will bear the consequences if you continue on with him." Alvera smiled. "Then you need to talk to your brother, Mr. Francois. I can only guarantee that I won''t get back with him." "You guys were hugging each other at the door just now, don''t do that again." Alvera raised her eyebrows. "This is not something I can control. I think you know very well that a woman''s strength is no match for a man''s." "So, if he wants to sleep with you, you won''t refuse?" She gritted her teeth and smirked. "I will... try my best to resist him." "Try your best?" Rnd looked at her coldly. This woman was infuriating. The driver came back, but as he opened the door and tried to get in, Rnd snapped at him coldly, "Leave the car. You can get a taxi back." It took the driver a couple of stunned seconds to realize he was talking to him. He promptly handed over the ointment Rnd had asked him to buy and left, closing the door behind him. Alvera looked at him, trying to figure out what he was trying to do. He turned to her angrily. "Try your best to resist?" As he spoke, he leaned forward slightly. "You... What are you doing?" "Show me how you would try your best to resist, then. Are you really resisting, or will you just struggle half-heartedly?" "Here? Are out of your mind? We''re on a public road!" Alvera pressed herself into the car seat, trying to back away from him, but Rnd pinned her down. "Alvera, the windows are tinted. No one can see what''s going on from the outside." He was already kissing her as he said that. She tilted her head to one side, "Rnd Francois, you''re insane!" "Go on, try your best to resist me." Alvera gritted her teeth as she thought of the crowded road full of pedestrians. A luxury car shaking wildly in the middle of the road... that would be a strange sight so early in the morning. "Fine, Rnd, I surrender, I''ll resist with everything I''ve got," she yelled. "I will resist Antoine if he tries anything with me!" ... ... "Just everything you''ve got?" "I won''t let him touch me. Absolutely not, okay?" Rnd stopped and asked, "Was he your first man?" Alvera clenched her fist and looked at him. "Speak." "No, he''s not." "Have you been with a lot of men?" Rnd felt that there must be something wrong with his hormones, because every time he thought about other men touching her, he was furious. All he could think about was, "This woman is mine. Nobody else can touch her." Alvera stared at him. She was still pinned under him, unable to move. She knew that he wouldn''t let go of her until she answered his question, because she could already feel his reaction. ... She hesitated for a moment before answering, "Antoine never touched me. You are the second person to do it with me." "Then who was he first?" "He''s dead." Her eyes were hard with determination. "He died a cruel and tragic death." That was what she imagined for that man, and it was the only way she could vent her anger about him. ... "Now, can you let me go, Mr. Francois?" Rnd smiled and let her go. "Alvera, here''s a piece of advice for you." Alvera looked at him, not knowing what he was going to say. "Hide your weaknesses. Don''t let anyone take advantage of them, or you will be vulnerable." She frowned and looked at him in confusion. Rnd opened the tube of ointment that the driver had bought and nced quickly at the instructions before squeezing out some cream onto his hand and turning around to apply it on her face. ... Alvera backed off warily. "I can do it myself." Rnd put a hand on the back of her head and pulled her closer to him. "Don''t move. Let me do it." She couldn''t believe that he was actually helping her with the ointment himself. Alvera averted her gaze. They were so close to each other they could almost smell each other''s breaths. "Remember, don''t let anyone raise their hand against you. Only the weak will let people hit them passively." Chapter 38: Its A Small World For Enemies Chapter 38: It''s A Small World For Enemies Alvera smiled indifferently. "Really? I don''t think I''m losing out, though. Mental torment is much worse than physical torment." "Some people have no conscience. Also, physical torment is much worse." Her expression stayed indifferent. "When you get used to the pain, it''s easy to ignore it." Rnd looked at her with a sense of irritation. He knew what she meant by getting used to the pain. He had not forgotten the scars he had seen on herst night. He quickly applied the ointment on her face and averted his gaze, his brows furrowed. "You drive," he told her. Alvera was not happy that he had just sent his driver away and expected her to drive him around. She opened the door, got off the car and switched to the driver''s seat. Then she drove the car to the When they arrived at thepany''s parking lot, Terry was already waiting in Rnd''s designated parking space. Rnd got out of the car, nced at him and said, "Call the Human Resources Department and get Alvera a position in the Administrative Department." Terry nodded and said, "Yes." "Oh, by the way, there''s no need to exin her rtionship with me. I don''t need her using social connections to climb thedder here." "All right." After saying that, Rnd nced at Alvera and walked towards the elevator. Terry turned back and said to Alvera, "Give it a couple of minutes, then you can go ahead and meet the Head of the Human Resources Department." Alvera smiled at Terry and nodded, "Thank you." After they left, Alvera counted about five minutes on her watch before taking the elevator up. She was given a position in the Administrative Department and was assigned a mentor by her manager. She spent the entire morning familiarizing herself with thepany''s operations. As soon as Rnd stepped into his office, he told Terry, "Go and find and find an excuse to check on Alverater." "Yes, sir." "How''s the investigation going?" "There were no surveince cameras at the beach that night, and we did not find anything suspicious in the avable surveince footage of the surrounding areas. The investigation has hit a dead end." "Then check every car that has been to the area and find the culprits." "Yes, I''ll handle it as soon as possible." "Right." He hesitated for a moment and said, "Send someone to ask around at the prison to find out if Alvera had been abused." The three things he had talked about so far had all been about Alvera. Terry was puzzled. He wondered why his boss had left Alvera in the parking lot just now if he was so concerned about her. "Okay, that''s all from me. You can leave now," Rnd instructed. "Yes, sir." At noon, the manager called Alvera into her office for an evaluation. Alvera was able to answer all her questions about thepany perfectly. Chloe nodded and said, "That''s good enough. You can follow Patrick when he''s out purchasing in the afternoon. Learn as much as you can. We don''t feed rats that cut corners in this department." All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. "Got it, Manager Scott." Alvera found Patrick, her mentor, still waiting for her when she came out of the manager''s office. "Let''s have lunch together, newbie." Alvera grabbed her bag and followed him. "I should treat you to lunch to thank you for guiding me." Patrick looked at her and smiled. "You''re a nice girl, but no thanks. You just started here, and you haven''t even gotten your first sry. I''d feel bad if you paid for my lunch. You can treat me after you''re paid." Alvera pressed her lips together. At 29, Patrick was around her age, so she found it easy to get along with him. They had a simple lunch of pasta and coffee. "Alvera, you just graduated, right?" Alvera paused for a while then smiled without saying anything. "I see you''re still quite young, so let me just give you some advice," he said. "Don''t talk too much in the office. The Admin Department is mostly made up of women, so there''s a lot of gossiping going on. It''s better if you don''t involve yourself in these gossips unless you want to get yourself in trouble." Alvera nodded. This was a very good advice. "Thank you for the advice, Patrick." "Eat up." She smiled at him before lowering her head to finish her meal. In the CEO office, Rnd''s expression was stoic and chilly. Terry stood before him nervously. "Boss, maybe you should eat first." ... There were two packed lunches on the coffee table. Just now, Terry saw Alvera leave for lunch with a male co-worker when he went down to bring her up for lunch. ... When he reported this to his boss, Rnd''s expression was as dark as thunder and he did not move from his chair. "Take the food away." Terry exhaled and said, "Yes." After lunch, Alvera returned to the office with Patrick. They were both waiting for the elevator toe up from the parking lot in the basement. When the elevator arrived and the doors opened, Patrick bowed respectfully to the person inside. "Ms. Earhart." Alvera frowned as she eyed Andrina, who was holding a lunchbox. "It''s a small world for enemies," she thought to herself. Andrina was also looking at Alvera, masking the shock from her face. Alvera followed Patrick into the elevator, which was silent for the entire ride. They exited at the ninth floor. As the elevator door closed behind them, Andrina clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. The fact that Alvera was working here was aplete surprise to her. "That was Ms. Earhart, our CEO''s future wife," Patrick told Alvera as they walked back to the office. "You should greet her if you see her in the future." Alvera pursed her lips and nodded with a smile. "Okay." Andrina entered Rnd''s office. Rnd looked up from his desk. "Why are you here?" She raised the lunchbox she was carrying and shook it lightly. "If you can''te visit me, then I''lle visit you." She walked over with a smile. "Have you eaten yet?" "I have. You should''ve called before you came." Andrina pouted. "I thought you haven''t eaten yet. That''s fine, you can watch me eat, but don''t steal my food!" Rnd gave her a half-hearted smile, but he did not move. Andrina opened the lunchbox and took a couple of bites before saying, "I met Alvera in the elevator just now." ... Rnd raised his eyebrows, "What did she say to you this time?" "She didn''t. She didn''t talk to me. I think she''s pretending that she doesn''t know me." "Yeah, I told her to do that. She''s obedient in that sense." "Rnd, is Alvera working here?" "Yes, I''ve assigned her to the Administrative Department." Rnd looked Andrina, as if he didn''t find anything wrong with that. Alvera felt a little disappointed. Rnd hadn''t discussed this with her. "Rnd, Alvera risked her life for me. You did the right thing giving her a job," she said. Rnd lighted a cigarette and crossed his ams while looking at her. "But... wouldn''t it be bad if people knew about this?" Andrina continued. "No one else knows that the two of you are married. Wouldn''t it be better to keep a low profile?" "She needs a job, I gave her a job. We''re strictly strangers here in thepany, there''s nothing to hide." "But..." "You''re thinking too much. I know what you''re worried about, Andrina, but I don''t like having to exin myself over and over again. It''s your choice whether you believe me or not, but I do not like people influencing my decision. You should know that." Andrina nodded. "I''m not trying to influence your decision. I was just saying that if Alvera needed a job, I could arrange something for her in our family business since she saved my life, not yours." "It would also be easier for her to work with us," she added. "She grew up in the Earhart family, so she should be able to learn quickly. I can also get her a better position." "So you think I shouldn''t help you repay her kindness, or are you just not happy with her position? I could promote her if you like. Garry from the secretary office is going on paternal leave soon, she could take his ce." Andrina frowned. "We shouldn''t take this lightly. Alvera won''t be able to take up the responsibilities of a secretary. I think it''s better to leave her where she is now." As soon as she left the Empire Group, Andrina pulled out her phone and called Luna to let her know about Alvera. Lunaughed. "Don''t worry, if Rnd arranged this, don''t go against him. I have a way to make Alvera quit on her own ord." At three o''clock in the afternoon, Alvera was market sourcing with Patrick at the wholesale market when her phone suddenly rang. ... Seeing that it was Rnd, she excused herself and went to a side to pick up the call. "Hello." "Where are you?" "At the wholesale market, learning about purchasing." "Come back now." Alvera was exasperated. "I am working, I can''t go back." "I own thepany, I make the decisions." "Rnd Francois, you were the one who told me to treat you as a stranger. Why would I drop everything and attend to a stranger? I''m sorry, but I''m really busy now." She hung up the phone without waiting for him to reply. ... It was quite cathartic, hanging up the phone on him. After all, there weren''t many opportunities like this. She returned to Patrick and resumed listening to him telling her about procuring stationery and other office products for thepany. A whileter, Patrick''s phone rang. He picked up the call. "Hello, Manager Scott." "The CEO office is missing a driver and needs someone from our department to take over. Send Alvera since she has a license." "Now?" he asked. "Yes, right now." "All right." After hanging up the phone, Patrick said to Alvera, "You have a new job now. The CEO office needs a driver, and the manager is asking for you to go." Alvera felt like that was a low blow for Rnd to misuse his power like this. She took a taxi and went back to the basement parking of thepany, where Rnd was already sitting in his car. ... Alvera opened the door and sat in the driver''s seat. She looked at him while putting on her seatbelt and asked, "Where do you need to go, dear Mr. Francois?" He looked at her and smirked with a smug expression. "Let''s go have dinner. I''m hungry." Chapter 39: Its Been A Long Time Since Someone Had Treated Her So Well Chapter 39: It''s Been A Long Time Since Someone Had Treated Her So Well Alvera was irritated by his words. She put her hand on the car horn and pressed hard on it, which made the car honk so loud that some other cars in the parking lot sounded their rms. ... ... Suddenly, the whole parking lot was full of harsh rm sounds. Rnd pulled her hand away and asked, "Are you out of your mind?" Alvera rolled her eyes and stepped on the elerator. He released her hand and red at her. "You''re not happy about driving me to dinner?" "You have so many drivers on standby at thepany, but you insisted that I take a taxi back here just to drive you to dinner. You expect me to be happy about that?" Alvera retorted loudly. ... "Your delicate little lover Andrina packed lunch for you earlier, and now you''re harassing me for dinner," she continued. "You two really are a match made in heaven." Rnd folded his arms in irritation. "Stop the car." He hadn''t even gotten angry at her for making him miss his lunch, but now she''s losing her temper at him? ... Alvera mmed on the breaks right in the middle of the road, causing the car behind them to honk loudly as they swerved to avoid them. ... Rnd gritted his teeth and said, "Stop at the side of the road, use yourmon sense." "You didn''t say so, Mr. Francoise. I just did exactly what you decreed. I''m just a lowly employee, how dare I disobey yourmands?" "I just said it, are you deaf?" Alvera raised her eyebrows, started the car again and pulled over at the side of the road. Rnd got out of the car and walked over to the driver''s side. He opened the door and said, "Get out." Alvera did as she was told without looking at him. She thought Rnd was going to leave her at the side of the