《Entangled With The CEO Brothers》


 Laura鈥檚 POV

    My wedding took ce on the same day as my graduation ceremony, but that day turned into an unforgettable nightmare for me.


    I had been busy all day and when I returned to my newlywed suite. Before I could even take off my wedding dress, a sudden force attacked me from behind, trapping me around the waist and pressing me firmly against the wall, rendering me unable to move.


    ¡°Who?¡± I eximed, only to have my mouth be covered immediately.


    In the shadows, I saw a pair of sharp eyes. In the shadows, I caught sight of a pair of piercing eyes, belonging to a tall figure emanating a faint tobo scent that seemed particrly oppressive in the darkness.


    It wasn¡¯t my husband Carter!


    ¡°Cameron¡­¡± I managed to push his hands away and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Just came to see you,¡± Cameron¡¯s voice was low and chilling as it lingered in my ears. He leaned down, his nose brushing against my cheek. My face turned red and my heart was beating faster.


    ¡°Finally you became the mistress of The Lynch Family, are you feeling proud, huh?¡± he continued.


    His words left me almost breathless.


    At the age of eight, I was adopted by The Lynch Family. Regarding my situation, everyone in The Lynch Family was quietly aware. They treated me as a foster daughter, and upon graduating from college, I was supposed to marry Carter, the eldest son of The Lynch Family.


    However, who was standing in my bedroom, was not my husband but his younger brother, Cameron.


    Cameron smirked, his one hand was ying with my long hair while the other hand was reaching over to unbutton my neckline.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°So many buttons, quite difficult to undo!¡± he mockingly remarked in a low voice. ¡°What a pity, Carter can¡¯t get to enjoy the wedding night!¡±


    ¡°What are you doing? Cameron,¡± My body trembled, ¡°I¡¯ve exined countless times, that incident has nothing to do with me! Why do you keep targeting me like this?¡±


    ¡°Nothing to do with you? Then why is it that every time you exin, you can¡¯t look into my eyes?¡± he sneered.


    I lowered my head. I dared not look at him, those eyes were too sharp, as if they could prate everything.


    I was truly guilty¡­ The person who killed his sister¡­ was¡­ my father.


    ¡­


    Before the age of eight, my life was filled with poverty and turmoil. However, I never thought that one day, the word ¡°crime¡± would also be a part of my life.


    The Lynch Family was unrivaled in the business world, it¡¯s powerful and influential, but they had umted numerous enemies. The young daughter of The Lynch Family became the target for those people who were seeking revenge.


    Under the maniption of someone, my father conspired to kidnap Anne Lynch, the little princess of The Lynch Family. I vividly remember the scene at an abandoned construction site in the outskirts, where Anne was stripped naked, brutally beaten, and left wailing. My father, annoyed by her cries, heartlessly took a knife and cruelly severed her tongue¡­


    ¡°Laura Campbell!¡± Cameron¡¯s enraged roar brought me back to the present.


    He lifted me and threw me onto the sofa, then he pressed down on me with his entire body. I struggled desperately, but his strong hands firmly restrained me.


    ¡°p!¡± A resounding p echoed in my ears, and his icy voice was clear, ¡°I really don¡¯t want to see your face!¡±


    With that, he grabbed my shoulders and flipped me over.


    I heard the sound of the skirt ripping¡­


    I never expected him to do this! Today is my wedding night with Carter, and he is shamelessly trying to defile me in our newlywed suite¡­


    ¡°No, Cameron¡­ don¡¯t do this!¡±


    ¡­

 Laura鈥檚 POV 89

    Holly didn¡¯t continue and Carter lowered his head and asked me softly, ¡°How are you feeling? Is there anywhere ufortable?¡±


    I stared at him in a daze, my lips were dry and there was a parched pain at the corner of my mouth.


    ¡°Cameron¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Cameron?¡± frowned Carter.


    Then he smiled nonchntly, ¡°He¡¯s sitting pretty in jail, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    My heart skipped a beat and almost jumped out of my mouth.


    ¡°Is there anything physically wrong?¡± He tucked me in, ¡°The doctor has examined you in detail, everything is fine with the baby. But you have to be emotionally stable or you might go into prematurebor.¡±


    ¡°Holly, you go out first.¡± He said faintly.


    Holly and I looked at each other.


    Her eyes were like ice cream, containing indignation and unwillingness. She bit her lip and her look was all of a sudden sinister, as if she was picking a fight with me.


    It wasn¡¯t until Holly was long gone that Carter helped me up to a sitting position and handed me a ss of water.


    I didn¡¯t take it, and heughed softly, ¡°It¡¯s not drugged.¡±


    I turned my gaze away.


    ¡°I know what Holly did to you.¡± He squared his shoulders, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t have to go through this shock for nothing.¡±


    ¡°Why did you do this to me?¡± I wondered.


    ¡°You think I¡¯m too good for you?¡±


    ¡°All in all not too bad.¡± I said, ¡°You did take care of me a lot during my pregnancy.¡±


    He hooked his lips, ¡°Because you¡¯re my partner.¡± He shifted his gaze down to my stomach, ¡°And him.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t skimp on my partners, let alone women with children.¡±


    ¡°The Lynch Group, the property, the benefits, are those so important to you?¡± I looked over at him, ¡°Worth everything you¡¯d give for? You don¡¯t even care about your future wife, carrying another man¡¯s child in her belly?¡±


    ¡°If I cared about that, I wouldn¡¯t have called Ste mom when I was a kid!¡±


    His face was expressionless.


    His figure was on the slim side, and his skin was white and almost transparent. Such an image looked like a sick person anyhow, but it was this sick person who smiled with the most tenacious posture until now.


    ¡°I¡¯ve known since I was a kid to take it all back for my mom.¡± He says, ¡°To get all the irrelevant people out of The Lynch Family!¡±


    Irrelevant people, that would be Ste and her mother and son, I guess.


    So he can put up with anything and act like anything. Once upon a time he pretended to be honest, sick, and amnesiac, and now he finally doesn¡¯t have to pretend, but he still can¡¯t help but pretend to be a good man in front of me.


    ¡°Laura,¡± he patted the back of my hand, ¡°there¡¯s another reason I¡¯m doing this to you that you won¡¯t believe, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I really like you.¡±


    I froze, jerking my hand out.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t get that at all?¡± He smiled to himself, ¡°You can¡¯t tell?¡±


    ¡°Carter,¡± I rubbed my temples, ¡°I¡¯m a little tired and I want to rest.¡±


    He doesn¡¯t say anything for a long time and silently walks towards the door.


    Before he leaves he asks me, ¡°Laura, is Cameron really that important to you?¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer. I didn¡¯t know how to answer, exactly. Important? It was. He was the only man I¡¯d ever loved since I was a child, the only man I¡¯d ever given my all to, and the man who¡¯d hurt me the most. But does it matter now? I¡¯m afraid to say.


    It¡¯s his blood in my belly.


    I¡¯m sure I love this child.


    Just now when Holly asked the doctor to induce mybor, I even felt that he appeared, and he held me in his arms to protect me ¡­ Maybe it was just a dream, and it should have been Carter who saved me from getting out of there, but I¡¯d rather keep in that dream world for the rest of my life and note out.


    So Cameron is still important to me, but I don¡¯t dare say a word about it now.


    I¡¯m afraid that if I say it, Carter will turn on him again.


    Carter looks back at me, ¡°Get some rest.¡±


    I close my eyes.


    The doctor and nursee in to give me my shots and Yasmin brings in the stew and feeds it to me one bite at a time.


    ¡°I knew that Ms. Holly was up to no good.¡± She said as she fed me, ¡°That woman doesn¡¯t look kind at first nce! It¡¯s a good thing I was nosy and called the youngest, otherwise I would have been chagrined for the rest of my life if anything bad had happened to you!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Yasmin,¡± I suddenly remembered something and asked her tentatively, ¡°Has anyonee to the house in thest few days?¡±


    ¡°Come to what people?¡±


    ¡°Like ¡­ Cameron¡¯s former friends or something.¡±


    Yasmin froze, and her expression changed to one of calm and sadness. ¡°You¡¯re thinking about the Second Young Master again?¡±


    ¡°Not thinking about ¡­,¡± I lowered my head, ¡°When Holly victimized me, it seems like Cameron broke in and saved me.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible!¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s impossible, but it¡¯s really real!¡± I said, ¡°He was holding me and I could feel the clothes he was wearing, they were those rough prison uniforms with numbers on them!¡±


    ¡°You must be hallucinating.¡± Yasmin looked at me with some sympathy in her eyes, ¡°The young master wore a linen suit with a fountain pen pinned to his breast pocket, that¡¯s what you touched, right?¡±


    I stopped defending myself.


    It could really be my hallucination, Cameron is in jail, how can he just talk his way out?


    I Anne heart in the hospital to recuperate, asionally think of that hallucination, or can not help but smile.


    The child in my belly also has a telepathic follow the movement, everything makes me calm and satisfied.


    It¡¯s been nine months.


    I don¡¯t dare to take it lightly as the baby starts when it says it will.


    My body has be heavier, and more often than not, I just want to lie down and sit down, but the doctor said that more walking would be good forbor, so I walk a certain amount of road every day, and the route is to circle around the road outside The Lynch Family vi a few times.


    There were few cars on that road, and there were trees on both sides, so it was quiet and safe.


    I don¡¯t like people to follow me when I walk, and it¡¯s rare for me to enjoy breathing freely. However, as I was walking that day, a red sports car suddenly stopped in front of me, and I screamed in fear.


    Holly stepped out of the car.


    My eyes widened. How dare shee back? She almost killed mest time and what was she doing here this time?


    I regretted why I hadn¡¯t asked someone to walk with me; in this situation, if she still wanted me dead, I wouldn¡¯t be able to escape!


    I hide my hands behind my back and quietly unlock my phone.


    ¡°Laura, I didn¡¯t mean any harm.¡± She looks at me coldly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to call the police.¡±


    ¡°Heh, of course I won¡¯t call the police.¡± I said, ¡°With your skill, Sister Holly, by the time the policee, I¡¯ll be dead already!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you this time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying to hell!¡±


    ¡°Laura!¡±


    I reeled back and turned my head in a lifeless mad dash, calling for help as I ran.


    Holly catches up with me in a few steps and easily grabs me, ¡°You be quiet Laura! I¡¯ll take you somewhere ¡­ I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡±


    ¡°You let go of me!¡± My teeth chattered with hate as I struggled to get free, ¡°Holly, I¡¯m not going to fall for your tricks again! You little ¡­ man you¡¯re despicable!¡±


    ¡°This is the front door of your house, there¡¯s surveince everywhere, I dare you to do anything to you!¡± Holly yelled, ¡°Laura, what I¡¯m about to tell you has to do with Cameron!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I was stunned.


    ¡°Cameron!¡± she bites the name.


    ¡°I was going to go after you at the hospital that day, and it was Cameron who came in and got you out, you know?¡±


    I froze.


    Heart pounding.


    Cameron ¡­ It really was Cameron. I knew my feelings were real, I knew it was him!


    ¡°How?¡± I asked in a daze, ¡°Isn¡¯t he in jail?¡±


    ¡°Yes he was in jail, but he got out the other day.¡± Holly wrapped both arms around her chest, ¡°Cameron is Cameron after all, even if he is sentenced to jail, hiswork of connections, The Scott family¡¯swork of connections is powerful. Rumor has it that he was a little under the weather and bailed out that day to go to the hospital for a routine physical.¡±


    I took a step back.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    If he hadn¡¯t coincidentally bailed out of the hospital, Holly would have gotten her hands on him.


    Not only would the baby be gone, but maybe even I wouldn¡¯t be on this earth.


    ¡°So he spoiled it for you.¡± I raised an eyebrow andughed softly.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect him to show up.¡± She looks over at me, her face unusually pale.


    ¡°What the hell do you want to talk about today?¡±


    ¡°Go somewhere with me.¡±


    ¡°Holly ¡­¡±


    ¡°To Cameron¡¯s house!¡± She had a fish-out-of-water determination.


    I was shocked and stood there half speechless. Holly stepped forward to look me firmly in the eyes, ¡°Cameron and Queenie¡¯s house, aren¡¯t you curious about what¡¯s going to happen?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even if I wanted you dead, I wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to do it to you there.¡± She said, ¡°His house has a sophisticated rm system, and the police would definitely be at my door within a minute if I made a move on you. Also, what kind of man is Cameron? You know better than me, he¡¯s very alert, and in a house as big as this, there¡¯s a miniature camera somewhere. Do you think I would be that stupid to make a move on you there and leave evidence for the police?¡±


    I thought about it, she had a point, but I was still skeptical. ¡°What exactly do you have to talk to me about.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to talk about it.¡± She said lightly, ¡°I¡¯m just inviting you to a good show.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not taking your car.¡± I looked at her and called for The Lynch Family¡¯s driver to bring the car out. ¡°I¡¯ll follow you.¡± I told her.


    Holly gave a soft grunt, like a taunt. She didn¡¯t say anything more as she got into the little red sports car and hit the gas and took off.


    The driver followed me in his car.


    Along the way I was apprehensive, I had a strong premonition that something would happen, that it was not good, and even irritated me a lot, but I still had no choice but to follow her. Human curiosity is the most terrible thing in this world.


    The car stopped near South Bay, where an elegant and imposing vi loomed behind the hibiscus trees. Large clusters of hibiscus flowers red like fire,peting for color. In the distance, the sea and sky line up, blue and distant.


    What a unique location.


    ¡°These two bought their house here, they still know how to enjoy it, right?¡± Holly suddenly tapped me on the shoulder from behind, ¡°I heard that Cameron also gave you a small apartment once upon a time?¡±


    ¡°See, that¡¯s the difference between you and Queenie.¡± That smirk at the corner of her mouth is rather yful, ¡°Queenie is his wife, so he has to keep her in a big house like this, while you¡¯re his ything, so he can just give you any cage you want and you can live in it!¡±


    I look at her as if I have a thorn in my throat.


    Holly shows me in, and I wonder how she has the code to Cameron¡¯s door.


    ¡°No need to wonder.¡± She looks at me as if she¡¯s guessing what I¡¯m thinking, ¡°I¡¯ve been here a couple times.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± She smiled, ¡°All when Cameron wasn¡¯t home.¡±


    Before I could ask her why she was here, she took my hand and headed inside, The Lynch Family¡¯s driver kept a wary eye on me, ¡°Ms. Laura, would you like me to ¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have toe over.¡± I told him.


    I have a feeling that the ¡°good show¡± Holly wants to invite me to see must have something to do with The Lynch Family. If someone saw The Lynch Family¡¯s driver and car here, it could be bad.


    ¡°You pull across the street.¡± I said, ¡°There are woods there, so hide yourself and I¡¯ll call you if anything happens.¡±


    The driver looks at me, then at Holly, and hesitantly walks away.


    Holly raises a smile and looks at me in a way that seems to say, ¡°Good job.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re smart.¡± She leads me into Cameron¡¯s house, ¡°But Laura, with all your smarts, didn¡¯t you ever notice that Carter wasn¡¯t normal?¡±


    ¡°Not normal?¡± I froze.


    Holly gestured for me to go upstairs.


    We went upstairs to a cabin that was secluded and unusually constructed. Holly closed the door, and from the ss in the door we could see right into the downstairs living room.


    ¡°This ss is peculiar,¡± she said, ¡°the inside looks clear to the outside, but the outside can¡¯t see in.¡±


    ¡°What did Cameron put such ss in the door for?¡±


    ¡°That I¡¯m not sure.¡± She shrugged, ¡°But this room has helped me a lot.¡±


    My heart was pounding, and my belly was tightening up so much it hurt.


    ¡°Sit down.¡± She moved a chair for me, then I sat beside me. ¡°You may not be able to take that good show in a few minutes, but don¡¯t worry, whatever happens to you, I¡¯ll be responsible.¡±


    ¡°What the hell?¡± I asked breathlessly.


    But before the words left my mouth, I heard the front door m, followed by a mix of high heels and leather shoes entering the door, and the softughter of a man and a woman.


    Clothes rustled to the floor.


    I looked outside to the living room where a man and a woman were kissing passionately, stripped almost down to their underwear, their two bodies entwined as if in ecstasy.


    The room was empty, and the sound transmission was so good that the sounds of ennui pierced through the air and all the way into my ears. Then they copsed on the couch, the man violently broke through herst line of defense, like a ferocious beast, the woman in his body under the pleasure, body twisting, love is difficult to self-control.


    My heart beat fast and uncontroble, the blood in my body instantly poured to the top of my head, like someone had covered my mouth and nose, and I felt like I was going to suffocate.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t lie to you, did I?¡± Holly¡¯s voice was tinged withughter, ¡°This kind of live action movie is not something you can see all the time! I¡¯m afraid the love action movie masters in that country across the ocean wouldn¡¯t dare to shoot it like this!¡±


    My body was drenched in cold sweat.


    A nauseous feeling traveled down my stomach and up to my throat.


    It¡¯s never been this disgusting, ever.


    ¡°Brother Carter, be gentle ¡­¡± the woman softly chirped from downstairs, ¡°Don¡¯t ¡­ I can¡¯t stand it ¡­¡±


    ¡°Lighter? Heh, how about this!¡±


    He pushed hard, and the cries of pleasure were unceasing. ¡°Don¡¯t ¡­ I just gave birth not long ago, the doctor said not yet!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still so tight after just giving birth, you dead leprechaun!¡±


    ¡°Carter¡­¡±


    I almost fell down the chair and sat on the floor.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± A hand on my shoulder, ¡°Can¡¯t believe it? What you see with your own eyes is always a thousand times more brutal than what your ears hear.¡±


    I mumbled, ¡°Why ¡­¡±


    ¡°I know you heard me talking to Carter in the hospital bed the other day.¡± She looked at me, her gaze icy, ¡°I told you his rtionship with Queenie wasn¡¯t normal. But I¡¯m afraid you wouldn¡¯t believe me if I didn¡¯t let you see it with your own eyes, so I brought you here to see ¡­ what Carter and Queenie are really like!¡±


    ¡°Why are you bringing me to see this?¡± I looked up at her, ¡°What do I have to do with the two of them cheating on each other? You don¡¯t think that I really think of Carter as a husband, do you? Or do you think that I would hold out for Cameron?¡±


    I stood up, a little dizzy, and my stomach ache was getting worse.


    I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m pale or not, but the corners of my mouth are trembling and my whole body is shaking.

 Laura鈥檚 POV 90

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think so.¡± Holly is surprisingly calm.


    She takes a deep breath and stares me right in the eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t think letting you see this would do anything for me, but I had to let you see it. I didn¡¯t have an agenda, I just wanted to show Carter¡¯s ugliest side to someone!¡±


    ¡°Queenie cheated on Cameron a long time ago!¡± She said, ¡°She¡¯s been hooking up with Carter and having Carter¡¯s kids ¡­ Heh, and as for Carter as a person, he¡¯s weird as hell. He used to be in bad health when he had the chance to share your bed, and now that he¡¯s in good health, you¡¯re dead set on bing Cameron¡¯s guy.¡±


    ¡°What else can he do but stay with Queenie? And Queenie was nothing but a use to him!¡±


    A wave of dizziness washed over me, and my heart felt like it was clogged with arge, ufortable rock.


    ¡°I¡¯m going back.¡± I held my stomach as I felt this baby already falling down, making every step I took exceptionally difficult.


    My entire body was drenched in cold sweat. ¡°I just don¡¯t have the strength. Holly, you and Carter and Queenie, this mess you have with each other is your own business, leave me out of it!¡±


    ¡°How can it not involve you?¡± Sheughed softly, ¡°Laura, Carter is going to marry you sooner orter for the inheritance. Are you just going to watch your husband having an affair with another woman? How Queenie dealt with you before, have you forgotten?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you called me out today, isn¡¯t it?¡± I looked at her, ¡°You want me to catch the adultery and scandalize these two like when the video of me and Cameron went viral all over the world! Then The Lynch Family will be in disarray again, and even though it won¡¯t do you any good, you can watch from the sidelines and fall on your sword!¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Sheughed out loud, ¡°Laura, you¡¯re good, and you¡¯re absolutely right! Since thatst incident, Carter withdrew his funding ¡­ Magazine is facing closure, and all of my years of hard work is going to be destroyed!¡±


    Holly¡¯s face was fierce, like she was going to pounce on me and strangle me at any time. My back was pressed against the wall, and my hand tightly gripped the door handle.


    ¡°Since he¡¯s doing this, I¡¯ll simply die with him!¡± She shouted, ¡°He broke my back, and I¡¯m not going to make it easy for him!¡±


    ¡°Holly,¡± I looked at her quietly, ¡°Carter is despicable for sure, but you¡¯vee this far because you¡¯ve done more than your fair share! I treated you like my best friend and you betrayed me. You say you want to get back at Carter, but why wouldn¡¯t I want to get back at you?¡±


    ¡°Holly, we should both calm down.¡± I said, ¡°Being friends again is impossible. But we can end this peacefully and never see each other again. In the future you should also take the right path ¡­¡±


    ¡°End it peacefully?¡± Her face changed, then sheughed out loud, ¡°Can I still be calm? Magazine is my whole heart blood, I have paid for this magazine how much, do you know, Carter one sentence withdrawal of funds, so easily destroyed, but he forgot that I once gave him how many hurtful things!¡±


    ¡°By the way ¡­¡± she paused for a moment, gently hooked her lips, ¡°Speaking of which I¡¯ll tell you a little more ¡­ that video of you and Cameron, it was Carter spread out!¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± I was shocked.


    ¡°It was Carter!¡± she repeated, ¡°Heh, but Cameron looks smart, but is actually an idiot! This kind of video he actually saved on hisputer. Carter had someone crack hisputer password and easily got to ¡­ Gee, what¡¯s in there really takes my breath away!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s full of intimate videos of you two.¡± The mockery at the corner of her mouth was like a branding iron in my eyes, ¡°No less than that love action movie you just saw!¡±


    ¡°Looks like these two brothers are really different in this regard!¡±


    I pursed my lips tightly, unable to say a word, nor did I have the strength to. My stomach was hurting more and more, and I could barely move my steps. The intense pain was almost tearing my entire being apart, the intervals were long in the beginning, andter on, it would hurt almost once every one or two minutes, one time more powerful than the other.


    This was probably the paroxysm.


    I sat helplessly on the floor, taking big, deep breaths.


    A wave of heat bubbled up from underneath me, as if I were incontinent.


    There was a puddle of water at my feet, and blood was slowly running down my calves.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± Holly¡¯s eyes changed.


    ¡°Laura¡­¡± She knelt down and shook my arm, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You¡¯re not going intobor!¡±


    Disgusted by her touch, I fought to push her away, twisting the doorknob with all my strength and stumbling out. I was still conscious at the time, and despite the excruciating pain, I was still trying to make a case for myself ¡­


    If I could just get out of this door and find the driver, he could take me to the hospital and I could have this baby safely ¡­


    Laura, hold on just a little longer and have this baby.


    I stepped forward, but I took a step and almost rolled down the stairs. The living room is startled and I hear a scream followed by hurried footsteps.


    ¡°Why is she here!¡± Queenie¡¯s voice, ¡°Carter, she¡¯s inbor!¡±


    ¡°Carter, what to do?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s better not to let her give birth ¡­ get her here, God knows what!¡±


    The surrounding noise and clutter, my vision is getting blurred. The intense pain has taken over my entire consciousness. I can¡¯t feel anything else, I can¡¯t hear or see, my struggle may be insignificant in their eyes, I¡¯m just a mole cricket, they can step on me at will.


    I huffed and looked at Carter.


    A hint of hesitation seemed to pass through his eyes.


    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± It was that shrill female voice again.


    Suddenly a pair of hands lifted me up. ¡°I¡¯m going to keep them ¡­ still useful!¡±


    Those were thest words I heard before I passed out.


    I woke up with a fiery pain in my stomach, which Iter learned was a knife cut, eightyers of skin were cut, and a small baby girl weighing five pounds was removed from thatrge opening.


    ¡°Ms. Laura, mother and daughter are safe, congrattions.¡± The nurse pushed a wheelchair and took me to see the baby.


    Being almost a month early, the baby was a little small and would have to stay in an incubator for a few more days. I looked through the ss from afar, tiny she was lying in the incubator, like a little red meatball, her whole body skin was wrinkled, her eyes were not open yet, her little mouth was opening and closing, not a very good look, but I didn¡¯t feel disappointed at all.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    My heart was full of joy.


    I thought that baby was the most beautiful baby in the world.


    I had a daughter, I was a mom! It was an amazing feeling, she became a separate little person from my body, our umbilical cord was cut, but invisibly it was as if there was another umbilical cord connecting us.


    She would be the closest person to me in this world, the only thing I had left for this world.


    I suddenly fell into tears.


    ¡°Ms. Laura, you must not cry now!¡± The nurse eximed, ¡°You¡¯re still very weak, you¡¯ll fall ill if you cry like that!¡±


    I turned to break into tears, crying andughing in front of outsiders, it¡¯s almost like I¡¯m a psycho.


    Suddenly an icy voice came from behind me, ¡°The child looks seems to be more like Cameron, what do you think?¡±


    I turned back.


    There¡¯s an impish smile at the corner of Carter¡¯s mouth.


    He raised his hand and the nurse left, he came around behind me to hold the wheelchair and gently pushed me back into the hospital room.


    ¡°You¡¯re not quite in the condition for a normalbor and it¡¯s premature.¡± He said lightly, ¡°So I took it upon myself to sign the consent form for the surgery, is that okay with you?¡±


    I just looked at him and didn¡¯t say anything.


    He smiled and came over to me. ¡°On the signature line, it¡¯s spouse!¡±


    I was stunned.


    I didn¡¯t know what kind of mood to face him in at the moment.


    I¡¯d already crashed his party with Queenie, and I¡¯d learned that he¡¯d been behind all that, even Cameron¡¯s imprisonment!


    I hate him, but he saved my life.


    If it wasn¡¯t for him, my kids and I wouldn¡¯t be alive.


    I can¡¯t help but wonder if he¡¯s a man or a monster. How could he have so many conflicting sides?


    Carter took out a small box and inside was actually a bright shiny diamond ring. He took it out and forced it onto my finger, I struggled to get it off and he almost broke my finger, finally giving it to me tucked in my hand.


    He looked grim, his face with an unbeatable viciousness.


    ¡°What are you doing!¡± I red at him.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you understand me just now?¡± He sneered, ¡°The column I signed was spouse!¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m still going to marry you?¡± I found it unbelievable, ¡°You think I¡¯d marry you after that sordid scene you had with Queenie? Carter, don¡¯t push me! It¡¯s impossible between us!¡±


    ¡°Nothing is impossible with me.¡± He said, ¡°Laura, what do you think I left you and the baby for? You have to marry me, get the inheritance, and make The Lynch Group entirely mine!¡±


    He squeezed my wrist violently, his gaze venomous, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m keeping you alive so you can wait for Cameron toe back and the three of you to be reunited as a family? Heh ¡­ think beautifully! You can¡¯t keep this life in vain, it must be utilized to the maximum extent!¡±


    ¡°Right now your use is to help me fight for that inheritance, as for what happens in the future, I have other ns!¡±


    ¡°Carter!¡±I forced to endure the pain of my wound and red at him fiercely, ¡°Since you put your words in such a desperate way, I¡¯ll also tell you ¡­ clearly that I won¡¯t marry you! I won¡¯t lose my life¡¯s happiness for people like you!¡±


    ¡°Fine, then we¡¯ll see!¡± Heughed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll find someone to take good care of your daughter¡¯s father!¡±


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    ¡°As for that little thing in the incubator, I can get it killed anytime!¡± He gritted his teeth, ¡°Laura, I haven¡¯t set a time for the wedding yet, I can give you enough time to consider whether this deal is a good deal or not! You¡¯d better think it through, do you want Cameron and your daughter all buried with you?¡±


    I looked at him and took a deep breath. The blood stained the sheets red as the cut on his belly ripped. My hair was soaked with sweat against my face, and I clung to the railing along the bed, never having had a moment as helpless as now.


    And there¡¯s never been a moment when I¡¯ve been as determined as I am right now.


    I threw that ring down the toilet and flushed it down after Carter left.


    Two weekster I was discharged from the hospital with a tiny baby. But what awaited me as soon as I walked through the door of The Lynch Family¡¯s room was a storm.


    Carter wouldn¡¯t let me go back to my room, and he ordered me to a utility room on the top floor where I was to stay with the baby. I was no longer a youngdy or a young grandmother of The Lynch Family, but a servant of the lowest order, doing the same menial work as the servants, but receiving half their pay.


    Anyone can bully me.


    The Lynch Family maids have been reced by a group of Carter¡¯s inner circle who know how to drop the hammer on me.


    But it was good that Yasmin didn¡¯t leave. Onlyter did I realize that it was Mellisa who insisted on keeping Yasmin, even Yasmin herself didn¡¯t understand why Mellisa did that, the day she was left behind, Mellisa only said one thing to her, ¡°Take care of Laura and her baby.¡±


    ¡°Miss Laura, actually thedy is still good to you.¡± Yasmin said to me.


    But I was even more confused.


    What reason did she have to be nice to me? I was supposed to be her daughter-inw, but I was pregnant with Cameron¡¯s baby. I was in such a bad situation with Carter, almost a fish out of water, that she hated me, so why would she help me?


    I remembered that she¡¯d actually helped me from the first time I¡¯d met her at The Lynch Family. She helped me from the first time I met her at The Lynch Family. She was in the middle of my confrontation with Ethan, who was furious; she invited me for horseback riding and afternoon tea, and told me a lot of stories about the past generation.


    Even during my pregnancy, she took care of me in every way, just didn¡¯t talk to me much.


    She didn¡¯t look like she had other ns for me, but I still had to wonder what she was up to.


    That night when I finished the rest of the chores around the house and returned to the utility room, Yasmin was already putting the baby to sleep. Looking at her sleepy little face, flushed like an apple, it was as if the aggravation of my day¡¯sbor had instantly dissipated.


    ¡°You should rest early too!¡± Yasmin smiled at me and pointed to something on the table, ¡°Mistress asked me to send this.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    I saw a thermos sitting on the table.


    ¡°This is ¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s carp soup.¡± Yasmin said, ¡°It¡¯s stewed by Mistress herself, with only a very little bit of salt, but it tastes pretty good! I really didn¡¯t think that Mistress still had this skill.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Laura, drink it while it¡¯s hot.¡± She looked at me, ¡°It¡¯s for the milk, it¡¯s nutritious. You and the baby need it now.¡±


    My heart fluttered and the tip of my nose was slightly sore.


    ¡°Mistress is afraid that you won¡¯t be able to eat or sleep well, so she asked me to quietly look after you.¡±


    I had a feeling about that. For two months, although Carter hade down hard on me, I hadn¡¯t actually had that much work to do, and a lot of things Yasmin had quietly done for me. And Mellisa had people send me some supplements every now and then to replenish my nutrients, and I had plenty of milk, and the baby fed white and chubby, not at all like a premature baby.


    But the more Mellisa did, the more uneasy I felt.


    I thought of many reasons, but vetoed them all. I even wondered if she had a guilty conscience and felt that Carter had been too hard on me, so she was atoning for her son¡¯s sins. But based on who Mellisa was, she wasn¡¯t much of a kind person when she could put her own sister in a mental institution and irritate her like that. There¡¯s no way she¡¯s going to atone for Carter¡¯s sins in any way.


    But I listened to Yasmin, and since there¡¯s a benefit then I¡¯ll take it, even if it¡¯s for the sake of the baby, I¡¯ll have to put everything aside for a while.


    This had been a mystery that I couldn¡¯t solve until that day when the mystery was finally solved and my feeling could no longer be described as shock.


    The baby is now more than three months old and can already roll over and giggle. Her skin is white, unlike Cameron¡¯s, but she has an aura of strength and determination that cannot bepared to ordinary girls. That¡¯s what I¡¯m most proud of, and that, in a way, she¡¯s just like her father.


    I¡¯ve been quietly running around for the past few months, trying to get to meet Cameron.


    The day I finally got in line.


    I sat in the visiting room with my daughter in my arms, excited and apprehensive.


    Five minutester, Cameron walked out from behind the door, and at that moment my breath almost stopped ¡­

 Laura鈥檚 POV 91

    I couldn¡¯t stop staring at him.


    He turned out to be the exact same image that appeared in my dreams every time. Short inches of hair, with a bit of a moustache, his already cold and rigid face was now even more angr.


    He is slightly thinner, but more stylish, even wearing a prison suit can¡¯t cover up the kingly temperament he was born with.


    Only his eyes are as cold as ever, as if hiding two knives.


    I smiled at him, but he sat still and stared at me coldly.


    The transparent partition in the center separated us in two worlds.


    My heart tightened and I smiled unnaturally, ¡°Cameron, what ¡­ happened to you?¡±


    Cameron looks at me and lets out a sneer.


    Silence spreads between me and him, time passes by as his coldness lingers in my heart bit by bit.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± For a long time he spoke, his voice low and hoarse.


    He looked up and around, the corners of his mouth hooked into a mocking smile as he raised his hands and shook the shackles on his wrists, the bamming sound was ear-splitting.


    ¡°Fun?¡± Heughed, ¡°This is what you wanted, this is how you wanted it to turn out!¡±


    ¡°Cameron ¡­¡±


    I choked on his words, my heart pounding.


    ¡°Laura,¡± he looked at me, word for word, ¡°this is what you wanted. You¡¯ve seeded, you¡¯ve gotten back at me, and now I¡¯m stuck in this ce, losing everything ¡­ You¡¯ve gotten what you wanted!¡±


    ¡°No, Cameron!¡± said I in a panic, ¡°Once upon a time I misunderstood you, I know that there are some things that you didn¡¯t do, you were set up ¡­¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s all because of you!¡±


    ¡°Cameron ¡­¡± I mumbled, not knowing what to say.


    ¡°Laura, what¡¯s the point of youing here today?¡± He narrowed his eyes in a smirk, ¡°To see what I look like now? Or to demonstrate to me?¡±


    ¡°And bring a child?¡± He saw my daughter in my arms andughed softly, ¡°Carter¡¯s?¡±


    I looked at him in a daze, suddenly losing the courage to exin.


    When I was pregnant, no one knew who the father of this child was, and despite all the spection, she was still a mystery. Later, Carter bit out that this is his child, and I did not deny it, which is equivalent to acquiescing to the outside world ¡­ Cameron, despite being in prison, is not unable to hear a bit of news.


    When he misunderstood that Carter and I had a child, how did he feel?


    I violently recalled the former Cameron, pressed me under the body of the cruel torture when he left a cruel word, ¡°Laura, you can only have my child in this life!¡±


    ¡°Finally made it right with Carter?¡± He had a sneer hidden in his eyes and a few moments of despondency, ¡°Well, congrattions, sister-inw!¡±


    I stared at him without blinking, my heart grieving like a tidal waveing up and going down. It was useless for me to say anything at this time, once Cameron decided, no one could change it.


    I took a deep breath as my daughter hummed softly in my arms, baring her little mouth, probably hungry.


    Cameron nced into my arms as if he had a heartbeat, the icy cold on his face melted for a moment, but then came a deeper gloom.


    ¡°Take her and get the hell out of here!¡± He roared like a lion.


    The guard next to him lightly squeezed his shoulder and gave him a wink.


    ¡°Cameron,¡± I asked him softly, ¡°since you think I joined forces with Carter to set you up, since you think I seeded in my revenge, why did you save mest time at the hospital? If you hadn¡¯t intervened, Holly would have gotten her hands on me and the baby and I wouldn¡¯t have survived! Why did you save me?¡±


    He doesn¡¯t make a sound, his ck and white eyes shing with something I can¡¯t read.


    ¡°Why?¡± Half-heartedly he smiled, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Laura, don¡¯t get me wrong because of that one time. I don¡¯t feel anything but hate for you now! I am where I am today, and it¡¯s all because of you! You and Carter colluded with each other, inside and out, to drive me out of The Lynch Group and into this cell ¡­ heck, I won¡¯t let you go!¡±


    He sprang to his feet, overturning the stool, and there came a harsh chiding from the guards, two of whom had rushed over and brought him under control with their truncheons.


    But Cameron was still leaning forward, his face almost pressed against that clear panel, his eyes wide.


    ¡°Laura, I won¡¯t let you go!¡± He growled lowly, ¡°It¡¯s only three years, isn¡¯t it? Heh ¡­ old me can endure through it! When I get out, you, and Carter, none of you can think of a good time!¡±


    The child in his arms was frightened, wow cry. Some prison guards came forward to protect me behind me, loudly reprimanded Cameron, and others dragged and tugged to get him behind the iron door ¡­


    My ears perked up and my heart felt like it was falling into an ice pit.


    ¡°Yeah, and the little bastard!¡± Cameron roared at me as he broke free, ¡°I won¡¯t let her go when the timees. Laura, you¡¯re not the only one in this world who will get revenge! Just you wait!¡±


    He was dragged away.


    I sat in a daze, my child was crying her heart out, but I didn¡¯t have the strength to coax her. Tears were choked in my throat but couldn¡¯t fall.


    He hated me.


    He hated me so much that he didn¡¯t even spare the child and called her a ¡°little bastard¡±.


    I stood up and ran a few steps over to Cameron, who was already being taken away, behind closed doors and surrounded by expressionless guards. That¡¯s when the tears started to fall, and I screamed hysterically at the door, ¡°Cameron, it¡¯s your baby! She¡¯s your baby!¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    It was his child, and as he had said all those years ago, I could only have his child.


    I walked out of the visiting room lost in thought, holding my daughter in my arms.


    The little one¡¯s face was purple from crying, and a kind female prison guard reminded me if it was time to breastfeed her. That¡¯s when I responded. The warder helped me find an empty room, I finished feeding and walked out of this prison like a wandering soul again.


    I wondered what the hell my purpose was in this visit.


    Didn¡¯t I want to talk to Cameron ande to see him? How did I make the situation so unmanageable?


    It turns out that it was me who was thinking too innocently all along.


    I thought that I had solved all my misunderstandings about him, and that he would still treat me ¡­ like he used to, but I forgot that when I hated him, I was betting on his whole life¡¯s future.


    What I destroyed with my own hands was everything he held dear.


    And what I united with was someone who wanted to see him beg for life and death.


    So there¡¯s no end to revenge.


    Walking out of the prison, I suddenly realized that the sun was clear, the sky was high, and the air was incredibly fresh, with the smell of autumn.


    I have a sour nose, originally this trip also wanted to let Cameron see the child, and in the meantime to give her another name.


    But there was no need for that now.


    I named my daughter Sunny.


    I got home, handed the baby to Yasmin, and copsed into bed myself. It seemed like I had never been so tired. I didn¡¯t want to think about anything, I didn¡¯t want to do anything, I just wanted to get a good night¡¯s sleep.


    ¡°Tired?¡± Yasmin pours me a ss of water and whispers, ¡°Get some rest then. None of them are home today.¡±


    ¡°None of them?¡±


    ¡°Well, none of them know where to go. The house is quiet, so sleep in peace! If Young Masteres back, I¡¯ll wake you up again, so you can go downstairs and work to pretend.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± I gently nodded my head, there wasn¡¯t much in the house, in turn I couldn¡¯t sleep, lying on the bed and tossing and turning, my mind was in turmoil.


    Looking at the time it was just after noon, I thought I¡¯d go for a walk. Having only seen Cameron in the morning, I suddenly wanted to visit Ste at this point.


    Ethan was angry with her because of Cameron, and even stopped her medication, and then although she recovered, the move gave her a great deal of excitement ¡­ And I haven¡¯t visited her since I got pregnant, this year¡¯s time, I don¡¯t know how she¡¯s doing?


    I simply packed up and headed out the door.


    Ste was still living in that psychiatric rehab center, and the ward hadn¡¯t changed, so it was easy to find. The nurse was feeding her medicine when I went there, and from afar I saw that she was in good health, her face was rosy and she seemed to have gained some weight, she just couldn¡¯t leave the wheelchair yet.


    But her eyes were vacant, I don¡¯t know where she was looking, and she was chanting under her breath, I don¡¯t know what she was saying.


    The nurse said that she had been very obedienttely and was showing signs of improvement, and that with careful care, there was hope for a full recovery.


    I walked over and squatted in front of her. She shifted her eyes to me and just stared nkly at me, frowning from time to time, probably feeling familiar and couldn¡¯t name it.


    I held her hand and smiled softly, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°You ¡­¡± she responded a little, but blurted out, ¡°Anne?¡±


    My heart tightened and I forced a smile, ¡°Well, I¡¯m Anne.¡±


    Just think of me as Anne, as long as it gives her relief, think of me as anyone. I owe her daughter my life after all anyway.


    ¡°Anne¡­¡± she purred, taking me in her arms in a sh.


    She smelled of medicine, and it smelled strange, but being in her arms gave me a motherly love I hadn¡¯t felt in a long time.