road, but he did not drive off immediately after getting into the car. Instead, he said coldly, "What are you waiting for? Get in the car." ... Annoyed, Alvera pulled open the door to the back seat. She was just about to get in when Rnd said, "Do you expect me to be your driver?" Alvera red at him as if he was insane, then mmed the door and went around to the passenger side. ... After she fastened her seat belt, Rnd drove away. He drove to a high-end restaurant and got out of the car. Alvera followed him. He ordered as soon as he sat down, but he only ordered for himself. ... When his steak came up, Rnd began eating elegantly. He ate a lot alone. Alvera sat opposite him and stared at him for a while. "Didn''t you have enough to eat for lunch?" Annoyed that it had taken her so long to ask, he answered, "I didn''t have lunch?" "Andrina brought you lunch, right?" "Who told you that I would eat everything she brings?" His tone was not happy. "Who was the guy you had lunch with today?" ... Alvera was confused as to why he would ask that. "A colleague." "There are so many women in your office, but you chose to go out with a male colleague on your first day? What, you can''t live without men?" He mmed his fork on the table angrily as he spoke. The sound was very loud, but fortunately they were the only ones in the restaurant. Alvera clenched her fist and looked at him. Rnd Francois was the only person she had ever met who could humiliate people like this. "You''re right, I haven''t seen any men while I was in prison during thest four years. Now that I''m out, I''m taking every chance I have to spend time with men." "Alvera Earhart, do you have a death wish?" Rnd''s voice was dangerously cold. "I''m enjoying my life as it is, why would I have a death wish? You were the one who used me, I''m just going with the flow. If you''re not happy with my answer, there''s nothing I can do about that." "Who asked you to go with the flow? I want a proper exnation, not a sarcastic answer." Alvera smiled disdainfully. Sarcastic? Like he was any better. "Mr. Francois, you''re sticking your nose where it doesn''t belong," she said. "As per our contract, I don''t have to answer to you." "I decide the terms of the contract. I''ll add another use now: you cannot cheat on me in any way as long as the contractual marriage is still valid." Alvera gritted her teeth, "I just had lunch with a colleague, do you have to make such a big deal out of it? What''s the use of exining myself if you already think I''m a sl*t? Would you believe me if I told you that he was just my mentor? You wouldn''t because you only believe what you want to believe, so why would I waste my energy exining just for you to use me of maniption?" ... Rnd really did not like her defensive attacks, as if she wrapped herself up in thorns. He got up, nced at her coldly, and left the restaurant. Alvera took a deep breath, but it didn''t rx her. When she came out of the restaurant, Rnd''s car had already left. She frowned and clenched her fists. It was almost six o''clock when she got back to thepany via a taxi. Everyone was preparing to leave when she walked into the office. "Hey, look, it''s the newbie," she heard someone say scornfully. "Back only when it''s time to get off work." Alvera did not bother exining her absence. Patrick slung his bag around him and patted her on her shoulder, smiling. "Don''t take it to heart, it wasn''t something you could control. Go on home, I''ll see you tomorrow." ... She nodded and smiled. "See you tomorrow, Patrick." She was not in a hurry to go home, so she sat back down at her table and began looking through the notes she had umted throughout the day. It was almost seven o''clock when she finally left thepany. She went downstairs, went to the bus station, and took the bus home. When she arrived home, she found that the vi was dark. Becky had already left, and Rnd probably wouldn''te here tonight. ... She opened the door and turned on the light, revealing the same lonely and empty house. ... Without Rnd around, she had a good night''s sleep. Alvera did not see Rnd for a whole week. She was not surprised at all, because she heard that Andrina had been hospitalized again. On Friday afternoon, Becky called in to take a few days off because her son had been hospitalized for appendicitis. Alvera let her take a few more days off to recover. After work in the evening, she drove to the nearest supermarket to the vi to get some groceries, since she will have to fend for herself over the weekend. ... In the supermarket, she put on her earphones and headed over to the fruit and vegetable section. As she was looking thorough the selections, a hand patted her on the shoulder from behind. She turned around and pulled off her earphones in surprise. "Mr. Perez!" ... "I said your name several times just now but you didn''t answer," he told her. "I didn''t notice that you had earphones in." She smiled abashedly and said, "Sorry, I really didn''t hear you. What are you doing here, Mr. Perez?" "My housekeeper is on leave these few days." "What a coincidence, so is mine." Owen looked at her empty shopping cart. "I can see you just arrived." Alvera nodded. "Yeah, I''m not sure what to get." "It''s just a meal, is it really that hard of a decision?" She just smiled without saying anything. "Well, if you don''t mind, Ms Alvera, you can try my cooking tonight." Alvera looked at him hesitantly. "Alvera, I''m not going to do anything to you," he said. "No, I didn''t mean it like that, I just don''t want to disturb you." "That''s not a problem. I''ll take that as a yes." She smiled and nodded. "Okay." In the end, Alvera left the supermarket without buying anything and went home with Owen. Alvera looked around Owen''s house. "Looks like our houses have the sameyout." "They''re by the same developer, so I think they''re more or less the same." Alvera followed Owen as he carried the groceries into the kitchen. "I''ll help you." ... "Sure, we can get dinner going sooner if we work together." Alvera was a little awe-struck when Owen put on an apron. She had never seen anyone who could look so stunning in an apron. Owen turned around and handed her an apron. Seeing that she was staring at him, he smiled and said, "Is it very strange?" Alvera blushed. "No, it''s just... you''re different than what I imagined you should be." "What did you think I should be like?" "Hm... kind of like an aloof CEO who doesn''t do chores around the house. It''s quite different from the vibe you''re giving off right now." "I''m just an ordinary person. If I don''t do any chores around the house, I''d starve," heughed. They chatted while making dinner. For the first time in a long time, Alvera felt like she was interacting with other people in a normal way, and it wasforting. ... She was amazed by Owen''s cooking. "That''s some amazing cooking, Mr. Perez." ... "I lived alone when I was studying abroad, so naturally I had to pick up some cooking skills to survive. If you like it, you cane over again anytime." "I definitely will, Mr. Perez, as long as you can put up with me." C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. He smiled and said, "Of course. Do you cook?" "Me? I can cook pasta well. My mom taught me." "You still owe me a meal, right? How about you cook some pasta for me next time?" "Sure," she said. Owenughed. "I''m looking forward to it." Alvera smiled too. It was the first time in a long time since she couldugh and smile so much. Owen wanted to walk her back to her house, but he got a call for an emergency video conference just as she was about to leave. ... There was no way he could walk with her, but he still insisted that Alvera call him on her phone and keep the call going until she reached home, just in case. ... "You can hang up once you arrive home safely," he told her. Alvera nodded and smiled. It''s been a long time since someone had treated her so well. She put on her earphones again and walked home while listening to Owen talking in Spanish fluently during his meeting. She was debating with herself whether she should eavesdrop longer when Rnd''s voice suddenly came from the dark bushes in front of the door. "Why did youe back sote?" Chapter 40: This Won’t Change My Hatred for Him Chapter 40:This Won¡¯t Change My Hatred for Him Alvera hung up the phone and looked into the shadows at the door. "Mr. Francois, you''ll scare someone to death standing there in the middle of the night." "Where have you been? Why did youe back sote?" he demanded. Without thinking, she lied, "I took a walk after dinner." "You''re so dense. Aren''t you afraid of getting into danger again?" Alvera gave him a half-hearted smile and stepped up to the door to open it. "You didn''t bring your keys?" He did not respond as he followed her into the house. Alvera turned on the lights and bent down to take off her shoes. She could smell the alcohol on Rnd as he approached her while she was changing into her slippers. She backed away from him nonchntly. "You reek of alcohol." ... She dropped the keys on the table and poured a ss of water for him. Both of them did not talk about what happened a week before tacitly. Rnd took the ss and sat down on the sofa. "How''s work these few days? Are you getting familiar with it?" "It''s fine." Her smile was the same as always, distant and reserved. Rnd stared at her for a long time. Finally, he patted the seat beside her. "Come and sit here." "I''ve had a heavy dinner, so I''ll just stand." "I''m not going to eat you." "I''m too big for you to eat." "Were you so insufferable when you were with Antoine?" "When I was with Antoine?" she repeated to herself silently. She looked out of the window into the dark night. At that time, she was just seventeen or eighteen-year-old. She had hopes and dreams for her future. At that time, she could fill the sky withughter when she was sitting behind him on his bicycle. At that time... She frowned, then shook her head and smiled. "No, at that time, I was very cute." Rnd''s expression turned cold. "Never mind, I''m not interested in your sappy love life." "I wasn''t going to tell you even if you were interested." She yawned. "It''s gettingte. I''m going upstairs to take a bath. Remember to lock the door when you leaveter." "My driver has left. Are you asking me to drive while I''m drunk?" Alvera looked at him indifferently. "Then I''ll get a room ready for you. Would you prefer the first floor or the second floor, Mr. Francois?" "I''ll sleep where you sleep." Alvera gritted her teeth. "Rnd, don''t you feel tired? Is Andrina not enough for you?" "This is my own business. Aren''t you going to take a bath?" She red at him angrily, not moving. "Why, do you want to take a bath with me?" She turned around and went upstairs in frustration. She locked the door to the bathroom and was halfway through her shower when her phone rang. She nced at her phone and picked up when she saw that it was Owen. "Mr. Perez, are you done with your meeting?" ... "Yes, it was just a quick emergency meeting. I take it you''ve arrived home safely?" "Yees, I have." "Why do I hear water?" "Oh... I am taking a shower." Owenughed. "Looks like I called at the wrong time." "No, it''s fine, I''m almost done anyway." "Continue, then. This is my private number, so you can call me anytime you need me." "Okay, then... Mr. Perez, goodbye." "Good night." Hanging up the phone, she dried her hands and saved his number into her contacts. She wiped herself down with a towel, put on her pajamas, and went out. Rnd was already in the room. He was also drying his hair. Alvera nced at him but said nothing. She went straight to the vanity and began putting on some cream on her face. "Who called you just now?" Rnd asked. Alvera looked at him through the mirror. "A friend." "A man?" "Yeah." "You''re honest." "I''m not going to get pregnant from a phone call, why won''t I be honest?" She got up while patting her cheeks, sat on the bed, grabbed a book and began reading. "Do you really like reading?" Rnd also came to the bed and sat next to her. "Am I not allowed to like reading?" She looked at him expectantly, as if he was going to strip her of her right to read. "Why do you have to be so prickly when you talk to me?" "I don''t think I''m prickly, I''m just being careful." "Don''t be," he said, irritated. "I''m just asking a simple question." She turned her eyes back to the book and said, "My mother once said that reading is better than travelling, so she always buys me books to read. She thinks that reading books can change lives. I don''t like reading, I''m just used to reading." "Your mother takes your education very seriously." She tightened her grip on the book and said, "Mr Francois, I''m reading now. Please don''t distract me." "I''m going on a business trip aboard for a few days. You shoulde with me." "Abroad?" She was a little surprised. "I don''t have a passport." "Then get one." "I''ve been to prison, it''s not as easy for me to get a passport." He looked at her. "If I say you can, then you can." The corner of her mouth twitched slightly. "Aren''t you powerful, Mr. Francois." He frowned. There was the tone again. He turned off the bedsidemp on his side irritably, andy down, closing his eyes. He could hear Alvera flipping the pages of her book from time to time, but he didn''t find it annoying. Alvera waited until she could feel that he was asleep before putting down the book andying down herself. Alvera as soon as shey down, his hands wrapped around her waist, and forcibly pulled her closer to him. Her body stiffened with nervousness. "I thought you were asleep." "You make too much noise flipping the pages." "Then why didn''t you stop me?" "Reading is a good habit," he said in a low voice. "Turn off the lights." Alvera leaned forward and turned off the bedsidemp. She wanted to break free from his arms, he stopped her in a low tone, "You can either sleep in my arms, or we can sleep in separate beds after sex. Your choice." ... Alvera frowned, but she knew that he waspletely serious, so she remained silent and let him hold her tightly in his arms. ... "Antoine told me yesterday that he wanted to work in thepany too," he said, "What do you think?" Alvera frowned. "Why are you asking me?" "Because I''m curious about your reaction." Alvera was silent for a moment. "You seem to hate him." "I do hate him." "He''s your own brother. Even if you have different mothers, you''re still rted by blood." "So what? This won''t change my hatred for him." She clenched her fists and thought about Andrina, who also hated her to the point of murder. She had fallen for Antoine in the past because they had shared the same fate. Sheughed at herself and said, "Mr. Francois, you don''t have to ask me. Whether or not Antoine will work in thepany has nothing to do with me. I just want to do my own job. I don''t want anything else." "I see you''ve learned how to speak diplomatically from the Earhart family." Alvera rolled her eyes, "I have learned a lot with them, not just diplomacy. Burning bridges, betrayal, ungratefulness, just to name a few. The Earhart family is a great school." "What you said was ungrateful." Alveraughed. "Mr. Francois, do you always take things out of context like this?" "Looks like you did learn from reading, then, since you can use such big words. Unfortunately, you''re just making a joke out of yourself if you use the wrong words." Alvera smiled in the darkness and did not reply. With Rnd around, Alvera was unable to sleep well. She kept her body ufortably stiff throughout the night. In the morning, when she opened her eyes dazedly, she found him sitting beside her and reading the book she was reading the night before. She yawned and sat up, rubbing her cheeks. "Good morning." "When