    She had been adopted by me for more than ten years, but she had held me like this only a handful of times.


    Because I was the adopted daughter of my family, I was not valued or treated well, and no one cared about my feelings. These ten years of being a foster child have made me long for family love in particr. I often feel that fate is unfair. Why is it that other children can grow up happily with their parents, but I was born to be abandoned?


    I have never even met my real mother.


    I couldn¡¯t help but be saddened by the thought. I stayed in her arms for a good while before I could leave. Then I changed her clothes and washed them, bought her an apple and peeled it into small pieces and fed it to her.


    I chatted with her and told her jokes. She had no problemmunicating with people, but her brain was not clear and she did not recognize people.


    I also pushed her to the grass in the yard to sunbathe.


    We had a great time that afternoon. In the past ten years, I had always thought of her as my mother, but she rarely thought of me as her daughter. However, this was probably the only time that she loved me as her own daughter, and even though she kept shouting ¡°Anne¡± under her breath, I felt very relieved.


    ¡°Mom, I should get back.¡± I said to her.


    It¡¯s already four in the afternoon, if I don¡¯t go back to breastfeed, Sunny will be hungry.


    Ste was a little reluctant, her eyes were begging, but she slowly let go of her hand.


    My nose was sore, and I smiled softly, ¡°Mom, I¡¯lle back to see you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± She said slowly, ¡°Go home and ask your dad when mom can get out of this ce.¡±


    ¡°Soon.¡± I touch her face, ¡°As long as you eat and sleep carefully and listen to the doctor, you¡¯ll be better soon, and when you¡¯re better, you can go home!¡± I smiled, ¡°I¡¯m still waiting for you to help me watch the baby!¡±


    ¡°You ¡­ have a child?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I said, ¡°It¡¯s a daughter, you¡¯re a grandmother!¡±


    I walked out of the hospital room and a figure jolted around the corner. I subconsciously screamed, but was snatched by the person to cover the mouth and nose, dragged to the corner of the shadowy ce.


    My first thought was that I had run into a robbery.


    But in this mental hospital, who could rob me?


    The man let go and I settled back, my heart almost jumping out of my throat.


    ¡°Carter?¡± I gasped.


    His eyes were dark with a hint of hatred as he closed in on me a little.


    ¡°What are you doing!¡± I red at him indignantly. ¡°What can¡¯t you say properly?¡±


    ¡°Heh,¡± he sneered, ¡°am I not talking nicely to you right now?¡±


    He took out a piece of paper agreement, which roughly stated that Laura voluntarily gave up The Lynch Group or something ¡­ I was stunned and asked him, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯d give you time to think about our marriage, but I didn¡¯t realize you¡¯d have to think about it for so long.¡± He looked at me, ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to get married, I won¡¯t force it. By signing this, you voluntarily give up The Lynch Group and the estate. I don¡¯t need to be married to you to get that inheritance!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to say it again?¡±


    ¡°Carter ¡­¡± He was so shameless. ¡°You¡¯re despicable!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know I¡¯m mean.¡± He smiled shamelessly, ¡°If I wasn¡¯t mean, how could I make you hate Cameron so much?¡±


    ¡°But Laura, you¡¯re ungrateful enough!¡± He said, ¡°My mom was so good to you, and instead of being grateful, you sneak off to see this crazy bitch?¡±


    ¡°This is my mom,¡± I answered him clearly, ¡°the one who raised me for fifteen years! Your mom has nothing to do with me, and technically, your mom is the one who kicked my mom out of The Lynch Family and drove her here to suffer!¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy too?¡± Annoyed, Carter gripped my wrist hard, ¡°My mom is the real matriarch of The Lynch Family! If it wasn¡¯t for Ste, there¡¯s no way my mom and dad would have gotten divorced! This bitch is the third party you know!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what she is, she¡¯s mom to me.¡± I said, ¡°Carter, she was good to you when you were a kid too, have you forgotten that? That¡¯s what you call ungrateful and ungrateful!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Carter raised his hand and looked like he wanted to p me.


    But the hand lifted in mid-air but didn¡¯t drop.


    He flung the paper agreement with a rustle.


    ¡°Sign it.¡± He said coldly, ¡°Sign it, and The Lynch Group and the estate have nothing to do with you, so you can take that little sinful bastard of yours and reunite with Cameron!¡±


    I looked at him, my body shaking uncontrobly.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to sign.¡± The corners of his lips curled lightly, ¡°Then let¡¯s hurry up and get married! After all, getting the inheritance after we get married is the right thing to do! If I let you sign this statement, I might not even be able to pass thewyer¡¯s hurdle, but getting married will be different.¡±


    ¡°No way.¡± I licked my parched lips, ¡°Heh, Carter, you want to take everyone down with you? You used me to count Cameron out and now you¡¯re counting me out? You won¡¯t get away with it!¡±


    ¡°Laura!¡±


    ¡°I told you loud and clear!¡± I yelled, ¡°I¡¯m not giving up my inheritance, let alone The Lynch Group! I¡¯m an adopted daughter of The Lynch Family, and legally, I have a share in The Lynch Group. I am an adopted daughter of The Lynch Family, and legally, I have a share in The Lynch Group, and it is clearly stated in the will that I have a share in the estate! In the past, I might have been able to be uncontested, but nowadays, I understand one thing better, that only when I have contested and won over everyone, I am qualified to choose ¡®uncontested¡¯!¡±


    ¡°Carter, don¡¯t ever try to hit on me again.¡± I looked him in the eye, ¡°Rabbits bite when they¡¯re anxious.¡±


    ¡°Heh, good.¡± Carter looked at me for a long moment and smiled softly.


    Then with a calm expression, he took out his cell phone and opened the video.


    Suddenly a baby cry pierced my ears.


    My heart was violently seized, Carter looked at me smugly, ¡°Laura, if you don¡¯t want me toy my hands on your daughter, you¡¯d better obediently choose one of the two options I mentioned!¡±

 Laura鈥檚 POV 92

    I grabbed my phone like crazy and saw on the screen a few of Carter¡¯s inner circle, they were pushing Yasmin aside and one of the men was holding Sunny and unting his arms in front of the camera.


    My heart was torn into pieces.


    ¡°Carter!¡± I screamed, ¡°Don¡¯t you move my baby!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s up to you!¡± He gritted his teeth, putting his cell phone away and ring at me sinisterly, ¡°Laura, if you y nice, not only will I not touch her, I¡¯ll treat her like the apple of my eye!¡±


    ¡°Either sign the papers or get married!¡± He said, ¡°You choose any one of them. Cooperate with me obediently in order to guarantee you a lifetime of honor and wealth, as well as your daughter¡¯s life!¡±


    I looked at him, my mind already in a mess. I tried my best to find a little bit of clues from this mess, I often heard people say that a good man does not suffer before his time, and now I realized the truth of this saying.


    The one who knows what¡¯s right is the one who knows what¡¯s wrong.


    Nothing in this world is more important than my daughter!


    With trembling hands, I took the agreement.


    ¡°Is there a pen?¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯ll sign.¡±


    Carter gave a beat, then sneered, ¡°At a time like this, you still want to hold on to Cameron? Cameron wants you dead right now!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to bother with what Cameron and I have going on.¡± I look at him, ¡°Bring me a pen, I¡¯ll sign!¡±


    He pulls a signing pen from the inside of his suit.


    Smiling a viinous smile in passing.


    I hesitate for a moment, the tip of the pen about to fall onto the white paper, but then the pen is violently snatched away from me. I couldn¡¯t react fast enough, and then I heard a ¡°pop¡± and saw Carter covering half of his face in shock.


    In front of him stood Mellisa.


    Mellisa was ring at me ¡­


    I was stunned.


    Mellisa shielded herself from me like an old mother hen shielding her chicks, spreading her wings fearlessly, even though there was a ferocious hound dog standing in front of her.


    ¡°Mom!¡± Carter shared an incredulous look, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°I forbid you to do this to Laura,¡± she said, her voice trembling slightly.


    I don¡¯t know if it was anger or excitement, but her body was shaking slightly as well. Her handes up and sneaks behind her to take my hand.


    ¡°Carter,¡± she said, ¡°you can¡¯t do this to Laura!¡± and with that she tore the agreement to shreds, then turned to me, ¡°you¡¯re not allowed to sign this, and you can¡¯t get married! Lynch Group should have had Laura¡¯s share, and I¡¯m going to keep it for her no matter what!¡±


    ¡°Mom, you¡¯ve got to be kidding me!¡± Carter yelled, ¡°Why are you turning your back on me? I¡¯m your son!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not turning my arm out. You¡¯re my son and Laura is from The Lynch Family!¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you say another word!¡± Mellisa raised her voice with her own authority, ¡°Carter, have your men pull out and stop threatening Yasmin and the baby immediately! Now turn on the video, I want to see those people leave! I want to see Yasmin and the baby safe!¡±


    ¡°Mom,¡± Carter¡¯s eyes widen, ¡°what the hell is wrong with you?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but hold Mellisa ¡­ Her hand was warm, and at that moment, I suddenly had a strange feeling.


    When I was held in Ste¡¯s arms in the afternoon, I tried to find motherly love, but there was no such feeling.


    This feeling, all natural ¡­


    I stared at her in awe, unconsciously wetting my eyes.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    ¡°Mom ¡­¡±


    ¡°Do what I say!¡± Mellisa was near hysterical.


    Carter was startled by her, but he looked even more vicious and spat out one word with force, ¡°No!¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°Carter!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t take Laura so cheaply!¡± said Carter, ¡°She has to pay ¡­ Either she gives up everything The Lynch Group has to offer, or she marries me and helps me get my inheritance !¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Mellisa almost rushed to him, ¡°You can¡¯t do this to her, she¡¯s ¡­¡±


    My heart hangs in my throat.


    A strong sense of foreboding hit me.


    The world seemed to enter a vacuum and silence stretched like a vine.


    I stared intently at Mellisa¡¯s lips, pea-red lips flicked open and closed, ¡°She¡¯s your sister.¡±


    Instantly it was like something exploded in my ears.


    ¡°She¡¯s your sister, Carter!!! is my own daughter!¡± Mellisa¡¯s eyes reddened, ¡°You can¡¯t do this to her!¡±


    Carter froze in ce, wide-eyed, seeminglypletely unable to believe this.


    For a moment, I thought Mellisa was talking nonsense, too. But when I strung together what she¡¯d been doing all this time, I realized that she hadn¡¯t been nice to me for no reason.


    She¡¯s my mom, and it¡¯s in a mom¡¯s nature to love her children.


    Even though she¡¯s been absent from my life for over twenty years.


    My heart stung and I leaned against the wall to catch my breath.


    After a long time, Carter whispers, ¡°No ¡­ that¡¯s not it!¡± The corners of his mouth twitched, ¡°Heh, Mom, you¡¯re kidding, right? Look closely, she¡¯s Laura. She¡¯s our adopted daughter from The Lynch Family, when did she be your daughter? Mom, you never told me you had a daughter!¡±


    Mellisa turned her face to look at me.


    I leaned against the wall, an intense feeling of shock stretching down my heart and into my limbs.


    It was as if I didn¡¯t recognize her. What should I call her now? Auntie?


    Or ¡­ mom?


    The word mom suddenly became so foreign.


    ¡°Laura ¡­,¡± her voice caught for a moment, and she reached out a hand to hold my shoulder.


    The moment she touched it, I pushed her away violently.


    ¡°No¡­¡± I mumbled, ¡°don¡¯te over yet.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t take it all at once, I¡¯m begging you to stay away for now!¡±


    ¡°What I said was true!¡± She put her hand over her heart, ¡°You have to believe me!¡±


    Big tears fell down my face.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the proof?¡± I said, ¡°What makes you say I¡¯m your daughter? Do you know who my father is? His name is Jacob Campbell and he¡¯s a murderer! He killed Anne!¡±


    ¡°Not Jacob!¡± shouted Mellisa, ¡°You¡¯re the daughter of The Lynch Family, Laura! Yourst name is Lynch, you¡¯re not Campbell!¡±


    ¡°No-¡±


    I screamed covering my ears.


    I¡¯d rather this all be a dream, I¡¯d rather go back to being a child, I¡¯d rather be pointed out that my dad was a murderer!


    I wouldn¡¯t want to be The Lynch Family¡¯s daughter either ¡­


    I felt my eyes go ck and the world spin around. I fell back into that horrible dream, surrounded by darkness, Cameron¡¯s face appeared from time to time, and Anne¡¯s tongue with a piece of it broken off was at my feet ¡­ I was covered in blood and tried to run away from this ce, but I couldn¡¯t get to the end of it.


    ¡°Ms. Laura!¡± Someone called to me.


    I open my eyes and Yasmin is sitting beside me.


    The look in her eyes tells me she already knows all.


    Mellisa sits in a chair, just about to lean over, then takes a few steps back, a difficult expression on her face.


    I realized that I was already lying in my room. There was a beautiful crib added to the room, and Sunny was sleeping under a pink gauze, like a little princess.


    Yet just a day ago, all this was something I couldn¡¯t even think about.


    Yasmin brought the soup and quietly retreated. Mellisa looked at me with careful eyes. She sat on the edge of my bed to see that I wasn¡¯t resisting before she asked softly, ¡°Can we talk?¡±


    As it happened, I wanted to talk to her too.


    But where to start talking?


    I looked at her, her face was a bit haggard, but her back was straight and that essence was still there. She was still the same dignified and self-respecting Mellisa, but in front of my own daughter, she was still three times shorter.


    Put your heart in the right ce, just like I did to Sunny. If I owed Sunny twenty years of motherly love, I would be coy in front of her too.


    ¡°Laura ¡­¡± Mellisa took my hand.


    I gently drew it back and she showed me a DNA certificate. ¡°I thought you wanted proof? This is proof.¡±


    The numbers on it areplicated, and there¡¯s a column at the end that says the probability of kinship is greater than 97%.


    ¡°It¡¯s you and Carter.¡± She nced at me and said softly, ¡°Remember thest time you broke Carter¡¯s head, he was in desperate need of a blood transfusion, but the hospital¡¯s blood bank was running out, and the doctors used your blood ¡­ I¡¯ve been a little skeptical of you ever since.¡±


    ¡°You know, The Lynch Family has people with special blood types. If you say coincidence, then this is too much of a coincidence. Even if there were people with the same blood type transfusing each other, there would still be a few indicators that don¡¯t match. But I quietly asked the nurse, and your blood sample with Carter was an exact match for either statistic.¡±


    ¡°So you secretly did the DNA?¡± said I. ¡°You knew then that I was your daughter, but you never recognized me.¡±


    Mellisa doesn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°You¡¯re bitter aren¡¯t you?¡± I smiled bitterly, ¡°Everyone has hardships, everyone has no choice, but fate is fair to everyone. The sins you have done, you always pay back.¡±


    I sniffle and look at her, ¡°Please tell me, what really happened back then?¡±


    A single tear falls from Mellisa¡¯s eye.


    She never gets emotional, she keeps it under control, so even in these times of conflicted sadness, I still don¡¯t see any waves of emotion from her. But she shed a tear, and her tightly suppressed feelings burst forth in this moment. Like when Carter pushed me, she stood in my way, a mother¡¯s instinct, uncontrolled by emotion.


    She told me everything about that year.


    Ever since she divorced my real father, Ethan, she¡¯d remained undyingly devoted to him. Even though Ethan was already Ste¡¯s husband by then.


    She still tried to get him back.


    One day she got her chance, and that was the day they had me.


    But by then she was nameless, and her pride and self-esteem would not allow her to have a child without a name. For some reason she did not abort it, but gave me away after giving birth to me. At first the intermediary told her that I had been sent to a good family, but when she tried to see her daughter secretly, she realized that the intermediary had lied to her.


    ¡°I never heard from you after that.¡± She said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t have imagined in any way that you would be the daughter of someone like Jacob.¡±


    ¡°Laura ¡­¡± She looked at me, ¡°You suffered a lot as a child, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    I lowered my head.


    There were no tears in that moment, and I hooked the corners of my mouth slightly.


    What¡¯s the point of talking about this now when you¡¯ve survived even more suffering? I have conflicting feelings towards Mellisa, to say that I don¡¯t me her, that¡¯s really impossible. She abandoned me back then, leaving me in a state of loneliness for more than twenty years of my life, and then I was adopted by The Lynch Family, which is clearly my home, but I live like an outsider.


    And ¡­


    I looked over at Sunny in the bass.


    A sharp stabbing pain in my heart.


    I was Ethan and Mellisa¡¯s daughter, so Cameron was my half-brother.


    I ¡­ actually had a child with my brother, with my brother!


    And I was in love with this brother!


    I felt dizzy and spit out all the soup I had just taken in again.


    Tears suddenly copsed and simply gushed out uncontrobly.


    Mellisa had her hands full tending to me as I pushed her away one at a time, telling her I didn¡¯t want to see her again.


    At this point I don¡¯t even know who to me or me, who to put the me on!


    ¡°Laura. ¡°Mellisa walked to the door and turned her back to me, ¡°I know you can¡¯t ept it for a while, but it¡¯s the truth ¡­ mom was sorry for you in the past, back then the situation forced me to do it for the sake of profit, for my own face, I couldn¡¯t let anyone know you existed! But Laura, mom has always thought of you ¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you say that again!¡± Now that she¡¯s saying it again, I just feel hypocritical.


    ¡°You can¡¯t correct the past, but in the future, mommy will protect you and never let you suffer a bit again!¡±


    I buried my face in the pillow, and after a long time, I heard myself wailing hysterically.


    I took Sunny to the hospital for tests andb work. I was worried that she had mental problems or some other disease, but everything turned out to be normal.


    She knew more and more things, sometimes she could y with a toy for a long time, and she was unusually sensitive to colors and especially liked the stickers on the wall at home.


    However, I have been paranoid all day long, I bought a lot of books, and online to find out what a child of this age should know, a little bit of the wrong, I think it¡¯s my sin, and then began to think nonsense, disturbing themselves not peaceful.


    I wondered if I was depressed again.


    During that time, I had to take medicine every day in order to sleep well, but because I couldn¡¯t breastfeed because of the medicine, Sunny started drinking form milk early. Sometimes I held this little child in my arms, my heart bursting with irritation, almost swimming on the verge of copse.


    Once, I didn¡¯t even know what was going on, but I walked up to the roof with Sunny in my arms, and it was only when Yasmin chased after me and grabbed me that I came back to my senses ¨C one more step and we would have both fallen to pieces!


    The doctor said I was clearly post-partum depressed.


    But I knew it was more than that, I was more worried about Sunny and the fact that I had made a mistake bringing her into the world.


    ¡°Miss, you don¡¯t have to be like this at all.¡± Yasmin relieved me, ¡°Sunny is so healthy now, she ys andughs, the other day I was cuddling her and she could almost sit on myp! Kids don¡¯t sit until six months, she¡¯s so far ahead of everyone else!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I was shocked, ¡°Then isn¡¯t it abnormal for her to be earlier than others? I¡¯ve read that some experts say it¡¯s not normal for children to develop early either!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you!¡± Yasmin frowned, ¡°What exactly do you want for your child? What does it matter if it develops earlier orter? Kids will grow up eventually ah! Do you want her to set a schedule and make her follow it to the letter? Even airne flights aren¡¯t that punctual!¡±


    I was dumbfounded.


    So much so that it did feel like I had gone a little overboard for a while, but I couldn¡¯t help it.


    ¡°You need to rx.¡± Yasmin took my hand, ¡°Nowadays medicine is so advanced, if there was something wrong with this child, it should have been checked out when it was in your belly. It was fine then, what are you worried about at this time?¡±


    ¡°Besides ¡­,¡± she paused and whispered, ¡°Whether the second young master is The Lynch Family¡¯s person or not, who can say for sure?¡±


    I was stunned, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

 Laura鈥檚 POV 93

    Yasmin blushed.


    ¡°Actually ¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have said anything.¡±


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten? I told you about itst time.¡±


    After she reminded me so much I remembered, that time in the riding arena, I was surprised that Carter¡¯s body recovered so well, Yasmin told me that he had two surgeries. But one of the surgeries had been a sudden, life-threatening hemorrhage, and Cameron¡¯s blood type had beenpletely off again.


    After all, The Lynch Group is a crowded ce, and when word of this leaked out from whoever it was, there were some private conversations about how Cameron might not be Ethan¡¯s son.


    I was struck by the hopefulness of the rumor, but I also felt that it was borderline impossible.


    If Cameron really wasn¡¯t from The Lynch Family, why had my dad been rehiring him all these years?


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it personally.¡± Yasmin said softly, ¡°No one would dare tell you what¡¯s really going on. I am just telling you that there is nothing wrong with the child at all, so don¡¯t trouble yourself. Ms. Laura, I have taken care of you for so long, and you are about the same age as my daughter, so I treat you as if you were my own child ¡­ Seeing you like this, it breaks my heart! Do you realize how much weight you¡¯ve lost?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Laura,¡± she patted me on the shoulder, ¡°The most important thing to you right now is Sunny ah! Rtionships and all that are nothing, children are the real thing!¡±


    I looked up at her, tears falling down my face.


    Yasmin was right, children are the most real.


    I look at Sunny, it¡¯s time for me to be strong for this little guy anyway.


    I don¡¯t have any sibling feelings for Carter, Mellisa¡¯s identity was too much of a surprise for me to ept for a while. As for Ethan, he¡¯s been dispensable all these years, so what if he was my real father? To me, he¡¯s not nearly as present as Jacob.


    But The Lynch Group and the property, it¡¯s real in front of me.


    Since myst name is Lynch, I deserve my share of these things. I have to fight for my fair share if I¡¯m going to raise my children.


    Once again, when fighting for these, I am no longer a weakling, not a tool to be used by anyone. I am no longer the adopted daughter of The Lynch Family, but the real Missy of The Lynch Family.


    I held Sunny in my arms and walked along the beach, the sea breeze blew my hair, but blew my thoughts more and more clear.


    Sunny suddenly cried, I snapped back to my senses, and was shocked to realize that I was cold from the knees down, so I was stepping in the water.


    It¡¯s high tide now, my foot slips and my whole foot sinks into the quicksand, struggling outward is quite difficult.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Suddenly a force grabbed my arm, ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid,e up!¡±


    This voice sounded familiar. I turned around and he also froze, hurriedly dragging me towards the shore with force, ¡°Come up first!¡±


    Thanks to him, Sunny and I were safe.


    The wind was picking up, the waves were getting bigger, and it was drizzling. He dragged me and fought his way to the car in one breath and shoved me in.


    It took a lot of effort for me to coax Sunny into it.


    ¡°Are you stupid? What hurdle can¡¯t you get through, bringing a child out to kill yourself!¡±


    I was stunned by his yelling and looked at him nkly.


    Patrick¡­


    This man seems to be a memory from my past life. I haven¡¯t seen him for more than a year, he seems to have gained a bit of weight, still thick and honest, giving people a sense of security.


    And the eager care in his eyes hasn¡¯t changed at all.


    My heart was touched and I grinned at him in embarrassment.


    ¡°What? You think I¡¯m out to kill myself?¡±


    ¡°Or what?¡±


    ¡°Would you believe me if I told you I was out for a walk with the kids?¡±


    ¡°Laura!¡±


    He looked at me and let out a heavy sigh.


    Suddenly arge hand covered the back of my hand.


    ¡°Laura,¡± he looked into my eyes, ¡°if there are any real difficulties, I¡¯ll face them with you. But please, for the sake of the baby, please live, do you understand?¡±


    My eyes suddenly became wet, and a warm current surged through my heart.


    And then I felt that I was really sorry for him.


    He didn¡¯t know that the baby was Cameron¡¯s, and he didn¡¯t know that a lot had happened in the meantime. I had lost contact with him since hisst car ident, and it wasn¡¯t until I heard from Carter that Holly had been taking care of him after the ident that I resolved to have nothing more to do with him.


    I wasn¡¯t good enough for him.


    But now he showed up again.


    Still with such a warm gesture.


    I lowered my head, tears falling onto the back of his hand. He gently wipes them away for me and takes me into his arms with Sunny.


    I told him that I didn¡¯t want to stay at The Lynch Family, the atmosphere there was depressing to me. He didn¡¯t ask many questions and was as eager as ever to help me find an apartment.


    A colleague of his on the police force had resigned and it just so happened that a cottage was vacant, right across the street from his house. He immediately helped me rent it, and within a few days I simply packed up and moved in.


    I didn¡¯t expect him to move so quickly and clean the ce up long ago.


    There was also a tiny crib that was beautiful.


    ¡°Thank you, Patrick,¡± I was embarrassed, ¡°always bothering you so much.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± He looked at me, ¡°Still friends, anyway.¡±


    I lowered my head.


    I owed him after all.


    I was veryfortable in those days, Patrick took good care of me and I came out of the shadows quickly.


    He worked during the day and came back at night to help me take care of Sunny, sometimes when the baby cried at night, he came knocking on the door and held the baby in his arms to put her to sleep without rest.


    Sunny became more and more fond of him, when she was eight months old, she could babble some baby talk, hazily called out ¡°mommy¡±, I was so excited that I almost shed a tear, holding her in the house around and around, but the result was that her little head tilted, and rushed to Patrick shouted, ¡°Daddy.¡± Daddy.¡±


    The atmosphere fell violently silent.


    We both looked at each other, a little embarrassed.


    Patrick lowered his head, his face a little red, and sat there rubbing his hands together while he ate and let out augh.


    I felt quite bad inside. He had been taking care of us all this time, and Sunny was very close to him, so naturally she thought of him as her father.


    But that wasn¡¯t fair to Patrick.


    I put Sunny into the bass, walked to his side to pat him on the shoulder, not yet thought of what to say, but he spoke first, ¡°Do not take it to heart, children¡¯s words ¡­ children¡¯s words are reckless!¡±


    Who knows Sunny waved his little hand, ink ck eyes like two ck grapes, blurred and called out, ¡°Dad!¡±


    Patrickughed and walked over to pick her up, rubbing her little face affectionately.


    ¡°Patrick,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to have bothered you all this time.¡±


    ¡°Say what?¡± He looks at me.


    ¡°I said we can¡¯t bother you like this anymore.¡±


    ¡°Laura ¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve done so much for me, and there¡¯s no way I can repay you.¡±


    If there was a crack in the ground in front of me, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to dive in.


    ¡°Hehe,¡± Iughed helplessly, ¡°You don¡¯t even know who this child¡¯s father is. Patrick, all the people living around here are your police force colleagues, I¡¯ve already heard a lot of rumors these days, if this continues, how are you going to be a human being?¡±


    ¡°What whispers?¡± He frowned, ¡°Laura, why are you being silly! As long as we livefortably, what do you care what people say?¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m notfortable right now.¡± I was a little heartbroken, ¡°Patrick, you shouldn¡¯t be so nice to me!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m being nice because I want to!¡± He blushed, ¡°Laura, aren¡¯t we friends?¡±


    ¡°Just because I think of you as a friend, I can¡¯t handle it.¡±


    ¡°Laura!¡±


    ¡°Patrick, you really don¡¯t have to take care of me too much.¡± I stepped forward to take Sunny from him.


    These are the same words I¡¯ve been trying to say to him, I¡¯ve hurt him once, I can¡¯t do it again.


    And it was only a while ago that I gave him illusions again when I was too greedy, enjoying all the conveniences he offered me and treating him like a safe haven.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty much conditioned now too.¡± I said, ¡°There¡¯s basically nothing wrong with my body, and I¡¯m in a good mental state. sunny is slowly getting older, and I can rx a bit. I¡¯m going to get a babysitter and I¡¯ll go out to work during the day.¡±


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    ¡°The rent for this house, I will pay you.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so outgoing.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t work.¡± Iughed, ¡°Pro-brothers have to settle their ounts. Besides, this is a benefit from the force, so it¡¯s already against the rules for me toe in and live here, so how can I not pay the rent?¡±


    ¡°Patrick,¡± I sighed, looking at him quietly, ¡°If you really consider me a friend, then respect my choice, okay?¡±


    ¡°I consider you a friend too. That¡¯s why I hope ¡­ you¡¯ll think more about yourself, don¡¯t always spend your time on me and Sunny, you should go find a girlfriend.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything and kept his head down, I couldn¡¯t see his expression but I could feel that he wasn¡¯t in the right mood.


    It was very low.


    After a long time he let out a softugh, ¡°It really seems like you¡¯re going to draw a line in the sand with me?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°Laura,¡± his voice was deep and a little husky, ¡°why can¡¯t my girlfriend be you? You¡¯re not married right now, and I don¡¯t have another woman!¡±


    ¡°But I have kids ¡­,¡± I squeezed out the words with difficulty.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± He held me by the shoulders, ¡°I¡¯m confident I can take care of you guys, I already think of Sunny as my own daughter.¡±


    I have to say, those words got to me.


    What woman could resist that kind of temptation?


    A tall, loyal man with a good family and upbringing, a job he¡¯s proud of, but only willing to give everything for you, even if you¡¯ve betrayed before.


    Even if you have someone else¡¯s child.


    I really wanted to lean into Patrick¡¯s arms at that moment. I was too tired to hold on alone and needed a shoulder to protect me from the wind and the rain.


    I didn¡¯t say a word, and an awkward silence spread in the air.


    Sunny looked left and right with her little eyes, then suddenly giggled and touched my face with her little hand.


    I snapped back to my senses.


    Patrick¡¯s hand loosened, disappointment swept across his eyes.


    I carry Sunny back to my room, my back to him and whisper, ¡°You deserve a better woman. Don¡¯t waste your time on me, we¡¯re from two different worlds.¡±


    ¡°Laura¡­¡± he murmurs my name.


    And before the words left his mouth, there was a sharp knock on the door.


    I was surprised, no one had been disturbed in the past few months, and who knew I lived here?


    I exchanged a nce with Patrick, who was also a bit puzzled, and gingerly went to open the door.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Surprisingly it was Holly at the door!


    She didn¡¯t look good, and even the most colorful makeup couldn¡¯t hide that distraught look. Herrge eyes were almost sunken underneath her finely groomed eyebrows, but the malice in her eyes as they locked onto mine was even more profound than before.


    ¡°Heh, I haven¡¯t heard from you in months, so I¡¯ve been looking for you.¡± She looked at me.


    I subconsciously hugged Sunny tighter.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°What else could I be doing?¡± I can clearly feel Holly¡¯s hostility towards me, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you guys for months, so you¡¯ve been together all this time!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was the one who had to take care of Laura.¡± Patrick stepped forward to block me.


    He secretly tugged on my sleeve and gave me a wink to carry the baby back to my room.


    ¡°Laura you stop!¡± Holly lunged in, but Patrick¡¯snky frame was like a wall in front of her.


    She couldn¡¯t squeeze halfway across this threshold with all her strength, and her hysterical shouts shook the hallway.


    ¡°Shame on you, shame on you!¡± She cursed, ¡°Lowly, vile! You want to find an honest man to marry after you¡¯ve been yed rotten by a public man? Why are you so shameless!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Patrick yelled at her, ¡°Holly, look at yourself in the mirror before scolding her, how good are you? In front of a set behind a set, to fool people, to say shameless, you are really shameless!¡±


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    Holly was stunned, staring at him in bewilderment, turning from incredulity to irritation.


    She bites her lips tightly, trembling all over, and in the next second seems to want to fight with Patrick¡¯s stance, hissing fiercely, ¡°Patrick!¡±


    Large tears fell down her cheeks, ¡°Have you forgotten how I treated you in the days when you were injured? Who waited on you at the hospital day and night? Who took you to rehab every day, rain or shine? If it wasn¡¯t for me, your leg would have been ruined long ago!¡±


    ¡°For those days, I¡¯m grateful to you.¡± Patrick said lightly, ¡°But Holly, you know better than anyone how I got hurt, aren¡¯t you responsible for my car ident? Don¡¯t think I was kept in the dark! It wasn¡¯t even Cameron who did it to me, it was you and Carter!¡±


    ¡°But I love you!¡± Holly breaks down, ¡°Don¡¯t you have any feelings for you?¡±


    ¡°Love?¡± Heughed softly, ¡°That¡¯s not how loving someone works.¡±


    ¡°Please go back.¡± He still blocked the doorway, ¡°I live across the street and if you ever bother Laura again, I¡¯ll be the first one out. You know what I do for a living, and you don¡¯t want to be invited to the police station for tea by me, do you?¡±


    Holly gasped, her eyes abounding with anger.


    She looks at Patrick and then crosses to look at me.


    She took two steps backward.


    I know she¡¯s just physically stepping back; she¡¯s not going to take this lying down. I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s going to be trouble after this.


    ¡°And ¡­,¡± Patrick whispered, ¡°in a little while, I¡¯m taking Laura and the baby back to Canada to see my parents.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    I almost spoke in unison with Holly.


    I looked at him incredulously, and he just smiled at me with a slight sideways grin, then squared his shoulders at Holly, ¡°I¡¯ll protect Laura and her child from now on; my parents are enlightened people, and won¡¯t care about Laura¡¯s past.¡±


    ¡°Patrick ¡­,¡± I tugged at him.


    He suddenly takes my hand in a smooth grip.


    ¡°Trust me,¡± he looked me in the eyes, ¡°I¡¯ll make you happy.¡±


    There¡¯s no talking about believing or not believing right now.


    His words were so shocking that they shook me so much I couldn¡¯t say a word. How could he have taken it upon himself to decide my future with the baby?


    Or, was this just his ploy to repel Holly?

 Laura鈥檚 POV 94

    Holly stayed where she was like a log, her face growing paler and paler.


    Her hands balled into fists, clenching and unclenching them tightly, her body trembling slightly, and for a long time a wry smile appeared on her lips.


    ¡°That¡¯s so ¡­ good,¡± she looked at me and said softly, ¡°Then congrattions.¡±


    After saying that she turned to leave.


    The moment before she turned around, I clearly saw unusual hatred in her eyes.


    My heart trembled.


    It was only when I came back to my senses that I grabbed Patrick and asked him, ¡°Why did you say that? What made you think that? When did I promise you I would go to Canada?¡±


    ¡°Hold your horses for a second ¡­¡±


    ¡°Patrick!¡±, I did get a little agitated, ¡°You can¡¯t interfere with my future!¡±


    ¡°Laura, this isn¡¯t something I take personally!¡±


    Patrick looked at me, with a look of some urgency and innocence. ¡°It was Mrs. Mellisa who said so.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Mrs. Mellisa? Mellisa?


    My own mother, to be exact.


    My heart hangs in my chest as I continue to ask him, ¡°She approached you? When? Why didn¡¯t you ever tell me!¡±


    ¡°I was going to tell you, but didn¡¯t want to so soon.¡± He said, ¡°Mrs. Mellisa actually approached me when you first moved over here. She said that she wanted me to take good care of you, and that it would be best if I could bring you back to Canada.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t really know what she intended,¡± he whispered, ¡°but I really wanted to take you back to Canada.¡±


    ¡°What else did she say?¡±


    ¡°Nothing else.¡± He shook his head.


    ¡°And you don¡¯t want to ask?¡± I was taken aback.


    Patrick justughed softly, ¡°It¡¯s in the past anyway, I¡¯m not interested in what happened before.¡±


    ¡°Laura,¡± he gently shook my hand, ¡°Since Mrs. Mellisa gave such a word, I guess ¡­ The Lynch Family you can¡¯t go back? You¡¯ll juste back to Canada with me, okay?¡±


    My mind went nk and I pulled my hand out of his palm.


    What else could I say? It turned out that even my own mother had tried to send me away because my presence would threaten his son. I am, after all, a daughter that I haven¡¯t seen in more than twenty years, or a daughter that she abandoned back then, but that son of hers, he was the one who apanied him through thick and thin all the way here!


    Heh, and said something about how he would protect me and make it up to me.


    All lies!


    Selfishness is human nature, as long as the threat of personal interests, all of them will not recognize the six rtives.


    Iughed coldly, remembering when Cameron insisted on sending me to New Avalon because he was afraid that I would ruin his wedding with Queenie, suddenly my heart felt like a knife.


    ¡°Laura ¡­,¡± Patrick called to me.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    I forced a smile at him and told him truthfully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Patrick, I can¡¯t promise you that.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re a good man.¡± I look him in the eyes, ¡°But I don¡¯t deserve you. I told you a long time ago, you deserve a better girl ¡­ I¡¯m sorry, if you still think of me as a friend, no matter what happens to you in the future, just say the word, and I¡¯ll definitely go through fire and water for you. But if you don¡¯t want to be friends with me anymore, forget about mepletely. You deserve a whole new life.¡±


    ¡°Laura!¡± he said with a start.


    The sadness in his eyes was too much for me to bear to look at him.


    ¡°I still have some things that I have to take care of myself.¡± I said, ¡°That¡¯s when I realized that no one can take my ce, no one can take care of anyone for the rest of their life.¡±


    My savior, could only be myself.


    I gave him a hug, patted him on the shoulder, and whispered to him, ¡°I will bless you wherever you are, Brother Patrick.¡±


    I knew I had been so unfair to him. After Patrick left, I cried bitterly in the house.


    After crying I packed my bags and took Sunny back to The Lynch Family the next day.


    Cameron used to send me away and I¡¯d ept it coyly. But now I didn¡¯t want to be at anyone¡¯s mercy.


    Yasmin was so surprised and happy to see me, she carried my boxes and packed my room, and she couldn¡¯t let go of Sunny.


    ¡°Children at this age really look different every day! Our Sunny is beautiful again, her eyebrows are clear, she¡¯s going to be a big beauty in the future for sure!¡±


    I smiled and took out the milk powder and bottle.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for Sunny to drink her milk,¡± I said, ¡°Is everyone at home?¡±


    Yasmin nodded and gave a wink.


    That¡¯s when I heard the sound of a car at the front door, followed by footsteps in the living room downstairs and someone whispering.


    ¡°All back?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Yasmin whispered, ¡°These days even the Masteres back every day. Or now this wife has the means, in the past when that person was here, the master came back once a month is not bad ¡­¡±


    Saying that she was self-conscious of her slip of the tongue, she awkwardly said to me, ¡°Miss, I¡¯m sorry ah ¡­ I forgot that Mrs. Mellisa is you ¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Iugh lightly, ¡°Yasmin, take care of Sunny for me, I¡¯m going downstairs.¡±


    In the living room, all three of their family were there.


    Actually, with me, it should be a family of four.


    I sometimes think that if it wasn¡¯t for those things back then, we might really be a peaceful and beautiful family of four now!


    I can see that Ethan loves Mellisa very much, and even though they fought a lot when they were young, they will still be the most faithfulpanions to each other in their old age.


    Carter will also be a well-bred mboyant man, a good brother and a support to the family, not the treacherous mouth he is now.


    And I ¡­


    Wouldn¡¯t have been uprooted before the age of eight, and in the wrong hands afterward, and with a human life on my back.


    If Ste hadn¡¯t climbed into Ethan¡¯s bed back then ¡­


    None of what is happening today would have happened.


    When I think of it that way, I do hate Ste a little bit. She always thinks that I¡¯m the one who usurped Anne¡¯s seat and enjoyed everything that Anne deserves, but she doesn¡¯t realize that it was actually supposed to be me!


    And yet she also raised me for fifteen years.


    What a circle of karma.


    I settled down, retrieved my thoughts, and walked downstairs with firm steps.


    The discussion in the living room came to a screeching halt, and several beams of gazes coincidentally hit me with surprise, astonishment, and disbelief.


    Iughed, ¡°What, didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be here? Is this not my house?¡±


    Carter¡¯s face is the first to grimace as he deliberately avoids my gaze, his lips pursed tight.


    Mellisa walks over and takes my hand.


    Her fingertips are slightly cold and seem to be trembling, and there¡¯s a vague plea in her eyes as she nces behind her again.


    Ethan looks at me and his lips move, but says nothing.


    I took a deep breath, ¡°I know I¡¯m kind of embarrassing, but it¡¯s not my fault.¡±


    ¡°Laura ¡­¡±


    ¡°I know that too!¡± I interrupted her, ¡°You guys may be my parents, but you don¡¯t have that much emotional attachment to me. As for Carter, I should call you my brother now ¡­ Heh, I¡¯m afraid you think of me as an enemy even more.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Carter stood up, hands in his pockets, ¡°Do you think you should be standing here? You think it¡¯s a good idea for this to get out? Mom has made the best arrangements for you, why don¡¯t you go with Patrick?¡±


    ¡°Why would I leave?¡± I looked at him, ¡°Carter, your true colors are finally showing. So impatient to kick me out, you¡¯re not looking too good!¡±


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    He was just about to speak when Ethan stopped him.


    Ethan signaled us to go to the study.


    We sat around the coffee table in the study, the door to which was closed, and the atmosphere was heavy and depressing.


    I hadn¡¯t spoken to Ethan in the ten years I had been in The Lynch Family, I thought of him as a patriarch, and I rarely saw him, so I didn¡¯t realize that this man was my real father.


    His gaze was deep, his timbre a little husky, sizing me up for a moment, not saying anything else, instead asking me, ¡°How¡¯s your health?¡±


    I was stunned and nodded my head.


    ¡°When you gave birth to the child, it was premature, and you had surgery, and you consumed a lot, and you didn¡¯t properly replenish your body after giving birth ¡­ Now try not tobor, and you have to take care of yourself more.¡±


    Iughed coldly at this, ¡°Dad means that I should go to Canada to spend the rest of my life?¡±


    His eyes condensed, ¡°I mean, you protect yourself so that you can bring up your child!¡±


    ¡°You guys are doing everything you can to drive me away because you want to tamper with that will, right? After all, the will says that whoever marries me will inherit that multi-billion dor inheritance. But Carter and Cameron, which one of them can marry me?¡±


    ¡°So the best thing to do is for me to disappear.¡± I looked at them and a wave of hatred steeped through me.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you guys are doing this to me.¡± Iugh, ¡°I¡¯m family with you guys, you¡¯re my dad, mom, and brother! But you guys did this to me!¡±


    ¡°Laura!¡± Mellisa throws her arms around me in a hug, she¡¯s a little panicked, probably afraid that I¡¯m making too much noise and these words will be heard by others.


    The only one of The Lynch Family servants who knows my identity is Yasmin, and she¡¯s tight-lipped and doesn¡¯t say much, so naturally she won¡¯t reveal it.


    If this were to leak out, it would be a huge scandal for The Lynch Family.


    If killing is not a crime, they might have killed Sunny and me on the spot, we are both tied to The Lynch Family¡¯s pir of shame.


    But now they had to send us both away, just in time to find another obsessed Patrick.


    I taunted them, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Afraid I¡¯ll yell it out and make you lose face?¡±


    ¡°It really isn¡¯t something to be ashamed of.¡± Ethan looked at me.


    He waved his hand signaling me to sit down.


    He refilled my tea himself.


    Then without slowing down, he spoke, ¡°What exactly do you want? Why don¡¯t you just say it?¡±


    I took a deep breath, a few moments of triumph, and a small sadness rippled through my heart. I¡¯m afraid The Lynch Family is the only people in the world who have to talk in a negotiating tone between parents and children.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want much,¡± I said, ¡°I just want what I deserve.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you deserve it?¡± Carter lurched to his feet, Ethan coughed heavily and red at him, and he sat down resentfully.


    ¡°The will does need to be changed, but you¡¯ll have to use your brains as to how.¡± I looked around the room, ¡°I¡¯m your daughter, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m marrying my own brother, but if word gets out about who I am, The Lynch Family is sure to beughed at.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your opinion?¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡± I smiled, ¡°The estate is in the tens of billions, but The Lynch Group¡¯s market capitalization isn¡¯t too shabby, and I deserve a stake in The Lynch Group.¡±


    Ethan lit a cigarette, his shrewd, narrow eyes, sparkling with a shimmer.


    ¡°You want a share?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I looked at him, ¡°I have a child to raise, and even for her sake, I¡¯m going to fight for my rightful share.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± I pursed my lips, ¡°I want a mediapany.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re crazy Laura!¡± said Carter, sulking again, ¡°The Lynch Group has never been involved in media, and no one at The Lynch Group has any idea how deep the waters run in this business. Youe up here and ask for apany and dive in head first, what do you want?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how deep the water is?¡± Iughed softly, ¡°Don¡¯t forget you have apany, didn¡¯t Holly tell you about the risks of this business?¡±


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    ¡°All of you cut the crap!¡± Ethan snapped, he looked over at me, ¡°Laura, can you tell us about your ns for wanting thispany?¡±


    ns? Of course there is.


    It would be to use it against Holly.


    She betrayed me, put on an act in front of me, lied to me for so long, and conspired with Carter to hurt me.


    Didn¡¯t she say that Gnote Magazine was her brainchild?


    I¡¯ll let her heart and soul fall to pieces!


    ¡°Could be.¡± I coughed softly, ¡°The n is simple, since I studied journalism and love the business, I want my major to be put to use. I¡¯ve written editorials and gone to war in my country, so I have enough experience in the news media. I believe I will be able to run a good business.¡±


    ¡°In media, the investment is not that big.¡± Mellisa said, ¡°Laura is also trying to fulfill an ambition, which is good!¡±


    My heart fluttered.


    Mellisa always looked at me with an apologetic look.


    ¡°Although The Lynch Group has a public rtions department and a news department within it, I always feel that it¡¯s an ovepping organization that¡¯s difficult to manage. Why don¡¯t we just carve out these two departments and set up a separate mediapany under The Lynch Group, so that we have our ownpany for speaking and publicizing to the outside world or for media rtions. I think this is good!¡±


    Ethan didn¡¯t say anything, but Mellisa was very eager.


    I felt a little bad in my heart.


    She is a mom after all.


    Her feelings towards me are just like my feelings towards Sunny, she was the one who abandoned me in the first ce, and now she¡¯s the one who wants to make it up to me, although I can¡¯t forgive her, I can¡¯t bear to criticize her either.


    ¡°Ethan!¡± urged Mellisa.


    Ethan crushed his cigarette out and looked up at me, his gaze softer than it had been.


    After a long time, he said softly, ¡°You can¡¯t have too many shares.¡± He then looked at Carter, ¡°After all, your brother ¡­ has put in a lot of effort for thepany, and you don¡¯t have any credit.¡±


    ¡°Carter gets 10% and you can just give me 5%.¡± I said, ¡°I don¡¯t need to invest in the mediapany, you give me the start-up capital, and I¡¯ll be on my own as to how to develop itter.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the biggest concession I can make,¡± I looked at him and gently bit out the title, ¡°Dad.¡±


    ¡°Heh, ridiculous!¡± Carter snorted softly, ¡°Why should Dad agree to such terms? You don¡¯t do anything, you take a dry run at The Lynch Group, and then you put all your energy into your mediapany? I¡¯d like that too!¡±


    I ignored him, ¡°Dad, Mom, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t want all this for nothing.¡± I grinned, ¡°All I¡¯m promising you is that I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you guys want everyone to know that I¡¯m the daughter of The Lynch Family, and likewise, I don¡¯t want to. As long as I get what I deserve, I¡¯ll still be an adopted daughter of The Lynch Family and myst name will be Campbell for the rest of my life!¡±


    ¡°Laura!¡± red Carter at me, ¡°How dare you threaten us?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m making a deal!¡± I raised my voice and red back hard, ¡°You don¡¯t want to dishonor The Lynch Group, do you? Then fulfill my terms!¡±


    ¡°And you, big brother!¡± I looked at Carter and sneered, ¡°Watch how you talk to me from now on! Your attitude just now made me angry, and as soon as I get angry, my words and behavior are all out of control!¡±

 Laura鈥檚 POV 95

    I finally got what I wanted.


    A bright and spacious office, located at the top of the office building, extremely open view, in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, you can also see the seagulls and cruise ships.


    A ¡°Director¡± sign hung on the door, and the news and PR departments of The Lynch Group were all under my roof.


    Ethan made a point of announcing to all the shareholders at the weekly meeting that I owned 5% of The Lynch Group.


    Five percent wasn¡¯t much, but it was a lot. What they were most curious about was how I, an adopted daughter with no background, no power, and once a scorned woman, had be a phoenix so easily.


    In those days, they could hear talk about me everywhere.


    For example, ¡°The Lynch Group set up a separate mediapany for her! Is that crazy?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she the adopted daughter of The Lynch Family, who cares so much about their adopted daughter?¡±


    ¡°She was supposed to marry Carter, but for some reason it didn¡¯t work out.¡±


    ¡°I heard she gave birth to a daughter, who exactly is the father?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that The Lynch Family has some kind of handle in her hands, otherwise where would she get the turn to be a shareholder!¡±


    ¡­


    I justughed at these rumors.


    The most important thing for me now is my work and my daughter.


    My identity is strictly confidential, even Holly doesn¡¯t know. Because it¡¯s a real scandal, and if word got out, The Lynch Group would beughed at, and it would be a sad day.


    Keeping a secret in your heart is an extraordinarily depressing thing to do, especially when you hear people talking about who Sunny¡¯s dad is, and that tone of mock disdain makes me want to go up to them and argue with them.


    Eventually I resisted, but the mental pressure was mounting by the day.


    I longed for a solid shoulder to lean on.


    I thought of Cameron, his embrace, and the days of war that we had shared, which seemed so close, like they had happened yesterday, but I knew that they were getting farther and farther away, as if Cameron and I could never go back to each other.


    I worked like crazy during that time.


    Mypany was in its infancy and I had to do everything myself.


    I was in the office for more than ten hours a day, and when I got home, I was so tired that I didn¡¯t even want to hug my kids. But when I see Sunny, all my fatigue is swept away, and there is only her pure white smile in my eyes and heart.


    This is the meaning of children to parents.


    After I became a mother, I felt this very deeply.


    A lot of strange things happened in those days. For example, when I wanted a cup of coffee, I walked to the pantry and found that the coffee was already brewed, but it didn¡¯t taste right, and salt was added to it instead of sugar.


    For example, when I was busy and anxious, I went back to the office to see that my desk had been cleaned up, however, there were tiny pins in ces that were hard to notice, and when I was inadvertently stabbed, small beads of blood oozed out from my fingertips, which didn¡¯t hurt, but it was going to be hard for a while.


    Then again, I often get deliveries with no names.


    Inside are the kind of muffins Cameron used to take me to buy when I was a kid.


    But when I bite into it, it tastes bad, salty and astringent, not at all the sweetness I remember.


    All these weird things gave me a stronger and stronger feeling that Cameron was back.


    Once upon a time this is how he yed pranks on me. Putting salt in my coffee, putting needles on my desk, or catching a frog and putting it in my drawer.


    He¡¯d hide and snicker as he watched me wince in fear.


    My heart skipped a beat and an unspeakable emotion wracked my heart. I didn¡¯t think it was possible, how could hee out and y pranks on me when he hadn¡¯tpleted his sentence?


    But then I wanted it to be him so badly.


    I really missed him.


    I went to the apartment, the one Cameron gave me. He built me a ss sunroom on the roof, set up a swing for me with fruit-green Egyptian cotton cushions and hydrangeas of every color on the windowsill ¡­


    He knew my preferences as if he were another me in this world.


    I pushed the door in and it didn¡¯t look as dusty as my phenomenon. I thought it hadn¡¯t been cleaned in a long time and should be dirty and messy, but I didn¡¯t realize that the windows were clear and the house was neat and tidy.


    I was shocked, striding up to the attic, the ss room is clean and transparent, the ss seems to be freshly polished, the autumn sun shines in and hits the body, there is a kind ofzy warmth. Cotton cushions on the swing are freshly cleaned, still with the aroma of the sun after drying, the clock standing on the side of the cuckoo chiming sound, the books on the bookshelf is well organized, the window green nts growing in the wind ¡­


    The feeling in my heart is getting stronger and stronger ¡­


    I hurried back downstairs again and found a recently crushed cigarette butt in the ashtray.


    Cameron¡­


    My eyes suddenly wet.


    It was him who came back ¡­ He really came back!


    Thebination lock on the door suddenly sounded, and my heart was in my throat.


    However, the moment I turned around and saw him, my mood calmed down instead. Those eyes are still deep and calm, and the angr face is as cold as frost.


    I looked at him in a daze, unable to say a word.


    The corner of his mouth gently hooked, seemingly smiling, step by step towards me. Eyes locked on my face, my cheeks began to burn, and then my body was like on fire, but in an instant it fell into the ice cave again. The sensation of cold and heat was like purgatory. My reason told me to run away, but my feet were stuck to the ground and I couldn¡¯t move.


    The heart and the mind are always the opposite.


    Silence for a long time, I gently asked him, ¡°Cameron ¡­ you came back?¡±


    He hummed lightly, converged his smile, whispered, ¡°I came back, you are very unhappy?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    Before the words left his mouth, he suddenly kissed up.


    I have no defense at all, in an instant my whole body seems to have been electrified, my mind is nk. I clumsily responded to him, a little by his conquest, sinking, intoxicated ¡­ I unconsciously hooked his neck, I fantasized that we are back to the old days ¡­


    However, he violently bit me on the corner of my lips, blood and pain made me wake up.


    He picked me up in a cross body hug and threw me heavily on therge bedroom bed.


    He took off his shirt, revealing his toned muscles and the hideous scars on his body.


    ¡°Cameron ¡­¡± I regained my senses, ¡°What do you want!¡±


    ¡°What do you think? What else can a freshly released prisoner do?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I backed away in panic.


    ¡°No?¡± He leaned over and sped my chin hard with his big hand, ¡°Laura, it¡¯s never your turn to say no between you and me!¡±


    ¡°I really can¡¯t ¡­¡± I burst into tears of pain.


    I already know who I am, he¡¯s my brother, wouldn¡¯t it be against human decency for me to do something like this with him again?


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen a woman in there for almost two years,¡± he rubbed the tip of his nose against my earlobe, all the way up to my neck, ¡°but it¡¯s suffocating me!¡±


    ¡°Cameron ¡­¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    That secret almost came out of my mouth.


    But I didn¡¯t dare say it, I didn¡¯t know what the scene would be like for The Lynch Family if I did, and then I was afraid that I wouldn¡¯t get what I deserved, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to protect what I wanted to protect.


    ¡°Cameron, I¡¯m begging you to leave me alone.¡± I slowly slid to the edge of the bed and almost fell to my knees in front of him.


    He straightened up and looked down at me condescendingly.


    The look of contempt, the gaze of contempt. I¡¯ve always been his ything, many years ago, and many yearster, it¡¯s still the same.


    ¡°Heh, not allowed to touch?¡± He took a hold of my wrist, ¡°When did sister-inw be a chaste woman?¡±


    ¡°Cameron!¡±


    ¡°Did you ever think about today when you used to wave under me?¡±


    I bit my lip and red hard at him.


    ¡°Yes, I just won¡¯t let you touch me!¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯m not the Laura I used to be. Cameron you probably don¡¯t realize how much I¡¯ve had in the meantime! I have my ownpany, 5% of The Lynch Group, I can step on anyone now!¡±


    ¡°And you? Heh, a former prisoner, a man who spent two years in jail smelling like mold, you¡¯re long gone from being the powerful second master of The Lynch Family you once were! Who are you to touch me?¡±


    ¡°Laura!¡±


    My words really pissed him off.


    In fact, I said them just to piss him off. If I didn¡¯t want him to touch me, I had to make him hate me.


    I leaned back and smiled at him, my smug look clearly reflected in his angry eyes. I, Laura, have everything now, what do I care about you Cameron?


    But the heart is still aching.


    He pped me down, shocking me with a half headache, my eyes were blinded, and a quick taste of blood seeped out of my mouth.


    Then he tore at my clothes like a madman, and soon I lost myst line of defense, my body like a circr gauge held up to its maximum angle, and as soon as he did, a ripping pain ran through my body ¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡­¡±


    Big beads of sweat, mixed with tears rolled down my cheeks.


    I felt disgusted with myself at that moment. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m doing this with my own brother in bed.


    Yet strangely enough a certain gaping hole in my heart was filled by this moment ¡­


    I wanted him, I had to admit it. But he was thest person in the world I was ever going to get.


    When he was done he picked at a cigarette, the smell of nicotine filling the room. He exhaled a smoke ring at me, patted my face andughed softly, ¡°If Carter was here, I¡¯d really like him to take a good look at your bitchy ass!¡±


    Heh, he thought I wasn¡¯t sleeping with him because of Carter.


    I got up woodenly and got dressed, my scaly body reflected in the bathroom mirror.


    ¡°Tell Carter,¡± his low voicees from outside, ¡°that I won¡¯t leave him alone!¡±


    I don¡¯t make a sound.


    Footsteps still linger outside the restroom.


    After a moment, his words through gritted teeth reached my ears again, ¡°And you ¡­ Laura, I won¡¯t let you go either!¡±


    My heart trembled hard.


    The door locks sounded and he left the room.


    And it was as if a part of my life had been drained away with his departure. My knees went weak and I sat down on the floor, and only then did I have the strength to cry out.


    But I haven¡¯t seen Cameron since that day.


    A few dayster, I identally saw the news and learned that Cameron had divorced Queenie, and that Cameron was pretty much a clean te, getting nothing. Ironically, the second youngest son of the once brilliant The Lynch Family, who went to jail for The Scott Family and became a prisoner, ended up being a basket case.


    I froze for a long time watching that news.


    So long that I didn¡¯t even realize Carter was standing behind me.


    ¡°Heartbroken?¡± He grimaced, ¡°Meh, Cameron¡¯s noting back, you¡¯re done with him!¡±


    I settled down, ¡°I didn¡¯t have much of a heart for him in the first ce. With our lives on the line, it¡¯s just not going to happen!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you take your daughter to be checked for intelligence?¡±


    ¡°Carter!¡± I red at him angrily and turned to leave.


    ¡°I heard Cameron was released early this time because of good behavior in prison.¡± Carter said lightly, ¡°But even if that¡¯s the case, he¡¯ll never turn over in his life!¡±


    I had no intention of arguing with him about anything.


    I clearly remembered Cameron¡¯sst words to me, he wouldn¡¯t let Carter go, and he wouldn¡¯t let me go either.


    It didn¡¯t matter if he let me go or not, I was curious to see what happened to Carter.


    And Holly ¡­


    This point I and Cameron more and more like, hold a grudge, vindictive, it seems that I really his sister!


    Half a year has passed since then, Sunny is 1. 5 years old, not only can she say ¡°mommy¡± clearly, but she can also say a lot of simple words, and she can express her own thoughts in a small way.


    She can also walk at an early age. When she was 10 months old, she could stand for more than 10 seconds without holding anything up, which made me very happy.


    The little one also has her own aesthetic, every time before going out to pick a beautiful dress, if I choose for her and she is not satisfied, she will wave her chubby little hands, loud protest.


    Yasmin often said that this child is very smart, so heart, will certainly grow up to be a talented and beautiful girl.


    I wasn¡¯t worried, all of Sunny¡¯s behavior didn¡¯t seem like the result of inbreeding. But I am puzzled, is this a medical miracle? Or is there another reason?


    As long as Sunny is healthy and happy, as long as I can give her the best life with the money I earn, buy her countless beautiful flower dresses and dolls, and give her the best education, I don¡¯t care if she is a consanguineous child or not.


    Another fall has rolled around.


    Mypany¡¯s operation in this half year can only make a passing grade. This business is not too good, there are a lot of capable people, but few resources. Sometimes I have to work overtime for several weeks for a project, and the result may not be satisfactory.


    Employeese and go, and one of the most notable features of this business is the high turnover of staff, which makes it impossible to retain people without strength.


    In New Avalon, an investment bank was newly opened, and the owner was said to be a person with more background, and many media wanted to get an interview with him, so of course I couldn¡¯t miss this opportunity.


    So I got the news and immediately flew to New York, where I was dumbfounded.


    It turns out that this very background character is Edward.


    The same man who molested me at the table on my first day at The Lynch Group.


    I subconsciously wanted to leave, but it was toote, the secretary had already brought him to the parlor.


    As soon as Edward saw me, he showed that two-eyed look again, ¡°Oops ¡­ it¡¯s, it¡¯s Ms. Laura! Hehe, we really have the fate to meet each other ah ¡­ Yesterday the secretary told me that there is a Ms. Laura to ask me out, and I was wondering if it was you! Sure enough ¡­ my dream hase true!¡±


    Said he grabbed my hand.


    How can I break free, his hand of grease pinched me sick to my stomach.


    ¡°Heh, Mr. Baker, nice to meet you.¡± Ipensated with a smile, ¡°I ¡­ I came in a hurry this time, and I didn¡¯t prepare any gifts with you ¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, what a strange thing to say!¡± Edward¡¯s face seems to be quite a bit bigger than it was a few years ago, ¡°When Ms. Lauraes to my ce, she is my guest of honor! Now it¡¯s almost noon, Ms. Laura appreciate your face to have a casual lunch together?¡±

 Laura鈥檚 POV 96

    ¡°OK!¡± I gritted my teeth, ¡°I¡¯ll treat Mr. Baker!¡±


    I wanted to tell my assistant to locate the sub at the best hotel.


    If I¡¯m the one who invites him, it bes my home turf. With the positions swapped, he should not dare to make a move.


    ¡°How can this be!¡± He repeatedly excused himself, ¡°It¡¯s all here, of course it¡¯s me who invites Ms. Laura!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Baker you don¡¯t have to be polite ¡­¡±


    ¡°Ms. Laura still listens to me!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Baker¡­¡±


    Before the words left his mouth, he threw a wink to the secretary.


    The secretary understood and immediately retreated, and Edward smiled and said to me, ¡°I¡¯m inviting Ms. Laura to a special ce!¡±


    I was instantly covered in goosebumps.


    In my heart, I thought to myself, if I run into that kind of situationst time this time, I have to think of a coping strategy in advance ¡­ To observe the surrounding terrain, the sharpest thing in the hotel should be the broken te ¡­ I put the ss shards across his neck, forgive him for not daring to do anything.


    Besides, this is New Avalon, he is arrogant, but also do not want to rm the New Avalon police ¡­


    ¡°Ms. Laura?¡± Edward¡¯s face came over.


    I forced a smile at him.


    ¡°This is a ce you¡¯ll love!¡± He spat, ¡°It¡¯s a Chinese restaurant on Blossom Hill Rd that does all your hometown dishes! How about we have some hometown food today? Hehe ¡­ Oh yeah, the name of this restaurant is also very special, it¡¯s called Laura One! Hahaha ¡­ Ms. Laura¡¯s fancy name!¡±


    I suddenly had a heartbeat.


    Laura One?


    Laura¡­


    This is a coincidence, right? After all, my name isn¡¯t that special. Maybe Laura number one, was some special anniversary for the owner of this restaurant?


    But for some reason, my heart was suddenly filled with a little more apprehension.


    Edward all the way non-stop talk about New York, talk about his career, talk about the New York Stock Exchange, Wall Street ¡­


    Any one of these things can be taken out to do an exclusive interview. Edward said this, is intended to give me this exclusive to do ¡­ but I, at that time, but in the evil like a word can not listen to it.


    All I could think about was Blossom Hill Rd.


    It was all about that restaurant, it was called Laura One.


    It was my name.


    ¡°Ms. Laura!¡± Edward interrupted me again, ¡°Heh, you¡¯re distracted, what¡¯s on your mind?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°Oh no.¡± I said.


    ¡°Hungry?¡± He hemmed and hawed, ¡°I¡¯ve never been to that restaurant, I just heard about it from a friend, and I was told that the most famous dish is the Crab Roasted Wheat!¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    I was shaken.


    ¡°Crab Roasted Wheat!¡±


    My entire body froze.


    My heart was beating furiously, and my blood was almost frozen.


    Crab Roasted Wheat.


    The words stuck in my heart like steel needles.


    Edward called out to me several times, and when I didn¡¯t respond, he reached his hand across the gears and rubbed it on the back of my hand.


    I took a deep breath, shock and heartache overriding my revulsion for him at this point.


    ¡°Mr. Baker ¡­¡± I wanted to tell him that I didn¡¯t have an appetite and didn¡¯t want to eat, but before the words left my mouth, he was already pulling up in front of that restaurant.


    ¡°Hey you!¡± He pointed to a tall,nky man and pulled the car keys off and threw them at him, ¡°Park the car for me!¡±


    Then he opened the car door for me with a big smile on his face.


    I got out of the car and saw the man walking slowly over, the stocky figure was familiar and shook my heartstrings ¡­ I froze for a moment and stayed in ce, the eyes locked onto me and still cut my heart like a knife de to a bloody pulp.


    ¡°Ms. Laura, Ms. Laura?¡± Edward called out to me several times and I snapped back to my senses, my heart still beating uncontrobly.


    The man drove the car away.


    But I still couldn¡¯t take my eyes off him.


    Gradually, it was a blur, and when I blinked, a salty dropnded on my lips.


    It was Cameron, that was Cameron!


    I didn¡¯t expect to run into him here.


    But how could he be here? Did he own this restaurant? He named this restaurant ¡°Laura No. 1¡±, and he made crab roasting mai as the main dish here ¡­ What does all this imply?


    ¡°Was that ¡­ Cameron just now?¡± Edward mumbled a question as well.


    I turned my face to look at him, ¡°Is he the owner of this store?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that, it¡¯s my first time here too. But looking at him in his downtrodden state, he doesn¡¯t look like the owner!¡± Edward skimmed his mouth, a gloating expression on his face, ¡°Heh, I really didn¡¯t expect that back then, as the second youngest master of The Lynch Group, he stepped on my feet and bullied me ¡­ Heh, I didn¡¯t expect that he would also have a day to be a doorman in this small ce! ¡±


    ¡°A doorman?¡± I looked at him andughed softly, ¡°Mr. Baker, to be honest, I don¡¯t think Cameron would end up in this situation. You might want to be careful what you say.¡±


    ¡°Need to be careful with him?¡± A devious smile surfaced on Edward¡¯s greasy face, ¡°Ms. Laura, this is New York City, you still think you¡¯re in Jerez State? It¡¯s not his turf, and besides, even in Jerez State, he¡¯s long gone!¡±


    I ignored him and headed inside the restaurant, Edward followed closely behind, saying something curt while reaching out to touch me around the waist.


    I managed to shake him off and sat down at a table by the window.


    Looking around, the business is really good, it¡¯s the peak dining time, the store is crowded with people, the waitresses are busy, and there are still many people waiting for takeout at the door. This table, too, I had a hard time finding.


    Edward sat down opposite me, frowned, and smiled at me again, ¡°This kind of store, the environment is not good! I also heard it from a friend, and I didn¡¯t expect it to be such a ce!¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty good.¡± I said in a muffled voice, ¡°A mountain is not high, but a fairy is famous. I¡¯m sure Mr. Baker¡¯s friend, the level can¡¯t be as bad as it is, since he rmended this store to you, it means that it does have redeeming qualities.¡±


    ¡°Yes yes ¡­¡± he kept nodding, ¡°Ms. Laura is right. Then let¡¯s order first?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much of an appetite. Mr. Baker order.¡±


    I pushed the menu to him.


    I really didn¡¯t want to eat anything, a heart already full of Cameron. I looked around, trying to find the familiar figure in the dense crowd, but my hopes were dashed.


    I wondered if I had just seen the wrong person.


    It was at this moment that I heard Edward tapping on the table and yelling, ¡°Hey, is anyone ordering? I¡¯ve been waiting here for a long time, are you waiters all blind?¡±


    Then all the people around us looked at us with strange eyes, Edward¡¯s duck voice, sessfully turned a slightly noisy environment into silence.


    My face burned and I couldn¡¯t help but lower my head. It¡¯s embarrassing to be around people like this!


    ¡°Sir, Miss, let me take your order.¡± Suddenly a thick, low voice prated my eardrums.


    My heart pounded again like a drum.


    I watched as Cameron came this way and stood in front of us. I was no more than a dozen centimeters away from him, and I could clearly smell the long-lost scent of tobo on him.


    Suddenly, a feeling of wanting to cry choked in my throat.


    ¡°Two.¡± Cameron narrowed his eyes and smiled softly at me, ¡°Would you like something to eat?¡±


    Edward looks at him and sneers, ¡°Meh, what else can I get at your little store?¡±


    ¡°Cameron,¡± he raised an eyebrow, ¡°What a goodbye ¡­ Oh no, it might be more appropriate to use the word wronged!¡±


    Cameron¡¯s face showed nothing, still narrowing his eyes in a smirk.


    I stepped aside, as if on pins and needles.


    ¡°Did you park my car?¡± Edward grimaced, ¡°That¡¯s a nice car, Cameron¡¯s seen it before I think? Quite a roomy spot for me, don¡¯t rub up against those crappy cars!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Baker¡¯s car, of course I¡¯ll take good care of it.¡± Cameronughed lightly, then looked at me, ¡°Mr. Baker¡¯s guest, I will also take good care of it!¡±


    ¡°Count on it!¡±


    Edward was smug, this was probably the face of a viin. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how such a person with no character and no ability could gain a foothold on Wall Street.


    ¡°How about you give us a rmendation!¡± Edward leaned back and wrapped his arms around his chest, ¡°What do you guys have here that¡¯s good?¡±


    ¡°The best thing we sell here is ¡­¡±


    ¡°Got it, got it, Crab Roasted Wheat!¡± Edward waved his hand impatiently, ¡°That¡¯s it, make that two!¡±


    Cameron dropped the words Crab Roasted Mai on the order form, I suddenly felt the pain of a million arrows piercing through my heart, and the sky of Alcostan reddened by war appeared in front of my eyes again. There was a man who once held an umbre over me there, and I hid in his arms, contentedly eating this most delicious thing in the world ¡­


    For a split second tears rolled down my cheeks.


    I ran after Cameron without a second thought.


    There was so much I wanted to ask him, to tell him.


    In fact, before this, I envisioned many scenarios of meeting him. Maybe we meet on the street, maybe we meet at the negotiation table, maybe we look down on the past and sit down together for a cup of tea, or maybe all those grudges and feudse up in our heads, and we are still at loggerheads¡­.


    But today this kind of, indeed too out of my expectation.


    I have been with him to a slightly remote ce, there should be the back kitchen, a few chefs are in full swing busy, waiters in the middle of the shuttle, everyone has everyone to do the work, everything is organized.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Cameron suddenly appeared in front of me.


    I was stunned, desperately trying to suppress my overly fast heartbeat.


    ¡°I ¡­¡±


    ¡°Not here to catch up with me, are you?¡± Cameron hooked his mouth, his eyes looking out, ¡°Left Edward behind and came to see me specifically?¡±


    ¡°You misunderstand, Cameron,¡± I looked at him, ¡°I have nothing with Edward.¡±


    ¡°Even if you have something, it¡¯s none of my business.¡±


    ¡°Cameron!¡±


    I yanked on his arm.


    He looks back at me with contempt in his eyes. He¡¯s the same Cameron he once was, proud, untouchable, and especially with me, just treating me like a ything.


    He yanked the towel off his shoulders with a violent jerk and flung it with all his might. I barely stood still and stumbled into a counter.


    Someone jogged all the way in from outside and met Cameron in a very respectful manner. ¡°Mr. Luo, why didn¡¯t you say you were here?¡±


    ¡°I just came to take a casual look.¡± Cameron said indifferently.


    ¡°None of them recognize you.¡± The man lowered his head, ¡°I heard ¡­ that there are still people who treat you as a waiter.¡±


    Cameron waved his hand to stop the man from saying any more. Half-heartedly, he ordered softly, ¡°Clear the room for me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Clear the floor.¡± He repeated.


    The voice was not loud, but it carried an air of nonchnce.


    ¡°Tell the guests that you¡¯re sorry and that they don¡¯t need to pay the bill. Give them a discount on their next meal aspensation for today.¡± Cameronughed softly.


    The man was unsure, but could only do as he was told. A few minutester, the lobby quieted down, the people in the backroom left, and the whole restaurant seemed to enter a vacuum.


    It was just Cameron and I, looking at each other. Silence spreads between the two of us, cold and awkward.


    He nced at me and slowly approached me. A bad feeling rose up from the bottom of my heart, and I leaned against the counter, involuntarily gripping the edge of the countertop as I stared at him in disbelief.


    His big hand reached out and tightly encircled my waist, confining me in his arms and unable to move.


    Then he leaned down.


    ¡°No, Cameron!¡± I shrieked.


    Yet he didn¡¯t kiss me.


    His lips stopped when they reached the tip of my nose, and I felt his hot breath and seemed to hear a soft taunt from him.


    ¡°What else do you think I want to do to you?¡± His hand touched my cheek.


    The fingers were coarse and tickled my face as they scraped against it. I slowly opened my eyes to meet his cold, evil eyes.


    ¡°Laura,¡± he said, ¡°you can even ept a man like Edward ¡­ Heh, I really don¡¯t have any interest in you anymore!¡±


    ¡°I told you, I have nothing to do with Edward!¡±


    ¡°Why are you exining so much to me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to misunderstand.¡±


    ¡°Looks like you still care about me?¡±


    He smiled, taking my hand and pressing it against his chest.


    I took a deep breath. I didn¡¯t know what was wrong with me ¡­ was that Cameron was right, I still cared about him. I hadn¡¯t stopped caring about him since the beginning.


    Didn¡¯t he ever care about me?


    Why is the restaurant called ¡°Laura¡± and why does he make crab cakes?


    He seems to be doing well in New Avalon, but why is he running such a small store?


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange how I¡¯m here?¡± Cameron puts away his smile and looks at me quietly, ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not letting Carter off the hook.¡±


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    ¡°I have part of an asset in New Avalon.¡± He said, ¡°It¡¯s from the old days at The Lynch Group that I quietly transferred. They were originally mine, and while working for The Lynch Group as a cowboy, I secretly invested here as well. I got lucky and made a lot of money.¡±


    No wonder heted his divorce from Queenie!


    Turns out The Scott family¡¯s little money didn¡¯t even bother him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made aeback.¡± He cupped my chin andughed softly, ¡°Go back and tell Carter that his good times will soon be over!¡±


    ¡°You two teamed up against me? Heh ¡­¡± His eyes were contemptuous, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that together you¡¯re no match for me!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight you.¡± I whispered, ¡°Cameron, when I agreed to join forces with Carter, it was a moment of anger ¡­ because you were too chilling to me.¡±


    ¡°Did you?¡± He stared at me, ¡°Then now you can go ahead and join up with him, you don¡¯t mean anything to me anymore anyway!¡±


    My heart ached and I couldn¡¯t help but shout, ¡°I have no meaning to you, then what do you mean by opening this store?¡±


    ¡°You open a store to make money, what else do you think it means?¡±


    ¡°Cameron ¡­¡±


    ¡°Laura,¡± he grinned, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re really hung up on me? What woman fought tooth and nail to keep me away when I first got out of prison? What¡¯s the matter now, is it that no one else can satisfy you but me? Having tried so many men, is it only when you are with me that you feel the most?¡±

 Laura鈥檚 POV 97

    I pushed him away as hard as I could and ran out the door without himing after me.


    I think that might be the end of everything between Cameron and me. When I returned home, he and I would never cross paths again. We were just passing through each other¡¯s lives. The only thing that remains are the memories, sweet or painful, thrown like stones in the memory and smashed in the heart.


    In the evening, I had a video call with Sunny, Yasmin was holding her, the little one had just eaten her fill, with milk stains still hanging from the corners of her mouth, and with a pair of little pink hands open, she shouted at the camera for a cuddle. My eyes were a little moist, and I told her softly, ¡°Mommy will be back in two days, so be good and wait for me!¡±


    I¡¯ve been out for so many days, and I miss her the most. The past few days have been like years without being with my daughter.


    However, I realized that her silhouette was bing more and more like Cameron.


    My heart ached fiercely.


    Hanging up the video, lying in bed, how can not sleep soundly, always easy to be awakened by one after another strange dream, until the dawn of the day before drifting off to sleep. I slept until almost noon, woke up with a jolt, and hurriedly opened the interview memo.


    I took a deep breath and cheered myself up in the mirror.


    No matter what, I had to get Edward¡¯s interview today!


    I called to make an appointment with him, but his phone was dead on arrival. I had to turn on myputer to do some more homework, but I didn¡¯t realize that a hot New York news story popped up just as I got online.


    Blonde host with a serious face reported that yesterday evening on Wall Street, a vicious incident urred, the investment bank boss Edward was brutally beaten in the street, seriously injured, after resuscitation is not life-threatening, but so far is still lying in the intensive care unit.


    And the person who beat him has not been investigated so far, and ¡­ the New York police did not intervene in this matter!


    My heart hangs violently, a strong sixth sense tells me that this matter may be rted to Cameron!


    Can pry the New York police, this person is by no means idle, and Cameron¡¯s power in New York can not be underestimated.


    Yesterday, Edward was so aggressive in front of him, how could he not get some retribution?


    Cameron is still Cameron, and even after leaving Jerez State, he¡¯s still a wolf to be messed with.


    Edward¡¯s interview was not going anywhere, and Iter learned that Edward was not a big deal in New York. Hispany was a shellpany, and there were already a lot of people on Wall Street questioning him, suspecting that he was using the shellpany to go public to make money and disrupt the market.


    So I bought a ne ticket back home overnight.


    I couldn¡¯t wait to hug my daughter.


    Since having Sunny, it seems like everything has be unimportant, only the child is real. When her small soft body circled in my arms, listening to her steady breathing, looking at her sleeping appearance, smelling the milk smell on her body ¡­ all my fatigue disappeared in a moment.


    But sometimes, I still can¡¯t help but think of her father.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    A week after returning home, the assistant put a press release on my desk. I was a little amused to see her exasperated look, ¡°What¡¯s the big deal here?¡±


    ¡°Chief editor, just take a look!¡±


    I took a look and it turned out to be an exclusive interview about Edward!


    ¡°Chief Editor!¡± The assistant was aggrieved, ¡°This trip to New Avalon to interview Mr. Baker, weren¡¯t you there personally? How could you possibly let Gnote Magazine send this piece out?¡±


    I was puzzled and shocked at the same time, it was really strange for Gnote Magazine to send out this article, because Edward was still lying in the hospital, and it was doubtful whether he could take care of himself, and he still had time to do an exclusive interview for them?


    I read the article carefully.


    It wasn¡¯t really a press release at all. Every word and every sentence was traceable. If you look up any previous financial reports published by the media, you can always find one or two familiar phrases. In other words, this article is not an exclusive interview, but an article copied and pieced together under the guise of Edward.


    The author was Holly.


    I smiled. Thinking about the feud with her, I entered this business, she is considered my leader, and we used to work side by side, but now we parted ways, and we went further and further down our respective paths.


    ¡°Chief editor!¡± Suddenly someone knocked on the door.


    The assistant probed in, looking a little flustered, and whispered in my ear, ¡°Editor-in-Chief Holly from Gnote Magazine wants to see you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She to herself came to the door first.


    ¡°To see? Or I¡¯ll get back to her for you.¡±


    ¡°Send her in.¡± I think for a moment, ¡°She might have something important to tell me.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have security guards outside.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I smile at her, it¡¯s important to be on guard, after all, this woman wants me dead every time she shows up.


    Holly pushes her way in, she¡¯s be even more proud and untouchable, looking at me with a sting in her eye. I wondered how on earth I had be good friends with her in the first ce.


    She pulls her chair out and sits across from me, crossing her legs naturally, her red lips curling as she smiles at me.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect that, did you?¡± She said, ¡°Edward¡¯s interview, I got it first.¡±


    ¡°Heh,¡± I grinned, ¡°You went to New Avalon too? Howe I didn¡¯t see you those days?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business where I went, but this interview, I got it first!¡±


    ¡°You know better than anyone how this interview came out.¡± I looked at her, ¡°Every word, even every punctuation mark, you copied it!¡±


    ¡°What proof do you have?¡± She blushed, ¡°Laura, don¡¯t think that Edward is interested in you and that this interview is yours. I¡¯m here today to teach you four words: things happen!¡±


    ¡°Yes, the world is a hard ce.¡± I replied calmly, ¡°Those four words should be used for you. I¡¯ve read this interview of yours, and from a professional point of view, the way you put it together is indeed seamless, and you should have put in some effort! But every word you said, it didn¡¯te from Edward¡¯s mouth, because he was brutally beaten and hospitalized with serious injuries and couldn¡¯t speak at all!¡±


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    ¡°This story of yours is fake news!¡± I sank my voice, ¡°Hurry up and withdraw it back, don¡¯t let the truthe out then, then you¡¯ll be disgraced! Maybe even the magazine you founded will be ruined.¡±


    ¡°Laura!¡±


    Holly snapped to her feet and red at me through clenched teeth, her bright red lips pursed into a line as anger was unleashed in her eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about threatening me.¡± She said word for word, ¡°No matter what tricks you pull, yourpany will never be able to surpass my magazine, ever!¡±


    With that she turned and left, the door mming.


    I sat down in my chair, closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Then I picked up the phone and called my assistant in, ¡°Help me check the information ¡­ for all the financial magazines in thest five years about investment banking rted reports.¡±


    ¡°Chief editor, why do you want to check this?¡±


    ¡°Check against this article.¡± I gave her that manuscript, ¡°Mark every sentence she giarized, all of them!¡±


    A few dayster, I called Holly¡¯s article to the Media Association along with all the information I had found.


    I reported to the Media Association that Holly was creating fake news and was suspected of giarism and copywashing. I also produced Edward¡¯s hospitalization certificate from the New York hospital and contacted his subordinates to prove that Edward had not given any exclusive interviews to any national news agency so far.


    This report caused quite a stir in the industry; Gnote Magazine was shut down and Holly was brought in for an investigation, which I heard took over a week before she was released. The investigation was not only limited to this fake news, but also brought up all the previous cases of her framing Cameron.


    The day she was taken away, I was standing downstairs at Gnote magazine. Looking at the two elegant and imposing vis, which had been sealed, and all the staff members left holding a cardboard box one by one with a bereft look on their faces, I had mixed feelings in my heart.