is your housekeepering?" "She''s took leave." "You just let your housekeeper do whatever she wants, huh? What do you want for breakfast, I''ll get someone to send it over." Alvera nced at Rnd, thinking of Owen who had cooked for herst night. There was really noparison between the two. "Whatever." She got out of bed, and went into the bathroom to wash up and change her clothes. Rnd''s servants brought them some breakfast. After he finished eating, Rnd left. Although it was Saturday, he still had to go to thepany to work. At about 10 o''clock in the morning, Andrina called him. "Rnd, do you have time at night?" "What''s the matter?" C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. "Tomorrow is my mom''s birthday, I was thinking you coulde shopping with me to get a gift for her." "I can''t go tonight. I still have something to do, but I''ll get something and let Terry send it over." Actually, he was free, but he did not want to listen to Andrina''s whining. "But... you always went shopping with me." "There''s always an exception." "Rnd, why are you so cold to me recently? Is it because of Alvera?" "You''re overthinking again. Do you remember what the doctor told youst time?" "I don''t want to overthink this either, but you''re acting strangetely. Rnd, we''ve been together for so long. You won''t betray me, will you?" Rnd frowned and said, "As I said, I will get Terry to send your mother a gift. I''m busy, and it''s not a good time to talk about this right now. Go and calm yourself down." He hung up the phone and called for Terry. "It''s Mrs. Earhart''s birthday tomorrow. Go and get a nice ne for her and send it over to the Earhart family. If Andrina asks, tell her I''m away for business." ... "All right." "You can leave now." "Mr. Francois, there is one thing that I have to report to you. You asked me to look into Ms Alvera''s time in prison, so I did. The prison officials said that Ms Alvera had been a model prisoner over the years and was not abused." Rnd frowned. "Then where did her scarse from?" he wondered. Chapter 41: Do You Want to Bet on It? Chapter 41:Do You Want to Bet on It? Rnd said coldly, "Don''t ask the prison guards, ask the prisoners." Terry wasn''t sure what kind of oue Mr. Francois wanted, but he stillplied. In the evening, when Rnd returned to the FLoral Vi, Alvera was cooking in the kitchen. She had her earphones in her ears, so she did not hear himing in. He stood by the kitchen door and couldn''t help smiling when he saw her in an apronm looking serious and busy. Alvera jumped when she turned around and saw Rnd. ... Rnd raised his eyebrows at her, "Scared again?" "What do you think?" "You were wearing earphones, it''s not my fault." "Why are you here again?" "This is my home, I don''t see the problem." He shifted his eyes to the dining table. "You have guests tonight?" Alvera looked back at the two tes on the table and frowned. "No." She was thinking of inviting Mr. Perez over for dinner, but unfortunately Rnd appeared. "Then why did you make enough for two people? I don''t think you know I''ming." Alvera said indifferently, "The other one is for my mother, but since you''re here, you can have it." Rnd was not happy that he was given food meant for dead people. Alvera brought the pasta out. Rnd went to the kitchen to wash his hands, then sat down at the table. Alvera took a couple of bites before asking as if she had just thought of it, "Has Andrina been discharged from the hospital already?" He looked up and eyed her warily. She smiled. "I know she was hospitalized a few days ago." "She has been discharged." She pursed her lips. "My cooking skills were passed down to me by my mother. Have a taste. It''s pretty good." He ate some. "Not bad indeed." ... She twitched the corners of her mouth slightly and said nothing. "Tomorrow is Andrina''s mother''s birthday, and I was invited. Would you like to go with me?" "Are you sure you can take me there?" "Why not? Unless you mean to stir up trouble." Alvera smiled. "For them, my existence itself is trouble. I won''t be weed there even if I don''t do anything." "That''s because you''re being radical." She smiled faintly. "Do you want to bet on it?" "Bet on what?" "If I go to the Earhart family tomorrow and I''m not weed even if I don''t do anything, you will donate one thousand books to the orphanage." "And what if you''re weed?" "If I am weed, I will add your name as the founder of the orphanage." "I invested so much money, and my name is not even on the books?" he asked incredulously. "You gave the money to me for another purpose, not for the orphanage," she said. "Of course your name isn''t on the books. Then again, if you really want to be a founder, you can donate more money. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. How about the bet?" "Sure, why not?" Alvera smiled. "Go on, eat. The noodles will get cold soon." In the evening, after turning off the lights, Rnd hugged her as he didst night. But this time, he had other ideas. He kissed her softly rfom behind. Alvera turned around and faced him, with her hand against his shoulder. "I don''t want to." "I want to." "Rnd, do you really find pleasure in having sex with a woman who is rejecting you?" "Your body is saying otherwise." She looked embarrassed. "I can''t do it tonight. I''m really not interested." Rnd was silent for a moment, then stopped touching her. He put his arms around her waist and said with a bit of forbearance in his voice, "Go to sleep." Alvera froze for a moment. She did not expect that he would really let her go so easily. She could clearly feel the reaction of his body. This was really... rare. At first, she found it hard to sleep with him around, but she eventually fell into a deep sleepter in the night. When she opened her eyes in the morning, she realized that he was not by her side. Alvera sat up and left the room withoutbing her hair to get a ss of water from the kitchen downstairs. As soon as she went down the stairs, she saw him sitting on the sofa in the living room, reading a file. He heard hering down and looked around at her, frowning. "Why didn''t you clean yourself up? You look like a zombie." She ruffled her short hair. "You''re still here. I thought you went back to work." "I''m not going to work today. Get yourself decent and we''ll head over to the Earhart familyter." "Okay." She drank a ss of water and turned to go back upstairs. When she went into the bathroom to wash up, she couldn''t help but smile when she saw her messy hair. She looked more like a lunatic than a zombie. When the two left the house at ten o''clock, the sky was cloudy. Andrina was standing by the gates, watching expectantly, when the car pulled up to the gates of the Earhart family mansion. Her face broke out into a bright smile when she saw Rnd''s car, but the smile disappeared as her expression tightened when she saw Alvera sitting in the passenger seat. ... They got out of the car. Alvera stood by the door and smiled at her. "Andrina." "Uhm... Alvera, you''re here too." Andrina tried her best to ster an unnatural smile on her face. Then she cast her eyes on Rnd, "Rnd, why didn''t you tell me that Alvera would be here today?" "Is there any difference?" "If I had known, I would have asked the cook to prepare the food she likes. She hasn''t eaten any homemade food since she got out of prison." Rnd nced at Alvera ufortably when Andrina mentioned prison. Alvera shrugged indifferently, "It doesn''t matter, dear sister. The only person who knows how to cook the food I like has already passed away." "I''m sorry, Alvera. I didn''t mean to bring up Aunt Shirley." "It doesn''t matter. It''s not a bad thing to keep her in your memory." Her indifferent attitude told Andrina that she had to tread carefully around Alvera, now that she had changed. ... "Let''s stop talking at the door. Let''s go inside," she said. Andrina took Alvera''s wrist and walked inside. From the outside, it looked as if they had a good rtionship, but Alvera knew better. She felt disgusted, and refused to put on a show with Andrina. ... She casually shook off Alvera''s hand and kept some distance from her. Luna was also surprised to see Alvera. She did not expect Alvera to be here with Rnd. To show Rnd''s rtionship with Andrina, she had invited a lot of upper ss people to her birthday celebration today. Of course, she could not show her true feelings in front of so many people. She stepped forward and patted Alvera''s hand. "Alvera, wee home." Alvera pursed her lips in a thin smile. "Happy birthday, Aunt Luna." "Thank you. Andrina, you can take Rnd around first while I speak with Alvera. I haven''t spoken to her for a while." "Okay." Andrina walked towards Rnd and linked her arm with his naturally. Alvera nced at their entwined arms, then looked away indifferently. "Aunt Luna, since there are so many people around, you can go greet them first. No worries about me, I''m family, aren''t I? I''ll just walk around a bit." Luna patted her shoulder. "Okay, we''ll talk in the afternoon." Alvera nodded, turned around and headed towards the backyard without giving Rnd and Andrina another nce. She headed over to the small shed where she had lived with her mother when she was still alive and stared at the rusted lock with jumbled emotions. She hated his ce a lot, but it was also the only ce where there were still traces of her life with her mother. After a moment of hesitation, she picked up a rock from the corner and smashed it hard. It took her five minutes topletely break open the old, rusted lock. She took off the lock, threw it on the ground, opened the door and went in. The shed was only a few square meters and was covered in a thickyer of dust. Everything was left as it had been four years ago. Nobody had set foot in here since they left. She turned on the lights. There was a pungent smell in the room, but she didn''t care at all. She walked over to the stool and sat down. The seat was still covered in the quilt that her mother made. She leaned sideways on the table and closed her eyes. She couuld almost smell her mother''s scent lingering in the room. She could remember her mother''s warmth when she stroked her hair . Her lips curved into a beautiful smile. At the door, Rnd finally found her after looking for some time. He watched her sitting in the shed from a few meters away, and was about to step in when a hand reached out and grabbed his wrist. ... "Rnd." Rnd turned and looked at Andrina. He was so engrossed in watching Alvera that he did not notice hering up to him. "Why are you here?" She nced at Alvera in the shed and said, "You shouldn''t have brought Alvera here today. She doesn''t like this ce. We should leave her alone, she wouldn''t want anyone disturbing her." Their voices had broken the peace for Alvera. She opened her eyes and red at the two at the door. They were the ones who ruined her life. She stood up and walked out of the shed while dusting off her skirt. She folded her arms and stared at the two of them. "Of all the ces you could have gone, why are you here flirting in front of me? Should I do what a good wife should do and pull you guys apart?" Rnd frowned at her prickly attitude. "Alvera, it''s not like that," Andrina said. "We were worried about you, so we came to see you." "Worried? Hmm... There''s a phrase for that, I think... crocodile''s tears." Rnd''s expression turned cold. "Alvera, do you remember what you promised me before you came? Stop being stubborn and don''t hurt others." Alvera smiled. "Don''t worry, I''ll win." She sidestepped them and walked away. Andrina bit her lower lip as tears welled up in her eyes. "Alvera... what happened to her? Why is she like this?" Chapter 42: He Knew She Blamed Him Chapter 42: He Knew She med Him Rnd turned and stared at Alvera as she left, his eyes narrowed in thought. Andrina leaned onto him and buried her head in his chest, her arms wrapped around his waist, and cried softly. "It''s all my fault. I should have stopped you from sending her to prison four years ago," she sobbed. "Those four years in prison changed her. It''s all my fault." Rnd frowned. Had she really changed because of the four years in prison? If that was the case, then he was the main reason why she had changed. "Rnd, I''m so sorry for her. Every time I look her in the eyes, I see her hatred for the world. I think I ruined her life." Her life... Rnd''s breathing became heavier as she spoke. She had told him before that she hated him and she wanted to kill him. Andrina sobbed piteously in his arms, but she was smiling under her tears. She had to remind Rnd how Alvera Earhart ended up like this. They were enemies, and enemies never have happy endings together. At lunch, Rnd sat with the Earhart family at the main table, while Alvera was assigned at the friends and family table beside them. ... Alvera did not know anybody there, but no one paid attention to a nanny''s daughter like her anyway. ... In fact, most people thought that the Earhart family were very nice to allow a nanny''s daughter to sit at the rtive table. ... Some also thought that she was being arrogant. Alvera focused on her food, not caring how other people thought of her. During lunch, many people got up and went over to the main table to wish Luna a happy birthday while trying to befriend Rnd at the same time. Some the rtives even urged Rnd to get married with Andrina. Alvera snorted disdainfully at these stunts. ... She stood up and walked over to Luna. "Aunt Luna, happy birthday." ... Luna''s expression was chilly. "Thank you very much. You are considerate." "I found something for you just now when I went to the backyard," Alvera said, pulling out an unfinished tapestry from her bag. ... The tapestry depicted Luna''s likeness. Out of superstition, she did not dispose of it even though she didn''t like it. "My mother made this for you as a birthday present four years ago. Unfortunately, she didn''t manage to live until your birthday," Alvera said, smiling. "Now, I give this to you on behalf of my mother." ... Everyone in the Earhart family looked ufortable when she mentioned Shirley Miller. Alvera smiled at them. "I''m done eating, so I''ll head out on a walk. Enjoy your food!" She left the hall. Rnd put down his cutlery and prepared to leave with her, but Thomas stopped him. "Rnd, wait, let N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. me give you a toast. Thank you foring today." Rnd nced quickly at the door, picked up his ss, and returned the toast. After the luncheon, everyone came to the courtyard to continue mingling. Alvera was sitting alone by the pool when Luna walked towards her, her expression chilly. Alvera smiled at her. "I see you have something to say." "You b*tch." She got up and faced her. "Aunt Luna, it''s your birthday today. Why do you talk about yourself like this?" "You''re as cheap as your mother. No, you''re even cheaper than your mother. She tried and failed to seduce Thomas, so I threw her out, but now you''re back. Listen carefully, Rnd will divorce you and marry Andrina." "I know he will, but by that time, you can have him if you want," Alvera replied calmly. "Your daughter deserves a secondhand man." Luna was furious, but she could not do anything to her with so many people around. She red at Alvera. "Don''t be so smug." ... Alvera looked at Rnd, who was talking to some other guests not too far away. Andrina stuck to his side like an annoying piece of chewed up gum. She looked back at Luna. "So what if I''m smug? I''m Rnd''swful wife now, so I can tell the world that your daughter is just a mistress if I want to." "How dare you..." Alvera smiled. "Are you challenging me?" She raised her eyebrows and added, "I don''t like being underestimated. I should prove myself." She turned