    There is a kind of indescribable vor, after all, once upon a time, I also gave my all here.


    Holly was wearing a white trench coat, no makeup, looking a little haggard. She was brought out, just about to get on the car, saw me standing on the opposite side. Her eyes suddenly turned cold, the corner of her mouth gently hooked, smiling at me, ¡°Laura, don¡¯t becent, sooner orter you¡¯ll have to pay for it one day!¡±


    I was already numb.


    The price? From the day I entered The Lynch Family, every second of my life seemed to be dedicated to the word ¡®price¡¯.


    ¡°Whatever the cost, I can¡¯t condone your behavior.¡± I looked at her, ¡°If people like you can still be in the industry, it¡¯s the biggest sadness in this business!¡±


    ¡°Yes Ms. Laura, thank you so much for giving us the lead.¡± A nearby official-looking person said to me, ¡°This business does need to be straightened out, and we need more people like you who dare to speak the truth and fight against ugliness!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to make me sound so great, I¡¯m just doing what I¡¯m supposed to do.¡± Iughed softly and turned to leave.


    I didn¡¯t want to make enemies, but I would never tolerate people bullying me either.


    A weekter, I gave thepany a vacation, and I had a rare chance to stay home and spend some quality time with Sunny.


    The weather was nice that day, Yasmin pushed her outside for a walk, and I had just made vegetable puree, ready to call them back for dinner, but Yasmin¡¯s phone couldn¡¯t get through. I had a bad feeling and rushed out of the yard.


    I saw a lot of people gathered on the road not far away, and there were police lights shing.


    My heart immediately raised to my throat, rushed into the crowd to see that Yasmin fell on the ground, but there was no one in the stroller on the side.


    ¡°Yasmin, Yasmin!¡± I shouted.


    She slowly opened her eyes and sat up with difficulty, then looked horrified, ¡°¡­ Sunny! Sunny!¡±


    ¡°What happened to Sunny?¡±


    ¡°Snatched!¡±


    I was like five thunderbolts.


    ¡°me me, me me!¡± Yasmin wiped her tears anxiously, ¡°Holly snatched her! She brought a man with her and came up to hug Sunny! I couldn¡¯t beat them and Sunny was snatched by them!¡±


    I felt as if I had stepped on the ground, my ears were buzzing and my mind was nk.


    A police officer came to take a statement and I couldn¡¯t say anything. They asked me about my rtionship with Holly, I just felt anger and despair together choked in my throat, I covered my face ¡°wow¡± cry, body shaking, hands and feet cold.


    Sunny is my life, how can I let her fall into Holly¡¯s hands!


    I remembered Holly¡¯sst words when she was taken to the Media Association for investigation, ¡°Laura, you will pay for this.¡±


    And I never thought that the price would be Sunny.


    I began to regret what I had done. Why did I gamble on that? It¡¯s better to offend a gentleman than a viin, and Holly is the viin of the vile viins! Why should I offend her?


    ¡°Ms. Laura, don¡¯t just cry, please cooperate with us, okay?¡± A police officer said to me.


    I was shaking so much that I couldn¡¯t say a word.


    At this moment, I suddenly felt a warmth, I raised my eyes and saw Patrick, he took my hand, draped his coat over me, and gently patted me on the back.


    My whole body nestled in his arms as if I had grabbed thest straw.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± He said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will help you save Sunny.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Holly ¡­¡± I trembled, ¡°It¡¯s Holly who kidnapped her!¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have called the police!¡± I suddenly reacted, ¡°In case she knows I called the police, then Sunny ¡­¡±


    ¡°Laura, be quiet!¡± He squeezed my shoulders, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure Sunny¡¯s safe! I promise to bring her back in one piece! Will you trust me?¡±


    I looked at him in a daze.


    At this moment, only his gaze can give me firm strength.


    He nodded at me, then turned back to discuss the case with his colleagues. I went with him to the police station, where I stayed for a whole night, I can not sleep, I can not eat, full of Sunny¡¯s pink face, soft voice, the smell of ¡­


    I cried so much that I was about to have a nervous breakdown.


    Patrick came over and gently embraced me in front of his body. I couldn¡¯t hear what he said, but the warmth of his body reassured me a lot.


    The ringing of a cell phone exploded like a bomb in the silent room.


    My whole body almost jumped up and stared at the cell phone screen. It had Holly¡¯s name on it.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, pick it up.¡± Patrick nods at me.


    I pick up and Holly¡¯s voice is slightly raspy. ¡°Laura.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Sunny!¡± I get agitated, ¡°Holly I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t hurt my daughter! If you touch her ¡­¡±


    There was a sneer on the other side.


    ¡°If you knew that, why did you do it?¡± She said, ¡°Why did you have to push me to the brink? You know full well that Gnote Magazine is what I care about the most, it¡¯s my life¡¯s work!¡±


    ¡°Laura,¡± she took a deep breath, ¡°I don¡¯t tell you this ¡­ My purpose is simple, the magazine is gone, but I still have to survive. I don¡¯t want to hurt anyone¡¯s life, and by kidnapping your daughter, I just want you to do something for me.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I want money.¡±


    My taut nerves loosened slightly.


    Since she was only asking for money, it would be good to fulfill her conditions. She¡¯s not so bad that she¡¯ll turn into an ouw.


    ¡°If you give me the money, I¡¯ll give you back your daughter, and then I¡¯ll leave Jerez State for good. You don¡¯t lose on this deal!¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± I bit my lip, ¡°I promise, how much do you want?¡±


    ¡°Fifty million dors.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    This figure is like a cold sharp knife stuck in my heart.


    ¡°I want fifty million dors!¡± Holly gritted her teeth, ¡°Don¡¯t say you can¡¯te up with it, Laura! I know you have shares in The Lynch Group, and your yearly dividends are always in the tens of millions, right? Plus thatpany of yours ¡­ I don¡¯t believe you can¡¯t get this money out!¡±


    ¡°I can give it to you.¡± I want to stabilize her first, ¡°But you have to give me time.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much patience. Besides, I want cash!¡±

 Laura鈥檚 POV 98

    ¡°Cash?¡± I mentally thumped.


    Where was I going to find that kind of cash!


    The person on the other end was about to hang up the phone and I yelled, ¡°Wait!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I ¡­¡± I licked my lips, ¡°I need to hear Sunny¡¯s voice.¡±


    Holly is silent, for a moment, sheughs softly, ¡°Your daughter is asleep. Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°You let me hear her voice!¡± I was almost hysterical.


    ¡°Are you going to wake her up?¡± Holly¡¯s voice trembled, ¡°Laura, although I used to have bad thoughts about you and want to get you both mother and daughter killed, now ¡­¡±


    ¡°Anyway, now I¡¯m not so inhuman.¡± She said, ¡°All I want is the money! You have three days, Laura, to get the money together and get it to me! And no police!¡±


    ¡°In these three days, I will take good care of your child, she won¡¯t starve and freeze ¡­ but after three days I don¡¯t get what I want, you and this child of yours ¡­ are all going to die for me!¡±


    I was afraid of provoking her, holding the phone the atmosphere did not dare to breathe. Until she hung up the phone, my hands are still involuntarily shaking, my palms ayer of cold sweat.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay.¡± Patrickforted me.


    The police started to deploy the operation, the people in the Major Crime Unit were Patrick¡¯s former colleagues and worked very well together. The police team told me that they had utilized advanced technology to locate and track the suspect, and would definitely ensure the safety of the child.


    ¡°But she wants fifty million ¡­ dors,¡± I panicked, ¡°I have to at least get enough money together to go meet with her! It¡¯s only three days, where am I going to get fifty million dors in cash!¡±


    Patrick sighed softly and asked tentatively, ¡°What about Carter? The Lynch Family¡­ can help you?¡±


    Being reminded by him, I thought that this was really a solution.


    Even if I messed up with The Lynch Family, Ethan, Mellisa, they are after all my real parents, Carter is my brother, and Sunny is also rted to them by blood! They wouldn¡¯t just stand by and watch Sunny being kidnapped, would they?


    However reality pped me in the face.


    I went back to The Lynch Family and exined everything, and I was so close to kneeling down to them ¡­ In fact, if I could beg for 50 million dors by kneeling down, it wouldn¡¯t have mattered if I had kowtowed on my knees.


    But their reply to me was that they didn¡¯t care about this matter.


    Ethan look indifferent, not waiting for me to finish on the study room to close the door. Mellisa quite anxious, but she can not help, and she does not want to disobey Ethan¡¯s will.


    They all went to their rooms and I sat in the living room. Therge The Lynch Family, not a single person was willing to help me, even my real parents had an attitude colder than ice at such a critical moment.


    ¡°Forget it, you¡¯re not going to get any money from here.¡± Suddenly someone tapped me on the shoulder.


    Carter stood in front of me, looking at me with a smile on his face, his face somewhat grim.


    ¡°Know what mom and dad think?¡± He sat down andughed softly, ¡°Sunny the little one, after all, is Cameron¡¯s child, and you and Cameron¡¯s rtionship ¡­¡±


    I don¡¯t say anything, I just look at him quietly.


    ¡°Your rtionship with Cameron is just too much to see!¡± Carter grinned. ¡°You have to call him your brother, and it¡¯s a shame for The Lynch Family to have a child between siblings. Mom and Dad hated that child so much they couldn¡¯t wait for her to disappear from the world, how could they possiblye up with the money to pay for her to be there?¡±


    ¡°Carter!¡± I snapped, the blood rushing to my head.


    Yeah, he was right. To them, Sunny was a disgrace to The Lynch Family. They couldn¡¯t wait for Sunny to nevere back.


    I sneered, ¡°To you ¡­ The Lynch Family¡¯s honor is always more important than blood kinship, right?¡±


    He just smiles and doesn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Hypocritical.¡± Iughed, ¡°What a family of hypocrites. The reputation of The Lynch Family waspletely ruined by their previous generation a long time ago! How is it that I bleed the same blood as you all?¡±


    I ran out of The Lynch Family, and instead of getting a penny, I waspletely chilled out of the family.


    But the deadline Holly had given me wasing up.


    I felt like I was cooking on fire those days, and the anxiety and impatience was like a branding iron on my heart. Time passed by, my despair increased by the second, I dare not imagine if I did not hand over 50 million as scheduled, Sunny will have what happened.


    I borrowed all the people I could, I even wanted to sell thepany, but it was all too far to put out the fire. Just when I was going crazy with anxiety, Patrick suddenly came to me with a color of excitement on his face.


    ¡°Come with me, Laura!¡± he said, pulling me along.


    ¡°Where to?¡±


    ¡°Sunny will be saved!¡±


    The ce he took me to turned out to be the same apartment Cameron had given me before.


    I winced a little as soon as I got to the door and stood still. I looked at him in horror, wondering what he was trying to pull again. Patrick froze, then said, ¡°Laura, you have to trust me!¡±


    ¡°What the hell happened?¡±


    ¡°Come in and see for yourself!¡±


    Patrick knocked on the door and the person who came to answer it turned out to be Cameron!


    The two men met and smiled at each other, it looked like all the grudges that had been settled had been erased. Patrick let me into the house, a ce that was both familiar and unfamiliar to me, filled with memories entwined with sweetness and pain.


    ¡°I heard something happened to your daughter.¡± Cameron asked in a deep voice, ¡°Holly did it?¡±


    I nodded woodenly.


    ¡°I can pay you.¡± He said.


    I looked up at him. It felt then as if I was walking in the middle of a darkness and suddenly caught a light.


    ¡°You?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°Why would you help me?¡±


    ¡°Laura, let¡¯s not talk about this.¡± Patrick pressed my shoulder and sat down, ¡°Saving Sunny is important right now.¡±


    Cameron¡¯s face was cool, still with a rigid look in his eyes. He looked at me, and that nce, though cold, gave me immense peace of mind. ¡°Fifty million dors, I¡¯ll prepare it.¡±


    My tears immediately came out of my eyes.


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t cry!¡± He frowned and seemed to have a somewhat disgusted tone, ¡°Your daughter is in the hands of a mom like you, doing things without considering the consequences, and knowing how to cry when things go wrong, it¡¯s also really unlucky enough!¡±


    I stopped my voice, at that moment time seems to go back to many years ago. At that time we are small, I have been to Cameron trouble, just then I do not think that it is trouble ¡­ Cameron always mouth to me me, but silently bear all the consequences. It turns out that since childhood, those shoulders have always been for me to block the wind and rain.


    Cameron and Patrick discussed it until most of the night. I drifted off to sleep, the first time in three days I had slept this long. I woke up early in the morning to find myself lying in my bedroom, covered in Cameron¡¯s jacket.


    The faint smell of tobo jolted a certain frayed nerve in me.


    Cameron was lying on the living room couch, curled up and snoring slightly. He hasn¡¯t changed a bit from the way he fell asleep, frowning as if he¡¯s defensive of the whole world.


    I gently walked over to him and involuntarily reached out to touch his brow. I didn¡¯t expect to wake him up, he suddenly opened his eyes, and when he and I looked at each other, there was a corner of my heart that seemed to copse.


    ¡°Something wrong?¡±


    In the middle of the day, he asked in a low voice.


    There was a haze underneath his eyes, like melting ice.


    I retracted my hand violently, my cheeks burning a little.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± I hesitated and said softly, ¡°Cameron ¡­ thank you.¡±


    ¡°No need.¡±


    Without additional words, he stood up and headed for the restroom. Ten minutester Patrick was up as well, and the two of them briefly ate breakfast, exchanged nces, and picked up a suitcase in the corner to head out the door.


    ¡°Laura,e here!¡± Patrick waved at me and exined, ¡°When we get to the ce we agreed with Holly, you take this box. No matter what, let Sunnye back safely first. I have already deployed, when the timees, don¡¯t worry, pick up Sunny and hurry to run back ¡­ The rest of the matter, leave it to me and Cameron.¡±


    Cameron? I was stunned, ¡°You also want to follow?¡±


    Cameron didn¡¯t say anything, Patrick nodded gently to me.


    I didn¡¯t understand why he was going along.


    Later, Patrick told me that Cameron strongly requested to follow him because he was uneasy.


    Luckily, Holly had called two social thugs, and when I gave her the money, she yed a scoundrel, trying to withhold the money and then Sunny. just in the nick of time, Cameron suddenly rushed out, punched one of the thugs in the nose, and rescued Sunny.


    Immediately after that, gunshots were fired and sirens surrounded the old warehouse tightly. The police control everything here, the sound of fighting heckling makes the air more depressing ¡­ Not long after Holly was brought out, the handcuffs on her wrists in the setting sun, shing blindingly.


    I held Sunny tightly. She was in shock and cried out, and I couldn t coax her. I was scared to death too, my hands were shaking as I held her, kissing her little face, her cheeks were cold and heartbreaking.


    ¡°Give me the baby.¡± Suddenly arge hand reached out.


    Cameron was still frowning, but his gaze was considerably gentler.


    ¡°Give me the baby!¡± He aggravates his tone.


    I handed the baby over to him, and was inevitably disliked again, ¡°You just know how to cry! You can¡¯t even coax your own child, how can you be a mother?¡±


    I lowered my head and didn¡¯t say anything. Strangely enough, Sunny stopped crying in his hands and stared at him with big, dark eyes, and a smile finally appeared on his little red face.


    Cameron is quite good at coaxing children. When we got back to the apartment, he still wouldn¡¯t let go of the baby, and Sunny fell asleep in his arms, so I tugged on his shirt and whispered to him, ¡°Put the baby on the cot, it¡¯s too tiring to hold him.¡±


    ¡°Shhh!¡± He red at me, surprising me by stopping me, ¡°Don¡¯t disturb her!¡±


    I saw this big man with a sleeping baby in his arms, tiptoeing into the inner bedroom, easing onto the couch in the slowest of motions, his big hands patting gently and his mouth mumbling something.


    I watched from afar as he smiled at her, perhaps not even realizing how warm his smile was at that moment.


    My heart fluttered.


    That¡¯s pretty gentle for his little lover from a previous life ¡­


    For the next few days, Cameron was here to take care of us. He took it upon himself to give Yasmin a vacation so that Yasmin could rest, and then he came to take care of Sunny and I¡¯s food and living.


    I have mixed feelings about being under the same roof with him again after such a long time. It all seems like a dream, but this dream is so real that it makes me stay.


    I don¡¯t know if this person has a split personality, but when he is with me, he always has a cold face, but when he sees Sunny, he immediately changes his face and puts on a gentle smile.


    Sunny is a particrly sticky child, seven or eight hours a day have to hold, and Cameron¡¯s violent temper was suddenly cured by this little man, no matter where you go to where to hold, even when he was cooking in the kitchen, but also a spat in one hand, one hand holding the baby, frying action amplitude exaggeration, amusing Sunny giggle non-stop.


    Sunny also likes to follow him, as if with Cameron, it doesn¡¯t matter whether I am there or not. I once said half-jokingly, ¡°Is it true that I will only be responsible for breastfeeding from now on, and I can leave everything else to you?¡±


    Cameron nced at me, ¡°You can stop breastfeeding too, we have form.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I kind of like the baby.¡± He whispered, ¡°It would be better if she wasn¡¯t Carter¡¯s daughter.¡±


    My heart tightened.


    ¡°Laura,¡± he raised his eyes to mine, his gaze a little suspicious, ¡°is she ¡­ really your and Carter¡¯s daughter?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say, I almost wanted to tell him what Sunny really was, but I swallowed back the words as they came out of my mouth.


    I couldn¡¯t foresee what would happen if I told him, The Lynch Family wouldn¡¯t tolerate this child, and Cameron might snatch Sunny away from him if he knew it was his own flesh and blood.


    I can tolerate anything, but I can¡¯t tolerate being separated from Sunny.


    Cameron narrowed his eyes and stepped closer to me, ¡°The father of this child, it¡¯s not Carter, is it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ask.¡± I lowered my head.


    ¡°Whose kid is this?¡±


    ¡°I told you to stop asking, don¡¯t you understand?¡± I yelled at him, ¡°She¡¯s no one¡¯s child, she¡¯s my daughter and mine alone!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about Laura?¡± sneered Cameron, ¡°You can have it alone without a man?¡±


    ¡°Then think of me ¡­¡± I gulped, ¡°as if I had sex with someone else. I¡¯m long gone in your eyes anyway!¡±


    ¡°Laura!¡± violently he pinched my shoulder.


    For the first time in days, I saw something other than coldness in his eyes. It was like two fires were burning in his eyes as he red at me in anger, his lips trembling slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you onest time.¡± He sank his voice, ¡°Who is the father of this child, really?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    I tilted my head to the side, and in my afterglow I saw his hand raised high in the air. His hand stays in the air for a long moment, but doesn¡¯t fall.


    Sunny cried out from the cot.


    Cameron rushed over, skillfully picked her up, gently patted her back, and patiently coaxed her. My eyes instantly moist, ¡°Cameron ¡­¡± I bit my lip, ¡°Do you like Sunny?¡±


    He frowned and didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°She¡¯s not Carter¡¯s daughter.¡± I whisper, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to give him a child.¡±


    ¡°Even if you wanted to have a baby, I¡¯m afraid it wouldn¡¯t be your turn.¡± He doesn¡¯t even look at me.


    ¡°Laura, have you forgotten what I told you before?¡± He said, ¡°I said, you can only have my child ¡­ your whole life, you can only give me a child!¡±


    Then does he know that from now on, I can only call him a brother?


    I smiled bitterly, watching him put Sunny back in the crib, coaxing him for a while, he signaled me to go out, gently bringing the door to the room with him.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got absolutely nothing to do with Carter anymore, do you?¡± He asked me.


    ¡°Do you expect me to have anything to do with him anymore?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s best if there isn¡¯t.¡± He sneered, ¡°Tell him to be careful, he¡¯ll pay for what he once did and I won¡¯t spare anyone who hurts me! Including you, Laura!¡±

 Laura鈥檚 POV 99

    Cameron has officially dered war on The Lynch Group.


    This was expected, but what I didn¡¯t expect was for him to move so quickly. During that time various media outlets were scrambling to report on a mysterious consortium from New Avalon by the name of none other than Laura One.


    Laura One.


    This consortium came out of nowhere, triggering fluctuations in Jerez State¡¯s financialmunity, and with New Avalon¡¯s Wall Street background, many people were specting about the owner behind it. At one time almost every reporter in Jerez State was out in force, utilizing all sorts of connections to find news resources, and I was the only one who didn¡¯t make any moves.


    I was also the only one who knew that Cameron was behind Laura One.


    On Monday, Laura One acquired 25% of The Lynch Group¡¯s shares at lightning speed, bing the secondrgest shareholder and, in a fight with The Scott family, outbidding the Scott family, knocking The Scott Group out of the market. The Scott family¡¯s bottom price when they fought The Scott family, knocking The Scott Group out of the market.


    The uproar reshuffled the cards in the Jerez State financial world, an earthquake if you will. Everyone was stunned when Cameron¡¯s figure slowly appeared on the SEC tform.


    The bridge of The Lynch Family¡¯s second son returning from nirvana to avenge his death went viral.


    Some of the media outlets, who are not afraid of the world, added fuel to the fire and made up a lot of stories about Cameron, but of course, I was not left out of the story. I once again live in the spotlight, even to go to the supermarket I do not dare to strut in, but must be armed with a hat, sunsses, scarf, like a thief, took something to pay the money quickly escape.


    Even so, I couldn¡¯t escape their harassment.


    The Lynch Family¡¯s situation is no better than mine. Carter came to me in a rage the other day, and as soon as he walked in the door, he pointed his finger at my nose and yelled, ¡°What the hell is Cameron up to?¡±


    I gave him a look and thought to myself that he would have his day.


    I sneer, ¡°What do you think? You and Cameron grew up together, don¡¯t you know his temper? Would he let you off the hook for what you did to him before?¡±


    ¡°Carter,¡± I looked at him, ¡°and you said he¡¯d never roll over ¡­ again heh, now he not only rolled over, but he got up and beat you over the head!¡±


    ¡°Laura, you¡¯re still biased in his favor.¡± He narrowed his eyes, ¡°You had a hand in this one, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I had nothing to do with it.¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯m a victim too, Cameron said so and he won¡¯t let me off the hook!¡±


    ¡°Then you act like it¡¯s none of your business!¡± He shook my shoulders violently, ¡°Do something Laura, get it through your head, yourst name isn¡¯t Campbell, yourst name is Lynch!¡±


    ¡°Now you remember myst name is Lynch? Which one of your family thought I was the daughter of The Lynch Family in the first ce? You tried to get rid of me, even when Sunny had an ident, you didn¡¯t say a word! The fact that none of you helped me haspletely chilled me and I won¡¯t help you now!¡±


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    Looking at the way his face was suffocating red, the veins on his head bulging out, his eyes wide and lips pursed, but he couldn¡¯t do anything about me, his mood was inexplicably stormy.


    ¡°As much as I¡¯m overwhelmed right now,¡± I grinned, ¡°I think Cameron really did a great job this time!¡±


    ¡°Laura!¡±


    ¡°Please get out!¡± I ran over and opened the door, ¡°This is my house and you are not wee. Please leave right now or I¡¯m going to call the police. Heh, that¡¯s something I¡¯m a lot like Cameron, when I start to get mad ¡­ I¡¯m going to lose all six of my parents!¡±


    Carter gave me onest re and left angrily. I looked at his back and let out a long breath of relief.


    That whole afternoon I did not go out.


    I always think about a lot of things when I¡¯m quiet, for example, I can understand that Cameron hates Carter, and his retaliation against The Lynch Family was also expected, but I didn¡¯t expect him toe out so hard. When he took the me for The Scott family and was falsely imprisoned, it was Carter¡¯s conspiracy, and he made such a big move to buy The Lynch Group, wouldn¡¯t it be that even Ethan and Mellisa are also within the scope of his vengeance?


    He has always been a person who loves to hate, Carter offended him, he will not spare him. But Ethan is his father, and Mellisa is his aunt. How could he implicate both of them?


    Maybe there was another reason for it?


    I was so stuffed up inside that I wanted to talk to someone. It just so happened that Patrick¡¯s phone call came in, I told him my confusion, the other end was silent for a long time, then asked softly, ¡°Laura, is it convenient for you toe out now?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡± I smiled helplessly, ¡°You¡¯re not unaware of my current situation ¡­ Cameron came back this time and made such a bigmotion, my name is on the hot list again ¡­ I even have to be careful when I go out to buy something! !¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯lle to you,¡± he said, ¡°and you¡¯ll wait for me at that milk tea store in your neighborhood.¡±


    ¡°But ¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate, I have to see you!¡±


    I froze. Patrick has never been one to force himself on people, especially at a time like this when the wind is blowing. If he said that, it must be something important.


    I simply cleaned up, left the baby in Yasmin¡¯s care for now, put on my turban and went downstairs.


    I saw Patrick in the milk tea store.


    As soon as he saw me, he smiled, ¡°Do you need to be wrapped up in a dumpling?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s necessary.¡± I spit out my tongue in embarrassment, ¡°I¡¯m surrounded by people like animals every day, try looking at me like this!¡±


    ¡°This store is so remote and inside the neighborhood, it¡¯s quiet enough that no one will bother us.¡±


    ¡°Patrick,¡± I looked at him, ¡°what is it that you have to meet to say?¡±


    ¡°I came to answer your questions.¡±


    He opened his mouth a couple of times with a story hidden in his eyes and swallowed back the words. After a long time he took a deep breath and pulled a dossier out of his carry-on bag.


    ¡°Take a look at this.¡± He pushed the dossier to me.


    I was a little surprised, ¡°This ¡­ is your work confidential, how do you show me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when you see it.¡±


    I turned the kraft paper file bag over, and the big ck letters on it violently stung my eyes.


    Anne.


    My heart pounded so violently that I almost didn¡¯t hold it steady.


    ¡°This ¡­¡± I asked him, ¡°isn¡¯t this case closed? Howe it¡¯s ¡­ again?¡±


    ¡°I used to think so.¡± His voice was low, ¡°I thought if Jacob was arrested, the case would be closed, and if Jacob died, the case could be put in the archive. But then I realized I was wrong.¡±


    I stared at him, my heart pounding.


    Patrick opens the bag and the papers flutter down onto the table like snowkes. He picked up a few of them, ¡°This case, it wasn¡¯t clear until recently. At first, I only knew that it was a family dispute, and the direction of the investigation was only limited to The Lynch Group¡¯s enemies. The Lynch Group is invincible in the shopping mall, and the tree attracts a lot of wind, so it must have attracted people¡¯s grudges¡­. But I didn¡¯t think that the root cause of this case was in The Lynch Family internally!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    He licked his lips, each word hitting me hard.


    ¡°The person behind this case ¡­ is Ethan¡¯s current wife, Mellisa.¡±


    My head exploded, and for a moment I seemed to go deaf, unable to hear anything but the sound of my own apprehensive heartbeat.


    As I sat there, shaking, the scene of Anne before she died seemed toe back before my eyes.


    Her pale face, slightly curled body, has been twitching, half broken tongue, a bloody ground ¡­


    I let out a low cry and covered my mouth tightly to keep from vomiting.


    ¡°Laura¡­¡± Patrick patted me on the back, ¡°You calm down.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t calm down, Patrick,¡± the tears rushed out like an open flood, ¡°How could it be her ¡­ How could she be the one behind this? She¡¯s ¡­¡±


    I almost said, she is my mom.


    The words came to my mouth, and I swallowed them back raw.


    I said, ¡°She is such an elegant and noble person ¡­ and she has always been very good to me, I really can¡¯t believe that she did it!¡±


    ¡°Right now she¡¯s just a suspect, it¡¯s not conclusive.¡± Patrickforted me, ¡°All the evidence points to Mellisa, she won¡¯t be able to clear this suspicion. But the police haven¡¯t acted yet because they¡¯re afraid of spooking her.¡±


    ¡°It looks like Cameron already knows?¡± I asked.


    He nodded.


    ¡°Yeah ¡­¡± I said, ¡°How else would Cameron get back at The Lynch Family like this.¡±


    ¡°Cameron wants to put everyone in The Lynch Family to death.¡± Patrick said, ¡°I¡¯ve tried to persuade him, but he won¡¯t listen.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t need to be talked out of it, he has a reason to do it. His mom is mentally ill, his sister was killed by his aunt, his dad doesn¡¯t care about any of this, and he has an older brother who sets him up at every turn ¡­ What reason does he have to forgive them?¡±


    ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t be involved.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be involved the most.¡± I said softly, ¡°All of it, and I can¡¯t get out of the fight.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    I realized I had said too much and had to smile without exining.


    ¡°Patrick, thank you for telling me this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± He looked at me, ¡°Laura, if you have a chance ¡­ you might as well talk Cameron out of it. I¡¯m not speaking for The Lynch Family, I¡¯m worried for him.¡±


    ¡°Worried for him about what?¡±


    Patrick¡¯s eyes turned deep and heughed softly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid ¡­ he¡¯ll be blinded by revenge and hurt the people he cares about most.¡±? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    I was stunned and forced a smile, ¡°You¡¯re not talking about me, are you?¡±


    ¡°Laura,¡± he sighed softly, ¡°you actually know Cameron better than I. Do you think he¡¯d feel better in his heart if he hurt you?¡±


    I shook my head, not daring to think about it, nor did I want to think about it so much.


    After Patrick left, I walked around the neighborhood for a long time with a big scarf over my head, my mind a jumbled mess.


    Suddenly I saw a figure hanging around under my house.


    That back is very familiar, elegant and noble figure, ck and white id trench coat, standing under the ginkgo tree, is simply a bright scenery in the fall.


    I suddenly held my breath and approached, she turned her head violently and met my eyes.


    ¡°Laura ¡­¡± she shouted out my name in a trembling voice, and her eyes reddened at that instant. She stepped forward and tried to hold my hand, and I subconsciously ducked back, her hand stopping in mid-air in embarrassment.


    ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t expecting Mellisa to show up. Had just been talking to Patrick about her.


    ¡°Sunny¡­ she okay?¡±


    ¡°You still care about her?¡± I looked at her and sneered, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you all just love for her to disappear from this world?¡±


    ¡°Laura,¡± Mellisa tried her best to suppress her emotions, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m your mom and Sunny is my granddaughter ¡­¡±


    ¡°That granddaughter isn¡¯t very honorable!¡± I mocked, ¡°She¡¯s a disgrace to The Lynch Family. Heh, what¡¯s she going to call Cameron when she sees him from now on? Daddy or Uncle?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me like that, okay?¡±


    ¡°What am I going to say to you then?¡± I perked up all of a sudden, ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you came to see me today to renew your mother-daughter bond with me? Hurry up with what¡¯s going on, I need to go upstairs and feed Sunny.¡±


    She nodded slightly and kept biting her lip. After hesitating for a long time she still couldn¡¯t open her mouth, in fact, I knew exactly where she wasing from, she and Carter both had the same purpose.


    ¡°Or I¡¯ll say it for you.¡± I smiled, ¡°Is it about Cameron?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She responded in a low voice, ¡°Can you talk Cameron out of it? He¡¯sing back this time, and it¡¯s obvious that he¡¯sing after me and your dad ¡­ If he keeps tossing around like this, The Lynch Family will be over!¡±


    ¡°You guys are ridiculous too, aren¡¯t you?¡± I said, ¡°What makes you guys think that I can persuade Cameron? You guys are not unaware of what kind of temper he is! Who can stop him from doing what he wants to do?¡±


    ¡°Laura!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you evere back to me again!¡± I red at her, ¡°You all brought this on yourselves!¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Mellisa pulls me back, an incredible amount of resentment in her eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know better?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe that the ruthless woman in front of me could be my mom!


    ¡°Why was Anne kidnapped back then? And how did she die? Could it be that you really don¡¯t have any count at all in your ¡­ heart?¡±


    Mellisa opened her eyes wide and looked at me with some horror, backing away.


    ¡°Did you really do it?¡± My heart chills, ¡°How can you be like this ¡­ When I learned about all this, I still hold thest glimmer of hope, I especially hope that you can deny it, I especially hope ¡­ that you are the same mom in my heart! I can¡¯t believe that you did all of this!¡±


    ¡°Laura ¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you call me that!¡± I said like crazy, ¡°When you had someone kidnap Anne and cut out her tongue back then, you didn¡¯t think that your own daughter was with her, did you? Did you not think that your daughter also suffered abuse as a child, either being scolded or beaten? That¡¯s retribution! All the things you¡¯ve done, they¡¯ve all been paid back to me!¡±


    ¡°Not like that!¡± Mellisa yelled, grabbing my arm violently, ¡°Listen to me, let me exin!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I did have a hand in this Anne thing back then, and the kidnappers were also found by me ¡­ But think about it, I¡¯m a woman, for no reason, how could I do all this!¡±


    ¡°Because you are jealous!¡± I was about to break down, ¡°Your husband was taken from you, your marriage was destroyed, so you want to kill other people¡¯s children!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong!¡± She was in tears, ¡°Laura, is that the kind of person ¡­ mom is in your mind?¡±


    ¡°And what kind of person are you? Anne did die, killed by that adoptive father of mine! And Jacob, was the one you found!¡±


    ¡°No, no!¡±


    Mellisa cried out, her body shaking badly. She had one arm against the wall, her forehead against the back of her hand, and her cries were desperate. The security guard looked our way, and the neighbors poked their heads out as well, I was afraid of making a big deal out of it, and I even helped and dragged her into the building.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go upstairs and talk about what¡¯s going on.¡± I looked at her coldly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going up,¡± she whimpered, ¡°I only have one thing to say to you ¡­ Laura, you think I did all these things? You¡¯re wrong ¡­ Think about it, Anne is Ethan¡¯s daughter too, and if I were to move her, wouldn¡¯t your father stand in the way?¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    She took a deep breath, ¡°Kidnapping Anne ¡­ is actually your father¡¯s intention too!¡±

 Laura鈥檚 POV 100

    ¡°What did you say?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe my ears.


    Mellisa was silent, her face hard. She looked at me quietly, those eyes hiding a lot of things I couldn¡¯t figure out.


    ¡°Actually, your father instructed me to do it.¡± She paused and barely tugged at the corner of her mouth, ¡°You¡¯re still not used to calling him Dad, are you?¡±


    ¡°Indeed I¡¯m not used to it.¡± I replied, looking down, ¡°I never felt like that was my dad. Even Jacob, who grew up beating me and scolding me, I still call him dad off the top of my head. As for Chairman Ethan ¡­¡±


    Until now, I¡¯ve only been able to call him ¡°Chairman¡±.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Mellisa¡¯s gaze softened, ¡°We owe you so much.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t owe me anything.¡± I said, ¡°You should think about how much you owe Anne. That¡¯s a life! How can you guys ¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you think I want to do this kind of poison?¡± She was so agitated that even her breath caught, ¡°I know it was a life, too, and besides, even if there was a fault between the adults, the child was innocent, and I can still tell the difference!¡±


    She took a deep breath, ¡°Originally I didn¡¯t want to use this kind of means against my sister ¡­ But I don¡¯t know why, this is the idea Ethan gave me. It¡¯s incredible, isn¡¯t it? He actually wanted me to kidnap his daughter! With what I know about Ethan, this is never that simple.¡±


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± The more I listened, the less I understood.


    But the only answer she gave me was to shake her head.


    She said she didn¡¯t understand it either, and that Ethan had his reasons for everything he did, that he didn¡¯t need to let anyone else know too much, that everyone else just had to do what they were told.


    If he didn¡¯t say anything, Mellisa didn¡¯t dare ask.


    And she hated Ste so much at the time that she got carried away with the whole thing in a moment of haunting. Anne was kidnapped and eventer ripped off, and I saw it all with my own eyes, lied about it and blended in with The Lynch Family, and got tangled up with Cameron ¡­


    Turns out everything was meant to be.


    I smiled woodenly. Mellisa was still following me closely and asked me, ¡°Laura, just talk to Cameron, okay? We, The Lynch Family, can¡¯t be ruined in his hands like this!¡±


    I went straight up the stairs, waving at her with my back turned. I was tired, my head was spinning, and I didn¡¯t know what to do about the road ahead.


    Sunny was sleeping soundly in her cot, Yasmin had stewed bird¡¯s nest and red dates, I scooped up a bowl and before I could bring it to my mouth, my cell phone kept vibrating again.


    It was Patrick¡¯s call. ¡°Laura,¡± his voice was a little urgent once he picked up, ¡°is Cameron really going to screw up like this?¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± I had a bad feeling in the back of my mind.


    ¡°Nothing major.¡± He said, ¡°Just heard from his assistant that he¡¯s nning on acquiring two other businesses, and the executives of those two businesses are friends with The Lynch Family. I¡¯m just worried about him, what if these people aren¡¯t happy and join forces to try to bring him down? When the wall falls, he won¡¯t even have a helper by his side. Besides ¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides what?¡±


    ¡°Besides, whether he actually has that much strength, have you thought about this?¡±


    I bit my lips tightly, for a long time, and said softly, ¡°This I have not doubted ¡­ Cameron is not a bluffing person, since he has these big actions, it means that he has made all preparations. But you¡¯re right, now it is afraid that those people are not willing to join forces to fix him.¡±


    Patrick was silent for a long time, ¡°Can you persuade him?¡±


    I was dumbfounded.


    Why does everyone think I can talk him down? If my words had worked so well, I¡¯m afraid Cameron and I wouldn¡¯t have gotten this far.


    I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s no ce for anyone else in Cameron¡¯s heart right now.


    I sighed softly, and in order to reassure Patrick, I could only reluctantly agree.


    Cameron didn¡¯te back too early in the evening.


    It was almost midnight when I heard a not-so-small movement at the front door, followed by the sound of his heavy, stumbling footsteps. I hurried over and smelled the odor of alcohol in the living room.


    ¡°Have you been drinking?¡± I held him up.


    He pulled his jacket off casually and tossed it aside, ripping off his tie, even as his shirt buttons fell apart two at a time. Then carelessly responded, ¡°Well, I had a social engagement tonight and drank a little too much.¡±


    ¡°Pour you a ss of honey water.¡±


    ¡°Laura!¡±


    He yanked on me with a force that caught me off guard. I fell violently into his arms, his strong arms encircling my torso, one hand probing into the cor of my shirt.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡­,¡± a rush of heat shot through my body, stopping him from continuing.


    Cameron didn¡¯t take offense, his torched gaze locked on me with a hint if a smirk on his face. He was flushed and in a good mood, and it looked like tonight¡¯s socializing was half the battle for him.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy today.¡± His thin lips gently swept over my forehead, low hoarse voice twining in the ear, ¡°Really ¡­ happy. The Lynch Family those allies are better dealt with than I imagined, a little small favor, they were subdued¡­ ¡­¡±


    ¡°Laura, it¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve been together, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    My cheeks burned and my heart pounded.


    Shouldn¡¯t I say something to him while he¡¯s happy?


    He wrapped his arms around me a little tighter, his hot breath wrapped in his unique scent of testosterone spraying over my lips, the nape of my neck, my corbone ¡­ He pressed me up against the wall, his lips traveling all the way down, and I couldn¡¯t help but press down on his head, letting his face bury itself in my breasts and rub them together, and I burned to the core of my desire for him in that moment.


    ¡°Make me a baby.¡± His voice seemed to sink into a hot spring, ¡°Laura ¡­ I said you can only have my child! Give me a child ¡­ just like, just as cute as Sunny, and it better be a girl too, because I¡¯ll be tough on my son.¡±


    ¡°I clearly remember you saying before that you wanted a son.¡± I looked at him.


    ¡°That was before,¡± heughed, ¡°but after meeting Sunny, I like her so much ¡­ I want a daughter too.¡±


    My nose red and my heart flooded with sadness. It was rare to see such a gentle Cameron, and I wished that this moment would freeze into eternity.


    How could I ever give him another child, we were brother and sister.


    I barely tugged at the corners of my mouth, snapping back to Patrick¡¯s words, so I asked him tentatively, ¡°Cameron, do you ¡­ have to make The Lynch Family, a million times worse?¡±


    His hand stopped for a moment, slowly raised his head, and the warmth in his eyes cooled a little.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    I licked my lips, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll take things too far.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think, even now, that I shouldn¡¯t be desperate with them, do you?¡±


    ¡°Cameron ¡­¡± I said in a low voice, ¡°I can understand the resentment in your heart, in my ce, it is impossible to choose to forgive ¡­ but I just advise you to be more careful in everything. The Lynch Family is, after all, a hundred-footed insect that dies but never falls down! Even if they are momentarily suppressed by you, their connections and power in the shopping mall are not just gone! You are also surnamed Lynch, you grew up in The Lynch Family, what kind of people are your father and Carter, are you still not clear?¡±


    He was silent and didn¡¯t say anything, the shadowy shadow in the bottom of his eyes gathering more and more intensity.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about the mall,¡± I took a deep breath, ¡°but I think you¡¯re being overly aggressive!¡±


    ¡°Oh, radical?¡± He suddenly sneered in the middle of the day, ¡°So tell me, what should I do? Let them go?¡±


    A sudden sharp, fierce light shed in Cameron¡¯s eyes, ¡°Laura, what are you trying to say? Letting The Lynch Family off the hook is just a front, letting Carter off the hook is the real deal, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You ¡­,¡± my heart hangs in my throat, and for a moment I can¡¯t speak.