around and walked to the edge swimming pool and pped loudly. "Everyone, please look over here. I have something to..." Luna stepped forward hastily to stop her. She grabbed her and tried to pull her away, but as soon as she touched her, Alvera flew backwards and fell straight into the swimming pool. ... The swimming pool was six and a half feet deep. Alvera struggled in the water, calling for help. Luna waspletely stunned by the turn of events. Several people gathered around the swimming pool, but no one went in to save her. Rnd was about to jump in when he was stopped by Andrina, "Rnd, don''t. Someone else will save Alvera. If you go know, people will be suspicious." His eyes turned cold. "Is this more important than a human life? Let go." He shook off her hand and ran towards to pool, but before he could do anything else, a man appeared from the crowd and dived into the pool. ... He swam towards Alvera and pulled out. Alvera was coughing persistantly as he fussed around her. "Cough out the water, Alvera, get it all out." ... His voice was shrill as he patted her back. As Alvera spat out the water in her lungs, he breathed a sign of relief. Alvera leaned on him awkwardly, her breathingboured and heavy. She looked up and fixed her eyes on Rnd, who was standing by the pool. There was disappointment in her eyes. Rnd frowned. He felt as if something had been ripped out of his heart. He knew she was ming him. Alvera gripped the man''s hand and said, "Timothy, help me up." The person who had saved her was Timothy, who hade to drop off Luna''s birthday presents. Normally, he would leave as soon as he was done, but this year, he had to show himself to save Alvera. He helped Alvera up and let her put her weight on him as she looked at Luna. "Why did you push me in, Aunt Luna?" she asked weakly. "I just wanted to sing a song for you." When he heard this, Timothy said hesitantly, "Aunt Luna, you know Alvera almost drowned here when she was younger. She''s afraid of the water, you know that." "Shut up. It wasn''t me, I didn''t push her. She fell in herself." Alvera nodded and sighed helplessly. "Okay, I fell in myself. Timothy, can you... can you send me home?" "Alright." Timothy helped her up, and they left the mansion together slowly. Rnd prepared to leave as well, but Andrina followed him to the door and grabbed his hand, crying. "Rnd..." ... Rnd looked at her coldly. "Do you really feel sorry for Alvera?" "It was my fault just now, I just... I was afraid that others would be suspicious of your rtionship with her. I''m sorry for her, but I don''t want you to be with her. I can give her anything but my love. I''m scared that you will abandon me, so I made the wrong decision just now. I know I¡¯m paranoid, but I can''t help myself." ... It had started drizzling as she cried helplessly. Andrina took Rnd''s hand and said, "I''m sorry, Rnd, please stay with me. What would the others say if you leave now? Please, just this once, think about me." Luna ran out with an umbre in her hand and shielded Andrina with it. "Andrina, don''t stand in the rain, you might catch a cold. Here, take the umbre." ... "Mom, why did you push Alvera into the pool?" "It really wasn''t me." Luna looked aggrieved. "That child...she jumped into the pool herself. I know she''s scared of water, why would I push her in?" The rain was getting heavier and heavier. While Luna was talking, she held the umbre over Andrina''s head and said, "Andrina, listen to me, don''t get wet." Andrina pushed the umbre away and cried bitterly, "I don''t want it. I''m paranoid and I do something wrong every day. I should just die, I''m just a burden for the entire family, a burden for Rnd!" She squatted on the ground and cried uncontrobly. Luna grabbed Rnd''s hand. "Rnd, please talk to her. She cannot end up in the hospital again, she won''t make it." Rnd frowned. After hesitating for a while, he took the umbre and held it over her head, "Don''t cry. Let''s go inside." Andrina shook her head. "Leave me alone. Leave me alone." Luna squatted in front of her. "Andrina, I have lost your brother. If anything happens to you, I can''t live anymore. Do you want to see me die?" Andrina reached out and hugged her as they cried together. Rnd frowned and looked into the distance anxiously, wondering about Alvera. ... The liver transnt wasn''t that long ago. Was she alright? She was quite weak when she left just now, he recalled. Rnd left the Earhart family mansion after sending Andrina back to her room. This time, she had no reason to keep him from leaving. ... He drove all the way back to the vi but found the house empty, so he called Alvera anxiously. ... At first, no one answered. Finally, the call got through, but it was answered by a man. "Hello." "Are you Alvera''s brother?" "Yes, I am." "Where is she?" He asked, irritated that she would let someone else pick up the call. "What do you want from her, Mr. Francois? I can take a message for you." "No. Where is she? Make her answer the phone." "She... can''te to the phone now." "What do you mean?" "Alvera is in the hospital now. She can''t speak to you." Chapter 43: It Was Impossible To Make Him Fall In Love With Her Chapter 43: It Was Impossible To Make Him Fall In Love With Her Rnd hung up the phone and drove straight to the hospital. When he arrived, Alvera had just finished herst examination and was leaving the hospital with Timothy. The three of them met in the lobby. Rnd stepped forward and frowned, "Are you okay?" "I''m fine, thank you for your concern, Mr. Francois." Rnd was at a loss for words as he looked at her, so he turned towards Timothy. "You can go home now, I''ll send her home." Timothy was unwilling, but Alvera smiled at him. "Go home, Timothy, Auntie should be worried about you." ... Timothy handed her a bag of medicine. "Take your medicine on time. Take care of yourself." She nodded. Timothy looked at Rnd and said, "Mr. Francois, please take care of Alvera. She..." "Timothy, go home." Timothy nced at her, but didn''t continue what he was saying. He turned around and left. After he left, Alvera took a step forward and stumbled, her legs still weak from the effort. Rnd quickly reached out and helped her. Alvera regained her bnce and kept a polite distance from him. "Thank you, Mr. Francois." She stepped around him and walked towards the door. Her gait was stillboured, and Rnd felt a twinge of frustration as he watched her walk away. He went forward, carried her in his arms, and walked out of the door. Alvera did not struggle. She might as well use the freebour while it was there. ... He put her in the car and drove home to Floral Vi. None of them spoke during the drive home. When they arrived, he carried her up to her room, and put her on the bed. "Mr. Francois, can you get me a ss of water so I can take my medicine?" Rnd looked at her incredulously. She smiled at him and added, "Thank you." Rnd didn''t want to be angry with her, so he turned around and went downstairs to get a ss of water. Alvera took several pills and swallowed them with the water, then left the ss on the bedside table. The sky was dark and gloomy outside, even though it was not yet four in the evening. The rain was still falling. Rnd did not leave. Instead, he sat on the bed beside her. "I need some rest, Mr. Francois," Alvera said. "You can go about your own business now." Rnd looked at her and asked, "Did you fall into the pool on purpose?" Alvera looked at him with disappointment as he said that. "Why are you not answering?" His tone was soft and questioning. She smiled aloofly. "I thought I hid it well. How did you know?" "I heard that you were afraid of water. Why did you do it? Is it worth throwing yourself into the pool for some books?" "If you think it''s worth it, then so be it," Alvera replied dismissively. "Alvera, why are you like this?" "How am I supposed to be?" Alvera raised her eyebrows at him and said coldly, "The Earhart family tried to drown me when I was young. They all know I''m afraid of the water, but now you''re asking me if I threw myself in. Yes, I want the books, but I want to live as well. I''ve told you before, to the Earhart family, I never should have existed. You didn''t want to believe me. Now I''m hurt because of them, and still, you don''t believe me." ... "You''ve already decided who''s the victim in this story," she continued, "so why should I exin anything to you? Yes, you''re right, Luna did not push me. I threw myself into the pool so that I could win the bet." "Why are you so defensive? If you didn''t, then say you didn''t, there''s no need to say so much. How would I know if I don''t ask?" Alvera sneered. "Whatever. I don''t care whether you believe me or not." It was like she suddenly realized that it was impossible to make him fall in love with her. She had thought that he would save her since they had been together for more than three months. She was wrong. He stood aside and remained indifferent like everyone else. If she hadn''t got Timothy to help her, she would have drowned in front of everyone today. Rnd frowned under her cold gaze. "Alvera, aren''t you tired keep yourself so walled up?" ... Alvera froze for a moment then replied dismissively, "Am I supposed to just let people trample over my heart? Don''t be so self-righteous, Rnd Francois. My life has never been my own from birth. I''ve seen my fair share of b*tches and assholes. A holy man like you does not belong in my world. If you''re looking to preach, go somewhere else." ... After that, she closed her eyes and said, "I''m sorry, I''m very tired. You can leave now, Mr. Francois." Rnd stared at her for ten minutes before he got up and left angrily. After he left, Alvera got up and leaned against the headboard, staring out of the window into the rain. The gloomy scene matched her emotions. She sent a text message to Timothy with her phone. "Timothy, thanks for your help today. The n worked." Timothy replied, "I didn''t have enough time to get the proper medicines, so all the pills in the bottle are just the same vitamins. Don''t take too much, it might be bad for you." "I know." After replying, she deleted the message history. Downstairs in the living room, Rnd sat on the sofa and thought about Luna and Andrina. Then he thought about the way Alvera had reacted. His face was sullen and he was in a bad mood. When Andrina called, his tone was angry. "What''s the matter?" "How is Alvera, Rnd?" "She just fell asleep after going to the hospital." "Are you... still with her?" "I''m still with her. Is there a problem with that?" On the other end of the line, Andrina was suddenly silent. "If there''s nothing else, have a good rest. I''m hanging up." "You like her now, right, Rnd? Are you... in love with her?" Love? Rnd never thought about it, but it seemed like something had changed without him noticing. ... "Rnd, I think I need to take a step back for a while, and I think you should too. Alvera''s not suitable for you. If she stays with you, she will be criticized for the rest of her life. It''s going to hurt her." She sniffed. "Anyway, take care of her. I''m going to rest now." ... She hung up the phone. Luna, who was sitting opposite her, asked anxiously, "What happened?" "Rnd is with that b*tch." Luna pped her thigh in anger. "That little b*tch, she tricked me today. I''ll kill her." "Mom, we can''t do anything now." "Why are you so calm today?" Alvera smiled serenely. "Alvera does not like Rnd. She''s with Rnd just to provoke me." "How did you know?" "I can tell by the way she looked at Rnd. She hates him. Moreover, if she loves him, she wouldn''t do this to him. Rnd wouldn''t allow anyone to y tricks on him. He''s just curious now, but it won''tst. He''lle back to me soon." Luna smiled and patted her hand. "My daughter seems to have grown up overnight." "Mom, what about your n to get Alvera out of the Empire Group? We should get it going soon. I don''t want her to get toofortable." Luna raised her eyebrows. "Okay, you can count on me." By the time Alvera woke up from her nap, it was already very dark. She turned over and found that Rnd had fallen asleep beside her. She looked at him in the dark disdainfully. "This man," she thought, "really thinks himself as a good husband now." She sat up, lifted the nkets and was about to get out of bed, but he grabbed her by the arm. "Where are you going?" She was startled. She thought he had fallen asleep. "The bathroom." N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Rnd released her, opened his eyes, and sat up. "I''ll help you." "There''s no need. I''m feeling stronger now, after the nap," she said as she walked to the bathroom. ... When she came out of the bathroom, he was smoking. When he heard her coughing, he put out the cigarette at once. "I would have saved you if your brother hadn''t appeared today." Alvera''s hand stopped the middle of lifting the nkets as she looked at him. "What is he talking about?" she wondered silently. "Is this an exnation?" "I was going to jump in, but Andrina held me back because she was afraid other people would know about our rtionship. Your brother had already jumped in when I got her to let go." He nced at her. "Do you believe me?" ... She sat down and pulled the nkets over her legs silently. "You don''t believe me?" he asked again. "There is no reason why I shouldn''t believe you. You''re Andrina''s boyfriend, part of the Earhart family. And the Earhart family is my enemy." "Andrina''s boyfriend?" He snorted coldly. "I am yourwful husband." Alvera entwined her fingers together. "My point is that you are with the Earhart family. We are enemies." He looked at her and did not move. Her expression was unreadable as she continued, "Rnd, I never forget why I decided to marry you in the first ce. Andrina helped you once, but I hate her and the entire Earhart family." "The Earhart family raised you. Why do you hate them so much? Don''t you need a reason to hate a person?" She looked at him coldly without saying anything. He continued, "It''s not because I helped them send you to prison. You already hated them before you hurt Andrina. I will not take the me for this." Alvera sneered. "Rnd, do you know how infuriating you are sometimes?" Chapter 44: You Disgust Me Chapter 44: You Disgust Me "What?" Rnd was so angry he almost wanted to strangle her. "You clearly don''t know anything, but you''re so confident in your assumptions." "What don''t I know?" "Did you see how the Earhart family raised me? Are you even sure the Earhart family raised me? I''ve told you a million times before, to them, I''m no better than a dog in their backyard. They did not raise me, my mother raised me." Rnd looked at her in surprise. She clenched her fists, her entire body trembling in suppressed anger. "What do you think about that room you saw in the backyard earlier?" she asked him. "That shed?" "Yes, that dinky, windowless shed. I grew up there. I lived there with my mother. If the Earhart family were as kind as you think they are, why would they leave us there? We sweltered in the summer and froze during winter. We survived on their leftovers, which my mother earned with unpaidbour." ... "Do you even know what is unpaidbour?" she continued bitterly. "You''re an unscrupulous businessman, you should know, but in case you don''t, that means my mother worked her ass off day and night for no pay. Their other servants, they got to live in nice houses, but we didn''t. They kept us in their backyard like a couple of dogs. We barely survived, and we couldn''t escape. Do you know how that feels like?" ... ... "And you ask why I hate the Earhart family," she ended, clenching her fist tightly as her eyes filled with eyes. She tried her best to suppress her anger and hatred. "If your mother lived in humiliation for you her entire life, would you still love the Earhart family? Would you thank them for their grace?" ... "Why couldn''t you... escape?" "Because of me," Alvera said bitterly, with tears welling up in her eyes, "because I am Andrina''s backup organ source. If anything happens to Andrina and I am not around, no one else can save her. They used me to keep my mother there. She never had the courage to escape." She turned away and exhaled, but her tears fell uncontrobly. She got out of bed quickly, went to the closet, and ate a piece of candy. "Please, Rnd Francois," she said with her back to him, "stop hurting people with your holier-than- thou attitude. You disgust me." Rnd was shocked by her outburst. He did not know what so say. He did not realized that the dusty shed he saw this morning was where she grew up. He believed that she grew up with Andrina in the house as Luna had told him, which was why he never understood her hatred towards the Earhart family. ... The Earhart family had a lot of deeply hidden secrets. He had been with Andrina for four years, and he only realised this now. Why were they so cruel to Alvera and her mother? Was it just for Alvera''s blood and liver? When Alvera turned around again, she hadposed herself and hidden all her emotions again. "Don''t forget, you owe me 1000 books, Rnd Francois," she told him. "Send them to the orphanage when it''s finished building." Rnd''s gaze lingered on her face. "Okay." Alvera smiled calmly. "I trust that you are a man of your word." She got back on the bed and lifted the nket. "Good night." He maintained his gaze on her. He didn''t like the forced smile on her face, but he couldn''t do anything about it. ... This was the first time in his life that he felt helpless. There was nothing he could do to her. Since when did he start willingly bing this woman''s pawn? He frowned, rolled over andy down with his back facing her. He did not forget that she said she hated him. The next day, they did not go to thepany together. They took separate ways, since Rnd went to the Earhart family first. ... On the surface, he was there to see Andrina, but he went straight to the backyard when he arrived. The small shed in the backyard had been partially demolished overnight, and the workers were still busy tearing down the walls loudly. ... "Mr. Francois, you''re here." Thomas''s voice came from behind him. Rnd looked back, "Why are you tearing down the house?" "This shed has been here for a very long time, we don''t really use it anymore," he replied. "It''s an eyesore, so we decided to have it demolished." "Why was it built in the first ce?" "For storage, why else? We kept our junk in here." Thomas smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Have you seen Andrina?" A sly look passed over Rnd''s face. "Not yet, I heard themotion here and came over to check it out." "I''ll call her down, we can have breakfast together." "No need. I''ll go up and take a look, then I need to go back to work." He nced at the shed as he was speaking, and spotted a yellowed exercise book in the corner. ... He knocked on the door to Andrina''s room before entering. Andrina was very happy to see him. She went up to him and hugged him tightly. "Rnd, I thought you won''te today!" "I want to ask you a question." He loosened her arms and keep a distance from her. "Yes, go on." She nodded. "Where did Alvera live when she was living with you?" Andrina frowned. "Why are you asking?" Rnd smiled and studied the expression on her face. "Did she say somethingst night?" "What do you think she said?" Andrina bit her lower lip. "I have no idea what she said to you, and I''m not going to defend myself, but Rnd, you know me. You know how I am." Rnd smiled. "What are you thinking about? She asked me to get her something she left behind. She said that she had left it in her room." Andrina could not tell whether he was telling the truth or not from his expression. "I''ll take you there." She brought Rnd to the locked room next door. She found the key under a vase and opened the door. "This was her room, you can take a look around. We left everything in its ce when she left, so you should be able to find whatever it was that she left here." Rnd walked in and looked around. The room was a standard youngdy''s room, but he knew that the Earhart family was lying to him this time. ... He believed in Alvera. He turned around and looked at Andrina with a smile. "Forget it, I didn''t understand what she wanted anyway. She can get it herself when shees next time. I have to go to work now. Rest well." "Rnd." She grabbed his wrists in both hands and looked at him with tears in her eyes. "I''ll wait for you." Rnd nced at her. Her pitiful eyes were different from Alvera''s stubborn eyes, but he suddenly felt that Alvera''s eyes were more heartbreaking. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ... "Andrina. I am married now. If you meet a suitable man in the future, you should..." "No, I won''t give up on you. It''s fine, I know Alvera is very pretty, and it''s okay that you like her, but I know you are not suited for each other. You have different personalities. I''ll wait for you." Rnd took his hand out of hers and left. Andrina lowered her eyes silently as he left, full of hurt and anger. She could not let the man she loved be taken away from her by a b*tch. She would not admit defeat. She had been waiting for four years, it wouldn''t hurt her to wait longer. Sooner orter, she will marry Rnd. Alvera was busy all morning at work. At about 10 o''clock, she was checking the inventory when Patrick called her and told her to hurry back to the office. ... He sounded a little anxious. Alvera hung up the phone and went back upstairs immediately. As soon as she entered the door, Patrick called her into Manager Scott''s office. The manager was not alone. Her colleague, Beverly Moore, was also present and in tears, while Manager Scott had a serious expression on her face. ... Patrick handed her a form. "Alvera, did you create this form?" Alvera took a look and nodded. "Yes, I made that formst Friday." "Are you sure? Take a good look at it." Crying, Beverly turned around and said, "Patrick, what do you mean? I''ve already said that Alvera gave me that report. You don''t believe me, do you? I''ve been working here for more than a year, why would I make such a serious mistake?" Alvera was puzzled. She looked at Patrick confusedly, "What''s wrong, Patrick?" "Look at these numbers." Patrick pointed to a number. Alvera was shocked for a moment. It said that they ordered 10,000 printers. "Why are there two more zeros?" "Why didn''t you check after you made the form?" Manager Scott asked her. "I did check," she said anxiously. "Manager Scott, I checked all the numbers, it wasn''t like that before." ... Beverly became anxious. "Are you implying that I sabotaged you?" "No, I didn''t mean that, I''m just saying..." Suddenly, the door was pushed open by Bruce Wilson, the head of the Administrative Department. Manager Scott stood up. "Manager Wilson." Bruce walked up to Alvera., "What''s wrong with you, newbie? I have never seen such anyone make such a serious mistake before. 10,000 printers, are you kidding me? Everyone''s bonus in this department has been cancelled because of your irresponsibility." Manager Scott looked at Alvera, hesitated for a moment and said, "Manager Wilson, there might be another reason for this, the number is too high." Alvera was despondent. She did check the form before she handed it to Beverly. Something must have gone wrong. Chapter 45: Caught At The Gala Chapter 45: Caught At The G Manager Wilson''s expression was cold. "The deed is done, so there''s no use bickering about the technicalities. The supplier is hounding us for the 2 million dors now. Fine, you two,e with me." Alvera and Beverly left Manager Scott''s office with Manager Wilson and followed him up to the 28th floor. ... The three of them entered the CEO''s office. Rnd nced at Alvera before looking at Manager Wilson. "What''s going on?" Manager Wilson told him what had happened. "I only found out about this mistake when the supplier asked for the money this morning," he exined. "Mr. Francois, this is a serious matter caused by these two employees. I''m not sure what to do now, so I''vee up here for your help." ... Manager Wilson avoided Rnd''s gaze nervously as he threw his pen down on the table. Rnd crossed his arms and looked at the two women standing in front of him. "Are you going to exin yourselves?" "Mr. Francois, this really has nothing to do with me," Beverly said hastily. "I was just running errands and purchasing ording to the form." Rnd raised his eyebrows and said coldly, "Is this how you work here at the Empire Group? Just following orders blindly and ignoring any mistakes or slip-ups?" Beverly felt a little guilty. "Or," he continued, "are you just looking for excuses for your carelessness? There was a mistake in the form, yes, but are you sure you''re not at fault here as well, since you are in charge of purchasing?" Beverly keep quiet, knowing that she was screwed. Rnd turned to Alvera. "And what about you? Any excuses? Or are you admitting fault?" Alvera sighed. "I swear on my mother that I double-checked the form multiple times after I made itst Friday." "So you think someone sabotaged you?" Alvera nodded. "Yes." Rnd looked at Manager Wilson. "Go and check the security cameras in your office. Check if anyone touched Alvera''sputer on Friday." Manager Wilson hesitated for a moment before saying, "Mr. Francois, I''m sorry. The Administration Department''s security cameras have not been working for a while, and we haven''t got around to fix them yet." Rnd snorted coldly. "How long have they been out of order?" "Less than half a month." "Is half a month not enough time to fix a damaged camera? Manager Wilson, I''m starting to doubt if you''re up to the job. Have you found yourself a recement already?" "I''m sorry, Mr. Francois, I''ll get someone to fix the cameras at once." Rnd tapped his fingers on the table, silent in thought for a moment, before giving his verdict. "Alright, Terry will deal with this. Since all of you are at fault here, I''ll let you off with a warning this time. Don''t do it again." All three of them were stunned by what he said. Bruce looked at Rnd in surprise. Was this really the same Mr. Francois he knew who would throw a tantrum at the mere mention of a loss of a few hundred thousand dors? How could he be so calm about the loss of 2 million dors right now? Alvera was also surprised. She was expecting Rnd to use this matter to humiliate her further, but he didn''t. "Why are you still standing here? Get out!" "Yes, yes, sir." Manager Wilson nodded fervently and told Alvera and Beverly, "Come on, follow me out." After they left, Terry came forward and said, "Boss, are you really just letting this slide? It''s clear that Ms. Alvera was sabotaged." "Do you think I would just let this slide? The saboteur knows about the damaged cameras, so it''s definitely someone from the office. Even if we could determine who was first in the office orst to leave from the cameras in the corridors, it''s still not definitive proof. Let''s not alert the enemy for the time being. They will strike again when they see that Alvera is fine this time. In the meantime, send someone to keep an eye on the Administrative Department." ... "Alright. What should I do with the extra printers?" "Donate some, sell some, get rid of them as best as you can." Terry eded and left the office to deal with the various matters. As Alvera returned to the office, she felt uneasy that Rnd had just let her go without any punishment after such a big mistake. For the rest of the day, her co-workers eyed her suspiciously as they went about their work. Alvera knew that they had unanimously pinned the fault on her, but she didn''t bother exining herself. ... She left thepany promptly after work. While she was driving home, her phone rang. She put on her Bluetooth earphones and answered the phone. "Hello." "Ms. Alvera, it''s me, Owen." "Hello, Mr. Perez. I recognized your voice." "I am attending a g in Calgaryter, but I''m missing a partner. Would you like toe with me?" "I''m not good at socializing." "You don''t have to socialize, you just need to apany me." Alvera felt a little awkward. She did not like going to such asions, but this was the first time Owen had asked her for help. He had saved herst time, so it was hard for her to decline his request. "Alright, where should I go now?" "You cane over to mypany. That''s where I am now." "All right." Alvera turned the car around and drove to the Superior Group. Someone was already waiting to escort her at the front door. She was taken into a lounge and given a gown that Owen had prepared in advance. Owen appeared soon after she finished her make up. Owen was stunned when he saw Alvera''s pretty face entuated by the make-up. "Mr. Perez." "It''s truly my honor to have such a beautiful partner tonight." Alvera smiled abashedly as she tucked her hair behind her ears. "Mr. Perez, you tter me." "You need to be more confident in yourself. You''re going to wow the crowd today," he said, lifting his wrist to check the time. "It''s about time, let''s go." Alvera nodded and left the Superior Group with him. The g was held at the Mountain Club. The club was owned by Brent Moore, another powerful figure in Calgary. It was famed for its exorbitant membership prices, which only billionaires could afford. ... As soon as Owen arrived at the g with Alvera, they immediately attracted the attention of countless people. Several people came up to Owen to talk to him. Some people were staring at Alvera, measuring up her worth with their gaze. Owen was very protective of Alvera and never left her side. At the same time, unbeknownst to Alvera, a pair of eagle-like eyes were staring at her from a hidden corner. ... "Do you know that woman?" An elegant voice asked from behind him. "I know her well," Rnd replied, his tone chilly. "Alvera Earhart?" The man narrowed his eyes. "She''s quite pretty. One of the prettiest, maybe, even for Calgary. Why is she with Owen Perez, though?" Rnd folded his arms across his chest. "I''m curious about that too." "Well, she''s quite capable then, if she can y around between you and Owen Perez. She''s ambitious. It won''t be easy to control her." Rnd raised his eyebrows and looked at him, "Are you imparting your knowledge to me from your experience?" Brent Moore gave Rnd a sidelong nce and said, "I''m just giving you a reminder, don''t drag me into this." Rnd smiled. "Deal with your little girlfriend first before giving me advice. Your little girlfriend has a temper to rival Alvera''s." "Her? She''s mild when she''s with me." "How do you know Alvera''s not mild as well when she''s with me?" "So you think you can handle her?" Rnd smirked. "If you can take down Leah, then I can take down Alvera." "You know I have a child with Leah, right?" "Doesn''t change the fact that you still couldn''t get her." He smirked at Brent, stood up, and walked into the crowd. Brent smiled. He hadn''t finished what he was saying. When ites to women, the loser is always the one who takes the rtionship seriously. He could tell that Rnd was already losing by the way he acted so tensely. He wouldn''t mind enjoying a spectacr show like this. In the crowd, Alvera thought she saw Rnd out of the corner of her eyes. At first, she thought she was hallucinating, but she realized he was actually there when she focused. Rnd was really walking towards them. "Why was he here? Was the world so small?" she thought frantically. ... Her expression tightened in nervousness as she asked Owen, "Mr. Perez, when are we leaving?" "In a moment. I just