    He was misunderstanding me and Carter again!


    In his heart, Carter seems to be a hurdle that he can never get over. First he thought Sunny was Carter¡¯s child, and then he suspected that everything I did had something to do with Carter.


    ¡°You have deep feelings for him Laura!¡± he gritted his teeth and turned into a vicious beast, ¡°Then I also tell you ¡­ that the more you are like this, the more I won¡¯t let them go! I¡¯m going to make you see what happens to them with your own eyes, and you watch carefully with your eyes wide open how Carter dies!¡±


    Cameron yanked hard and I was dragged into the bedroom where he pinned me down hard on the big bed and tore at my clothes like crazy. The slightest resistance from me was met with a pnding hard on my cheek and a taste of blood in my mouth.


    He turned me over and pressed my face into the pillow, I couldn¡¯t breathe at all, but I didn¡¯t dare to scream, I was afraid of disturbing Sunny who was sleeping in the room next to me, but my silence made him even more wantonly wild, every move he made was like he was deliberately hurting me, deliberately trying to make noise out of me, and deliberately letting the whole world know how lowly this woman lying under him was.


    ¡°Cameron ¡­¡± I vocalized with difficulty, ¡°No ¡­¡±


    ¡°No?¡± He was on top of me, his lips on my ear, his fingers sliding from my earlobe all the way down to my waist, ¡°You used to say that all the time, you yelled it, but which time didn¡¯t you get so good that your legs went weak?¡±


    ¡°Comfortable?¡± He mmed two fingers in and I yelped, my body shuddering involuntarily.


    ¡°Sure is still the same as before!¡± Hisughter was full of contempt, his fingers kept moving faster and faster, his other hand choking me, ¡°Scream! Do you want it now? Heh ¡­ Laura, I¡¯d love to show Carter what a bitch you look like right now!¡±


    I was tossed around by him, my body was soft, my eyes were starry, humiliation was dead in my throat, but my body was surging with an unspeakable feeling ¡­ This feeling matched the missing corner of my heart, these two years without Cameron, it was as if I had lived as a walking corpse, yet now, it was as if I hade to life.


    I unconsciously leaned towards him. Since my back was to him, I arched my back and rubbed myself against him like a kitten stretching. Cameron¡¯s movements suddenly stopped, followed by a big push, and flipped me over again, with my front facing him, as he slowly pressed down on me ¡­


    ¡°No, Cameron,¡± I said, tears pouring out of my eyes uncontrobly, ¡°We can¡¯t ¡­¡±


    He looked at me coldly, the haze under his eyes growing more and more terrifying, suddenly his hand rose high and he hit me with a hard p that made me dizzy.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t we? Want to guard Carter¡¯s body? Heh!¡± He presses down on my leg, hysterical, ¡°Laura, I want you today!¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Cameron didn¡¯t care and moved roughly, but just then I heard movement outside. I tensed up instantly and struggled with all my might to push him away.


    The sound outside was very soft, but then I thought it might be mother-daughter telepathy. I sensed that something was going to happen to Sunny, and I pushed Cameron away like crazy and opened the door to go out, only to see Sunny climb up to the stairway, wobble a few times, and roll down like a ball with a thud ¡­


    At that moment my whole heart was pulled up.


    After she rolled down, there was a muffled thud, and her head hit the corner of the stairs and broke a gash, with blood pouring out. I was scared out of my wits, screaming and running over, holding her in my arms and calling her name over and over again, but she went in with her eyes closed, her face white, and her body kept convulsing.


    Cameron helped me take her to the hospital with him, and outside the emergency room, I was fidgeting, my heart hanging in the air, as if I were walking in darkness, a deep sense of dread wrapping me from head to toe.


    ¡°She¡¯s going to be okay.¡± Cameron¡¯s hand rests on my shoulder.


    I jumped away like a reflex, shrieking and pushing him so hard he stumbled against the wall.


    ¡°Get out and stay away from me!¡± I med him for all of Sunny¡¯s fall down the stairs, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you ¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have had time to take care of Sunny and she wouldn¡¯t have climbed out and fallen to the bottom of the stairs! It¡¯s all your fault!¡±


    I squatted down and wrapped my hands around myself, my body shaking uncontrobly. At that time I was really scared, Sunny is my life, if anything happens to her, how am I going to live?


    When I carried her to the hospital, she couldn¡¯t move anymore, blood gurgling out of her head.


    ¡°If something really happens to Sunny,¡± I raised my eyes and looked hard at Cameron, ¡°I won¡¯t let you ¡­ go I won¡¯t let you go!¡±


    At this time the door to the emergency room suddenly opened, ¡°Who is the child¡¯s family?¡±


    I rushed over with an arrow step.


    The doctor looked at me, his tone was urgent, ¡°The child is too young, injured his forehead, lost too much blood, and needs a timely blood transfusion. But currently our hospital has insufficient stock of this blood type, I¡¯m afraid it will be toote if we transfer it from another hospital¡¯s blood bank.¡±


    ¡°What blood type is she?¡± Cameron stepped forward and asked.


    ¡°Just regr type A, not panda blood.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°I can!¡± I shouted hurriedly, ¡°I¡¯m blood type A. My daughter is like me, I can transfuse her!¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t work.¡± The doctor frowned.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Blood transfusions between immediate family members can result in a severe transfusion reaction called transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease. The probability of urrence is low, but when it happens, the mortality rate is nearly 100%. The child is too young and has a weak resistance, the probability of incidence may be on the high side, I don¡¯t dare to take this risk.¡±


    I was stupefied, all of a sudden I was lost in thought, my legs were weak and I almost fell over.


    Cameron held me up. He puts one arm silently around my shoulder and nods gently at me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give Sunny a blood transfusion.¡± He whispered, ¡°I¡¯m type O. Isn¡¯t type O the universal blood type? So it¡¯s no problem for me to transfuse her!¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± I stopped him violently.


    I stared at him in a daze, my hands shaking, my lips trembling, wanting to say something to him, but I couldn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Anger bubbled in Cameron¡¯s eyes, ¡°I¡¯m giving your daughter a blood transfusion and you¡¯re stopping me?¡±


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t have a transfusion!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°There¡¯s always a reason, right?¡±


    ¡°No reason, just no!¡±


    Cameron res at me for a long moment, incredulity in those anger-filled eyes.


    I bite my lip and make no argument. ¡°In short ¡­¡± I take a deep breath, ¡°you just can¡¯t give Sunny a blood transfusion ¡­ I¡¯ll find another way. ¡±


    ¡°Unbelievable!¡±


    Cameron angrily throws this down, turns and strides away.

 Laura鈥檚 POV 101

    I called Patrick and he came quickly, it just so happened that he also has type A blood.


    Sunny was out of danger and transferred to the general ward. She was lying on her side on the cot sleeping extraordinarily sweetly, with thick gauze wrapped around her forehead, which made my heart flutter and hurt when I looked at it.


    What surprised me more was Cameron, when I didn¡¯t let him have a blood transfusion, he walked out angrily, I thought he wouldn¡¯te back, but I didn¡¯t expect him toe back after a while, with Sunny¡¯s usual favorite toy in his hand.


    He stayed at the hospital and kept Sunny awake all night. when Sunny woke up, he teased her to eat and made her happy. when Sunny cried out from the pain of her head wound, he held her in his arms andforted her softly, and changed her favorite toys as if he was doing a magic trick, and she forgot about the pain at that moment, and was happy to giggle straight away.


    Cameron stayed with her for three days, almost undressed.


    I had mixed feelings, but I couldn¡¯t tell him the truth. With him around, it was as if I had an extra tree to protect me from the wind and the rain.


    I fell asleep in the recliner and woke up with the nurse tucking me in, ¡°Sorry to wake you up?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± I rubbed my eyes and smelled a familiar odor, ¡°This coat ¡­¡±


    ¡°This jacket is what your husband wanted me to put on you, shoot you¡¯ll catch a cold if you sleep like this.¡± The nurse smiled, ¡°Ma¡¯am, you¡¯re lucky to have such a cold and gentle and considerate husband.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    I lowered my head and forced a smile, the nurse continued, ¡°Really, not many men can make it this far now. He¡¯s been taking care of the baby these past few days, right? Looks like a good father after all!¡±


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s very good to his daughter.¡± I felt both sour andforted.


    ¡°Or why don¡¯t you go rece him for a bit?¡± The nurse pointed to the hospital room, ¡°He¡¯s not in the best of spirits.¡±


    I walked in and saw Cameron with one hand propped up on his head, his elbow resting against the edge of the bed snoring slightly. He suddenly opened his eyes very alertly as I approached.


    He was very tired looking, but his eyes were still shining. My heart moved, and I said softly, ¡°You rest for a while ¡­ three days, have not closed your eyes much.¡±


    He ignored me.


    I added, ¡°How can you take care of Sunny if you wear yourself out? It¡¯s better for me to do it instead, you go and rest.¡±


    Still silent, he tucked Sunny in and looked up at the IV above him again.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I pushed him harder, ¡°I¡¯m talking to you, will you respond a little?¡±


    Cameron turned his face to look at me coldly, and after a long moment, he nced back at Sunny, stood up and whispered, ¡°Come out with me.¡±


    We stood in the hallway.


    He didn¡¯t say anything, but I was already apprehensive. I knew what he wanted to ask, and I very anxiously needed to find a suitable excuse, but ultimately failed.


    I could no longer hide the fact that he and Sunny were father and daughter.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you onest time,¡± his voice was low and husky, ¡°Whose daughter is Sunny anyway?¡±


    ¡°She ¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not Carter¡¯s daughter, much less born to a random man like you said!¡± He red at me, ¡°Answer me honestly whose daughter she really is!¡±


    I closed my eyes.


    What¡¯s meant to be will be, paper can never hold fire. It couldn¡¯t have been more obvious today when the doctor said that there could beplications with the parents¡¯ blood transfusion, and I was so vehement about stopping Cameron from getting a blood transfusion.


    ¡°It¡¯s yours.¡± I whispered.


    Iid it all out in a nutshell, ¡°Sunny is your daughter, I had her before you went to jail for Daniel. Then I carried her to see you, only to have you mistake her for Carter¡¯s baby ¡­¡±


    Cameron¡¯s face froze in ce as he stared at me in disbelief, disbelief still showing in his eyes.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡± He said, ¡°I gave you so many chances, why didn¡¯t you tell me that Sunny was my child? Laura, if this didn¡¯t happen today, how long are you going to keep this secret? What are your intentions in hiding this fact!¡±


    ¡°Cameron ¡­¡±


    I had a deep sense of powerlessness. I didn¡¯t know how to exin to him, I was so helpless at that moment that I couldn¡¯t open my mouth to say anything but his name.


    ¡°Why are you such a vicious woman!¡± He yelled, pinching my shoulders and shaking, ¡°She is obviously my daughter, but you prevented us from recognizing each other, what do you want to do!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to do anything!¡± I pushed him away, ¡°I just want to be left alone with my child Anne. I don¡¯t want to get involved in all this boring strife, I don¡¯t want to get involved in your feud with The Lynch Family, and I don¡¯t want Sunny to get involved either!¡±


    ¡°Sunny is not yours alone! I¡¯m her father, I have the right to be her guardian, and I have the obligation to raise her! With one ¡®don¡¯t want to¡¯, you¡¯ve deprived me of all these things! Who gave you that right?¡±


    Cameron got more and more agitated as he spoke, and my entire body poked out the window as he pushed me. His big hands were over my neck and he kept shaking me like he was grabbing a bunny.


    ¡°Cameron, calm down ¡­¡±


    ¡°Laura,¡± he red at me with scarlet eyes and a fuming re, ¡°I hate you!¡±


    I tried with all my strength to break away from him when I heard a shout from the other end of the hallway, ¡°You let her go!¡±


    Cameron¡¯s grip loosened and I was able to straighten up, leaning against the wall and coughing, Mellisa patted me on the back and ran her fingers over the bloody marks on my neck where he¡¯d strangled me, and tears welled up in her eyes.


    ¡°Cameron!¡± she red at him in exasperation, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Heh,¡± Cameron sneered, ¡°I¡¯m doing myself justice, of course! I¡¯m afraid auntie doesn¡¯t know how vicious this woman¡¯s heart is.¡±


    ¡°St¨C¡± Mellisa pped her across the face, ¡°¡®This woman¡¯ is Laura, the Laura you once loved, the mother of your daughter! The one you used to love, the one who is your daughter¡¯s mom! What did you just do? Do you want to kill someone in broad daylight?¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t matter if I killed her, she¡¯d die a million deaths!¡±


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    ¡°Aunt,¡± Cameron gazed wryly, ¡°don¡¯t you think you care too much for her Laura ¡­ deserves you to speak so much for her?¡±


    My heart tightened, then I watched as he turned his gaze to me, ¡°Is there something else you¡¯re hiding from me when you¡¯ve gone out of your way to keep Sunny¡¯s existence from me?¡±


    I lowered my eyes, knowing that with Cameron¡¯s mind, it wouldn¡¯t be a difficult task to try and make sense of the logic of it all. He¡¯s getting suspicious now.


    Mellisa stepped in front of me and pivoted me with her arm so that I hid behind her, still in that old mother hen protecting her chicks position.


    ¡°Laura,¡± Cameron steps closer to me, ¡°Say, what else are you hiding from me? If you don¡¯t tell me I¡¯m going to find out for myself, and the day I do, you really won¡¯t be any better off!¡±


    I clenched my lips. ¡°Say it!¡± He let out a roar and I jerked a shudder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you push her.¡± Mellisa word for word, ¡°Cameron, you want to know the answer to this, I¡¯ll tell you ¡­ In fact, there¡¯s no hiding this kind of thing, you¡¯re going to find out sooner orter.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡­¡± I panicked, grabbing Mellisa¡¯s sleeve at once.


    She shrugged me off and looked straight at Cameron, ¡°Laura is my daughter ¡­ which means she¡¯s your sister!¡±


    I forget how I got home that day, how I shared a room with Cameron only to be silent with each other.


    Everything sounds so unbelievable, even I, until now, don¡¯t want to admit the fact that Cameron and I are brother and sister.


    Yasmin stayed at the hospital to take care of Sunny, and I went home with Cameron. As soon as we got home, he locked himself in his room. I sat quietly in the living room and didn¡¯t bother to disturb him. I knew his temper, and it was useless to say anything to him at a time like this.


    My eyes fell on the wall of photos next to the window. Cameron designed it. When he first moved in, he thought it would be too ugly to leave the ce empty, and putting a famous painting or something would not fit in with the overall style, so he washed out my photos, put them into smallce frames, and posted them on the wall one by one.


    I don¡¯t even know where he got so many pictures of me. The ones of me in my school uniform, the ones out on field trips, the ones of me graduating from college, and even the ones of me in Alcostan ¡­ I didn¡¯t even look at the camera in every one of them, all of them were taken by him when I wasn¡¯t looking.


    I heart a burst of sour, suddenly realized that his heart for me, far more than I imagined to be much longer.


    I gently pushed open the door to his room, and he was sitting in front of his desk, staring at a few knick-knacksid out on the table. A chill ran down my spine as I took a closer look; these were all Anne¡¯s things from before.


    There were pens she used, head flowers she wore, and a bear, her favorite toy.


    He sensed that I was standing behind him and slightly tilted his head sideways, his angr side still cold.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect ¡­,¡± he said as if muttering to himself, ¡°less Anne, surprisingly there is another you.¡±


    ¡°Anne¡¯s death, I have unshirkable responsibility.¡± I crouched down beside him, ¡°Do you know how happy I was when I learned that Jacob wasn¡¯t my real father? I thought I finally didn¡¯t have to carry that cross of the heart anymore, I felt like I could stand in front of you with dignity ¡­ but I never thought that the person who kept calling her aunt was my real mother.¡±


    ¡°You already knew it was my mom who instructed someone to kidnap and kill Anne, right?¡± I asked him.


    He didn¡¯t look at me, his body was filled with the coldness of rejection. I smiled bitterly and told him, ¡°Now you should understand why I didn¡¯t let you identify with Sunny. I don t know what she should call you, call you uncle or father. Cameron, I am also very painful ¡­ now I don t know how to face it. I¡¯d rather I was Jacob¡¯s daughter, I¡¯d rather be scolded by him for the rest of my life, I don¡¯t want to be your sister!¡±


    Cameron didn¡¯t say a word, but his clenched fists and scarlet eyes already told me inly what he was thinking.


    There was no way he was going to ept this, so he retaliated with more drastic means. He alienated all of Carter¡¯s close associates, and in those days, when shareholders were leaving The Lynch Group, Carter didn¡¯t even have an assistant anymore, and he had to do everything himself, even small things like serving tea and water.


    Cameron also blocked all thepanies that had business dealings with The Lynch Group,pletely isting The Lynch Family in the mall.


    My mom called me toe home to discuss the situation.


    What was there to discuss? My head was in the clouds at the time. I couldn¡¯t control Cameron, and I couldn¡¯t control my own heart, and I was beginning to resent the fact that if they hadn¡¯t done the ridiculous things they did in the previous generation, how could the guee back to haunt us?


    But my mother still begged over and over again, ¡°Laura, youe back to a trip ¡­ Your father has been proud all his life, and now it iste and miserable, he can not stand this blow has been hospitalized. And Carter ¡­ he is pouring out his sorrows with alcohol every day, I don¡¯t even have someone to talk to now.¡±


    ¡°Laura, do something, let Cameron stop! Does he really want to put us all out of business?¡±


    I hung up the phone.


    I honestly didn¡¯t want to go back, I subconsciously wanted to clear all ties with The Lynch Family. But as I sink into the couch and close my eyes, my mind inexplicably starts to go back to how good Mellisa was to me ¡­


    She was my mom.


    She was supposed to be the closest person in the world to me.


    But she is now begging me so lowly.


    She should be in a very difficult situation right now, her husband is sick, her son is not doing well, and her only daughter is hostile to her like an enemy.


    I got up, freshened up briefly and headed for The Lynch Family. I thought, although I could not let go of her, I should give her somefort.


    The Lynch Family was very empty, and there was only one maid watering the flowers in the yard. She nodded slightly when she saw me and told me Mellisa was in the study.


    I stood in the doorway of the study, adjusting my breathing in preparation for knocking, when I suddenly heard a heated argument, ¡°How could you think such a thing? ¡­ told you, said nothing I will agree!¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell you too,¡± the voice was low and cold, ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to take Sunny!¡±


    ¡°If you take Sunny, how will you let Laura live? That child is Laura¡¯s life, what will Laura do if you take her away!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to care about her, I only care about my daughter. Sunny is my own flesh and blood, of course she should follow me, as for Laura ¡­ if she wants to follow, I won¡¯t stop her!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re crazy, Cameron!¡± screamed Mellisa, ¡°You¡¯re brother and sister! You have a child with you, and wherever you go, as soon as someone finds out who you are, you¡¯re going to be shamed by everyone, and even Sunny will live in the shadows for the rest of her life!¡±


    My heart leaps out of my chest and I put my fingers in my mouth and bite down hard so I can keep myself from making a sound.


    Cameron, he¡¯s going to take Sunny, what about me?


    I panicked.


    I heard Cameron say again, ¡°I don¡¯t care about worldly eyes, I only care about my child.¡±


    ¡°Then please think about your child! What will she think when she grows up in the future and realizes who she is and that her parents are actually brother and sister? If you don¡¯t care about the world, does she not care either? When the worldes at her, does she have the strength to fight back?¡±


    ¡°Cameron,¡± she continued, ¡°I know I¡¯ve done a lot of things wrong to you and your mom, and it¡¯s fine if you want to me me, but this Sunny thing, you can¡¯t be impulsive! The best thing to do at the moment is for Laura to take Sunny and live her life in hiding. Keep their identities a secret and live out this life peacefully.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just what you think, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything to keep secret.¡± Cameron sneered, ¡°What business is it of anyone else¡¯s if I raise my daughters? Keeping their identities a secret is nothing more than keeping The Lynch Family from being theughing stock of others! Can you still hide this selfishness from me? Hehe, Auntie, whether you are doing it for the good of The Lynch Family or for the two of them, you know in your own heart!¡±


    ¡°Cameron, you ¡­¡±


    Mellisa couldn¡¯t say anything for a while.


    I crouched outside as if I had just been in a gunfight. My ears buzzing, full of only one voice: Cameron he wants to take Sunny, what to do?

 Laura鈥檚 POV 102

    I stumbled and ran out of The Lynch Family with only one thought in my head, I can¡¯t let Cameron take Sunny!


    If Sunny was taken by him, then I was bound to follow him, but what was I doing following him? As my mom said, he and I are brother and sister, that¡¯s a fact that can never be changed, no matter where we go this is a shadow. And Sunny will live in the shadow of the world for the rest of his life.


    I couldn¡¯t think too much, as soon as I got home I simply packed my bags and prepared to take Sunny away before Cameron took her away.


    In fact, I¡¯ve always wanted to leave this ce, and I¡¯ve long thought about the arrangements I¡¯ll make after I leave. I would take Sunny to Hallstatt first, which is far away from Jerez State and is in the southwestern mountains, with a pleasant view. Although the economy is not too developed, the pace of life is on the slow side, and people are contented, so it¡¯s a good ce to recuperate.


    More importantly, no one would recognize us there, so I could bring Sunny to live there in seclusion and live a quiet life.


    Cameron didn¡¯te home for a few days, and I was a little puzzled and more than a little lost. But the matter of leaving Jerez State was imminent, and I had to steel myself to deal with everything. Instead of trains and airnes, I quietly booked boat tickets and was much less likely to be spotted going by water.


    However on the very day I left with the kids, Cameron showed up at the docks.


    First a few men in ck suits and sunsses rushed over and snatched Sunny from me, I screamed for help, but the staff on the pier did nothing, many people gathered around to watch, just not one person came to my aid.


    I had a bad feeling in my heart.


    Immediately after two people set me up, do not know where to take me.


    I panicked, Sunny cried her heart out. The ship had already sounded its horn and gradually pulled away from the pier. A tall figure appeared in my line of sight, ck trench coat, indifferent look, between the eyebrows as if there is a knot that can never be unraveled, the eyes are sharper than ice cream.


    He lit a cigarette, the smoke ring faded with the sea breeze, my heart immediately sank to the bottom.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    His men carried Sunny to him. The child, who had been wailing just a moment ago, immediately stopped crying as soon as she was in his hands, looked at him with big tearful eyes, and in a short while, hooked her small hands around his neck.


    Cameron held Sunny in his arms tofort him, the bottom of his eyes dense with rare tenderness.


    ¡°Give me the child ¡­¡± I rushed forward, and before I could get close, I was stopped by a few of his men.


    ¡°Cameron, give me back my child!¡±


    Sunny in his arms to my side looking, small age she did not know what happened, eyes all panic, waving little hands shouting ¡°mom, mom!¡±


    ¡°Sunny, be good.¡± Cameron said softly, ¡°Daddy protects you, won¡¯t let you suffer any wrongdoing.¡±


    The little girl understands and stops crying immediately, but still looks at me and Cameron at a loss for words.


    ¡°Cameron ¡­,¡± my heart was so broken that I almost fell to my knees and begged him, ¡°Please give Sunny back to me, I can¡¯t live without her!¡±


    ¡°Where do you want to take her?¡± He looked grim, ¡°You¡¯re going to sneak her away from me?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t be together.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s with you or not.¡± He sneers, ¡°But Sunny has my blood in her, my daughter, and she has to be with me!¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything, Cameron continued expressionlessly, ¡°Now I¡¯ll give you two choices, first, obediently bring your child back to me. But think clearly, I¡¯m not doing this because I have feelings for you, it¡¯s entirely for the sake of the child. The child is still young and needs its own mother by its side to take care of it, so I¡¯m reluctantly keeping you.¡±


    ¡°What about the second option?¡± My throat tightened.


    ¡°Second,¡± his gaze was cold and sharp, ¡°leave the child and get yourself out!¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± I screamed, ¡°Cameron, I carried Sunny to term! You have no idea how hard it was! The day I gave birth to her I had a difficultbor and almost lost my life ¡­ I took a knife to the stomach and cut her out! And you know how hard it is to raise a child? I haven¡¯t had a full night¡¯s sleep in the past two years, especially when she was less than a year old I had to get up several times a day in the middle of the night ¡­¡±


    ¡°Cameron I¡¯m begging you ¡­ you can¡¯t just take Sunny away from me like this!¡±


    ¡°Then be a good boy and stay!¡± He yelled, ¡°Why are you sneaking around and taking the baby away? Is Sunny just your daughter alone? She¡¯s my daughter too!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my brother, we can¡¯t be together ¡­ I beg you, just let me take Sunny away! If you miss here and see her, I won¡¯t stop you!¡±


    ¡°Stop it.¡± He looked at me coldly, ¡°Laura, then you choose the second path. In the future, Sunny will be taken care of by me, and you will leave by yourself! This child from now on ¡­ has nothing to do with you!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡±


    At that time, it was as if I had stepped on the air, and behind me was a bottomless abyss. I don¡¯t know where the strength came from, broke away from his men and violently rushed towards Cameron. I was going to get my baby back, it was my daughter and no one was going to be able to separate us!


    ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡± Cameron shielded his child with one hand and blocked me with the other, turning his face to the men and shouting, ¡°What are you waiting for? Stop her!¡±


    I yelled like a madman, not knowing whose back of the hand I bit or whose face I scratched. Those few people, taking into ount my rtionship with Cameron, didn¡¯t dare to really make a move against me. The pier was in chaos, and all that could be heard was my very loud crying.


    Cameron holding Sunny to the sidewalk, I went crazy and chased after it, grabbed Sunny has been small feet to pull her to my arms. Sunny cried loudly, Cameron will not let go, in the scramble I slipped on the bottom of my feet, a wave of inertia pushed me out of the ¡­ I body crooked, fell directly into the sea.


    ¡­


    When I woke up again, my mind was in a daze.


    I had a headache and had no idea what had happened. Lying in this hospital room, the tip of my nose was full of the smell of disinfectant. The man sitting next to me looked at me with concern, ¡°Laura, how are you feeling?¡±


    But I couldn¡¯t remember who he was.


    For a long time afterward, I was in this state of amnesia. The past had a hazy outline in my head, but I couldn¡¯t recall it at all.


    ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself if you can¡¯t remember.¡± The man told me, ¡°Get your body well before ¡­ you have a high fever for a week and fluid in your lungs, it¡¯s hard to heal for a while.¡±


    ¡°Fluid in the lungs?¡± I looked at him.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He said, ¡°You fell into the ocean and hit your head on the reef.¡±


    ¡°How did you fall into the ocean?¡±


    He is silent for a moment without answering. Smiling at me when he raised his eyes again, ¡°Let me introduce myself, my name is Patrick, you used to call me Brother Patrick.¡±


    Patrick, Big Brother Patrick ¡­


    I smiled at him, I vaguely remembered the name. I remembered how nice he was to me once upon a time, when we had been dating for about a month, he had arranged a big heart with flowers right under the building where I worked.


    It¡¯s strange, I obviously do remember some things.


    But the doctor concluded that I had lost part of my memory.


    ¡°I do have a lot of things I can¡¯t remember,¡± I told the doctor honestly, ¡°like I don¡¯t know how I fell into the ocean, like ¡­ there seems to be a nk space in my head, but Brother Patrick can¡¯t fill in that nk space.¡±


    ¡°I think you are selectively forgetting.¡± The doctor said, ¡°That nk space may be the very thing that spurred you to forget. Because someone or something caused you a lot of damage, your brain chose to forget after being shaken by the strong stimulus. This is one of the body¡¯s self-protection mechanisms. There have been quite a few research topics about the brain, and mankind has not been able to fully decipher the secrets of the brain so far, even if I were a doctor, I wouldn¡¯t dare to jump to conclusions.¡±


    ¡°But ¡­¡± he smiled, ¡°since the ones you forget are bad and the memories you leave behind are good, it means that your subconscious mind wants to live well. Just ept what God has in store for you!¡±


    I nodded, he had a point, but that void always made me panic.


    ¡°Doctor,¡± I asked, ¡°is there any possibility of me getting my memory back?¡±


    ¡°There is a precedent for that.¡± He exined, ¡°Perhaps over time, your memory will slowly return, or you may receive an external stimulus and have it return instantly. As for exactly how, it¡¯s really hard to say!¡±


    I went back to the hospital room and Patrick had already packed all my things and was ready to take me out of the hospital.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I smiled lightly at him.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± He patted me on the shoulder, ¡°Any more difort?¡±


    I shook my head.


    I look at him and he smiles a gentle smile, like sunlight spilling into a hospital room. A man like that can be counted on, right? But why wasn¡¯t I with him in the first ce?


    ¡°Something you want to ask me?¡± His gaze probes.


    I hesitate and whisper my concerns. ¡°Why did we split up in the first ce? I remember you being very nice to me ¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about the past.¡± He smiles, ¡°I¡¯ll still be good to you in the future.¡±


    ¡°Will you marry me then?¡±


    He paused, ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true, I think you might not want to marry me.¡±


    ¡°Why on earth? You¡¯re very nice, I have no reason to turn you down. Now that I¡¯m in this state, you¡¯re still the one taking care of me.¡±


    ¡°Laura,¡± he sighed softly, ¡°maybe I¡¯m not the right guy for you. You said yourself that there¡¯s a void in your head, but it¡¯s a void I can¡¯t fill, and I¡¯m self-aware of that.¡±


    ¡°Who does that nk space really belong to?¡± I bit my lip and looked at him without looking away, cold sweat seeping down my spine.


    Patrick was silent for a long time, the emotions in his eyes changing in a million different ways, and finally his eyes darkened, gray disappointment falling over them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it.¡± Was all he finally gave me.


    Don¡¯t think about it ¡­


    I was lost, a heart falling from a great height but nothing to catch it. Trying to explore the truth but never finding the path.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you always wanted to go to Hallstatt?¡± He asked me.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Despite the memory loss, the ce Hallstatt was still clearly etched in my mind. For some reason, I¡¯ve always wanted to go there.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you.¡±


    Patrick said firmly, and my heart shook with the thought of leaving this part of Jerez State.


    Hallstatt was far enough away from Jerez State to require a ne ride, and a bus ride of several hours after the nended to get there. It is located in the hignd mountainous area, my body is weak, I did not escape the teau reaction, coupled with all the way to travel, sitting on the bus is like sitting on a bumpy boat, dizziness, stomach turning over a hard to vomit.


    Patrick took good care of me, even if I spit acid all over him, he didn¡¯t half mind.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry ¡­,¡± I managed to squeeze the words out of my mouth.


    ¡°Never mind.¡± Patrick wrapped his big hand around my shoulder, letting me lean into his arms, ¡°Get some sleep. Hang in there a little longer, there¡¯s not long left.¡±


    ¡°Brother Patrick ¡­,¡± I couldn¡¯t sleep and wanted to talk to him for a while, ¡°Where are we going to stay when we get there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve arranged it, in a neighborhood in the city center. There are two houses for rent, one for you and one for me, we¡¯ll live across the street.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were going to live with me.¡±


    ¡°Am I the kind of guy who takes advantage of a fire?¡± Heughed.


    ¡°Laura, I actually have my work.¡± He said, ¡°Coming to Hallstatt was an assignment for the police force, and I applied for those two apartments with the force.¡±


    ¡°What kind of assignment do you have?¡±


    He didn¡¯t say so explicitly, justughed softly, ¡°It¡¯s a work secret, can¡¯t reveal it to you, but I¡¯m definitely going to be stationed here for a while, maybe three or five years.¡±


    ¡°Which means I¡¯ll be here alone in three or five years?¡±


    He blinked, the emotion in his eyes unreadable to me.


    ¡°Not necessarily.¡± He said softly. ¡°Oh yeah, and I¡¯ve asked about your job for you, as a teacher at a private kindergarten, would you like that?¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m willing!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better to take care of the older kids.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Brother Patrick,¡± I was a little embarrassed, ¡°You¡¯ve arranged it so thoughtfully, how can I repay you!¡±


    Patrick looked at me with a look that seemed to carve me into his mind. He smiled and hugged me a little tighter, I felt his lips gently pointing at my hair, his voice seemed toe from afar, ¡°You do well, you must do well ¡­ is the best repayment for me.¡±


    In this way I went to Hallstatt with Patrick, and after everything settled down, life was on track. I was happy with my job, the older children were lovely and obedient, and I didn¡¯t have to work too hard. It¡¯s just that Patrick¡¯s job is a bit hard, he¡¯s on a mission every day, leaving early anding homete.


    Sometimes when I hear his door m, I rush to bring him a bowl of soup from the kitchen. This is a small tacit understanding between us, I would stew the soup early every day and wait for him. We were less like lovers and more like family. Maybe that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t choose him at the time.


    But that nk space in my mind, who does it really belong to?


    I still struggle with this question when I can¡¯t sleepte at night, thinking about it, thinking about it, thinking about it, thinking about it, thinking about it, thinking about it, thinking about it, thinking about it, my head hurts and my heart throbs. I¡¯m surprised, panicked, and yet even more curious.


    It was as if that person was deeply rooted in my memory, but now it became invisible.


    Was that person the reason I gave up Patrick?


    But why, then, had I forgotten everything that belonged to him? What kind of excitement and hurt did he give me?


    These questions from time to time tumbled out of the stirring I can not sleep peacefully, however, I never thought that the answer to these questions, will be in half a yearter surfaced ¡­

 Laura鈥檚 POV 103

    Those six months in Hallstatt were uneventful, except for the asional agonizing over my lost memories.


    Until one day, Cameron reappeared and broke my peaceful life.


    It was already spring, the kindergarten organized a spring trip for the children, and I was the lead teacher, so naturally I had to be 100% energetic. The spring trip was held in the suburb of Hallstatt, where all kinds of flowerspeted with each other, and the air was exceptionally fresh, which made people¡¯s mood especially rxed.


    I did my best to keep an eye on the boys along the way, however, I was not paying attention and one of the most mischievous little boys in the ss left the group and scampered monkey-like to arge tree by the side of the road.


    ¡°Grahamy, get down here!¡± I yelled anxiously.


    Grahamy, however, did not realize his danger at all, but instead rode on the branch and made faces at me. I was afraid that he would crush the branch, it¡¯s not a joke if you fall from such a high tree.


    ¡°Grahamy!¡± I can only force myself to calm down, ¡°You listen to the teacher, you slowly put your feet to the side ¡­ right, and then we y a game, okay? Let¡¯s see how many steps your little feet can reach the ground?¡±


    But Grahamy did not listen to mymand, staring at a pair of big eyes of the ancient spirit, the bones turn, and thenugh, ¡°Teacher wants to trick me down!¡±


    ¡°No Grahamy ¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not listening no!¡±


    Said Grahamy as he stomped on a branch to climb higher. It was in the nature of young boys to be mischievous,pletely oblivious to how rmed the people under the tree were at the moment.


    My heart clenched tightly.


    Nowadays, children are held in the palm of their parents¡¯ hands, how could I afford to take the responsibility if something really went wrong?


    ¡°Grahamy, get down here!¡± I shouted at the top of my lungs, ¡°Grahamy, the teacher is ordering you toe down now! It¡¯s too dangerous there, no more climbing high!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± The little boy was stubborn, ¡°I¡¯m going to climb as high as I can and pick apples!¡±


    ¡°Grahamy!¡±


    I watched as he stepped on a foot and his whole body lost its bnce, and with a shriek, he tumbled down from the big tree.


    In that instant my mind was in a daze, so nervous that I even stopped breathing, instinctively running over to him with open arms to catch him, however, in that nick of time, a pair of big hands rushed in front of me and steadily caught Grahamy, turning around to hold him in my arms.


    The frightened little boy burst into tears. I was stunned, and then it urred to me that I had to hurry up and thank someone.


    ¡°This gentleman ¡­¡±


    As soon as he looked back, however, I froze. In a sh my brain seemed to collide violently like lightning and flint, and that nk space in my heart was suddenly filled with something.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    The feeling left me shocked and confused.


    That man also quietly looked at me, a pair of deep as ink eyes with a slight coldness, while the corners of the lips are upturned, angr face is very masculine.


    He handed Grahamy in my hand and smiled gently, his voice was low and mellow, ¡°Can¡¯t even watch a kid, how did you be a teacher?¡±


    Suddenly an image shed through my mind: I was holding a little girl in my arms, she kept crying, a man snatched her over and patted and coaxed her slowly, then looked at me with a look of disgust and said, ¡°You can¡¯t even coax a child well, how do you be a mother?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t breathe for a second, and my head hurt. The man looked at me with concern and asked softly, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    I fixed my mind and barely smiled at him, ¡°It¡¯s fine ¡­ Thanks to you just now, or Grahamy would have fallen and hurt himself. Thank you!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± He was just about to turn to leave when I called out to him.


    He turned back, ¡°Anything else?¡±


    From the faint look in his eyes, I had a strong feeling ¡­ that he knew me, that this man must be inextricably linked to my nk past!


    ¡°I ¡­¡± I bit my lip, suddenly hesitating. Although it is very tempting to figure it all out, but in case this person has nothing to do with me, such a sudden question, is not it an offense to others?


    ¡°If you have something to say, just say it.¡±


    I took a deep breath, ¡°Sir, have we ¡­ met before?¡±


    He looked frozen for a long time, and hooked the corner of his mouth, revealing a meaningful smile.


    He didn¡¯t answer, didn¡¯t deny, just gently turned away. Soon his back disappeared in my line of sight, the corner of the ck trench coat lifted and fell, like a ck wind.


    That whole day I was distracted. It was hard to get home from work, and I curled myself up in the couch, not even having the strength to cook.


    Someone knocked on the door for half a day, and when I slowly went to open it, there stood Patrick outside.


    ¡°Why do you look so bad?¡± Patrick was startled, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Just a little headache.¡± I let him in.


    ¡°A headache? You haven¡¯t had that for a long time, why do you have a headache again?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± I was tired and rubbed my temples, ¡°By the way Brother Patrick, I saw someone today ¡­¡±


    He blushed, ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I said, ¡°But I have a very familiar feeling about him, quite inexplicable ¡­ Today¡¯s fall excursion, a little boy in our ss climbed up a tree and almost fell, and it was that person who caught him. From then on I felt something was wrong ¡­ I seemed to have known him for a long time, and his every move felt familiar to me, especially since he was wearing a ck trench coat ¡­¡±


    With that said, I felt another headache.


    Patrick sat there, motionless. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, and his face wasn¡¯t too pretty as he frowned lightly between his eyebrows. I went to shake his hand and realized that his palm, which was always warm, was as cold as a block of ice at the moment.


    ¡°Brother Patrick, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± He whispered, ¡°Laura, it might be him.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    He tugged at the corners of his mouth, ¡°You¡¯ll find outter.¡±


    With that he got up and left.


    I couldn¡¯t even call out to him.


    But this incident, this person, has be a knot in my heart. The more I tried to untie it, the more my hands were tied. I didn¡¯t know what to do, but only vaguely felt that there was a truth approaching me.


    In the following days, I went to work as usual, but I obviously felt different from before.


    I always felt a pair of eyes staring at me from behind, on the way to work, on the way home from work, and even when I was in the ssroom teaching children how to sing, dance, and y games, I could feel those eyes locking onto me. But when I turned around, there was nothing behind me.


    I became very nervous, especially sensitive, and the slightest breeze could make me panic for half a day. My subconscious told me that this feeling was unusually closely rted to the man who appeared that day. I also thought of ways to find that man, but all to no avail. The man only appeared on that side and then disappeared, and I sometimes even thought that everything on that day could have just been a hallucination on my part.


    However, those eyes behind me were by no means an illusion.


    This strange feelingsted for about a week or so, and suddenly one day, I realized that there was really a person in a ck trench coat behind me following me!


    When I passed by the convenience store that day, I thought that I didn¡¯t have any seasoning packets for soup at home, so I temporarily decided to turn around and go back to buy them. Just as I turned around, I noticed a ck figure quickly ducking into the alley behind me.


    My hairs stood on end and a cold sweat broke out on my spine. I slowed my pace and slowly approached the alley, I could clearly see a shadow reflected on the stone wall of the alley, the figure was swaying slightly, I froze in ce, not daring to move.


    It was as if I was in a standoff with him, to see who would take the first step. But the next second I jerked around and quickly fled, running for my life. From there to my house is a distance of three stops, I even forgot to take the bus, so I ran all the way back.


    However, when I got home, I realized that the man was standing downstairs in my house!


    I saw from afar, he was still wearing a ck trench coat, look cold and indifferent, casually pull out a cigarette to smoke. He was leaning against the wall, and there was a car parked in front of him, the same ck color as his trench coat, shiny ck.


    I panicked, busy hiding behind a tree, took out the phone to call Patrick. ¡°Patrick big brother ¡­ quicklye! Someone followed me ¡­ that day that person wearing ck clothes, followed to my house downstairs!¡±


    Patrickforted me a few words, not long before he rushed to. I hid behind him, he took me to the apartment downstairs, when with the man four eyes rtive, I have a kind of heart-thumping feeling.


    It felt like it came from a long ago nk memory.


    ¡°It¡¯s really you.¡± Patrick said softly when she saw him.


    The tone wasmonce, as if he was seeing an old acquaintance.


    I asked him, ¡°You know each other?¡±


    The man raised his eyes, a pair of hawk-like gazes locked onto me, andughed softly, ¡°More than knowing ¡­ I¡¯ve been looking for you guys for half a year, and I didn¡¯t think that you¡¯d really bring her to hide here!¡±


    Said he wanted to go forward, was Patrick a hand to stop. ¡°Cameron! What do you want to do? Laura her body is not too good now, you do not stimte her!¡±


    Cameron?


    I heard that name, Cameron.


    The closed door in my memory seemed to be slowly opening. ¡°Cameron¡­ ¡°I stared at him in a daze, muttering and repeating those two words, the name seemed to be a spell from a previous life that had followed me until now.


    ¡°Get out of my way!¡± The man named Cameron looked menacing, ¡°I¡¯m taking her away!¡±


    ¡°You can take her away, but not now!¡±


    ¡°Patrick!¡± yelled Cameron, ring at him angrily, ¡°I always thought of you as a brother, as a best friend! But what have you done behind my back? You knew about my rtionship with Laura!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything to wrong you!¡± Patrick put his hands against him, ¡°Cameron, don¡¯t you know what kind of person I am? Six months ago I didn¡¯t know why you and Laura got into such a fight, I was called to the police when she fell into the sea and hit her head! After sending her to the hospital she had a high fever and also got pulmonary fluid ¡­ Later she lost her memory and I had toe here on a mission ¡­ I had no choice but to bring her along!¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡±


    ¡°That should be asked of yourself! Why didn¡¯t you know?¡± Patrick yelled, ¡°Cameron, you were there when she fell into the ocean! Why didn¡¯t you save her?¡±


    Cameron was stunned, but his gaze grew fierce. In the middle of the morning, he swung his fist at Patrick, and with a muffled thud, Patrick fell to the ground, blood seeping out of his nose.


    I screamed and ran over to him, but before I could help him, Patrick quickly got up from the floor and hit Cameron back in the same way.


    The two of them were instantly wrestling, you punching and I kicking, the fight getting more and more intense. Many of the neighbors came out to watch, some said they were going to call the police, but when they saw that Patrick was wearing a police uniform they didn¡¯t do much.


    I yelled, ¡°Stop fighting, stop fighting!¡±


    But they didn¡¯t listen to me.


    In a hurry, I violently crossed in the middle of the two of them, blocking in front of Patrick, with the body between the two. Cameron a fist smashed over, when he saw it was me when it was toote, the punch confiscated, hard hit my temple.


    Suddenly I felt the sky spin, my eyes went ck and my legs went weak.


    I fell heavily to the ground, no consciousness, only heard faint shouts in my ears, ¡°Laura, Laura!¡± I tried to grab Patrick, but I didn¡¯t know whose hand I was touching, the palm was broad and warm, and when I touched it, it made me feel relieved.


    Thest thing I remember was the ambnce siren.


    When I woke up again, I was in a hospital, surrounded by white, blending in with the white of my mind. I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling, and slowly, pieces of memories broke into my mind.


    Cameron, Patrick, the fights ¡­


    And the pier.


    It was as if a child was crying in my ears, and that child was Sunny, my daughter!


    I sat up violently, my head aching.


    The feeling of wanting to cry choked in my throat, tears welling up in my eyes. I clenched my fingers in a death grip as the outlines of my memories became clearer and the gap was filled with the name Cameron.


    I remembered everything, everything with Cameron.


    From the moment Anne had her tongue cut out, from the day I entered The Lynch Family, from the first time Cameron and I met ¡­ I was destined to be entangled with this man for the rest of my life. He was my lover, he was my destiny, he was my enemy, he was my daughter¡¯s father.


    He is also my brother ¡­


    Iy prone, my face buried in the pillow, tears flowing unchecked. I thought that the calmness of thest six months of my life at Hallstatt had turned me into a man of peace, yet the moment Cameron showed up, that peace was shatteredpletely.


    The door to the hospital room mmed, the nurse came in to change my medication, and the doctor gave me a thorough examination, smiling and congratting me on regaining my full memory.


    He said maybe it was because of that punch. Anyway, this kind of thing like memory is not supposed to be easy to say, whether it¡¯s an external or internal force, just a little stimtion can open the floodgates of memory.


    But I couldn¡¯tugh, I¡¯d rather none of this had happened, I¡¯d rather live the rest of my life with a nk memory, I¡¯d rather remember that there was never a Cameron.


    Cameron walked into the hospital room, briefly asked the doctor about my condition, and sat down next to my bed, quietly watching me.


    The doctors and nurses exited, leaving us alone.


    I turned my face away from him, and for a long time I heard a soft sigh, ¡°I ¡­ I didn¡¯t know you were hurt that badly at the time.¡±


    ¡°You watched me fall into the sea, why didn¡¯t you save me?¡± I closed my eyes, a tear slipping past the corner of my eye.


    Cameron paused for a moment and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t save you, the situation was a bit confusing at the time ¡­ I saw you fall into the sea, and I told my men to go and save you up, but I didn¡¯t realize that the ce where you fell was an undercurrent¡­ . and you sank quickly.¡±


    ¡°A couple of my men couldn¡¯t find you, so they called the police. And I had to take care of Sunny and calm her down at the time, by the time I got her settled, I hadn¡¯t heard from you ¡­ Later I found out that you came to Hallstatt with Patrick.¡±

 Laura鈥檚 POV 104

    ¡°Cameron ¡­¡± I let out a long breath, ¡°I won¡¯t forgive you ¡­ I can¡¯t forgive you! ¡±


    The pupils of those dark eyes snapped shut.


    ¡°You can¡¯t forgive me?¡± He sneered, ¡°You think I¡¯ll be able to forgive you?¡±


    ¡°Laura, in the beginning, you used every means to stop me from recognizing Sunny as father and daughter, you even tried to sneak away from me with your child ¡­ What are you doing this for? That day at the pier, I already gave you a choice, it was you who didn¡¯t want it! It was you who wanted to get the child back and fell off the cliff!¡±


    ¡°Cameron!¡± I snapped, remembering my daughter, ¡°Where¡¯s Sunny? Did you bring her?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Where is she?¡± I sat up and grabbed him by the sleeve of his shirt in a death grip. ¡°Cameron, you give Sunny back to me ¡­ you give me my daughter back!¡±


    The corners of his mouth hooked up slightly as he held my hand. His expression was cold and mocking, like a god of death walking out of hell.


    ¡°Want to see Sunny?¡± he said, ¡°She¡¯s at Jerez State right now, at my house, with a nanny to take care of her. If you want to see her, you¡¯ll never see her in your life unless youe back to Jerez State with me!¡±


    ¡°Do you have to do this Cameron?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for me to ask you,¡± he looked at me coldly, ¡°Do you have to stay in Hallstatt? What is it about this ce that you can¡¯t let go of Patrick?¡±


    ¡°You shut up!¡± I red at him, ¡°Brother Patrick has always been good to me, if it wasn¡¯t for him I might not even be alive! It¡¯s not as nasty between me and him as you think!¡±


    ¡°Heh, then what is it between you two? Pure friendship?¡± Cameron violently lifted my chin with one hand, ¡°Since it¡¯s friendship, there¡¯s nothing to give up! If you want to see the kid, go say goodbye to him tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t repaid him yet.¡±


    ¡°I can repay him for you, as long as you¡¯re not giving yourself to him!¡±


    ¡°Cameron ¡­¡±


    ¡°Laura!¡± he said each word like a sharp de across his heart, ¡°Don¡¯t test my patience! If you don¡¯te back with me tomorrow, you¡¯ll never see Sunny again in your life. I¡¯ll tell Sunny that her mom heartlessly abandoned her and would rather take care of a ss of kindergarteners a hundred thousand miles away from her thane back to take care of her!¡±


    I don¡¯t say a word, and an icy silence spreads across this hospital room. Cameron smiles and strides out of the room.


    I sat on the bed, not knowing where to go from here. I know Cameron¡¯s character, he is ruthless, he does not care about anything, he is just like a devil who came out from hell, the consequences of disobeying him will certainly be unbearable for me.


    The next day when I returned to my apartment and packed my bags, Patrick knocked on the door and I stood there for a long time looking at him, I saw his throat move as if he had a thousand words to say, but he couldn¡¯t say a single word.


    He shoved a cute little stylized ragdoll into my hand, and I remembered that it was a sleepwalker doll, Sunny¡¯s favorite.


    ¡°Give this to Sunny for me,¡± Patrick smiled, ¡°There¡¯s an uncle in Hallstatt who remembers her!¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± My nose red and tears almost fell from my eyes.


    I let him in the door and as soon as he came in he smelled the soup being made and smiled and eximed, ¡°It smells so good!¡±


    This was thest time I made him soup.


    I served him a bowl and brought it up to him and he gulped it down and I wanted to cry the whole time.


    ¡°Patrick ¡­¡±


    Before the words left his mouth, he beat me to it, ¡°Make sure you take care of yourself back at Jerez State.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°In fact, Cameron that person ¡­¡± He paused andughed, ¡°You also know him, hard mouth and soft heart. He often has a heart of gold, especially to you. I¡¯ve investigated the incident where you fell into the sea, there was indeed an undercurrent where you fell, and if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that your clothes got caught on the iron anchors on the pier, you might never have gotten up again. Cameron, he saved you too, but his people aren¡¯t a professional salvage team after all, and he had to look out for Sunny, so ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare speak for him.¡± I was a little heartbroken, ¡°Patrick, you¡¯re always thinking of others, when can you think of yourself?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine now!¡± He hooked the corners of his mouth, but it looked forced anyways.


    ¡°Laura,¡± he put down the bowl and looked at me quietly, ¡°I¡¯m getting over you ¡­ now. I prefer to think of you as family, as a sister, and Cameron, who I¡¯ve always thought of as a brother. I would love for you and him to have a good time, even if it¡¯s for Sunny¡¯s sake, you guys have to be good.¡±


    ¡°Well ¡­,¡± I choked, tears falling uncontrobly.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°As for me you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± He said, ¡°I¡¯m here on a mission and I can¡¯t go back to Jerez State until my work is done. I have no time to think about anything else with the amount of work I do every day. The only inconvenience is ¡­ not having your soup anymore, I might not be able to adjust for a while.¡±


    His smile was warm, like the Hallstatt sun. I couldn¡¯t hold it back any longer and flung myself into his arms. He stroked my back as ifforting a wounded child, and his clear voice was right in my ear as he whispered, ¡°Laura, I want you to be happy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll feel guilty about you for the rest of my life!¡± I cried.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to feel guilty ¡­,¡± he smiled, ¡°I¡¯m so good, God won¡¯t treat me badly, I¡¯ll meet that perfect person, don¡¯t worry!¡±


    I raised my eyes to look at him, his eyes clear, like a nce can look into the bottom of his heart.


    I nodded and put away the little muppet he gave me. The appointment with Cameron was at 2:00 p. m. Patrick dropped me off at the airport, and when I entered the security checkpoint I looked back at him onest time, and he waved his hand at me, a faint, gentle smile still on his face.


    I knew from that moment that I owed him more than I could ever repay in a lifetime.


    Back at Jerez State, however, things weren¡¯t as simple as I thought they would be. Cameron and I were silent on the way, and he was even more awfully silent after the nended at Jerez State. I tried several times to say something to him, only to be intimidated by his look of rejection.


    As the car sped down the highway, I fidgeted as I watched his grim face.


    ¡°Cameron ¡­¡± I asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°To take you home.¡± He replied coldly.


    ¡°Sunny¡¯s at home?¡±


    He stopped talking.


    A bad feeling welled up in my heart.


    This apprehension continued all the way to the front door of the house.


    Cameron took me to this ce I was unfamiliar with, a small cottage on the beach, the house was small and tastefully decorated with a bit of a tropical feel.


    ¡°Where is this?¡± Is this the home he was talking about?


    He sneered, took me inside, and after ordering another person to carry my luggage in, proceeded to go out and lock the door.


    I didn¡¯t react to what was going on at first, but I panicked when I heard the lock drop. I ran over to the door and rapped on it, screaming hysterically, ¡°Cameron, open the door! What are you trying to do? Are you going to lock me up?¡±


    The man outside didn¡¯t answer.


    But I was sure he hadn¡¯t left.


    Maybe he was staring coldly at the door, the corner of his mouth curled into a satisfied smile.


    So I continued to tap, ¡°Cameron ¡­ can¡¯t we talk properly? You¡¯re the one who told me toe back to Jerez State with you, you¡¯re the one who said I could see my daughter if I came back with you ¡­ What do you mean by that now?¡±


    ¡°Cameron! You¡¯re a man, can¡¯t you be a man? You deal with me like this, going back on your word, are you still a man?¡±


    ¡°Cameron!¡±


    I was hysterical, but I didn¡¯t see him trying to open the door for me even though my palms were red from pping.


    After a long time, he whispered from outside, ¡°Laura, I left you here so you could reflect on the situation.¡±


    ¡°What do I have to reflect on?¡± I gasped.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t let me recognize my daughter, and now I¡¯m going to let you have a taste of what it¡¯s like to not be able to see your daughter!¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    I heard his footsteps drifting away.


    I tried my best to break the door handle, but the lock seemed to be specially made and wouldn¡¯t budge. It was useless for me to scream any more; with the mountains at my back and the sea at my face, there were so few people here that no one woulde to my rescue.


    The phone line was cut off by him, and there was no inte connection.


    It seems that he has made enough ns to cut off all my contacts with the outside world!


    And not only did he give me a taste of not being able to see my daughter, he also let me know what it was like to be hungry ¨C there was nothing to eat in the vi except a bucket of mineral water!


    Literally, I turned the kitchen upside down, and went through all the bedrooms, even the old storage room, but I couldn¡¯t even find bread crumbs.


    The first day barely passed, the second day has been a little starry eyed, hold on to the third day, I have been lying in bed can not get up, and even hallucinations, I seem to smell a bread vor ¡­ I barely hold up my body, when I suddenly heard a dog barking outside the window.


    I was scared out of a cold sweat, almost crawling to the window. Despite the dizziness of hunger at that time, at that moment I was sure that I was not wrong ¡­ In the yard, there was really a strong and tall German shepherd dog tied up!


    I screamed, my body fell to the ground with a soft body, my eyes ckened, and even my breathing stopped. Gradually, I lost consciousness.


    By the time I was conscious again, I was lying on the bed. A cold sting on my arm, I opened my eyes to see, in front of me sat a gentle and beautiful girl, she smiled gently at me and continued to focus on the syringe in her hand.


    I was startled, ¡°What ¡­ are you injecting me with?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous.¡± With skillful movements, she pulled out the syringe and pressed a cotton ball into me, raising her eyes and smiling at me, ¡°It¡¯s just a nutritional injection. You¡¯ve been starving for three days and your stamina is low, you can¡¯t make up for too much at once at this time, or your stomach and intestines won¡¯t be able to take it. You can only start with the nutritional injection first, and then slowly drink some porridge to slowly restore your strength.¡±


    After three days of starvation, physical strength is not supported ¡­


    I snapped back to these three days that felt like years!


    ¡°Cameron the son of a bitch ¡­¡± I gritted my teeth, ¡°Where is he? Didn¡¯t he try to starve me to death? What¡¯s with the nutritional shots now!¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t move!¡± At this time another big hand pressed my shoulder.


    I looked at it, it was a man with handsome features, about the same age as Cameron, also a mature and stable temperament, between the eyebrows ¡­ seems to be a little simr to this little beauty.


    ¡°You don t know us yet, right?¡± The little beauty took the initiative to introduce to me, ¡°My name is Gina Curry, a doctor at Jerez State Hospital No. 1, and he is my brother, called George Curry. We are both Cameron¡¯s friends.¡±


    ¡°Gina¡­ George? ¡°I looked at the two men dumbfounded.


    Ginaughed softly, ¡°From what Cameron said, you used to be in the media business too? Then you should know my brother¡¯s name, right? He is famous in this business!¡±


    I was stunned for a moment, just now when she said the name George, I felt that it sounded familiar, and now since she said so ¡­


    Suddenly it dawned on me.


    ¡°Oh!¡± I looked at George, ¡°Could Your Excellency be the ¡­ George of The Curry Group Media?¡±


    ¡°Aiya, a small mediapany only, what big name, don¡¯t listen to my sister¡¯s nonsense!¡±


    Iughed, ¡°Where is a ¡®small¡¯ mediapany ah, The Curry Group¡¯s big name whether inside or outside the industry, is a golden sign, many of the popr first-line stars are The Curry Group to bring out! ¡±


    ¡°See, I told you my brother is great, right?¡± Gina looked proud, ¡°But Ms. Laura you can¡¯t move around right now, you haven¡¯t regained your strength yet, you have to stay in bed and recuperate.¡±


    ¡°What about Cameron?¡±


    Gina smiled and shrugged. ¡°Forget about Cameron for now, he¡¯s pissed you off enough this time, hasn¡¯t he? All the more reason for you to get well and deal with him!¡±


    At that moment another dog barked outside the window, and I stiffened, clutching the sheets, too nervous to move.


    George looked at me and asked softly, ¡°Are you ¡­ afraid of dogs?¡±


    Iughed miserably and nodded in embarrassment, ¡°I was bitten by a dog when I was a child. The dog that bit me was just like the one downstairs ¡­ ck and strong, with sharp teeth ¡­ Since then, I¡¯ve been especially afraid of dogs.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s really sorry.¡± George said, ¡°That dog downstairs is my ¡­ Cameron wanted to borrow it over here two days ago, I thought what he was doing, but it turned out to be scaring you ¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry, my dog is very good, just barking twice, won¡¯t bite.¡±


    I bit my lip and secretly cursed Cameron in my heart.


    ¡°Brother,¡± Gina said, ¡°We¡¯d better take Hani backter. Ms. Laura is afraid of dogs, it¡¯s not good to put it here ¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s natural!¡± Georgeughed, ¡°If I had known Cameron was borrowing Hani for this purpose, I would have never lent it to him!¡±


    ¡°Hey, speaking of Cameron ¡­¡± he bristled, ¡°Gina and I have known him for a long time. We went to college together, and he¡¯s good at everything, except for that stinking temper ¡­¡±


    ¡°Heart and mouth!¡± Gina added.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right!¡±


    Iughed, only to hear Gina tell me again, ¡°I used to hear ¡®Laura¡¯ from him all the time, and I was curious about the name at the time, and once I saw it today I realized why he¡¯s always pining for you!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I froze, ¡°And he talks about me a lot?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a big name among our ssmates!¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything nice about me, did he?¡± I drooped my eyes.


    The two siblings looked at each other and snickered.


    ¡°Anyway, we know,¡± George said, ¡°that you¡¯re the most special person to Cameron.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, special ¡­¡± I sighed, ¡°so special that he wants to starve me alive.¡±


    ¡°I told you, he¡¯s got a temper! But that being said, he does have an irritating temper.¡± George rubbed his fists, ¡°Laura, if you don¡¯t think it¡¯s annoying, or I¡¯ll call some people to beat him up ¡­¡±


    As he was talking, the door suddenly opened and the tall, slender figure slowly paced in.

 Laura鈥檚 POV 105

    There was not a single ripple of emotion on that cold face, as if starving me for these few days was something I deserved.


    I was furious at the sight of him, but I didn¡¯t have the strength to deal with him, so I could only angrily put my face aside, out of sight out of mind.


    ¡°What did you just mutter about me?¡± The cool voice line was permeated with a few hints ofughter.


    ¡°How dare I say anything about you!¡± As soon as George saw him, he immediately stood up and smiled, ¡°We were talking about this Ms. Laura.¡±


    ¡°Talking about her what?¡± Cameron smoothly sat next to me and took my hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying ¡­¡± George paused, ¡°Heh, I¡¯m saying Laura¡¯s got a good image and could be a star with some packaging!¡±


    ¡°Hey, really!¡± Gina got energized at this, ¡°I just felt the same way as soon as I met Laura! I¡¯m a doctor, and there are quite a few senior brothers and sisters in the stic surgery department of the First Hospital, and I often learn from them ¡­ In my opinion, Laura¡¯s face and facial proportions are really quite perfect, and she doesn¡¯t even need to use micropigmentation, she can simply put on make-up and go straight to the camera!¡±


    ¡°Look, what did I say!¡± George patted Cameron¡¯s shoulder, ¡°My sister gave a professional opinion! And I¡¯m never wrong about anyone, why else would I have gotten all those top stars? Your Laura does have star quality ¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Cameron faintly interrupted them, ¡°This topic ends here, I don¡¯t want to hear any more.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    He was silent for a moment, his eyes locked on me, ¡°I don¡¯t like my women throwing their weight around.¡±


    George and Gina looked at each other, smiled, and made an excuse to leave the room.


    With just the two of us left at this point, Cameron gently took my hand and ruffled the broken hair on my forehead, hooking his lips slightly.


    ¡°Are you satisfied?¡± I red at him, ¡°Why did you save me when you could have just starved me to death?¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m right, you should be angry right now.¡± He smirked, ¡°But that sounds a bit like flirting to me ¡­¡±


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    I don¡¯t argue with him, for one thing, I really don¡¯t have much strength, and for another, what¡¯s the point of even arguing with him? In the end, it¡¯s still being taken advantage of by him. How about I save my strength and settle the score with himter.


    I gave him a nk look, then closed my eyes and stopped paying attention to him.


    ¡°This is just a small lesson for you, Laura,¡± his tone was indifferent, ¡°You have to know that it¡¯s easy for me to get you killed and no one will trace it to the end, but then you won¡¯t have a chance to see your daughter again in your life.¡±


    My heart shook.


    ¡°Laura,¡± heughed softly, ¡°I¡¯m giving you a chance by keeping you alive this time, next time you disobey, the punishment will be worse than that!¡±


    I opened my eyes, anger tightening against my heart, ¡°What did I ever do to offend you, Cameron? Why didn¡¯t I listen to you? You told me toe back to Jerez State with you, and didn¡¯t Ie back with you obediently? But you didn¡¯t even honor your promise, you wouldn¡¯t even let me see Sunny!¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯ll let you see her if you make me happy.¡±


    ¡°Then when will you be happy?¡± I was like a mouse, constantly being teased by this cat of his, ¡°What do I have to do to make you happy? When the hell are you going to let me see my daughter!¡±


    ¡°Laura!¡± he suddenly leaned down, the tip of his nose almost brushing against my forehead.


    I felt his hot breath and the ¡­ spurt in his eyes ¡­


    ¡°No, Cameron!¡± I snapped, both of my hands dead against his chest, ¡°No ¡­ we can¡¯t do what we did before! You¡¯re my brother!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that!¡± He sank his voice to a whisper.


    I snapped to something and looked at him with wide eyes, ¡°Cameron ¡­ our rtionship, it¡¯s not going toe out, is it?¡±


    ¡°Just now I felt that the way George and Gina looked at me was not quite right, they are your best friends, do they already know about our rtionship?¡±


    Cameron looked at me, his eyes were stern, but there was a faint hint of sadness underneath them.


    ¡°What?¡± He said softly, ¡°Are you ashamed if we¡¯re together?¡±


    I bit my lip, and after a long time, I squeezed out a few words with difficulty, ¡°We are brother and sister ¡­¡±


    ¡°Because of that?¡± He squeezes my shoulders and shakes me upside the head.


    ¡°Yes, because of that!¡± I looked straight into his eyes, ¡°I didn¡¯t know about the rtionship before, we were together and had a child ¡­ But now that we know, we can¡¯t keep making this mistake!¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re my daughter¡¯s mom.¡± Heughed bitterly, ¡°Laura, I don¡¯t understand why you care about that? Don¡¯t you dare say you don¡¯t have any feelings for me at all now? Don¡¯t you dare say you¡¯ve turned all your feelings for me into brotherly and sisterly love?¡±


    I took a deep breath, my headache pounding.


    And my heart ached so much. I didn¡¯t know how to face him, and I even thought, why not just let me lose my memory for the rest of my life? It was better to live peacefully in that little town in Hallstatt than toe back and face it all.


    ¡°Yes, Cameron,¡± I said reluctantly, ¡°I stopped loving you a long time ago. I haven¡¯t had feelings for you since the day I realized you were my brother!¡±


    His hand on my shoulder visibly stiffened and gradually slid down. He slowly straightened up and stood up, an incredulous look in his eyes at first, then ayer of grayness covered them, and his pupils turned cold.


    After a long time, heughed softly, ¡±It turns out that in your opinion, worldly fame is more important than the heart. You would rather go against your heart, but also care about the world¡¯s opinion of you, is that right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t help but care.¡± I said, ¡°Because I understand four words, people¡¯s opinions are fearful. I don¡¯t want to live in the shadows for the rest of my life, and I don¡¯t want my daughter to live in the shadows for the rest of her life!¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± He gritted his teeth, ¡°In that case, Sunny doesn¡¯t need you as a mom. You don¡¯t want her to live in the shadows, then you step out of her life. From now on she can just follow her dad, many children from single parent families can still grow up happily, and I have that strength to give her a better life!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡­¡± I panicked inside, ¡°Cameron, you can¡¯t separate us!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who made the choice.¡±


    ¡°But my choice was ¡­¡±


    ¡°Your choice was for me to give you my daughter and for you to take her far away and we would never see each other again, right?¡± He sneered, ¡°It doesn¡¯t work that way! I¡¯m telling you Laura, forget it! My daughter is mine and I won¡¯t let you take her away from me!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m giving you the same choice I gave you at the docks, either you stay and the three of us have a good life, or ¡­ you leave on your own and never see your daughter again!¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°Cameron!¡±


    Hepletely ignores me and strides out of this room.


    My heart was plummeting and I had absolutely no idea what to do next.


    He was a man of his word and would never be merciful, he said he wouldn¡¯t let me see my daughter, I might not actually see my daughter for the rest of my life!


    I stayed in the vi for a whole week. I couldn¡¯t see anyone except Gina, who came to give me nutritional injections regrly. I wanted to go out, but besides Cameron¡¯s men guarding the house, there was the dog outside.


    Gina smiled at me in embarrassment, ¡°My brother was going to take Hani back, but Cameron said no.¡±


    I shrugged in understanding.


    Cameron wouldn¡¯t be Cameron if he was so easily talked down to.


    But I couldn¡¯t see my daughter, and my heart was racing. After more than half a year, I especially wanted to see what Sunny looked like now. Has she grown taller and fatter, is she almost three and kindergarten age, and does she talk a lot?


    She¡¯s still the same little pink and pretty girl, isn¡¯t she?


    Sometimes when I think about it, tears fall uncontrobly. I¡¯m going to go crazy if this keeps up.


    So the next day, I ran downstairs to Cameron¡¯s office.


    It was the first time in my life that I was a shrew.


    But I wore sunsses and a mask, I was afraid of being recognized.


    I chose the rush hour of work, it is thepany white-cor workers have to run to the building time, I stood in the za downstairs, the most obvious position, a rolled up his sleeves and began to curse: ¡°Cameron! Have the ability not to be a shrinking violet, you give me out!¡±


    ¡°Cameron! I worked so hard to give birth to my daughter, but you took her for yourself without a word of greeting! Do you realize you¡¯re breaking thew? That¡¯s my daughter, I have custody, I have visitation rights!¡±


    ¡°Cameron youe out here and tell me what¡¯s going on! You prevented us from seeing mother and daughter, what are your intentions! You also imprisoned me to take revenge on me ¡­ You are not a man at all!¡±


    My words naturally attracted a lot of attention, those rushing to work stopped in their tracks, preferring to clock inte rather than miss this once-in-a-lifetime show. The crowd had already started to whisper, Cameron was already a popr figure, and now that there was an emaciated woman fighting with him for his child under the building, people were of course even more curious.


    A number of people took out their cell phones and started taking pictures and recording video.


    I cursed even more, and kept inciting the people around me, ¡°Please do me a favor and help me judge! I¡¯m definitely not the kind of woman who would rely on him just because she¡¯s pregnant! On the contrary, I just want to quietly give birth to the child, take the child with me and run away, never to bother him again!¡±


    ¡°But this scoundrel! Simply despicable and nasty and shameless! He robbed me of my child, and he set out to prevent us, mother and daughter, from living in peace! He didn¡¯t just hide my daughter, he locked me up! The doorway bolted such a big dog ¡­ If I hadn t tumbled out of the back wall today, I wouldn t have wanted toe out in my life!¡±


    ¡°You guys say, should I scold this kind of person?¡±


    Probably I am too involved, and this scene is really quite heartfelt, next to a few mom-like women quietly wiped up their tears, my tears also fell, a kind girl handed me tissues, and others came up tofort me, more people are secretly talking about Cameron.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that this Cameron, who seems quite decent on the surface, is actually this kind of person!¡±


    ¡°Yes, such a big president, powerful and influential, what¡¯s the point of making things difficult for other women and children?¡±


    I fixed my mind, seeing that my purpose was almost achieved, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bit smug in my heart.


    Now everything is ready, waiting for Cameron to find me to talk ¡­ I do not believe that he can carry the pressure of public opinion?


    Not a momentter, only to see Cameron in a group of people in the crowd slowly downstairs, pacing in front of me. I didn¡¯t expect him toe so quickly, and I thought he would talk to me alone, not in public here.


    He was calm and collected, the corners of his mouth slightly quirked, still looking out of the corner of his eye.


    His gaze was fixed on me, his ck and white eyes, smiling. He didn¡¯t look surprised, his eyes seemed to be saying, ¡°As expected, you finally came.¡±


    I was a little apprehensive, drooping eyelids, heart pounding.


    ¡°Are you enjoying the scolding?¡± He opened his mouth with his first words.


    I coughed twice, ¡°You finally showed up.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯vee to ask me for my child, what¡¯s the point of hiding it?¡± He sneered, ¡°And wearing sunsses and a mask? Why don¡¯t you let these people see your true colors?¡±


    I was shocked, and the arc of his mouth rose even more wantonly and wildly.


    He came to my ear and whispered, ¡°Are you afraid that someone will recognize you as Laura, or are you afraid that our rtionship as brother and sister wille out in the open?¡±


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    ¡°Take it off if you can.¡± Heughs, ¡°Don¡¯t be vain, show them all what my daughter¡¯s mom looks like!¡±


    Saying that he reached out to take off my sunsses, I let out a gasp of surprise and stepped back, almost tripping over a small stone. The moment my body leaned back, his strong arm stopped my shoulder and encircled my whole body in his arms.


    Then he intercepted me and picked me up, and there was a hue and cry around us as someone pulled his car over from the distance and he shoved me into it in full view of everyone.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± My body stiffened and I crossed my arms to protect my chest.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± He gets closer to me, his hot breath against my ear, ¡°Laura, it¡¯s hard not to see your daughter, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°What the hell do you want?¡±


    ¡°I gave you a choice, but if you don¡¯t choose nicely, I¡¯m going to have to take some special measures.¡±


    He raised his hand and a gash split open in my shirt cor.


    ¡°If you want a daughter, give me a son!¡± He presses in, and his voice seems like a dark cloud pressing down from the sky.


    ¡°Cameron ¡­¡±


    ¡°No more children for me, and you¡¯ll never see your daughter again in your life!¡±


    I stared at him in bewilderment.


    He lifted the corners of his mouth lightly, and hisrge hand reached in recklessly along the split cor. I closed my eyes tightly, my stiff body actually slowly rxed under his touch, and a shameful thought rose up in my heart ¡­


    His kisses fell in a thin stream, his clothes peeled off one by one, and I became one with him, in a pleasure that was long overdue for my indulgence.


    It waste at night when I was awake again. I realized he had originally driven the car to the top of the hill. When I tilted my head, I saw a starry sky through the panoramic sunroof, and the frosty moonlight poured over his toned body, with fine beads of sweat on it.


    He was sleeping heavily, still holding my hand, and I couldn¡¯t help but move closer to him, hearing him murmur my name under his breath.


    ¡°Laura, Laura¡­¡±


    Tears drilled violently out of my eyes. I bit my lip, suddenly feeling my heart hurt like a knife.

 Laura鈥檚 POV 106

    Afterward I secretly took the birth control pill, I calcted that those days happened to be my ovtion period, I was afraid of really carrying his baby.


    And I had been ufortable in my heart.


    I had actually slept with my own brother once again, and it made me feel guilty.


    So during that time, I forbade Cameron to set foot in my room. I didn¡¯t talk to him, kept my distance from him. I treated him with courtesy when he came, there were always his dishes on the dinner table, and when he didn¡¯te for a few days, I wouldn¡¯t look for him and pretend that he never existed as a person.


    He sensed my willful coldness, but this time instead of tormenting me more, he was a little more careful. Sometimes he stood alone on the balcony smoking a cigarette, his back blending with the darkness of the night, looking very lonely. Sometimes he sighed a long sigh, the side of his face showed a rare despondency, and he spoke to me in a polite manner.


    His appearance made me a little surprised, a little touched, more a little relieved.


    The two of us in this life, just keep this distance just right.


    It¡¯s just that he never mentioned letting me meet Sunny again.


    I also do not know how to talk to him, our rtionship has be subtle and awkward. Until that day, I was staying at home alone, when suddenly someone rang the bell. I ran over and opened the door to see that it was Yasmin!


    ¡°Yasmin?¡± I was shocked and happy, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    She was also stunned at first when she saw me, then she cried andughed and hugged me. ¡°Ms. Laura, I didn¡¯t expect to run into you here!¡±


    ¡°Did Cameron send you?¡± I hurriedly let her in and made her tea.


    Yasmin looked me up and down, and before she said two words her eyes were moist again. ¡°I thought I¡¯d never see you again in my life!¡±


    ¡°How could it be!¡± I held her hand, ¡°I¡¯m back in one piece, aren¡¯t I? Are you still at The Lynch Family? If I had known you were still there, I would have gone to see you earlier.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m still at The Lynch Family,¡± she nodded, ¡°but The Lynch Family isn¡¯t as big as it used to be, this you know ¡­ so there isn¡¯t much of a paycheck, thanks to the Second Young Master pays me more money every month, I can send it back home to my daughter!¡±


    ¡°Him?¡± I was stunned, I didn¡¯t realize Cameron had this kind of heart.


    ¡°Yeah, sometimes I help out in hispany with cleaning and stuff. This is what I offered, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t feelfortable taking his money for nothing every month!¡±


    ¡°Then today ¡­¡±


    ¡°Today is the day he said for me toe over here and clean.¡± Yasmin smiled, ¡°I thought it was one of his unused houses that no one had cleaned for a long time. I didn¡¯t expect you to live here. Ms. Laura, when did youe back? Where in the world have ¡­ you been for the past half year? I heard the second young master say that you fell into the sea and hurt your head ¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, everything is fine.¡± I smile and say something to reassure her.


    Yasmin is the closest person to me in The Lynch Family and I can¡¯t bear to let her worry about me.


    I also learned a lot about The Lynch Family¡¯s current situation from her.


    The Lynch Family isn¡¯t what it used to be, and since Cameron¡¯s revenge, it¡¯s been in a state of disrepair, and it¡¯s never been the same again. My dad is in the hospital, on all kinds of expensive medication, and my mom, Mellisa, is barely holding it together, but there¡¯s nothing more she can do.


    Carter has been helping her out, and has been running around, and I¡¯ve heard that he¡¯s going to marry the daughter of one of the families to solve The Lynch Group¡¯s woes.


    Iughed andmented, ¡°Which family¡¯s daughter is so unlucky to be victimized by him! Have they not another son?¡±


    ¡°s,¡± Yasmin sighs, ¡°The Scott family is even worse than The Lynch Family. You know, how can the second young master be merciful to The Scott family? The Scott family head of the family fell ill, and Ms. Queenie lost her backing, and now seems to be working in some club ¡­ as one of those high-ss¡­ ¡­¡±


    I understood what she meant and felt shocked. I didn¡¯t expect Queenie to be reduced to that kind of ce.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t Carter care about her?¡±


    ¡°Does the First Lord care?¡± Yasmin said, ¡°That Ms. Queenie¡¯s child is not the eldest young master¡¯s at all! It¡¯s rumored that she has a promiscuous private life, and that child was born to her and one of their drivers.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± I got a bit of a headache listening to this, and I didn¡¯t want to hear any more of this nonsense.


    Carter, Queenie, and The Lynch Family ¡­ They all seem to be from a past life.


    ¡°By the way, Ms. Laura.¡± Yasmin said softly, ¡°Sometimes, I get to babysit little Sunny too!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I shuddered, as if an electric current slipped through my heart.


    I looked at her mouth in a daze, unable to say anything in excitement.


    ¡°What did you just ¡­ say, Sunny?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Yasmin¡¯s gaze dimmed, pity in her eyes.


    ¡°Ms. Laura, take your time.¡± She patted the back of my hand, ¡°The second young master is a good man, there¡¯s no way he¡¯s going to keep you from seeing your daughter for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°Where is she?¡± I was like grasping a lifesaver, ¡°Yasmin¡­ I beg you to tell me where she is?¡±


    ¡°Where exactly, I do not know.¡± She said, ¡°It¡¯s just that sometimes the second youngest takes Sunny out and I help him out. But I don¡¯t know where they live.¡±


    My mood instantly fell to the bottom again.


    ¡°But ¡­ I¡¯ve been to her nursery a couple times!¡±


    ¡­


    That day was one of the happiest days I¡¯ve had since I¡¯ve been back to Jerez State, and I jotted down the address of the preschool Yasmin told me about in my notebook like it was a treasure.


    The next morning I couldn¡¯t contain my excitement and ran early to the door of that kindergarten. I hid behind a big tree on the opposite side of the road and peeked over there.


    It was kindergarten admission time, and the children, like little angels, were being held by their teachers, saying goodbye to their parents, and dashing into the kindergarten in line. I searched for Sunny in the crowd and saw the little girl in the pink tutu right away.


    Cameron held her in his hands and didn¡¯t put her down until he reached the kindergarten door. She reluctantly gave her dad a kiss on the cheek, raised her little face with a sweet smile, and waved goodbye to him¡­


    Tears welled up in my eyes.


    I haven¡¯t seen her for half a year, Sunny has grown a lot taller, prettier and more beauty-loving, and I can see that Cameron has protected her very well and pampered her extremely.


    I kept staring at that tiny figure until the kindergarten gate was closed, and I was still hiding behind a tree like a wandering spirit, with tears streaming down my face.


    Suddenly someone tapped me on the shoulder. I was startled and turned around to see that it was Gina.


    She froze, ¡°You ¡­¡±


    I realized that the tear stains on my face hadn¡¯t dried, and hurriedly wiped away my tears, smiling in embarrassment.


    ¡°Dr. Gina, hi.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me doctor, it¡¯s too formal.¡± Sheughed, ¡°We¡¯ve dealt with each other many times, just call me Gina and I¡¯ll call you Laura, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    She raised her hand to look at her watch, ¡°It¡¯s still early, I¡¯m on the noon shift today, why don¡¯t we go get some breakfast?¡±


    We went to a coffee shop on the next corner, the small store was quiet, the store was heavy with coffee beans and bread aroma, the gentle music made my tense nerves rx a lot.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have the General Sandwich and a caramel mhiato, what about you?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Same.¡±


    She closes the menu and smiles softly at me.


    ¡°Would you mind if I ask you a question ¡­?¡±


    Iughed a little, ¡°Is it to ask how I ended up there?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all talking to you.¡± She said, ¡°But to be fair, let me tell you why I was there first! I was helping my coworker go drop off her kids.¡±


    ¡°I was going to see my kids.¡± I scowled.


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    Gina is silent for a moment, then a few moments of sympathy passes through her eyes, as if realization has dawned on her.