need to go and speak with the organiser of the g." "Is it okay if I wait for you at the door? It''s a little stuffy in here." "Will you be okay waiting alone?" Alvera nodded repeatedly, "I will." "Okay then, I''ll just be a minute." Just as Alvera turned around to leave, Rnd appeared in front of them. "Mr. Perez, d to have you here. Why don''t youe and take a seat? Brent and I have been waiting for you," he said. Owen''s gaze turned to Rnd as they clinked their sses together. "I was just about to go over, Mr. Francois, but you found me first. Is Mr. Moore already here?" "There, we''ve been waiting for you since you came in." All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Alvera was uneasy at the implication that Rnd had been watching her from the very beginning. Rnd fixed his eyes on Alvera. "Your partner?" Owen looked at Alvera and smiled lightly. "Yes. Ms. Alvera, say hello to Mr. Francois from the Empire Group." Rnd arched an eyebrow expectantly at Alvera. He was interested to see how she would greet him. Chapter 46: Why Do You Keep Hurting Me Chapter 46: Why Do You Keep Hurting Me Alvera''s expression was hesitant for a moment before nodding at Rnd. "Mr. Francois." "Yes, looks like you''re quite free today, seeing as you have the time to apany Mr. Perez to the g." Standing next to him, Owen raised his eyebrows. "Mr. Francois, do you know Alvera?" "Know her? I definitely do." Rnd swept his nce over Alvera. Alvera felt inexplicably nervous as she returned his gaze. She was afraid that Rnd might expose their rtionship in public. Seeing her pleading gaze, Rnd felt a twinge of anger. This woman was actually pleading with him. Why, was she afraid that Owen would find out about their rtionship? He raised his eyebrows, his expression cold. "Alvera, didn''t you tell Mr. Perez about me?" Owen looked at Alvera as well. Rnd felt a sense of satisfaction when he saw her nervousness. "Good," he thought. "She''s scared." But he knew not to cross the line. "I''m your boss," he said. "You''re embarrassing me." Owenughed. "You didn''t tell me you were working at the Empire Group!" "I''ve been there for less than a month." Alvera didn''t look at Rnd. "Mr. Perez, I would like to go home now." "I''ll send you back." "No need." She smiled at him. "Thank you for inviting me to the g today, but I''m notfortable in this kind of setting, so it''s a little awkward for me. I know the roads of Calgary well. I can head home myself." After that, she turned around and left. When Owen was about to go after her when Rnd said lightly, "Mr. Perez, Brett is still waiting for you. You shouldn''t leave without saying goodbye to him." Owen looked at Alvera''s leaving figure worriedly. Rnd put his ss on the table beside him. "I''m done talking with Brett anyway, so I''ll be leaving now as well. I''ll give my employee a ride home." "Thank you, Mr. Francois." Rnd smirked. "You''re wee." He stuck his hands in his pockets and left. By the time he reached the main entrance of the Mountain Club, Alvera had already disappeared. He frowned, his expression chilly, then took out his phone to call her. Alvera picked up the call quickly. "Hello." "Where are you?" "In a taxi." "Come back, I had alcohol. I need a driver." Alvera hung up the phone. She hesitated for three minutes before telling the driver, "Please turn back to the Mountain Club." When she arrived back at the club, Rnd was standing at the entrance, smoking a cigarettes with one hand in his pocket. His tall and straight figure was a scenery in and of itself, but to Alvera, it was a scene of gloomy darkness. ... She got out of the taxi and walked over to him, keeping a careful distance from him. "Mr. Francois, where is your car?" Rnd smiled at her. Alvera could not tell the meaning behind his smile. "Come here." Alvera paused for a while before taking a step towards him. Before she could react further, Rnd grabbed her and kissed her passionately. Alvera closed her eyes and struggled against his kiss. "Rnd, don''t do this here." She didn''t expect that he would treat her like this here. "Are you ashamed? Why are you seducing Owen Perez, then?" "I didn''t," she said, with a touch of grievance in her eyes. "I didn''t seduce him." "I saw it with my own eyes. You had your arm around his. I''m not blind, you know." She swallowed and said nothing. "You''re bold, Alvera Earhart. Do you really think you can have every man in Calgary under your thumb?" "The rtionship between Mr. Perez and I is clean." He let go of her and threw the car keys to her. "It''s not for you to decide. Go home." Alvera adjusted her gown, sighed, and left with him. She remained silent on the drive home, while Rnd fumed beside her. She could feel his anger. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. She knew that she will not be able to escape punishment tonight. She began wondering if it was worth it to cause an ident so that they could go to the hospital instead of going home. As she was thinking, she involuntarily stepped on the elerator. Rnd noticed immediately and grabbed the steering wheel. "Alvera Earhart!" His angry roar brought her back to reality. She must have lost her mind just now. "Sorry, I''m a little distracted." "You''ve just separated with that guy for a few minutes, and you''re already thinking of him?" Alvera bit her lips and took a deep breath,pletely ignoring him. "Did I guess right? Nothing to say to that?" Alvera felt her anger pooling in her. They drove straight home to Floral Vi. Rnd opened the door and got out as soon as the car stopped, and mmed the door loudly behind him. ... Alvera was still pondering whether she could find a way to avoid him tonight. She opened the door, but before she could get out of the car, Rnd grabbed her and pulled her out. She could barely keep up with him in her high heels as he dragged her by the arm towards the door. He opened the door of the vi, picked her up, threw her on the sofa and leaned over her. ... Alvera bit her lower lip. "Rnd, are you too immersed in the drama or have you forgotten that our marriage is just contractual? There are only three months left. We will beplete strangers after that." He sneered at her ns for the future. There was still three months to go, and she was already looking for his recement. "So what? At least in these three months, you are my wife, and as my wife, you have to be loyal to me." "How many times do I have to repeat myself, there is nothing between me and Mr. Perez." "Have you ever seen anyone admitting to their shamelessness?" "You..." Alvera said with a trace of anger in her eyes, but stopped when her phone rang from inside her bag. ... Rnd grabbed her bag with one hand and poured out all the contents in it. He picked up her cell phone and nced at it. The caller was Owen. He showed the phone to Alvera. "What would happen if he knows you''re my wife?" She reached out to grab the phone. "Give it back to me," she said, but he raised his hand out of her reach. ... He smirked. "Do you really want to answer your lover''s call so much? Fine." He handed the phone to her. "Answer it. Answer now." He sneered at her, almost out of his mind with anger. "Do you have to humiliate me like this?" "Humiliate? Are you afraid of humiliation? Would you rather I answer the phone, then?" He swiped across the screen casually and picked up the call. Owen''s voice came from the other end of the line. "Ms. Alvera, it''s me. Did you manage to get home safely?" "I... " "What''s wrong with your voice?" Alvera looked at Rnd and clutched the sofa tightly, "I''m fine. I''m working out." "I wondered why you were panting. Thank you for helping me today, I''ll treat you to a meal some other day." "Okay, then I''ll hang up." After hanging up the phone, Alvera looked at Rnd. He grabbed her under the chin. "Are you very tolerable?" She took a few deep breaths to quell the sadness in her heart. After a while, she said morosely, "Mr. Perez saved me after the attack on the beach that night. He found me dying and sent me to the hospital. When he called me to ask for help tonight, I couldn''t refuse, which is why I went to the g with him. Was I wrong?" "Rnd Francois," she continued, "I really wonder sometimes, is your heart made of stone? Why do you keep hurting me?" Chapter 47: Im Not Afraid To Die Chapter 47: I''m Not Afraid To Die He stared nkly at her from above. Alvera bit her lip, her eyes reddening. "No, I was wrong, you have no conscience. You''re just the same as them." Rnd got off her and sat beside her on the sofa. Both of them fell silent. She stood up, draped her torn dress around her, then looked at him. "Rnd, I''ve been in prison, but not everyone who has been in prison is bad. Since you''ve decided that we should hurt each other like this, then fine. I would like to see how much you want me to regret being with you." She took a deep breath and turned to go upstairs. After hearing the sound of her door closing, he grabbed the ss on the coffee table and smashed them against the ground. He felt no satisfaction in punishing her. Instead, he was distressed by the obstinate facade that she used to hide her sadness. She was always like this. It was so easy for her to make him feel heartbroken. Alvera went back to her room, went into the bathroom and took a rigorous bath. Just this morning, she was grateful that he let her go, but he gave her a vivid lesson on why she should not do that just now. ... If a man has no favourable opinion on you, even his salvation bes a weapon to harm you. How many times had they done this to her? For some unknown reason, this contractual marriage seemed to have changed. She should have known that it would be dangerous to provoke a man she could not control. The next morning, Alvera got up early and left the house. She took a bus to the Superior Group to get her car, then drove to work. Rnd started the morning with a bad mood because he did not see her when he got up. Halfway through the morning, Terry knocked on the door of his office. "Boss, Mr. Antoine is here." Rnd''s expression turned cold. "Get him out." He was still talking when Antoine pushed his way in. "Rnd, you haven''t given me a reply when I asked for a job here." "If you were me, would you let me work here?" "Rnd, I really need a job. I don''t want to go overseas anymore." "You just want to stay here for Alvera Earhart, don''t you?" "You don''t love her," Antoine clenched his fists, "but I do." "Whether I love her or not is none of your business. I don''t care whether you love her or not either. I''m just going to remind you that you better leave her alone if you don''t want her to suffer at my hands." "She was my first love. You know how unforgettable first loves are. Why are you forcing me to forget about her?" Rnd mmed his hand on the table hard and said, "Antoine Francois, it''s not your ce to tell me what to do. Know who you are." "Who I am... what''s wrong with who I am? I''m also part of the Francois family. Why can''t I work in the family business?" Rnd sneered. "Then I''ll show you how worthless you are to the Francois family. Terry, call security and throw him out." Terry nodded and stepped forward. After a quick apology, he took him by the arm and forced him out of the office. Antoine was pushed out of the door and the security guard stopped him from entering again. He refused to leave and stood at the door of thepany, waiting. At noon, Alvera headed downstairs for lunch with Patrick. They were having an engaging conversation, so it was toote to hide when she spotted Antoine at the door. ... "Alvera!" Patrick looked at her and smirked. "Boyfriend? He''s quite handsome." Alvera replied with an awkward smile, "No, just a former ssmate. Patrick, why don''t you go ahead and have your lunch first? We can eat together some other day." "Okay, you go ahead with your business." After Patrick left, Alvera walked over to Antoine and asked, "What are you doing here?" Antoine grabbed her wrist. "Alvera, my brother refused to let me work in thepany, and you refused to leave with me. I can only wait for you here every day so that you wille back to me." "Why are you doing this? Didn''t I make myself clear?" "Don''t you feel sorry for us? We had such a beautiful rtionship, why should we end it?" "We had... you know it''s in the past. Why can''t you just let the past be the past?" "If I could, I wouldn''te back here to find you. Alvera, I can''t just give up on you. I was devastated when I found out you were with my brother, but it would be worse if I just let myself lose you like this. I won''t be able to live with myself if I just let you go!" "I know I was wrong for leaving you without saying goodbye four years ago, Alvera," he continued, gripping her hands tightly. Alvera tried to pull her hands away, but he was too strong for her. "You never gave me a chance to exin myself. I was having a really difficult time at the time. You know me, I wouldn''t leave you unless I was forced to." ... "Antoine, this is the Empire Group. Your brother has eyes everywhere here. He won''t let you off lightly if you keep holding my hands like this." "You''re afraid that he''ll hurt me, that proves you still care about me, Alvera. Admit it, you haven''t forgotten about me." "Rnd is violent. I just don''t want you to get me into trouble." "Nonsense, I''ve already gone all out. If he really wants to deal with me, then let him kill me. Can you All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. just give me a chance to talk to you?" "We have nothing to talk about. I''m not going back to you." "Shouldn''t we resolve our misunderstandings?" Antoine raised his voice by a few notches. "Can''t we just sit down and talk?" As they argued, Alvera''s colleagues had noticed themotion and had began to point and stare at her. ... Alvera said resignedly, "Fine, I''ll talk to you. Just let me go, we''ll find somewhere to talk." Antoine let go of her. Alvera turned around and walked away with Antoine following behind her. They headed over to a coffee shop that was two blocks away from the office. Antoine grabbed her wrist and said, "Alvera, we haven''t eaten together for some time. I saw a pizza restaurant over there just now, let''s go have a Margherita Pizza together." "I... " "Let''s go. I''ll take you there." Before Alvera could say anything, Antoine had pulled her to the restaurant. Alvera was too weak to get herself out of his grip. The restaurant was small but crowded. He ordered a Margherita Pizza. "I haven''t had anything like this these years." She did not reply, so he pressed on. "That''s because I wanted to have it with you after you get out of prison. If you leave with me, we can have pizza every day." ... Alvera clenched her fists under the table. "Antoine, don''t be so sentimental. Just say what you need to say." "I''m not being sentimental. I''m telling the truth. I spent the happiest time of my life with you. You don''t know how important you are to me." "If you''re going to continue with this, I''m leaving." "Don''t go, don''t you believe me? Alvera, it''s not that I don''t want toe back in the past four years, it''s that I can''t." Alvera looked at him without saying anything. "Four years ago, my mother was exhorted into drugging my brother to take some indecent pictures so that she could ckmail him into giving up the inheritance, but my brother did not fall for the trap. After that, I heard that he was going to send my mother to prison and have her murdered secretly there." ... "As you know," he continued, "my mother is just my father''s mistress. I''m just a b*stard child of the Francois family. She wouldn''t have done all this if it weren''t for me, so to save her, I promised Rnd that I will leave Canada with my mother and nevere back. I didn''t want to leave you, but at that