    ¡°It¡¯s Cameron,¡± I continue to exin, ¡°He won¡¯t let me see my kids.¡±


    She nodded, and across the table, she took my hand and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t mind ¡­ about the two of you, my brother and I basically know everything.¡±


    I smiled bitterly, ¡°You know about the rtionship between the two of us, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it ¡­ bizarre?¡±


    She pursed her lips and frowned lightly, ¡°How can I say it ¡­ I don¡¯t really feel anything.¡±


    ¡°You are quite open-minded!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± When she smiled, she revealed two cute little tiger teeth, ¡°It might have something to do with the family environment. My parents both grew up studying abroad and received a western education, their thoughts are not that conservative. My brother and I grew up in this kind of environment. Plus I¡¯m a doctor, I¡¯ve seen a lot of strange and weird things! As for my brother, ¡­¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    She made a face, ¡°He¡¯s even on the cusp of the entertainment industry, what kind of weird things haven¡¯t he seen? That¡¯s why we were both just a little surprised when Cameron told us about this at first.¡±


    ¡°Gina,¡± I took a deep breath, ¡°what do you think about this? I¡¯d love to hear your opinion!¡±


    She takes a sip of her coffee, a faint smile still on her face. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything morally wrong with you guys. When you were together in the beginning, you liked each other and truly loved each other, and even though a lot of changes happenedter and there were misunderstandings between you, you still insisted on having the child, didn¡¯t you? This shows that his position in your heart is already deeply rooted.¡±


    ¡°And when you were together, you werepletely unaware of the rtionship. If you have to trace it back to its roots, it¡¯s the fault of the previous generation, you don¡¯t have to pay for the grudge of the previous generation!¡±


    ¡°Is that right ¡­¡± I was a little surprised by such a statement.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Gina continued, ¡°I can see that Cameron doesn¡¯t care about any of this, you¡¯re the only one he cares about! He¡¯s so heartless that he¡¯s ckmailing you with the baby just to get you toe back to him.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t care ¡­ heh!¡± I got a little emotional, ¡°What has he ever cared about? He didn¡¯t care about my feelings at all either. Gina, I¡¯m not like him, I care about people looking at me! People talk, not everyone is like you and your brother who can tolerate this!¡±


    ¡°Not to mention that there¡¯s Sunny now,¡± I hung my head helplessly, my hands clenched into fists against my head, ¡°How can I let Sunny live with people looking at her differently? When she grows up and understands, and talks to other little ones about her mom and dad, is she going to tell them that her mom and dad ¡­ are actually brother and sister?¡±


    ¡°As long as you guys don¡¯t say anything, who¡¯s going to know?¡± Gina looked at me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that way!¡± I shouted, ¡°There are no impervious walls in this world!¡±


    ¡°Laura, I think you¡¯re worrying too much.¡±


    ¡°Maybe ¡­,¡± I said with a hard feeling in my heart, ¡°but I really don¡¯t know what to do now, I don¡¯t really know what to do with this rtionship! I¡¯m on edge every day, I¡¯m afraid that people will find out that I had a baby with my brother and I¡¯m afraid that Sunny might be sick ¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen.¡± Gina paused, ¡°I¡¯ve met Sunny a couple times, she¡¯s a pretty smart and intelligent kid.¡±


    I suddenly remembered that there was a doctor sitting across from me, and quickly grabbed her hand and asked, ¡°You¡¯ve seen her? Do you think Sunny is okay? I took her to the hospital when she was a child to check, and they all said that she was very healthy ¡­ but I have always been suspicious. You are a doctor, this you understand the most ¡­ Isn¡¯t it true that many of these children have hidden diseases in their bodies, the kind that can¡¯t be detected?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too anxious!¡± She patted the back of my hand and recalled, ¡°I remember once before, Sunny had a high fever and Cameron brought her to me. At that time, I was also afraid that she had some hidden disease, so I checked her carefully, but the results were all normal.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± She nodded with great conviction, ¡°Generally speaking, consanguineous children will disy various illnesses before the age of three, but Sunny doesn¡¯t have any. As for how she¡¯ll be when she grows up requires further observation. But as of now, she¡¯s smart and cute, she really doesn¡¯t look like a child with a problem.¡±


    ¡°Is there such a miracle in medicine?¡±


    Gina doesn¡¯t say anything, just smiles faintly. ¡°Even though I¡¯m a doctor, there¡¯s still a lot of uncharted territory in medicine.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± I nodded my head and whispered my heart out to her, ¡°I¡¯m going crazy thinking about my daughter right now ¡­ As long as I can see her once, I¡¯ll pay whatever it takes!¡±


    ¡°Pay any price you want ¡­¡± she said softly, ¡°just can¡¯t break the ice with Cameron, right?¡±


    I bowed my head in silence.


    After a moment, Gina sighed softly, ¡°Or you could get my brother to think of something?¡±


    I raised my eyes, ¡°What can he do?¡±


    ¡°Hispany sometimes produces a movie, and if there¡¯s a child¡¯s part in it, theirpany people will go to various kindergartens to pick out extras. I think you can ask him, if there¡¯s such an opportunity, won¡¯t you be able to go to the kindergarten with hispany¡¯s people and meet Sunny?¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± I was so happy, it was like I had seen the light.


    After thanking Gina, I immediately headed to The Curry Group Media. When I arrived at the door but I didn¡¯t know what kind of identity to go in.


    George is a big boss, a busy man, why would he have time to meet a small person like me?


    Tell the receptionist that I am his friend? I¡¯m afraid there are many people who want to meet George, and the receptionist has heard this kind of reason before.


    I was stumbling in front of the door when a familiar voice came from behind me, ¡°Laura, is that you?¡±


    Turning my head, I was surprised and delighted. ¡°President George, hello!¡±


    ¡°Still so formal with me? Just call me by my first name!¡± Heughed, ¡°Are you just passing through? Or did youe here specifically?¡±


    ¡°I ¡­¡± I hesitated, not knowing how to say it.

 Laura鈥檚 POV 107

    ¡°You might as well be blunt if you have something to say! Cameron and I are old friends.¡±


    George looked at me with a kindly gaze that, for a moment, actually reminded me of Patrick far away in Hallstatt ¡­


    ¡°Laura! Are you okay?¡± He called out to me several times, and I looked back, a little embarrassed.


    ¡°So ¡­ can we go to your office and talk? I¡¯ll just take up a little of your time.¡±


    ¡°Anything important?¡± He looked at his watch and the staff behind him came up and whispered a reminder of his schedule for a while.


    ¡°If you¡¯re busy then forget it.¡± I lowered my head, ¡°I¡¯lle back another time.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± He stopped me, ¡°Since you¡¯vee all the way here, go to my office for a cup of tea.¡± Then he turned his head and said to the staff, ¡°Change the time, I¡¯ll be twenty minuteste.¡±


    I followed him upstairs. His office was very grand, and the corridor was stered with pictures of popr stars, as well as many posters of sold-out movies and TV shows. Along the way, I bumped into a lot of familiar faces that I usually only see on TV, but here they were nodding their heads and asking, ¡°Hello boss!¡±


    It was all very new to me.


    George turned to me and smiled, ¡°Actually, celebrities are ordinary people, not unattainable. They¡¯re just like white-cor workers in apany, of course they should greet their bosses when they see them!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re awesome.¡± I eximed from the bottom of my heart, ¡°Commanding a thousand armies, ounting for half of the entertainment industry!¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± He was proud of himself, ¡°In fact, some stars, their singing and acting skills are just so-so, what do they rely on? What do they rely on? I¡¯m the boss behind the scenes, and I¡¯m the one who¡¯s doing all the work for them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Iughed.


    ¡°In fact, your family Cameron can totallye up to me to invest in a movie, and I¡¯ll leave you the female lead role, how about it?¡±


    ¡°Forget it ¡­,¡± I said, ¡°I don¡¯t want anything more to do with him.¡±


    ¡°But your rtionship with him, this life is difficult to be separated, is not it?¡±


    He said this, I heart thumped. Probably his face turned a little ugly, George hastily apologized to me, ¡°Sorry, sorry, I¡¯m starting to talk out of turn again, don¡¯t take it personally!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± I shook my head and smiled at him, ¡°Actually, I came to see you today because of Cameron.¡±


    ¡°What the hell happened?¡± He had his assistant bring two cups of grapefruit tea.


    I filled him in on the events leading up to it, and told him that it was Gina who suggested Ie here to think of something.


    George paused andughed softly, ¡°It¡¯s not that I won¡¯t help you ¡­ It¡¯s just that there really aren¡¯t any ys that need to go to the kindergarten to find actors these days!¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± I nodded, my heart sinking a bit.


    ¡°Laura¡­¡± he said, ¡°Can¡¯t you just negotiate with Cameron?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°I can¡¯t ept what he says, and he can¡¯t ept what I offer.¡±


    ¡°The situation can only get worse when neither of you will budge!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alreadye to this, there¡¯s no way back for me.¡± I looked at him, ¡°I can only hold on.¡±


    ¡°What are you living on now?¡±


    I realized by his question that there was very little money left on the card.


    ¡°If you¡¯re determined to leave him, then you have to have a job that can support you, right?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± This I agree. ¡°But ¡­ how can a job be that easy to find? I¡¯ve been away from Jerez State for most of a year, and change has been rapid in that time, so I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to be left out of the market.¡±


    ¡°Why yes!¡± Heughed, again like a naughty big boy, ¡°You coulde to my ce and shoot a movie! To be honest, I¡¯ve always had a ¡®thief¡¯s heart¡¯ for you, I think you¡¯ll definitely be a hit!¡±


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    I was made tough and cry by him.


    ¡°President George,¡± I smiled, ¡°I appreciate your kind words, but I really ¡­ can¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Like Cameron said, he doesn¡¯t like you throwing your weight around, so you don¡¯t throw your weight around?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I was helpless, ¡°I can¡¯t act at all.¡±


    ¡°How many stars can act these days?¡±


    ¡°George!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, no kidding!¡± George got serious this time, ¡°The fact that you don¡¯t want to be in this business is just what you think now, you might change your mindter. But I just said you need to find a job that can support yourself, this is serious!¡±


    ¡°Or you might as welle and do it with me.¡± He handed me an entry-level application form.


    ¡°The Curry Group School of Media, Film and Art?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± heughed, ¡°the one owned by mypany. I know you used to be a teacher at Hallstatt, so why don¡¯t youe to the school and be a teacher too! Actually, teaching middle school students is much the same as teaching little kids.¡±


    ¡°What can I teach?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you once have your own mediapany?¡± He looked at me, ¡°Just share your experience in the media business and your former stories with your students!¡±


    I still kept beating a small drum in my mind.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± George patted me on the shoulder and encouraged, ¡°You¡¯re at least a college graduate, you shouldn¡¯t have any trouble teaching a group of middle school students, right? And the students in the art school have professional teachers to train them in their specialized sses, you teach cultural sses, such as English,position and whatnot, you can always teach this, right?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± I nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll have to go back and flip through the books for those too, I haven¡¯t touched them in so many years, I gave them all back to the teachers a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Hey Laura!¡± he frowned with a twisted smile, ¡°Never expose shorings in front of your boss!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± I smiled back, ¡°I was afraid I wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the position. But don¡¯t worry, since you gave me the student, I¡¯ll try my best to do it!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too,¡± he looked at me and winked, ¡°Since you¡¯re a school teacher now, any future opportunities to go to the kindergarten and pick out little actors will definitely be yours!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I was surprised and delighted.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    I was stunned for a long moment, ¡°Thank you, George,¡± I said, ¡°I know that you¡¯re only willing to help me because of Cameron, and you could have turned around and told Cameron all about my whereabouts . ¡­ but thank you! You did me a huge favor!¡±


    ¡°Laura!¡± he held his right hand to his forehead with a hopeless look on his face, ¡°I¡¯m your boss, not Cameron¡¯s informant!¡±


    I spat out my tongue in embarrassment and realized that I had just slipped up.


    ¡°My willingness to help you has nothing to do with Cameron.¡± He said, ¡°I¡¯m doing it entirely for me!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Selling you a favor!¡± He grinned wickedly, ¡°When you want to be a star in the future, make sure you remember toe see me!¡±


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t do anything with him.


    Later I realized that George is really a person who won¡¯t stop until the yellow river.


    Andter I didn¡¯t realize that there was an unresolved rtionship with The Curry Group Media.


    After a few days of preparation, I went to art school to be a teacher.


    Those things I learned in the university were basically returned, and these few days of cramming, I don¡¯t know how effective it is. The first time I walked on the podium, my heart was so nervous that even my calves were trembling.


    I couldn¡¯t help butugh at myself, ¡°Laura, is that all you¡¯ve got?


    But the first day of teaching went well.


    George was right, they were all art school students, so naturally they had professional teachers to teach them the specialized sses, while I was responsible for the cultural sses, so I didn¡¯t have to go into too much depth, and they only wanted to learn a general idea.


    Gradually I adapted to the work, but also adapted to the role of teacher. The days went back to normal, and I started to live a life of two hours a day, and George said he would keep an eye out for opportunities to cast in kindergartens, so I felt like I had something to look forward to.


    Cameron didn¡¯t visit me often. asionally, hees back as a guest, sits for a while, has a cup of tea, exchanges pleasantries, and then gets up and leaves when he really has nothing more to say. Sometimes he stays for dinner, and we remain silent at the table, like two awkward strangers.


    He never stays here overnight.


    I think the crux of our rtionship still lies in that rtionship, in Sunny¡¯s custody.


    I n to work for a while, save up some money, and then ask him for Sunny back in name only.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Maybe by that time he would be in a calmer state of mind, and everything would be negotiable, and he might slowlye to his senses, and the Gordian knot between us would slowly open up.


    It was my third month as a teacher.


    In Jerez State, winter camete. The sky was cloudy and drizzly that day, thest rain of the fall.


    I hurried to my ssroom and found some students in their study halls, while others took advantage of the situation to run to the dance studio to practice their basic skills. The only exception was a girl who had just transferred to the ss a month earlier. At this moment, she was sitting by the window, wearing a simple white sweater and jeans, tall and fair-skinned, with a head of chestnut-colored wavy hair down to her waist.


    She quietly looked out the window, calmly she has a kind of sad temperament, beautiful big eyes, reflecting the dark clouds in the sky.


    I don¡¯t know what¡¯s bothering her, but at her age she¡¯s in her flower season, so what¡¯s there to be bothered about?


    I was just about to walk over when another girl quietly stopped me. ¡°Ms. Laura, don¡¯t go!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I froze.


    ¡°Willow she doesn¡¯t usually fit in well!¡±


    Willow ¡­ Oh yeah, I just remembered that this girl¡¯s name is Willow, she didn¡¯te to ss for a few days this month, and it¡¯s rumored that her family is quite powerful, and her father and George still have quite a lot of dealings.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you guys usually hang out together?¡±


    The girl bristled, ¡°A school girl of her caliber, how could she look at us!¡± There was quite a bit ofining in her tone, but her eyes were full of jealousy.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± came another girl, ¡°She¡¯s sitting there, maybe she¡¯s just trying to attract the boys¡¯ attention with her posture! Teacher, don¡¯t go over there and interrupt her self-directed drama!¡±


    I heard full of jealousy.


    I smiled and pacified the two students to go study. Looking at that Willow again, she does have the capital to make people jealous.


    Perhaps the trajectory of such a girl is not a smooth one, she grew up amidst the admiration and envy of people, but the heights are too high for her, and it¡¯s only natural that she loses the happiness and friends that she should have at this age.


    I walked over to her and gently tapped her on the shoulder, she flinched and looked up at me with snowy eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably not familiar with me.¡± I smiled, ¡°I¡¯m your culture teacher. You usually take more specialized sses, so we have less contact ¡­¡±


    ¡°I know you, you¡¯re Laura, Ms. Laura.¡±


    She chimes in with a faint smile.


    Her voice was nice and thin and sweet, but her attitude was rejecting, cold and polite.


    ¡°It¡¯s raining hard out there and the air is cool.¡± I closed the window, ¡°You¡¯re wearing thin clothes, don¡¯t freeze and catch cold.¡±


    ¡°Why are you sitting here alone?¡± I asked, ¡°Students are either studying or practicing, why don¡¯t you go?¡±


    ¡°What do they do that I have to do?¡± She nced at me.


    I was shocked, what a proud white swan!


    ¡°Teacher just thinks that you shouldn¡¯t waste your time here.¡±


    ¡°Heh ¡­¡± she sneers full of concern, ¡°Should? Shouldn¡¯t? You adults always like to use that tone to lecture people. It¡¯s as if I don¡¯t have a mind of my own and I have to listen to all your ¡®shoulds¡¯ and ¡®shouldn¡¯ts¡¯! But Ms. Laura, can you tell us which things in this world are ¡®shoulds¡¯ and which things are ¡®shouldn¡¯ts¡¯? Is there any clear line between should and shouldn¡¯t?¡±


    I was dumbfounded by what she said.


    She looked at me with eyes that seemed to have the magic power to prate everything.


    She turned her face away again and quietly looked out the window at the rain. I stood there, unable to leave, unable to stay, the first time I was made to feel so frustrated by a student.


    It was only when the two girls who had just been studying came to me with their workbooks that I was relieved of this situation.


    They whispered to me, ¡°Teacher, I told you to ignore her! Even her own father can¡¯t stand that temper!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I heard she ran away from home again.¡±


    ¡°Ran away from home?¡± I was stunned, ¡°Where does she live now?¡±


    ¡°Just across the street, in the school dormitory!¡±


    After ss I walked home, just to pass that road, remembering the words of the two students, I couldn¡¯t help but look toward the row of school dormitories.


    I had heard that the student dormitories of art schools were no different from high-end neighborhoods. A row of beautifully chic white buildings, each building has five floors, inside with an elevator. Dormitory courtyard with all kinds of sports equipment, there is a central garden. Outside the dormitory, there is a pedestrian street with a variety of distinctive clothing stores, cafes, bookstores, and an artistic atmosphere everywhere.


    At the end of the street is a convenience store.


    I wanted to buy some daily necessities to go home, so I walked straight to the supermarket, and when I arrived at the door, I heard a confusion, only to see a tall girl dressed delicately, surrounded by two staff members in the store, who seemed to be arguing about something.


    ¡°Willow?¡± I was startled and rushed over.


    She was holding a bottle of beer in her hand, her little face puffed out, her cheeks looking like they were tinted with peach blush.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    She ignored me and just flipped me off, the bottle pointing at the two staff members, ¡°Are you selling this or not?¡±


    ¡°Not for sale!¡± The convenience store people also frowned, ¡°You have a student ID, you¡¯re a student of this school, we can¡¯t sell alcohol to students!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you double! Triple!¡± Willow screamed.


    ¡°No sale, no sale, hurry up!¡± The clerk was already showing impatience and came up to pull her out.


    I hurriedly stopped in the middle, ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m her teacher ¡­ May I ask what¡¯s going on?¡±

 Laura鈥檚 POV 108

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re her teacher?¡± The staff looked me up and down. ¡°Then you need to take care of this student of yours! It¡¯s so unruly!¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°So young, and you¡¯re still holding a student ID! He has toe out to buy alcohol, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s irritating?¡± The staff member was helpless, ¡°Teacher, we also work for people, it¡¯s not a matter of money at all! The school has a rule that students are not allowed to drink, if we sell the alcohol and get caught, we¡¯ll lose this job!¡±


    I nodded.


    Then I look aside at Willow, who¡¯s clutching the bottle and holding her head high, her childish little face full of stubbornness.


    ¡°Put the wine down,¡± I tell her, ¡°and listen to your teacher.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± She nced at me, her mouth harboring another taunt.


    I got a little angry and my voice rose much higher, ¡°Put it down!¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Willow, I know you¡¯ve transferred multiple times, and if you¡¯re really not afraid of the school bringing your parents in, and you¡¯re really not afraid of having another transfer on your record, then feel free to keep this up here! I won¡¯t care!¡±


    Her body trembled, and her suspicious gaze looked at me, as if she was hesitating.


    I guessed that despite their bad father-daughter rtionship, she was still scornful of her father.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie, I¡¯m a friend of George¡¯s.¡± I looked her straight in the eyes, ¡°I also know that your father is very close to George, so you should understand that it¡¯s not that hard for me to reach your father.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Laura ¡­¡± she whispered, ¡°You ¡­ you¡¯re not really going to call my dad, are you?¡±


    ¡°Depends on how you behave.¡±


    She lowered her head, bit her lip, and finally, step by step, with slow movements, put the bottle of wine back on the shelf.


    I saw her eyes redden and fill with tears. Then she lowered her head and rushed out of the crowd of onlookers, running forward without looking back as if she were fleeing.


    It took a lot of effort for me to catch up with her around the corner.


    ¡°Willow!¡± said I, taking her hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± The tall girl, who looked thin and frail, was incredibly strong and pushed me into a stagger. ¡°Don¡¯t youe any closer! You¡¯re in league with my dad!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re mistaken, Willow,¡± I came up for air, ¡°I ¡­ don¡¯t even know your dad! I just said that just to get you to put your stuff down quickly!¡±


    She rolled her eyes, ¡°But you¡¯re President George¡¯s friend!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not true that I¡¯m his friend, but we¡¯re not on such good terms that we¡¯re at the beck and call of a phone call!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± She stepped back, a little flustered, ¡°No¡­ no, I don¡¯t believe you anymore! You¡¯re in cahoots!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t figure out what she meant by ¡°in cahoots¡±.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you the truth, Willow!¡± I eximed, ¡°If I really wanted to notify George or your dad, I wouldn¡¯t have gone in there to help you out, I¡¯d have seen you at the door buying a drink, and I¡¯d have just called quietly!¡±


    She thought about it, calmed down a bit, and slowly squatted down on the floor, both hands wrapped around her knees, like a little homeless stray cat.


    I immediately felt pity.


    Seeing how thinly she was dressed, I took my jacket off and put it on her. ¡°Come on,¡± I helped her up, ¡°want to drink, right? Come to my house.¡±


    ¡°You?¡± Pretty eyes are quizzical.


    ¡°Well,¡± I nodded and smiled, ¡°convenience stores don¡¯t allow alcohol to be sold to students, but we¡¯ll drink it at home and no one will care, right?¡±


    Willow looks at me with wide eyes, her face still streaked with tears. I patted her on the shoulder and led her towards the station.


    I realized that this youngdy had actually taken the bus for the first time and was quite limited in her ability to live, even once she entered my house she didn¡¯t know that she had to bend down to get a pair of slippers from the shoe cupboard.


    ¡°What are you standing there for?¡± I asked her.


    She looked innocent, ¡°Howe no one changed my shoes?¡±


    I sighed and found a pair of slippers for her. After she came in and looked east and west, sheughed softly, ¡°Teacher, your home isn¡¯t big, but it¡¯s decorated quite feelingly! Hehe ¡­ there¡¯s a wooden swing in the yard!¡±


    Iughed, small children are small children, a little bit of novelty matters can drag her out of the unpleasantness she just experienced.


    ¡°Teacher, your house still smells like food!¡± She stretched her neck and sniffed, ¡°It smells so good! I¡¯m starving!¡±


    I was upstairs in my room getting changed when I heard her yell that and rushed downstairs to see the smell of a meal.


    Then I saw Cameroning out of the kitchen with a tray.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Willow was startled and panicked, ducking behind me.


    I was taken aback as well, and equally surprised was Cameron.


    He looked at the two of us, dumbfounded for a moment. The table was already set with several dishes, including fish and meat, grilled chicken wings, and a te of crab roasted wheat.


    ¡°What brings you ¡­ here?¡± I asked softly.


    Willow poked her little head out from behind me and poked her tongue out in embarrassment, ¡°Teacher, so you don¡¯t live alone? Then you don¡¯t bring me back ah ¡­ Look, am I going to disturb your good deed?¡±


    ¡°You child!¡± I red at her, ¡°Not much else, why are you oily?¡±


    ¡°Forget it Ms. Laura ¡­,¡± she smiled cheekily and ran towards the door, ¡°That ¡­ I¡¯ll leave first! Don¡¯t worry, I have money on me and I¡¯ve learned to take the bus, I¡¯ll get back to the dorm safely!¡±


    ¡°Hey Willow!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving, I¡¯m leaving!¡± She quickly changed her shoes and ran. Running into the courtyard she still didn¡¯t forget to wave her hand andugh, ¡°Ms. Laura, I won¡¯t tell!¡±


    ¡°Hey ¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, I will definitely call you when I go back to the dormitory!¡±


    After saying that, this guy ran even faster.


    I stood still, wishing I had a hole in the ground to drill into.


    Cameron tapped me on the shoulder, and I was stunned to look back, followed by his deep eyes.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I sat down at the table and looked at him a little reproachfully, ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything before you came!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had guests either.¡± He replied lightly, ¡°Besides, this is supposed to be my home.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Iughed softly, ¡°It was supposed to be yours, so I should move out.¡±


    ¡°Laura!¡± he aggravated, his eyes held mine unblinking.


    After a moment, he whispered, ¡°Just don¡¯t move ¡­ next time I¡¯m here, just give you a heads up.¡±


    This kind of Cameron, let me quite ufortable, also let me have a kind of unspokenplex feelings.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± He tugged at the corners of his mouth, ¡°I made it on purpose.¡±


    ¡°Why did you make so much?¡± I picked up a siu mai and took a bite, still with that silky smooth fresh vor.


    Cameronughed, ¡°Did you forget? That year ¡­ is today, I found you in Alcostan.¡±


    My heart fluttered hard.


    ¡°Since that time I found you, every year on this day I celebrate, whether you are with me or not, I have to make a te of crab roasting wheat for myself ¡­ In my opinion, this day is our anniversary.¡±


    His eyes were like stars, staring at me intently, ¡°Only for us.¡±


    I didn¡¯t feel good in my heart.


    I slowly put down my chopsticks and lowered my head, ¡°Cameron, you know very well that we can¡¯t go back.¡±


    The atmosphere turned silent, but not oppressive. I quietly looked at Cameron, and a faint sadness crept into the corners of his eyes. He sniffles andughs softly, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to upset you.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    ¡°Well, put everything else aside for now. You¡¯re hungry, aren¡¯t you? Hurry up and eat.¡±


    He chucked a piece of chicken wing to me, ¡°I¡¯m still confident in my cooking skills. Didn¡¯t that girl you just brought back say she was hungry at the smell?¡±


    I smiled and chucked it up and took a bite.


    The chicken wings are baked on the outside and tender inside, oily but not greasy, I don¡¯t know what kind of sauce he smeared on them, extraordinarily smooth and sweet, without losing the freshness of the chicken, eating into the mouth, provoking every taste bud on the tip of the tongue.


    ¡°The craftsmanship is really good.¡± I looked at him, ¡°Not bad for someone who runs a Chinese restaurant on Blossom Hill Rd.¡±


    ¡°Youugh at me?¡±


    ¡°How dare I!¡±


    ¡°By the way,¡± he mentioned naturally, ¡°the girl who just came back with you ¡­¡±


    I gave him a wary look, ¡°moved? Also ¡­ sixteen or seventeen years old, flower like, which is like my people old and yellow!¡±


    ¡°Laura!¡± he frowned, crying, ¡°You know I don¡¯t mean that!¡±


    ¡°Who knows what you men mean.¡±


    ¡°Why do I feel jealous?¡± Cameron looked at me with a wicked grin on his face.


    I settled back and ignored him, shoving another crab bun into my mouth.


    ¡°I was talking about that girl to give you a heads up.¡± He squared his shoulders, ¡°Don¡¯t bring anyone home, do you know her background?¡±


    I was stunned, ¡°You know?¡±


    Cameron stopped his chopsticks and looked at me quietly, ¡°I heard you call her Willow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, her name is indeed Willow.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s Rafael Denoble¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°Rafael?¡±


    ¡°Yes ¡­,¡± he rested his fist against his chin as if searching for a suitable phrase, ¡°Rafael, a very shrewd businessman.¡±


    I was a little intrigued, ¡°Have you guys ever dealt with him?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t crossed paths with him much. Rafael¡¯s business is mostly in the restaurant and entertainment industry, which makes up half of Jerez State, I guess you could say. A lot of the famous restaurants, bars, and nightclubs belong to Rafael¡¯s group.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I nodded, ¡°so what do you think of Willow?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard George talk about this daughter of his, it¡¯s his only daughter, by his first wife. Any idea who his first wife was?¡±


    ¡°No idea.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t really recognize it either,¡± he said, ¡°that wife of his was called Becky, who was a red-hot movie star twenty years ago, and used to win awards in Hollywood, only to marry Rafael at the peak of her career and have children. But sadly, the couple didn¡¯t make it to the end, and the divorcewsuit was a big deal. Now Becky¡¯s out of the country, probably in some small Auropean country, leaving her daughter with Rafael.¡±


    ¡°No wonder.¡± Imented, ¡°That girl is preupied at such a young age.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about the family either.¡± Cameron gently shook my hand, ¡°But I know The Denoble Family is prettyplicated, you stay away from this kid and try to stay out of people¡¯s business, okay?¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that? I¡¯m her teacher.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just her teacher, you¡¯re not her nanny, much less her mom!¡± Cameron red, ¡°Is it hard to believe that you want to be her stepmother?¡±


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    I choked on his words.


    I outwardly promised him not to mind my own business, but during ss, I always unconsciously looked towards the seat by the window.


    Willow was still absent from ss, her attendance rate was less than 50% a week, and she failed many of the apanying tests. In addition, she loved to contradict her teachers, which was a great offense in The Curry Group Art School, where teachers were always honored and respected.


    Several of her teachers have cklisted her, and she is ready to change schools again.


    But I had a feeling she wasn¡¯t the type to give up on herself.


    I could feel a fire inside her, she was passionate and sensitive, but she used her cold arrogance as a protective color against the world. I¡¯ll always remember the helpless, desperate look on her face as she screamed, ¡°You¡¯re in league with my dad!¡± and crouched down on her knees in that alleyway.


    Sometimes I would go to the student dormitory after work, but I never saw her again.


    Until one day, I was supposed to have afternoon tea with Gina, but her call disrupted the rhythm.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, I temporarily received a task assigned by my brother to give someone a medical checkup, so I can¡¯t apany you!¡±


    ¡°What kind of person is it that you still need Gina to personally go for a medical checkup?¡± I wondered.


    ¡°Who else could it be?¡± Gina said, ¡°It¡¯s my brother¡¯s old friend, Rafael!¡±


    ¡°Rafael?¡± I was familiar with the name.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s been so pissed off at his daughtertely, he¡¯s got high blood pressure and he can¡¯t move from his bed, so I¡¯m going to go check on him! Okay, enough about that, The Denoble Family hase to pick me up!¡±


    She hung up the phone, but a thought rose up in my mind.


    I ran back to my office, found Willow¡¯s file in the student handbook, and looked up her home address.


    Then inexplicably, I followed that address.


    Standing across the street from The Denoble Family vi, I was debating whether it would be too presumptuous to visit like this when I suddenly saw a yful figure shing through therge iron gate.


    ¡°I tell you!¡± The girl hissed, yelling toward the door, ¡°I¡¯m nevering back in this life! There¡¯s her and not me in this house, there¡¯s me and not her!¡±


    I was shocked, it really was Willow!


    She ran across the street, crying, and The Denoble Family was in a tizzy, chasing several people out. Willow, however, ignored the stream of cars and plowed across the middle of the road. Sharp brakes, car horns, and drivers screaming and cursing all came together in no time.


    I¡¯m over here, in a cold sweat for her. I was just about to wave her hello when I didn¡¯t realize she mmed into me.


    ¡°Ms. Laura?¡± She raised her teary eyes in utter surprise, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    I heard quite a few people behind me shouting for her.


    I took her hand and hid behind arge tree. ¡°Come home with me.¡±


    ¡°But ¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anyone home today.¡± I smiled and smoothed her messy hair, ¡°We agreed to drink togetherst time, did you forget? Last time was special, so I¡¯ll make it up to you today!¡±


    She paused, and her tears welled up again, in a very aggrieved manner. But even more aggrieved, she kept her hand over her mouth, not making a sound.


    I understood that she was also a stubborn girl.


    I suddenly felt obligated to take her to escape this messy situation for a while.

 Laura鈥檚 POV 109

    I didn¡¯t realize that it was raining again on the way, and although it wasn¡¯t too heavy, we both arrived home drenched.


    I took Willow and hurriedly changed, sat down on the living room carpet, and turned on the warm air again.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize this outfit woulde in handy.¡± I smiled at her, ¡°I bought it and never wore it.¡±


    She looked down at the aqua blue loungewear with three little squirrels with their teeth showing on the chest and looked at me with a tearful smile, ¡°Ms. Laura, I didn¡¯t think you a child¡¯s heart. You wear such a cute loungewear, can your boyfriend raise his ¡®sex drive¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Hey, you child ¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me a child!¡± She blinked her big eyes, ¡°I¡¯m sixteen, I¡¯m not a kid anymore. I know all about that stuff between you adults!¡±


    I was dumbfounded.


    But yeah, she grew up in a family like that, she must be a precocious child. I really can¡¯t treat her like a child anymore.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Iughed softly and got up, walking over to the liquor cab. Cameron had stocked quite a few wines here, all of which were vintage.


    Just as I¡¯m hesitating, Willow suddenly squeals, ¡°Wow, a 1982 Lafite?¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, this is awesome¡­ 1 1990 Romanee Conti!¡±


    ¡°And Burgundy!¡±


    Her eyes sparkled like she had discovered some new continent, her face reddening with excitement.


    ¡°Ms. Laura!¡± She was giddy, ¡°Your boyfriend has such good taste! These wines, I¡¯ve only seen them in my dad¡¯s private cer. But it¡¯s just to look at, he never lets me move it!¡±


    ¡°You ¡­ all know?¡± It was my turn to be stunned.


    ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded naturally, ¡°My dad is using these wines to pretend to be a gentleman to cheat women, look at which one to bring people to the cer, drink two cups of ¡­ things will be done! Heh!¡±


    Sheughed with some mockery.


    And thatugh, also let me some heartache. She is still a child after all.


    I patted her shoulder, ¡°You know better than me, then you choose a bottle.¡±


    ¡°Really let me choose?¡±


    ¡°Pick it!¡± I said, ¡°Promised to make up for that drink.¡±


    She chose a bottle of ¡¯98 Merlot.


    She opened the bottle, sobered it up, poured it slowly into a ss, slowly shook it in her hand, looked at the wall hanging, and gently sniffed it ¡­


    A series of movements that she did purely and unobtrusively.


    I was surprised beyond words, ¡°It seems ¡­ that your mental age is not at all more than sixteen.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for sure!¡± She smiled smugly, ¡°By the way, your boyfriend won¡¯t mind, right? We just privately automated his wine ¡­ like this.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t mind.¡± I shook my head and solemnly told her again, ¡°And ¡­ he¡¯s not my boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°How could he be!¡± She rolled her eyes and smiled badly, ¡°Ms. Laura, you¡¯re not being honest with me oh! If he¡¯s not your boyfriend, howe he has a key to your house andes to cook for you? Oh ¡­ is he chasing you? Are you guys on top of friendship and not yet lovers? But his cooking really smells good, and he¡¯s handsome too, won¡¯t you consider epting him?¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stand this girl¡¯s series of questions and hurriedly changed the topic, ¡°Forget it, don¡¯t talk about him anymore! Let¡¯s talk about you, what¡¯s going on these two days? Absent from ss for no reason, you¡¯ve been on several teachers¡¯ cklists.¡±


    She hung her head listlessly, staring quietly at the red wine in her ss.


    For a long time, she said softly, ¡°Ms. Laura ¡­ My dad doesn¡¯t care about me anymore, why do you still care about me?¡±


    I gently stroked her back tofort her, ¡°How could Dad not care about you? At your age now, you are in the rebellious stage, and you must think that whatever your parents do is wrong. Actually daddy loves you very much.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not him, how do you know? He¡¯s the one who kicked me out today!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I was stunned.


    She paled, and not muchter, she pulled out her cell phone, flipped through it, and handed it to me.


    What she flipped out was a piece of news, and this piece of entertainment news I had an impression of.


    The popr actress quickly befriended the tycoon and wanted to take this opportunity to marry into the rich family.


    At that time when I read this news I justughed it off and didn¡¯t care, this kind of thing is endless in the entertainment industry. But I never thought that the man in the news would be Willow¡¯s father.


    ¡°Know how much of a womanizer my dad is? Look at this photo ¡­¡± she sneered in a low voice, ¡°Heh, the shot can be really clear, the good people in the arms it! You know, that woman is twenty-four this year, not much older than me! How can he be like this?¡±


    ¡°Willow ¡­¡± I don¡¯t know how to persuade her, ¡°This ¡­ is after all your father¡¯s private matter, your parents have divorced, you¡¯re are about to be an adult, so don¡¯t interfere with him ¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just not willing!¡± She said with gritted teeth and hatred, ¡°He¡¯s swept me off my feet for such a goblin!¡±


    ¡°Willow.¡±


    I squeezed her shoulders and I realized she was thin, so thin her shoulder des stuck out.


    She must be having a hard time, a phndering father, a mother who can¡¯t get next to her, and having to deal with all those warblers outside her father¡¯s house at all times, dealing with women not much older than herself, boarding ¡­


    I let her lean on my shoulder, and her meek appearance suddenly reminded me of my daughter Sunny.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel sad and advised her a few words, ¡°Willow, don¡¯t bother with your parents ¡­ Sometimes you¡¯ll realize that they are indeed not as good as you in many ces, but they also have bitter feelings.¡±


    ¡°And,¡± I cupped her face and looked at her, ¡°that home is your father¡¯s home, and does not belong to you.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± She got a little agitated, ¡°How is that not my home? I lived there for sixteen years!¡±


    ¡°That house was your father¡¯s, that home was given to you by your father. You lived there because you were his child and he was obligated to raise you. But after you turn eighteen, when you be an adult, he has no more obligation to raise you. That¡¯s when you should be independent and go build your own home!¡±


    Willow was slightly stunned, her lips moving as if she was repeating my words.


    It was also as if she was chewing on the meaning of my words.


    In the middle of the day she lowered her eyes and murmured, ¡°So ¡­ that¡¯s not my home, so ¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I patted her on the shoulder, ¡°You¡¯ll work your way through it and have your own home. And your home doesn¡¯t have to be worse than your dad¡¯s.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°You have a point, Ms. Laura, no one has ever said anything like that to me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because they want to tter your dad, in front of you, so of course they pick the nice things to say.¡± I looked at her with a smile, ¡°Look, you¡¯re at the mercy of your dad even for what kind of words you listen to, how dare you say that family is yours?¡±


    ¡°All the money you have in The Denoble Family was earned little by little by your father. He has the right to dispose of his property, and he can give it to you, and even more so to any woman he likes. These properties, you have the right to inherit them, but your father has no obligation to give them all to you.¡±


    She listened for a long time, sitting on the carpet with her knees wrapped around her, her chin resting on her knees, her long hair covering her cheeks.


    She looked pale and forlorn.


    I knew these words were too cruel for her, but she was going to be an adult eventually, and she was going to have to face this cruelty of the adult world eventually.


    Just like what I¡¯ve been through in the past, I didn¡¯t expect that life would have so many variables. But the only thing I can do is to clench my teeth and move forward, walk on, and the sky will be bright.


    I took a sip of wine, ¡°Can¡¯t figure it out for a while, there¡¯s no rush, you¡¯re only sixteen, there¡¯s plenty of time to take your time.¡±


    ¡°I know what I should do.¡± She looked at me, ¡°Thank you, it seems like friends with you, not like teacher and student at all. I don¡¯t have many friends, and those teachers at school, they¡¯re always thinking of ways to lecture me.¡±


    ¡°Then you think of me as a friend.¡± I rubbed her head, ¡°Talk to me if you have something on your mind, ore to my ce.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a no!¡± Sheughed, ¡°That man would hate me if I came here more often! I¡¯m such a big man out of nowhere!¡±


    I was about to argue when the outer door suddenly clicked and Cameron walked in, the words falling on deaf ears.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hate you, I do wish you came around more often.¡± Heughed, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve heard your teacher Laura talk so much!¡±


    ¡°Cameron, you ¡­¡± I freeze.


    Why did youe without saying hello again?


    He smiled at us, his face changing a bit as his eyes moved to the bottle of wine on the carpet.


    ¡°Heh ¡­ two women together sure are a disaster, you guys dug up all my good stuff!¡±


    Willow and I smiled at each other and gently clinked our sses.


    ¡°We¡¯re getting a little hungry.¡± I said to Cameron, ¡°I wonder what we have to eat at home?¡±


    ¡°Handsome Uncle!¡± Willow makes a mischievous face, ¡°Thest time I saw you cook a table, there was a te of what looked like little buns, they looked chic, so they should taste good too, right?¡±


    ¡°Uncle?¡± Cameron raised an eyebrow, ¡°With that name calling, I¡¯ll starve you both tonight!¡±


    But in the end, he still made a table of food with sharp movements, including the te of ¡°chic buns¡± that Willow was interested in.


    ¡°It¡¯s called Crab Roasted Wheat,¡± I gave her one, ¡°and it¡¯s your handsome uncle¡¯s secret recipe!¡±


    Willow ate like a little glutton, and I was surprised that such a pretty, slim girl had such a big appetite.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten at home in a long time.¡± She wiped the grease stains on the corners of her lips while rubbing her round belly and rolling her eyelids to the ceiling, ¡°When was thest time I ate at home with my dad?¡­ Probably the year I graduated from elementary school.¡±


    ¡°Then youe often in the future.¡± I smiled, ¡°Handsome uncle loves to entertain pretty girls.¡±


    Cameron blows his beard and makes a swinging motion at me.