time, I really had no choice. I can''t just stand by and let him kill my mother." ... ... Alvera listened to his exnation with a touch of sadness in her eyes. "But you didn''t even leave me a message." "Everything happened so quickly. I only knew my brother sent you to prison as well when Samuel called me to tell me off after I went overseas. Alvera, I know we''re soulmates. We have the same family dynamic and the same experiences, and even the most painful events of our lives happened at the same time. I know I broke my promise and did not protect you, but I''ve also suffered for four years because of this. I''ve gotten my punishment for abandoning you. Will you leave Rnd and start over with me again?" ... ... Alvera closed her eyes, trying to hide her pain. "Like I''ve already said, it''s toote now." "I don''t mind that you''ve been with my brother before. I don''t care that you''ve had other boyfriends. I just want you." "Antoine, I... I can''t go back." She took a deep breath. "I could be with you four years ago because I did not harbour hatred at the time, but now, I''m just too hateful. I will not sleep well until the day the Earhart family gets the punishment they deserve." "I''ll help you." Antoine reached out and took her hand. "Alvera, let me help you. Once you get your revenge, we can have a good life together." "What about your mother? If you''re on my side, that means you''re opposing your brother, the Earhart family, and the entire Empire Group. Are you sure Rnd will leave your mother alone while you fight against the Earhart family with me?" Antoine loosened his grip on her hand. Alveraughed and pulled her hand away. "You chose your mother from the very beginning, so don''t waste your efforts. I don''t want you to regret not saving your mother in the future if we end up together." "But you are no match for my brother." She smiled with determination. "I am indeed not his opponent, but there is one thing I have that he doesn''t. I''m not afraid to die, and I''m ready to take everyone out with me." Chapter 48: Im Afraid Of Losing You Chapter 48: I''m Afraid Of Losing You "Alvera..." Antoine''s eyes were full of sorrow. He almost couldn''t suppress his love and love for her. He didn''t know what to do. Alvera looked at him, smiling, then picked up a slice of pizza and began eating. She only took tow bites before putting it down again. "That''s not good." Antoine frowned. She pulled out a tissue and wiped her mouth. "Antoine, people change. When we were young, we could ride our bicycles and dream of a bright future, but now we''re all adults. We have our own lives, our own visions, and people that we want to protect. Our futures do not connect at all, so we should all take a step back. I don''t hate you anymore, and you should let go of me. It''s enough that my mother was hurt because of me, I don''t need another person to do that for me." ... After that, she stood up. "You can pay for the pizza. Goodbye." She took two steps towards the door. Antoine stayed in his seat, but he said slowly, "Alvera, I''m not afraid of getting hurt. It''s also a way of growing up, but I''m really afraid of losing you. It doesn''t matter if you don''t love me. I''ll choose my own way to continue to love you, because... I want to live." Alvera felt her heart leap painfully at his words. She bit her lower lip and left without turning back. When she arrived back at the office, she did not take the elevator up. Instead, she took the stairs. With every step, she muttered to herself, "Antoine Francois, I don''t love you anymore. Antoine Francois, we''re done." On the ninth floor, she spun and sat down on the steps. She was very tired. Her body was in no condition for physical exercise. At half-past two in the afternoon, Beverly received a call, got up, walked to Alvera''s desk, and said, "Come out with me." Alvera took a look at her, put down her work and followed her to the door. Beverly crossed her arms in front of her and spun around to face her. "The 10,000 printers have arrived. Go down and unload them." "Why me?" "You made the mistake on the form." Alvera sighed. "Have you forgotten what Mr. Francois said yesterday? Both of us were wrong." "What do you mean by that, newbie? I can''t get you to do your work now? Should I tell Manager Wilson about this, or do you want to talk this out with Mr. Francois again?" Alvera felt disgusted at the mention of Rnd. She rolled her eyes at Beverly and walked downstairs. Beverly looked at her, smirking, then went back to the office. Seeing that Alvera did note back in, Patrick asked, "Beverly, where''s Alvera?" Beverly smiled disdainfully. "The warehouse." Patrick ignored her smirk and went out. Alvera was stunned when she arrived at the door of the warehouse. There were more than a dozen trucks there. She sighed. She felt bad for the warehouse workers who had to do extra work on such a hot day because of this mistake, so she ran up to help. ... The warehouse manager pulled her back. "Hey, is it just you? I asked Beverly to get some people down to help, and she sent a weak littledy like you? Is this some kind of joke?" Alvera was also ufortable. She knew that Beverly was trying to set her up, but she could not do anything about it. She did not want to see Rnd again. She gave the warehouse manager an embarrassed smile, rolled up her sleeves and stepped forward to help. Fortunately, the printers were not very heavy. Patrick arrived a little whileter. She smiled at him. "Patrick, why are you here?" "Why can''t Ie? It''ll take you until tomorrow to finish moving all these printers." As he spoke, he had already started to help. As a man, he was significantly faster than her. They worked tirelessly for two hours, but there were still more than two thirds of printers to unload. Alvera was already at her limit. She was so tired that she squatted down and rested one hand on the edge of the truck, sweating heavily from the pain and exhaustion. When Patrick came out of the warehouse and saw her like this, he was rmed. "What''s wrong, Alvera? Are you okay?" Alvera noddedboriously. "I''m just a little tired. I just need a quick break and I''ll be back at it soon." "That''s fine, I can work for both of us. Take a break," Patrick told her, then went back to work. ... However, when he came back again, he heard some warehouse workers shouting, "Hey, miss, wake up!" He ran forward quickly and pushed through the crowd. Alvera had fainted. He quickly took out his mobile phone and called for an ambnce. He patted Alvera''s face lightly. "Alvera, Alvera." Alvera did not respond at all. No one dared to move her because they did not know why she had fainted suddenly. When the ambnce finally came to take her to the hospital, Patrick followed them. At the CEO''s office, Terry pushed open the door hastily without knocking. "Boss, Alvera fainted suddenly and was sent to the hospital in an ambnce." Rnd''s hands trembled as his heart shrank. He stood up and walked out. His looked so nervous that even Terry was surprised. When he arrived at the hospital, he found Alvera in the general ward. She was still asleep with an IV drip in her arm. There was no one around her. Rnd walked to her side, frowned, and gently touched her cheek. It was a little warm. "Terry, transfer Alvera upstairs immediately." "Yes, sir." Terry immediately went to arrange for someone to take her upstairs. Patrickpleted the admission procedures and came back to the nurses pushing Alvera out of the general ward. "Nurse, what''s going on?" Terry stepped forward and told him, "We''ll be handling Ms. Alvera from now on. You can go back to work now." "Terry?" As they were speaking, Rnd walked out of the room as well. "Do you know why she fainted?" "She was unloading some stock in the warehouse just now. I think she was just too tired." "Unloading stock? What stock?" "The 10,000 printers that were mistakenly ordered arrived, and the warehouse called us to send some people to help. Beverly Moore took the chance for revenge and let Alvera go alone, which I only found out when I went down to help her. There''s still a lot of trucks at the warehouse now." ... Rnd''s expression became chilly. "Okay, you can go back." "Okay." Patrick nodded and handed over the paperwork to Terry. Alvera was put into a private ward. "Go back to the office," he told Terry. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. "Okay, Boss." "Fire that Beverly Moore immediately." "Yes." Terry conceded and went back to thepany. Rnd sat by her bed and watched her alone. He was worried as she still hadn''t shown any signs of waking up. Alvera did not want to wake up because she was having a beautiful dream. In her dream, she was strolling by the beach with her mother. She nestled her head on her mother''s shoulder like a happy child. "Mom, look, that''s my house. We can live there together peacefully. We don''t need to see the Earhart family anymore." "I''ve always known that you would seed. You didn''t disappoint me." Alveraughed happily. "I want you to be happy, Alvera," her mother continued. Alvera looked at her. "I''m happy when you''re with me." "Alvera, you''ve grown up. I can''t be with you forever. Don''t make me worry about you. I hope my daughter can live a happy life full ofughter. Don''t let revenge cloud your judgement. They''re not worth it, Alvera. Leave this ce and live the life you want." Tears welled up in Alvera''s eyes. "I will be happy as long as you don''t leave me." Her mother faded away as she stared at her through blurry eyes. She tried to hold on to her, but her hands grabbed at thin air instead. "Mom... Mom..." Rnd reached out and held the hand that she had lifted while she was sleeping. He had watched as sheughed then suddenly became sad agian in her dreams He did not know what happened in her dreams, but it made him sad too. "Don''t leave me, mom, take me away, mom, please, take me away, I want to go with you," she murmured suddenly. "Don''t go," Rnd said, holding her hands tighter. "Alvera, don''t go." As her mother''s figure disappeared, a voice sounded beside Alvera, "Don''t go, Alvera." Alvera fell to her knees and burst into tears. Rnd watched as her eyes twitched under her eyelids. She was sobbing faintly from her nose, and tears rolled down her cheeks. She was crying. This was the first time he saw her cry. She had never shed a tear before when she was awake. He bent down and hugged her gently, patting her shoulder andforting her. Alvera opened her eyes suddenly. When she sensed Rnd right in front of her, she tensed up. Rnd looked at her with his head tilted. "You''re awake." His voice was very soft. Alvera gritted her teeth and red at his hand holding hers. "Why did you wake me? You assh*le, why are you ruining my dreams as well? My mother disappeared because of you!" "She''s already gone." Rnd grabbed her by the shoulders. "You need to wake up." When she heard her low voice, her heart fell to the pits of her stomach as her brain snapped back into reality. Yes, her mother was gone, killed by the Earhart family. ... She had watched her mother die under the bridge in a puddle that night. She felt something cold running down her nose, and lifted her hand to touch her face. It was tears. She wiped away her tears and looked around. It was a hospital ward again. Ever since the liver transnts, she kept ending up in the hospital. She looked at the IV drip on the back of her hand. "When can I leave the hospital?" When she spoke, her voice had be as cold as before. "Leave the hospital? You''re not well, do you want to die?" Alvera smile, beautiful but sad. "If I die, that would be great news for you, won''t it?" Chapter 49: What Happened In Prison Chapter 49: What Happened In Prison "Who said we wanted you dead?" Rnd asked, his face dark and sullen. Alvera did not want to engage in the topic with him. "I''m fine now, Mr. Francois. You can leave." "I don''t have much to do today anyway. I''ll stay here with you." Alvera sighed. "Why? I''m here to keep youpany. Why are you so unwilling?" Alvera did not say anything. Rnd continued to ask coolly, "You had lunch with Antoine this morning. What did you talk about?" Alvera looked at him nkly for a moment. "You really know a lot about me. Did you send someone to spy on me?" Rnd raised his eyebrows and replied, "I don''t have the time for that, but you argued in front of the about?" Alvera smiled faintly and sat up to look out of the window. Her expression hardened slightly. "We talked about ending it." "Did he agree?" Alvera said nothing. "Looked like he''s deep in your charm. How did you do it?" "Have you ever loved someone when you were young, Mr. Francois?" She looked back at him and continued, "The ignorance and naivety of a first love are hard to forget, isn''t it?" ... "So you find it hard to forget him?" "Why should I forget him?" She asked him, "He is part of my youth. I want to remember everything that has happened in the past, be it friendship or love. Why should I forget him?" "You''re married." "Marriage is my future. It doesn''t mean that I have to forget about my past." She let out a deep sigh. "I have a good memory. I will not forget any love or hate because that would just be self-deception." "So you admit that you still love him." "Love? Maybe... once upon a time." She drew her knees to her chest and hugged herself tightly. "We used to be so fragile, so we would group together for warmth,fort, and encouragement. We spent our most rebellious years together. He taught me how to grow up." ... Rnd felt a trickle of irritation at her words. He never thought that Antoine was such a great influence on Alvera. "You don''t hate him? He did abandon you back then." "If you put it that way, I should hate you the most." She turned her head, rested her cheek on her knees, and smiled at him. "If he was the one who taught me how to grow up, then you taught me the meaning of humiliation," she continued. Her words felt like a dagger plunged unexpectedly into his heart. "I don''t know what grudge you hold against the Earhart family," "That''s not an eptable reason to hurt someone." "You hate me because I sent you to prison?" Alvera shrugged. "Mr. Francois, we''re straying from the topic. Let the past be the past, there''s no need to discuss any further." She loosened her arms. "Does this count as a workce injury?" Rnd stared at her nonchnt expression helplessly. This woman''s heart was locked, and it seemed like no one in the world would be able to unlock it. "Does this count?" she asked again. Rnd nodded. "Yes." Alvera smiled. "Then I can finally rest." "What happenedst night..." "What happenedst night is in the past now." She shifted her gaze back to the window again. "Can you be upfront with me in the future?" "I don''t even need to say anything if you had believed in me. You don''t believe me, so there''s really no use being upfront." "You''re too arrogant." Alvera did not respond to him. Was she being arrogant? In her opinion, she was being self-abased. "Oh yeah, that shed in the Earhart family''s backyard has been demolished." Alvera''s expression tightened slightly, but her tone was calm. "Is that so?" "The demolition should bepleted today." "That''s good," she said, her tone a little sad. "Is there anything in particr that you would like to get from there?" Alvera shook her head. He took out a yellowed exercise book from his bag and handed it to her. "What about this?" Alvera took a look at it. It was one of her exercise books from high school. She took it and flipped through it, then smiled. "How did you get this?" "I just picked it up when I went over." She tucked her hair behind her ear and began flipping through the book earnestly, smiling lightly every now and then.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ... Rnd went into a trance as he looked at her. He suddenly understood what it meant to be at peace. He stared at Alvera the entire time she was looking at the book. Finally, she closed the exercise book and looked at him calmly. "Mr. Francois, have you ever been particrly persistent on one thing?" Rnd raised his eyebrows and thought for a moment. "So far, no." She raised the exercise book in her hand. "The most persistent thing I''ve ever done is studying so that I could get into a good university. I worked hard for over ten years, but then I eventually realized that persistence is nothing next to money and power." Rnd knew that she was implying something, but he did not get angry. ... Now, he was used to the way she interacted with him, so he could withstand her impertinence. ... It would be more of a surprise to him if she had spoken to him calmly for more than three sentences. "Where is the university that you once dreamed of?" "That''s no longer important," she said as she ced the exercise book next to her pillow andy down. "Since this is a workce injury, then I''m going to take the chance to get some sleep." ... "You have plenty of time to sleep at night." "Not when you''re there. I can''t sleep well with you." Rnd frowned. "Are you trying to say that I disturbed your sleep?" She replied with a silent smile, then closed her eyes. "You''re buying dinner." Rnd shook his head and smiled. The way they interacted with each other was always so strange. Alvera stayed in the hospital on the drip for two days. On the third day, she ignored what Rnd had told her and went back to work. It took her the entire morning before she realized btedly that Beverly''s ce was cleared out and empty. ... When she had lunch with Patrick at noon, she asked him about it, puzzled. "Why is Beverly Moore''s ce cleared out?" "She was fired." "Huh?" She had a sudden cold feeling. "Why was she fired? What did she do wrong again?" Patrick nced at her and avoided her eyes. "The warehouse workers told on her that day when you were hospitalized. They had to work well into the next day dealing with the printers because it turns out she did not send anyone after they requested for help, so she was fired." She was fired just because of this? Alvera frowned. She wasn''t fired when they found a mistake on the form. "She deserves it. There''s something wrong with her attitude anyway. Don''t concern yourself about her, eat your lunch." Alvera nodded and did as she was told. In the afternoon, Terry entered Rnd office while holding a file. "Boss, the details for the Czech trip has been arranged. Here are the passports, the ne tickets, and the itinerary." Rnd nodded. "Leave them there." "Also, boss, this is the report from the investigators that I sent to look into Alvera''s time in prison. You were right, she was abused in prison." Rnd frowned. "Tell me the details." "Our informant was a prisoner who was released a few months earlier. She said that Alvera was often taken away by the prison guards at night. When she returned, she always looked like she had been beaten up brutally. The prisoner remembered Alvera because she seemed like an honest little girl who would be punished like this every month. She''s quite well known in prison." ... Rnd clenched his fist and banged the table with force. "Why were the prison guards targeting her?" "The informant wasn''t sure either, but the rumour was that she had offended someone influential outside the prison. The prison guards were bribed to beat her up." Rnd sighed heavily. He thought of the information he had found during his investigations and then thought about the scars on her body... He seemed to suddenly understand why she lived like a hedgehog. "Boss, should we continue to investigate this matter?" Rnd came to his senses and said, "Yes, find out who is behind this." "Yes, sir." After work, Alvera tidied up her purse and was preparing to go downstairs when her phone rang. She took out her phone and left the office quickly to pick up the phone in private. "Hello?" "I''m waiting for you in the basement parking lot." Alvera remained silent. "What''s wrong?" "Nothing, I''lle down now." She hung up the phone, went downstairs with a heavy sigh and got into his car. As soon as she got in the car, the driver drove away. "Don''t wait for me in the future," she said. "It would be bad if someone saw us." "What''s wrong with that?" "Didn''t you say that you don''t want others to know about our rtionship?" He rolled his eyes at her. "We''re leaving the day after tomorrow." "What?" "I told you before, right? I''m taking you to Prague." "You''ve settled all the paperwork?" "Of course. Did you think I was going to smuggle you overseas?" "I wouldn''t do it even if you were." She turned her head and smiled as she looked out of the window. She was a little excited at the thought of going overseas. Just then, Rnd''s cell phone rang. He picked it up and looked at it. Seeing that it was Andrina, he frowned. Alvera nced at his phone as well and looked away. Rnd picked up the phone. "Hello?" "Rnd, I''ve just finished my check up today." "What kind of check up?" "Aren''t you going abroad the day after tomorrow? I went and had a check-up at the hospital so that you don''t need to worry about me. The doctor said that I can go with you as long as I don''t get too tired. We haven''t had a trip together for so long, I''m really looking forward to it." Chapter 50: Do You Like Kids Chapter 50: Do You Like Kids Rnd turned to look at Alvera instinctively as Andrina spoke. She did not move, her head still turned towards the window. "Rnd, why are you not saying anything?" "I have already arranged the itinerary for this trip. I''m not bringing you along this time, maybe next time." There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone as the awkwardness hung in the air. ... Andrina pouted. "I want to take a break to travel around with you. So much has happenedtely, I just wanted to..." "Then I''ll arrange for you to go to France. You like France, right? I''ll hire two bodyguards for you." "I... " "Okay, that''s settled then." With her back to him, Alvera smiled lightly, feeling satisfied. "Don''t you want to go with your beloved woman, Mr. Francois?" She said after Rnd hung up the phone. "She must have been very sad." "Stop being so entric." Alvera smiled and did not reply. As long as Andrina was unhappy, she''s fine with it. He could say anything he wanted. When they got back to the Floral Vi, Alvera took a peek in the fridge found that they had nothing to cook for dinner. Seeing her rummaging through the refrigerator, Rnd asked, "Is your housekeeper not back yet?" "I told her not toe every day, just twice a week to clean the house." "I''ll get you someone to take care of you." Alvera looked at him. "No, I like to be alone, it''s quiet. I''m going to the supermarket to get some groceries. You can stay at home." "Let''s go together." Rnd got up. Alvera looked at him, surprised, "You want to go with me? To get groceries?" "If you can go, why can''t I?" "It''s not that you can''t, I just thought that buying groceries would be beneath you. But if you insist, that''s fine with me too. You can pay for it." Rnd gave her a sidelong nce. She could always change the meaning of her words with her tone. The two of them left the vi together, with Alvera driving. At the supermarket, Rnd pushed a shopping cart alongside Alvera as they shopped in the vegetable section. "Do you have anything you like in particr?" she asked. "Do you know how to cook everything?" "No, I''m just asking." He gave her a sidelong nce. "Then buy whatever you like." She picked up a cabbage, but Rnd said, "What''s so good about cabbages?" She put it down and picked up some lettuce. He frowned. "Lettice isn''t any better." Alvera pouted. "You told me to buy whatever I like." He shrugged and said no more. Alvera put down the lettuce and picked up a bag of cucumbers. "Why don''t you put it in the cart?" Rnd asked, as she stared at the cucumbers. "I''m thinking about what I can do with it." Rnd said coldly, "You''re so lewd." "Huh?" Alvera stared at him. Rnd raised his eyebrows, "You can do whatever you want with it, but it cannot rece me." It took Alvera a little while to understand him. She blushed. "Rnd Francois, who''s the lewd one here?" she said hastily, putting down the cucumbers and walking away. "I was thinking about how to cook them, you..." ... Rnd smiled. Who knew she could act like this as well. A shy Alvera looks good too. The two of them took a whole tour of the vegetable section, but only ended up with a couple of tomatoes. "Well," Alvera thought, "it''s going to be just tomato pasta tonight." She would nevere shopping with Rnd ever again. The whole ordeal was in suffering. When they passed by the junk food section on the way to the cashier, Alvera suddenly felt someone tugging at her skirt. She turned around and found it was a little girl around four or five years old. She smiled at her. "Hi, what''s wrong?" "I want my mommy..." the girl wailed as soon as she finished speaking. Her cries were so loud people around them had began to stare curiously. Alvera crouched down to the girl''s eye level and took her hands in hers. "Where''s your mommy?" "She... She''s gone." The little girl pointed to the west, sobbing. "She was here just now, but now she''s gone." "Do you know what your mother''s name is?" "Mary." "That''s great." She patted the girl on her head and then turned to one of the staff nearby. "Can you get someone to call for her mother through the inte?" "Sure, wait a moment." The staff left and Alvera stood up. When she was about to say something to Rnd, the little girl pulled at her skirt again and said, "Uniform Auntie, can you stay with me? Mommy said to follow uniform aunties and uncles if I get lost." Alvera squatted down again. "Don''t be afraid. I will not leave until your motheres." When she mentioned her mother, the little girl wanted to cry again. Alvera patted her on the head. "I can do magic. Do you want to see?" The little girl nodded repeatedly. Alvera took out a coin from her bag and put her arm around the little girl. She made the coin disappear by sleight of hand, which made the girl jump in surprise and delight. ... Rnd stood aside and raised his eyebrows as he watched them. This was yet another side of her that he did not know about, and it was good to see. A few minutester, the little girl''s mother rushed over when she heard her name called over the inte. The mother kept thanking them before taking the child home. The crowd dispersed and Alvera looked down at her professional suit. Uniform Auntie... well, she wasn''t wrong. They got back into the queue and paid, then left the supermarket. This time, Rnd drove them home. It was silent in the car when Rnd asked, "Do you like kids?" Alvera frowned in silence, but her hand hovered absentmindedly over her stomach as she gazed out of the window sadly. "You were enjoying yourself with that little girl just now," he continuned. Alvera said nothing. Rnd frowned, "Am I the only one in this car now?" She removed her hand from her stomach and looked at him. "Is there anyone in this world who doesn''t like children?" "I don''t." She raised her eyebrows and her voice grew colder. "That''s because you''re special." Rnd red at her. "Am I the only one you''re so cold to?" She kept quiet again. Annoyed, Rnd continued, "You can pour your heart out to Samuel Lambert, be gentle to Owen Perez, andugh with that colleague of yours, but why are you so cold to me?" She smiled and looked at him. "Are you sure you want to talk about this now? You won''t like the answer." Rnd felt a lump of anger settling in him as he ignored her. After returning home, Alvera went into the kitchen with the tomatoes. Rnd changed his shoes and sat down in the living room. "Are you having dinner?" Alvera called loudly from the kitchen. Rnd got up and went to the kitchen to stare at her from the door. Alvera asked again naturally, "Are you having dinner?" "Did I just go shopping with you because I had nothing better to do?" Alvera pouted. "Just say if you''re eating or not, no need to be so offensive. You can get out now." "Let me help you." Alvera''s hand, which was washing tomatoes, paused. "What did you say?" Rnd looked a little ufortable. "Don''t you need my help?" She immediately handed him the washed tomatoes. "Chop these." As soon as he took it, she immediately turned around to prepare the other ingredients. He smiled, washed his hands, and began chopping up the tomatoes like he was told. Alvera finished cooking the pasta and began making the sauce as he watched her from aside with his arms folded. She frowned. "Why are you still here?" He didn''t respond to her. He never thought that he would enjoy standing around watching a woman cook. Alvera finished cooking the sauce and served up the dishes. He took a bite and looked up at her, but did not say anything. Alvera was confused. "Why do you keep looking at me?" She asked. " Is there something on my face?" She lifted her hand and wiped her face. ... Rnd smiled and shook his head. "It''s nothing. Let''s eat." If he asked her what had happened in prison over the years, she probably would not tell him anything. She was always on her guard against him. Thinking of this, he let out a sigh. On the morning they were set to leave for Prague, Alvera called Samuel and asked him to send a message to Andrina on her behalf. ... She asked him to dy the message because she did not want to ruin her excitement of going abroad for the first time. The driver sent the five of them to the airport. Alvera was assign to the seat beside Rnd on the airne. She kept looking out of the window. Everything outside seemed to be very new and exciting to her. "Why are you so happy?" C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Alvera tried her best to calm herself down, "Are you upset?" "What''s there to be happy about? This isn''t your first time taking a ne, is it?" Alvera looked like a child who was caught doing something wrong. "What''s wrong with that?" Rnd could not helpughing and shook his head, "Nothing." "What are youughing at? Is it so funny that it''s my first time taking a ne?" "No, I just think that you''re a little too... excited." Alvera pursed her lips. Was she? She had actually tried to suppress her excitement already. She took a deep breath, turned her head sideways and leaned against the window, and became quiet. As the ne taxied down the runway, she felt as if her heart was trying to jump out of her mouth. Rnd noticed her nervousness and grabbed her hand while smiling at her. Alvera took a breath and looked at him, suddenly calmed for some reason. Four hours of flightter, her excitement had died down significantly. Seeing that Rnd was still reading the documents, she pouted and closed her eyes to take a nap. She was just about to slip into an uneasy dream when the ne started to rock up and down like a roller coaster. She woke up with a start and opened her eyes, a little flustered. Alvera clenched her fists in a panic. She couldn''t be so unlucky. This was the first time she took a ne. Rnd held her hand and looked at her seriously. Alvera asked confusedly, "Why is the ne shaking like this?" "This is also the first time I''ve encountered such a situation." "It can''t be..." She didn''t dare to say the word "ident". "If we die today, do you regreting with me?" It was like a burden had been released from her heart suddenly. There was really nothing to be scared of right now. Even if she died, she wouldn''t die alone. Andrina would be devastated if she knew Rnd had died with her. She smiled. "No, it''s not bad to die with you." The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!