    Willow¡¯s head shook like a rattle drum, ¡°No, no, no, I still have this awareness! Ms. Laura, I treat you as a friend, I won¡¯t steal my friend¡¯s boyfriend! I will keep my distance!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a big kid. What do you think about all day!¡± I was dumbfounded.


    She looked at me with a defiant face, ¡°Who says only brotherhood is righteous? We are siblings, and between siblings, it¡¯s even more righteous!¡±


    ¡°Besides ¡­ handsome uncle is not my dish.¡± She suddenly blushed, lowered her head andughed, her voice was also much smaller, ¡°I have a favorite person ¡­¡±


    I froze slightly, she did not say any more, just couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    I get up and clear the table, leaving Willow to watch some TV in the living room for a while before putting the dishes in the sink. Behind me, there¡¯s suddenly an extra pair ofrge hands that wrap around my waist, then gain an inch and work their way up, down my shoulders, my arms, and all at once, holding my hands.


    ¡°Put it down. I¡¯ll wash it.¡±


    I felt his warm breath hovering just behind the back of my neck, a sudden rush of intent, my body tingling.


    ¡°You go rest.¡± He pushed me away and turned on the faucet.


    I stood frozen for a moment beforeing back to my senses.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Cameron asked me softly, ¡°when is sheing home? It¡¯s gettingte!¡±


    ¡°Her?¡± I paused, ¡°Oh ¡­ she¡¯s not going home tonight.¡±


    ¡°Not going back?¡± He almost dropped his bowl and looked at me dumbfounded.


    ¡°Keep your voice down!¡± I hastily signaled, ¡°She ran away from home, why go back?¡±


    ¡°So where is she sleeping tonight?¡±


    ¡°Sleeping with me.¡±


    ¡°Laura, you ¡­,¡± he said, his eyes wider than brass bells.


    ¡°What?¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh at the exasperated look on his face, ¡°Is it hard to believe you want to stay here tonight too?¡±


    Cameron takes a couple deep breaths, closes his eyes and opens them again.


    I had a new idea and told him, ¡°Or you could stay here tonight! We¡¯ll probably talkte and we¡¯ll definitely need a snack in the meantime.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes, bit his lip, looked at me hard, and made a choking gesture with his free arm.


    I was suddenly attached to the feeling that Cameron would get jealous of someone else, even if the other person was just a teenage girl, for me.


    Willow and I talked a lot that night, and she pretty much told me her story from birth to the present, but I had the vague feeling that she still had some reservations, such as the fact that she never explicitly said what it was that she ran away from her family for, and pissed her dad off with high blood pressure.


    If it was just because her father had found a young star, surely that wasn¡¯t it. Hadn¡¯t she seen enough of them since she was a child? What could a young star do to her?


    However, if she didn¡¯t say, I didn¡¯t want to ask.


    She actually asked about me, ¡°Ms. Laura ¡­ original that handsome uncle, he really is not your boyfriend?¡±


    I froze and didn¡¯t react to the meaning of this word for a moment.


    ¡°So he is your daughter¡¯s father?¡±


    I immediately broke out in a cold sweat, hurriedly covered her mouth, my whole body sweat hairs are going to stand up, alertly looking at her, ¡°How do you ¡­ know this?¡±


    She was stunned by my appearance, stayed for a while, before she remembered to break my hand blocking her mouth.


    ¡°Before going to bed ¡­ when you were downstairs in the living room, you said you went out to buy some snacks, so I talked to him for a couple of minutes.¡± She looked at me timidly.


    For a moment I didn¡¯t know what to say to that, Cameron had even told her that!


    So would she know about my rtionship with Cameron too?


    ¡°You ¡­¡± I stared at her intently, ¡°What else did you hear him say?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡± She shook her head vigorously, ¡°I swear, Ms. Laura, there¡¯s really nothing else!¡±


    Afraid that I would be upset, the little girl flopped down on my back and wrapped her arms around me in a pouty hug, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to pry into your privacy, so don¡¯t be mad! I except know you have a daughter, no longer know anything else ¡­ if you do not like, after that handsome uncle said what I do not listen to, OK?¡±

 Laura鈥檚 POV 110

    I look at her, she is like a good little cat snuggling beside me, heartbreaking.


    Sensitive and stubborn children are always heartbreaking.


    I patted her little face and let her lie down under the quilt. That night there was a typhoon, the wind was howling outside, and the tree branches were banging on the windows. Willow and I chatted all night long under the quilt, while Cameron acted as our back-up soldier, providing us with snacks and refreshments non-stop.


    I don¡¯t know how long we talked before we drifted off to sleep, and within two or three hours it was dawn. I looked back at Willow, who was still sleeping soundly, and couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    I went downstairs to the restroom, but I didn¡¯t expect to see Cameron when I opened the door.


    He too had been up all night, but was in high spirits.


    ¡°Just let her sleep a little longer.¡± He looked in, ¡°She¡¯s usually used to missing school anyway, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s going to be a bad day.¡±


    I stretched my back, ¡°It¡¯s still good to be a student, you can go to ss if you want to, you can¡¯t if you don¡¯t want to, unlike bitter people like us who are running for our lives, even if we stayed up all night, we still go to work with a stiff upper lip!¡±


    ¡°You could have chosen not tobor and run around.¡± He looked at me, ¡°But you had to ¡­¡±


    I put my head down and ran downstairs in a huff.


    Breakfast was already set on the living room table. Cucumber sandwiches, scrambled eggs, and Earl Grey tea.


    ¡°You can go to work after you eat.¡± Cameron says, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it here.¡±


    I grin, ¡°What do you want to do with her?¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± He shrugs, ¡°Take care of this greatdy¡¯s breakfast and send her home!¡±


    ¡°Ah, that ¡­¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ll take her in for the rest of her life?¡± Cameron grimaced, ¡°She¡¯ll have to go home sooner orter, she can¡¯t use this ce as a haven! Besides, if you leave her here in private, what will her parents think when they find out? With Rafael¡¯s kind of character, she might report you to the police for abducting a minor!¡±


    I was stunned, I hadn¡¯t thought of that.


    Willow was still a minor, and her every move was still under the supervision of her guardian.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I told you to stay away from The Denoble Family!¡± Cameron red at me indignantly, ¡°You just don¡¯t listen! Sooner orter you¡¯re going to get in trouble!¡±


    I scowled and ate everything on my te.


    After I got to school, I was still worried about the situation at home. Once Willow woke up and saw Cameron¡¯s fierce face, what should she do? Will she go home obediently ¡­


    But in Cameron¡¯s hands, even the most stubborn child will be changed for the better.


    I was about to go to lunch when I heard a coworker call out to me, ¡°Ms. Laura, the principal wants you toe over.¡±


    ¡°The principal?¡±


    ¡°Yes, looking for you in a hurry, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s up.¡±


    I was a little apprehensive. With this principal, we have only met twice in total. The first time was when I joined the school, and the second time was at the school orientation. I only had a little weak impression of her, an olddy with a kind face, who was rumored to have been the driving force behind many first-tier stars in the past.


    I knocked gently on the door, and from inside came a gentle, ¡°Come in.¡±


    ¡°Principal Audie, you wanted to see me?¡± I nodded slightly.


    She removes her gold-rimmed sses, her face calm, and gently gestures to the chair across the table, ¡°Have a seat.¡±


    ¡°What did Principal Audie want to see me about?¡±


    Principal Audie did not beat around the bush, ¡°A student¡¯s parent has sued me, saying that you are leading the students astray. I came to you today to find out what¡¯s going on.¡±


    I was shocked to hear that.


    Leading students astray?


    I never thought such an irresponsible word woulde to me!


    ¡°Principal,¡± I froze for a while, ¡°I wonder which parent said that? I¡¯ve been teaching for the past six months or so, I don¡¯t dare to take credit for it, but I can say with a clear conscience that I¡¯ve been dedicated to my teaching duties, and I¡¯ve been conscientious and responsible for my students! How did I bring down the students?¡±


    ¡°You take it easy for a moment.¡± Principal Audie waved her hand, ¡°Tell me first, have you been getting close to Willowtely?¡±


    It dawned on me that the one who was here to tell me off was none other than Willow¡¯s dad!


    No wonder Cameron told me to stay away from The Denoble Family ¡­


    I bit my lip and nodded softly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What have you been teaching her?¡±


    ¡°What else could I have taught her?¡± That¡¯s funny, ¡°Something¡¯s going on in her family, she¡¯s got a strained rtionship with her father, she¡¯s in a bad mood, I¡¯m just enlightening her!¡±


    ¡°Enlighten?¡± She frowned, ¡°But to that parent, you weren¡¯t exactly enlightening. He said you educated his daughter, that daddy¡¯s home didn¡¯t belong to her!¡±


    ¡°Was I wrong?¡± I asked rhetorically, ¡°That in itself is her father¡¯s home, and parents raise their children only until they are eighteen. After adulthood the child is supposed to find her own way!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right in theory!¡± Principal Audie straightened and tapped the table, ¡°But how many parents do that now? How many kids don¡¯t depend on their families after they turn eighteen? Ms. Laura, Willow¡¯s father thinks you¡¯re abetting her to run away from home! And you tolerated her all night, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I ¡­¡±


    I was suddenly at a loss for words, and all I could understand at this point was the phrase, ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of desire, it¡¯s a matter of guilt.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a crime of desire,¡± the principal sighed, ¡°He had a point, and if I hadn¡¯t stopped him, he¡¯d have sued you, I¡¯m afraid!¡±


    ¡°Heh, that¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen such an unreasonable parent!¡± I sneer, ¡°Bossy and unreasonable! No wonder Willow can¡¯t stand him. If it were me, I¡¯d leave home too! What¡¯s the big deal about being rich and powerful?¡±


    I feel sad that Willow was born into this kind of family, and I also feel sad for myself. Last night I was also a strong persuade her that her father had bitter feelings, her father had no choice ¡­ to turn out not to be so. She was right, her father is a person who can not get along.


    ¡°You quickly stop saying that, Ms. Laura.¡± The principal looked at me helplessly, ¡°You were introduced to me by President George, and Boss Rafael is a friend of President George, I see that there is still room to ease this matter.¡±


    ¡°To de-escte how?¡± I smirked, ¡°Want me to apologize and admit that I¡¯m a bad judge of character and brought down the students? And then just let it go? Heh, I¡¯m not taking the me for that one!¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t wrong.¡± I said with a straight face, ¡°I only took Willow in because I felt sorry for her, and when I enlightened her with those words, I was only trying to help her get unstuck. My only fault is that I shouldn¡¯t have gotten involved in this mess!¡±


    ¡°Ms. Laura ¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget it!¡± I let out a long sigh, ¡°Principal Audie you don¡¯t have to be embarrassed. The best solution to this matter is for me to resign! Only if I leave will this fiascopletely die down. As long as I¡¯m still in this school, this matter will definitely not end!¡±


    The principal tightened his brows and fell silent.


    I didn¡¯t expect to lose my job in this way.


    And my biggest regret is that I didn¡¯t wait for the chance to meet Sunny ¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s settled.¡± I said softly, ¡°I¡¯ll do my exit formalities this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Laura!¡± The door was suddenly pushed open and a voice came, ¡°No, you can¡¯t leave!¡±


    It was Willow!


    She rushed in, with an anxious face and tears in her eyes, and stormed over to my side, tugging on my arm tightly.


    ¡°Ms. Laura, you ¡­ you don¡¯t have to go ¡­¡±


    I was somewhat touched. This child at least knows how to be grateful, distinguishing between good and bad, much better than her father.


    ¡°Teacher Laura, I¡¯m sorry.¡± She lowered her head, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that my father hade to the principal, if I had known, I would have stopped him. Ms. Laura don¡¯t go, no one has ever treated me like you ¡­ I can¡¯t let you go!¡±


    ¡°Willow, stop it.¡± I touched her face, ¡°This has nothing to do with you, it¡¯s me who wants to quit. I ¡­ I want to go back and rest for a while too.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you lie to me!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell lies ¡­¡±


    Willow didn¡¯t listen to my exnation, shook me off and rushed at Principal Audie, ¡°Please, don¡¯t listen to my dad! He¡¯s used to being cocky and arrogant, he¡¯s often indiscriminate! Ms. Laura is not wrong, I can listen to every word she teaches me, such a good teacher,, you can¡¯t fire her!¡±


    ¡°Willow!¡± I pulled her back, ¡°It¡¯s not the school that fired me, it¡¯s the teacher herself who wants to quit!¡±


    ¡°Okay, you go home first.¡± I said lightly, ¡°I¡¯ll call you when I¡¯m done with this.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± She suddenly screamed like crazy.


    ¡°You all said so, you¡¯d call me when you were done! But any of you have kept your promises!¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Willow ¡­¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m not letting you go this time!¡± Willow took my arm and wailed and cried, ¡°It¡¯s my fault ¡­ or I¡¯d better quit school, I won¡¯t give you any trouble!¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± A stern voice suddenly came from the doorway.


    I followed the voice and looked over, only to see that the one who walked in was an imposing middle-aged man. He was in his forties, but well maintained, with a well-proportioned body, tall, and a naturally suave demeanor that permeated his body.


    His eyebrows resembled Willow¡¯s for a few moments, both being of the valiant type.


    I guessed that this was Rafael, Willow¡¯s father.


    ¡°What did you say? Tell me again!¡± His voice was loud as thunder, ¡°Trying to quit school? Heh, let me ask you, how many times have you changed schools? How many things have you learned in these years of middle school? Do you have to fight me in this way? Do you have to risk your own future? Where exactly have I wronged you!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Rafael, isn¡¯t it?¡± I looked at him silently.


    He narrows his eyes.


    The man was somewhat simr to Cameron when he narrowed his eyes, both resembling a sly, ferocious wolf, with if anything a smile on his lips.


    ¡°You¡¯re ¡­.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Laura.¡±


    ¡°Heh, so that¡¯s you!¡± He nced at me with disdain and sneered, ¡°You¡¯re the one who taught my daughter those crooked ideas? You¡¯re the one who taught her to stay out at night?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Rafael ¡­¡±


    I was about to defend myself when Willow mmed across between me and her father, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to mind my business! I¡¯m telling you, if Ms. Laura can¡¯t stay in this school, I won¡¯t either. Principal Audie is here, you can ask her how many unexcused absences she¡¯s umted, which is the same as voluntarily giving up her school status!¡±


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    ¡°St!¡± A loud pnded on Willow¡¯s face.


    I was stunned, so this is how Rafael usually disciplines his daughter?


    ¡°Mr. Rafael, please mind your manners!¡± Principal Audie couldn¡¯t stand it either, ¡°This is my office!¡±


    Willow covered half of her face, her icy eyes staring at him intently, unable to believe that this was the way a daughter would look at her father.


    ¡°Mr. Rafael, Principal Audie is right, this is her office after all.¡± I say, ¡°I think there may be some misunderstanding between us, I wonder if Mr. Rafael could set aside a little time and we could talk?¡±


    Rafael gives me an indignant look and heads for the door.


    I lead them to a cafe near the school.


    At first the three men sat around the table in endless silence. It¡¯s onlyter when Willow offers to go to the convenience store and get a sandwich back for dinner that I get a chance to talk to Rafael alone.


    ¡°First of all I¡¯m sorry.¡± I looked at him, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that a few words of enlightenment about Willow would cause such a misunderstanding with you guys.¡±


    ¡°Heh,¡± the condescending man sneered, ¡°Ms. Laura, I think you¡¯re taking it too far. Our Willow was an obedient and honest boy before he met you!¡±


    ¡°Obedient?¡± I shook my head andughed, ¡°You know better than I do what she¡¯s really like.¡±


    ¡°Tell me, what exactly is your agenda?¡± He stared at me closely, ¡°Did you stray from us father and daughter, was it at the behest of someone?¡±


    Hearing this made me angry and amused.


    This man was simply too arrogant and cocky tomunicate, so why should I even bother being insulted here?


    I stood up and pressed the money for my coffee under my cup.


    ¡°Mr. Rafael, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much point in us talking anymore!¡± I looked at him undaunted, ¡°Maybe in the eyes of someone in a position of power like you, everyone else has an agenda no matter what they do, even if it¡¯s just a good intention! But I¡¯ll tell you, I¡¯m not unseen, what you have, I¡¯ve had, and what I have, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve never seen!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Rafael, I love Willow with all my heart, and believe it or not, we shall not see each other again! If I really had any purpose to separate you, I wouldn¡¯t be standing in front of you right now, suffering this kind of aggravation for no reason!¡±


    With that said I headed out the door, not realizing that Rafael wasing up behind me. ¡°Wait!¡±


    I red at him.


    Hisplexion eased quite a bit, ¡°Ms. Laura ¡­ just now my words offended, it was my fault. Now could you please sit down and let¡¯s talk about it?¡±


    ¡°Is that even necessary?¡± I sneered.


    He curved the corners of his mouth, ¡°I¡¯d like to wash my hands of what exactly is it that you have that I haven¡¯t seen before?¡±


    I was stunned, suddenly infected by this smile of his.


    I sat down gently and Rafael reordered my coffee.


    ¡°You should be able to tell,¡± he said softly after a long time, ¡°Willow is a problem child.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t agree with you,¡± I said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with the kid, it¡¯s the parents who have the problem.¡±


    ¡°With all due respect, I¡¯ve been in contact with Willow over the past few days, and she¡¯s told me a lot about your family. I know you¡¯re getting remarried to a very young celebrity whose mother is in Auropean and won¡¯t see her once in a couple of years. Have you thought about how she feels? From her point of view, each parent has a home and this is abandoning her!¡±


    ¡°I never left her alone!¡± Rafael aggravated.


    ¡°But have you evermunicated properly with her? Sit down, like we did, andmunicate as equals?¡±


    ¡°Meh,¡± he was full of it, ¡°she¡¯s just a kid!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong, she¡¯s not a kid! She¡¯ll be eighteen in two years, she has an independent mind and personality, you can¡¯t treat her like a child!¡±

 Laura鈥檚 POV 111

    ¡°Not a child?¡± He repeated the words in a low murmur.


    His cunning eyes narrowed slightly again, and he was silent for a long time, as if he was thinking deeply about something.


    Perhaps the phrase was new to him.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    After a while he burst outughing, ¡°Indeed she can¡¯t be thought of as a little child. Miss Laura, do you realize that the things she has done are not at all what a child could do.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I froze.


    ¡°She probably hasn¡¯t mentioned to you why she left home, has she? All you know is that I kicked her out, but you didn¡¯t ask why I kicked her out of the house?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Fryday because she had a miscarriage.¡±


    I know, Fryday is the name of his new love. A little-known actress who made a hot mess of a costume drama and immediately jumped to the top tier of red stars.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t tell you, did she?¡± Rafael peeked forward, his eyes crystal clear, ¡°She was the one who purposelyid one of the rugs from her room in the hallway, and Fryday stepped on it and slipped on it.¡±


    I¡¯m not at liberty toment on their family affairs.


    But I couldn¡¯t help but feel chilled as I watched him do his best to defend his new love.


    ¡°Willow is a hard kid to control.¡± Rafael sighed, ¡°I divorced her mother when she was less than a year old, and I¡¯ve been bringing her up on my own ever since. I haven¡¯t remarried in all these years because of what? It¡¯s not that I haven¡¯t met the right person, it¡¯s that every time a woman shows up next to me ¡­¡±


    ¡°Willow did whatever she could to get rid of her, didn¡¯t she?¡± I smiled at him.


    He doesn¡¯t say a word.


    I continue, ¡°Mr. Rafael, I don¡¯t deny that girls are sensitive-minded and may be rebellious in this way. But have you ever wondered why she ostracizes them? Take this Fryday incident for example, how do you know that the nket wasid over by Willow? And even if she did, why would she do that? After all, it¡¯s a little life, and I don¡¯t believe a child could be vicious enough to do that.¡±


    ¡°Was Fryday nice to her?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Fryday has always been very kind to her, even though he¡¯s not much older than her!¡±


    ¡°Only in front of you, I¡¯m afraid!¡± I grinned.


    Rafael visibly flinched.


    ¡°Mr. Rafael,¡± I said, ¡°you¡¯ve been around a lot of women, but you don¡¯t know anything about women.¡±


    ¡°This ¡­¡±


    He hung his head, crossed his arms, and his brows drew together.


    ¡°It¡¯s best to investigate carefully what things are really like. Don¡¯t wrongly use your daughter without reason. She is after all your bloodline, your closest person, don¡¯t let her be sad.¡±


    I sighed softly as I finished speaking and stood up, ready to leave.


    Rafael suddenly called out to me from behind.


    ¡°Ms. Laura!¡±


    ¡°Is there something else?¡±


    ¡°I did take a bit of offense.¡± His eyes were sincere, ¡°I meant about going to the principal and telling you off, I hope it won¡¯t be a problem for you.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡± Iugh helplessly.


    ¡°What can I do to make it up to you?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡±


    I¡¯m a little pissed off, true to form, the businessman¡¯s way of doing things, and with his eyes on the top of his head. He doesn¡¯t even reflect from the depths of his heart when he inflicts harm on someone else; instead, he understands everything with a word ofpensation.


    ¡°Here¡¯s my number.¡± Walking to the door, I didn¡¯t expect Rafael toe out after me.


    He handed me a piece of paper with this string of numbers written on it.


    ¡°Call me if you need me.¡± He looked at me, ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever I can to help you.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Rafael, I ¡­¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t refuse this.¡± He sounded strong, ¡°Sort of I apologize to you for my reckless behavior. Also, I think this child Willow is very much in tune with you, and I¡¯m afraid that in her mind, a hundred words from me are no better than one word from you. So I hope I can keep inmunication with you, also for my daughter¡¯s sake.¡±


    I hesitated and took the piece of paper.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to ept your apology, but Willow and I do hit it off quite well.¡± Iugh softly, ¡°She¡¯s a good kid, and I don¡¯t want her to get hurt. And I¡¯ll do what I can to dissolve the baggage in her mind.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ms. Laura.¡±


    Rafael smiles.


    He¡¯s not as cold when he smiles, his angr lines are much softer, and there¡¯s a very special sparkle in his eyes.


    By the time I returned to my office in the afternoon, the school administration hadpleted my exit paperwork.


    Principal Audie talked to me again, ¡°Have you really decided to leave? To be honest, the quality of your teaching has been very good in the past six months, and the students love to listen to your lessons, plus you were introduced to me by George, if you leave just like that ¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to President George on his side.¡± I smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Principal, I won¡¯t cause trouble for the school.¡±


    ¡°With a personality like yours, you¡¯ll be liked everywhere you go, people can¡¯t help but want to help you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I said goodbye to her.


    Walking out the front door of the school was a lot easier. I got a call from Gina and wanted to ask her out to rx, but I didn¡¯t realize she had two surgeries right behind her.


    I had to call home.


    And as soon as I entered, I saw that familiar figure hovering in the living room again.


    ¡°Finally quit your job?¡± Cameronughed softly, ¡°Do you call that a tired bird returning to the nest?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this all about?¡± I red, ¡°Don¡¯t use words if you don¡¯t know how to use them, save yourself the embarrassment of saying them!¡±


    ¡°Yes! How can I be as knowledgeable as Ms. Laura?¡±


    He came around to my side and put one hand on my shoulder, his mouth curling into an evil grin. I try to push his hand away, but he¡¯s fixed on me and won¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Stop it!¡± I give him a look.


    ¡°I¡¯m not making a scene.¡± He¡¯s innocent, ¡°Even though I¡¯m your brother, a shoulder hug between siblings isn¡¯t very much, is it?¡±


    ¡°Cameron ¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides, this is at home.¡± His eyes were as dark as ink, ¡°In our home, there are no outsiders, what are you afraid of?¡±


    Saying that he turned sideways, I couldn¡¯t dodge in time, my back mmed against the wall, his long arms pocketed and directly surrounded me inside.


    ¡°I¡¯ve known for a long time that George guy is unreliable,¡± he smiled, ¡°the job he introduced, there¡¯s not much to do! If you really want a job, why don¡¯t you work for me?¡±


    ¡°Come on!¡±


    I reached out to push him, but he was as strong as a bull and didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Otherwise this ¡­¡± He lowered his head, the tip of his nose almost brushing against my forehead, and his voice was deep, ¡°I see that you quite like giving lectures, so why don¡¯t you juste and be my tutor¡­ ¡­¡±


    Warm breaths drew closer, and I heard his powerful heartbeat.


    Two mes burned in his eyes.


    Suddenly his hands slipped around my waist and held me tight. I whimpered and struggled a few times, however a piece of paper fell out of my pocket.


    Cameron picked it up and flipped it around, his face suddenly changing. ¡°Who gave you this?¡±


    I settled back.


    The piece of paper had a string of numbers on it, and I remembered it was the phone number Rafael had given me.


    ¡°Rafael gave it to me.¡± I whispered, ¡°It¡¯s Willow¡¯s dad, you know. Here¡¯s his number.¡±


    ¡°You guys are actually in touch?¡± Cameron frowns.


    ¡°No, just today at lunch, sitting in a cafe for a while ¡­¡±


    ¡°You went to the cafe with him!¡± He yelled.


    I looked at him a little puzzled.


    Why are you so out of control? It¡¯s hard not to think I could have something going on with Rafael?


    ¡°Laura!¡± Cameron shook me back and forth by my shoulders, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to stay away from The Denoble Family and not to have any more dealings with them? You didn¡¯t listen, did you? You¡¯re turning a deaf ear to my words!¡±


    ¡°Get off of me!¡± I was shaken by him, ¡°What are you doing? It was just a phone call he left for me! He was afraid that if Willow ran away from home again or something, she¡¯de to me so he could contact me!¡±


    ¡°Heh, haven¡¯t you had enough of their family gossip?¡±


    Cameron crosses her arms, panting, and stares at me angrily.


    ¡°Before you were that girl¡¯s teacher, I wouldn¡¯t say anything if you wanted to mind her business. But now? You¡¯ve resigned! You don¡¯t have any semnce of responsibility for her!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s this Rafael! Why hasn¡¯t he left you alone? And leaving you a phone number, what does he want?¡± Cameron was furious, ¡°I think he¡¯s got it in for you!¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± I found him unbelievable, ¡°He wants to marry Fryday! You know Fryday, right? It¡¯s all over the news that they¡¯re getting married and I¡¯ve only met him once, what could he possibly be up to?¡±


    Cameron didn¡¯t say anything, just stood there sneering with a distrustful look on his face.


    For a long time, he res at me like he has knives in his eyes, and then he flips through his phone, and I see that there¡¯s a Rafael in his address book, too.


    But the two Rafael¡¯s phone numbers weren¡¯t the same.


    I¡¯m stunned.


    Cameron looked at me and said, ¡°See why I said that? The phone number that Rafael gave you is his personal one!¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± I was surprised.


    Yeah, Cameron and Rafael, they were in the same business world, they must have had dealings. But I didn¡¯t expect the number Rafael left me to be ¡­


    No wonder Cameron misunderstood.


    ¡°And you¡¯re saying he has no designs on you?¡± He was exasperated, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that number isn¡¯t even known to that little starlet he¡¯s about to marry!¡±


    My heart was thumping so hard that I didn¡¯t dare to look him in the eye, as if I had really done something wrong.


    For a long time I took a deep breath and hardened my heart against him, ¡°He only gave me this number for his daughter¡¯s sake. You can¡¯t say he¡¯s plotting against me based on a phone number alone!¡±


    ¡°Laura!¡± Cameron relented, ¡°I¡¯m a man, I know all too well what men are thinking!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know exactly?¡± I sneered, ¡°But what kind of man are you to me? Who are you to tell me what I do? Even if I date Rafael, that¡¯s my freedom!¡±


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother.¡± I looked at him calmly, ¡°You¡¯re just my brother.¡±


    My heart pumped violently as I said this.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t bother me with my life again, brother. It¡¯s good to get it out of the way today, what I¡¯m trying to tell you is that the two of us were meant to have separate lives and choices. And if you happen to meet the right person in the future, I¡¯ll give you my blessing!¡±


    I barely curled my mouth, ¡°And, reunite me with my daughter!¡±


    Cameron looked at me, his eyes harboring cold ice. He didn¡¯t say anything for a long time, and before he left, brushing past me, I heard the words that came out of his throat, sinister and unmistakable.


    ¡°Laura, don¡¯t you dare!¡±


    It was like something had zapped me in the ear, along with a splitting headache.


    Therge house was quiet again, only this time a bit dead and still.


    After that day Cameron and I went into a cold war.


    I didn¡¯t look for a job, I didn¡¯t contact anyone, I didn¡¯t go out, I just stayed at home in peace and quiet for a few days. Yet those days felt like years.


    I suddenly realized that without Cameron in the house, the temperature seemed to drop dramatically.


    And my life would never beplete without Cameron.


    I wanted to get him back, but I couldn¡¯t get past that point in my heart.


    What¡¯s even sadder is that I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll see my baby girl.


    Those days frantically online, did not look at anything else, just look at some girls¡¯ clothes, hair essories, toys, dolls, and then keep buying buy, buy and buy on the red eyes, the heart is like a knife plucked out a piece of so hard.


    The fifth day, someone came to knock on my door.


    I did not intend to open the door, but the person seemed to know that I was at home, and kept ringing the doorbell. I was annoyed and wondering if it could be a delivery, so I stepped on my slippers and went downstairs to open the door.


    I didn¡¯t realize there was Willow standing outside.


    ¡°Ms. Laura?¡± She looked at me with a pair of big cold star eyes in surprise, ¡°How do you ¡­¡±


    My image is indeed not good, these days in the home dressed casually, face also did not wash hair also did notb, and three meals a day and is randomly dispatched, I¡¯m afraid that the person also lost a circle.


    ¡°Handsome uncle did note to cook for you to eat?¡± She jumped in, surveyed the house for a while, looking at the mess, couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    ¡°How dare he be willing to leave you here alone!¡±


    I forced a smile, ¡°What¡¯s there to leave behind? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m his anything.¡±


    ¡°You gave him a baby!¡±


    ¡°That was an ident.¡± I lowered my head and my voice sank.


    She sat on her ass on the couch and grinned broadly as she picked up a packet of puffed food I¡¯d unwrapped, ¡°He wasn¡¯t nning on starving you to death, was he?¡±


    Iughed, ¡°Spoken like I can¡¯t take care of myself! I¡¯m not beneath him, I¡¯ve been serving him since I was a kid ¡­¡±


    ¡°Since childhood?¡±


    I paused, not saying any more. Suddenly, I felt that the words ¡°from childhood to adulthood¡± were really heavy.


    How many people have apanied you from childhood to adulthood? Those we have experienced together sweet and sour, can not be shared with outsiders, only in each other¡¯s hearts, so each other, has be the most special people.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I change the topic, ¡°why are you here today? Missed ss again?¡±


    Willow smiled shyly.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this!¡± I scowl, ¡°You¡¯re so young, school is the most important thing for you ¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of going to school any more?¡± She was full of concern, ¡°George said that I can be cast in thepany¡¯s next y.¡±


    ¡°George? ¡°I was shocked.


    The name George came out of her mouth as if it was asmon as drinking in water.


    Before I could react, she blushed, tugged on my hand andughed with her tongue out, ¡°Ms. Laura, don¡¯t talk about me! I came to see you today because I want to take you out for a walk! You quickly change your clothes, freshen up, and take you to a good ce!¡±

 Laura鈥檚 POV 112

    I couldn¡¯t resist her pampering, simply washed my face and followed her out the door.


    I didn¡¯t expect her to take me to the Marina amusement park.


    Towering Ferris wheel, romantic carousel, exciting roller coaster, thrilling pirate ship ¡­


    There were also people selling cotton candy on the side of the road.


    Willow was quite excited to get here, running around like crazy and yelling all the way.


    I was infected by the happy aura on her, and my mood was much more cheerful under the blue sky and white clouds.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you just run around!¡± I called to her, ¡°Which one do you want to y? It¡¯s my treat today!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who dragged you out, so of course it has to be my treat!¡± She smiled.


    I realized that there were surprisingly no more tourists in this huge castle-shaped yground except for me and her.


    ¡°Well ¡­ probably because it¡¯s a weekday, the ones who work go to work, the ones who go to school, and only the two of us, who are hobos, have the leisure toe here to hang out!¡± Willow look somewhat docile.


    And at the time I actually believed her on that.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get cotton candy.¡± She said, ¡°Ms. Laura, wait for me here!¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t buy them.¡± I tried to stop her, ¡°What kind of adult eats that?¡±


    ¡°This is a yground!¡± She squeezed her eyes, ¡°We¡¯re here, just be a kid for a day! In fact, everyone is still a child, right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a lot of theories about that.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Willow made a face at me and ran off like a gust of wind.


    I have no idea where she went to get cotton candy. The paths in this yground are so convoluted that I can¡¯t tell north, south, east, and west.


    After standing under the sun for a while, someone finally tapped me on the shoulder from behind, and arge marshmallow was held in front of my eyes.


    ¡°Where did you run off to! I waited so long ¡­¡±


    The words did not fall, but behind that cotton candy, Cameron¡¯s face actually appeared.


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    ¡°I know you like strawberry vor.¡± He gave me the pink mass, ¡°Ever since you were a little girl you loveding to this yground, and every time you came you asked for strawberry vored marshmallows. But I often didn¡¯t buy them for you.¡±


    ¡°Stop it.¡± I nced at him coldly and was just about to leave when he tugged on my arm.


    ¡°Laura, you¡¯re patient with everyone!¡± He was quite disgruntled, ¡°You used to be patient with Mom and Dad, with Carter, and now with your students, even your students¡¯ parents! But only with me, you don¡¯t even let me finish my sentence!¡±


    ¡°You let go of me!¡±


    I flung it violently, and the marshmallownded on the floor, tender and pink and dusty.


    Willowes running from a short distance away, looks at Cameron, then at me, and timidly apologizes. ¡°Yes ¡­ sorry ah, today this bureau, it is my group ¡­¡±


    ¡°But handsome uncle, you say something!¡± She pulled Cameron¡¯s sleeve, ¡°It was you who cleared the ce, this has nothing to do with me! I don¡¯t have that much money either ¡­¡±


    I red at her, and the little girl didn¡¯t dare to say anything more.


    ¡°That ¡­ I ¡­¡± she mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m going to y first, it¡¯s hard to stumble upon the clearing of the field, all kinds of facilities here are at my disposal, I want to y an I¡¯m going to have a great time!¡±


    After saying this, she fled again in a puff of smoke.


    Cameron and I stood in the same spot, staring at each other for a long time. Suddenly, I felt that my anger had subsided a lot, and I had forgotten why I had quarreled with him, and even forgot about my rtionship with him.


    It was as if I had traveled back in time to when I was a child.


    At that time, I was the little tail behind him, but he always cold face to me. Once came to the amusement park, he said to take me to ride the Ferris wheel, I was afraid of high, he said he would always pull my hand.


    So I believed him.


    However, when I was about to get on the Ferris wheel, he pushed me in and closed the door tightly. The facility started, I stayed inside in fear, the Ferris wheel a little higher, I saw him from the ss window far below, grimly smiling.


    That scene is still my nightmare, and the beginning of my fear of heights.


    Unconsciouslying under the Ferris wheel again, I snapped back to my senses, a cold sweat broke out on my body, and I couldn¡¯t help but shrink back a few steps.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not going on this ¡­¡±


    ¡°Laura,¡± he embraced me, ¡°I will never let go of your hand this time.¡±


    I looked into his eyes silently, they were deep, as if the stars were vast within them. My heart fluttered slightly, aplex emotion rushing down every vein all the way to my heart.


    ¡°I will never let go of your hand.¡± He hugged me gently and I pressed against his chest, hearing the pounding of my heartbeat.


    The Ferris wheel rises gradually and I cower in his arms.


    My hands were sweaty and he held them tightly, his other hand caressing my back.


    I didn¡¯t dare to open my eyes when I reached the highest point, my legs were shaking.


    Suddenly lips touched softness, followed by his warm breath ¡­ He pried open my tongue and slipped it in, gentle and lingering, silky ¡­


    ¡°Cameron¡­¡± I pushed away hard.


    His eyes rolled, bursting with intense possessiveness.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a saying.¡± He whispered, ¡°Kiss at the highest point of the Ferris wheel and the two will never be apart.¡±


    Tears filled my eyes.


    ¡°Laura, I don¡¯t want to be separated from you.¡±


    Every word he said hammered on my heart.


    ¡°You listen to me ¡­¡± he looked at me, ¡°I¡¯ll take you and Sunny and we¡¯ll leave here as a family. Or wherever you like you tell me, New Avalon? Auropean? We can find a small town to live in and go incognito.¡±


    ¡°I ¡­ I¡¯m giving up everything here.¡± He said, ¡°I don¡¯t want anything, I can go get a normal job and live a normal life with you guys. We may not be too rich, but we¡¯ll never be apart!¡±


    ¡°Cameron,¡± I cried as I threw myself into his arms.


    He stroked my hair one by one and said softly, ¡°Laura, I know you can¡¯t get past that hurdle in your heart ¡­ but if you can¡¯t, you have to, and the truth is already here! We loved each other, and I still love you, and we have a child!¡±


    ¡°So give yourself a chance.¡± His voice was a little feeble.


    I rarely heard him speak in a pleading tone.


    My heart began to falter and all the past came back to me one by one. I asked myself what I should do next.


    However, I didn¡¯t hear an answer, I only felt myself holding his hand tightly.


    The Ferris wheel descended to the very bottom and the staff opened the door with a rose.


    ¡°Kissing at the top will bring you good luck!¡± The staff member beamed, ¡°May you two grow old together!¡±


    Cameron took it, facing away from me, and smiled softly.


    He was just about to get down on one knee and offer me that rose when I stopped him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this kind of flower,¡± Iughed, ¡°It¡¯s got thorns on it that stick!¡±


    He looked at me in disbelief.


    ¡°Get me cotton candy!¡± I took his arm, ¡°Strawberry mint chocte, one of each!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so edible?¡± He snickered.


    ¡°What?¡± I looked at him, ¡°You won¡¯t take me away if I get fat, will you?¡±


    Cameronughed and Iughed back.


    We hugged in the sun and ran around the yground.


    Chasing after each other like two kids, yelling and screaming.


    He took me on the merry-go-round, the roller coasters, and he held me so tightly that he was afraid I¡¯d miss a beat.


    When we ate cotton candy, he gently wiped the candy stains from the corners of my mouth and smiled gently at me.


    I never dared to think that I would have a day like this with Cameron.


    I decided to give us a chance, and myself a chance.


    I told Cameron where I wanted to go, a small vige in Auropean called Hopmeadow Downs.


    It¡¯s warm and sunny all year round, the people are simple, and it has a strong cultural vor, with stone carvings and totems from ancient Greek mythology everywhere.


    Cameronughed at me, ¡°It¡¯s really worthy of being a teacher, choosing a hermitage has to be so cultured! If I had to choose, I would choose New Avalon New York! I¡¯ll go back to Blossom Hill Rd to open a restaurant, it¡¯s definitely enough for you mother and daughter to eat and drink in New Avalon!¡±


    ¡°Then you open your restaurant, I¡¯ll just pursue my ancient Greece.¡± I said as if nothing had happened as I packed my bags.


    ¡°And who does Sunny go with?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take him, of course.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡±


    Cameron lunged at me and we got into a tussle, when suddenly he slipped on his feet and I followed his force and was yanked down, both of us falling onto the bed together.


    It was like an electric current slipped between our eyes.


    His hand slowly touched up, peeling off my clothes. In an instant, time and space stopped spinning, and all I could hear was the sound of my heartbeat, and the flow of blood, buzzing in my ears.


    He whispers in my ear, ¡°I will make you happy.¡±


    I nodded. I left everything behind in that moment, all I could remember was that I was Laura and he was Cameron.


    He was the man I loved.


    ¡­


    Cameron brings Sunny to me.


    I was at a loss for words, I didn¡¯t expect happiness toe so suddenly.


    I was stunned to look at Sunny, countless times in the dream and she met the scene, now be a reality, I do not know whether to hug her first or kiss her.


    Her big watery eyes looked at me, timidly shouted ¡°mom¡±, milky voice, immediately brought tears to my eyes.


    I was thrilled and delighted, but also puzzled. I had been away for so long, and now she was in kindergarten, but she still remembered me as her mom?


    Yasmin quietly told me, ¡°In fact, Cameron is not as heartless as you think, in this year or so, he often points to your picture and tells the child that this is mommy, she is not with you for a while, but she loves you.¡±


    I froze for a long moment before looking at Cameron again, a melting warmth welling up in my heart.


    We were three days away from opening Jerez State. We had already booked our flights, and instead of Hopmeadow Downs, our first stop was Memphis, where Sunny was said to be excited when she first learned to sit there by herself and read picture books, pointing at the pictures and waving her little hands and babbling.


    The ce she was pointing to was Memphis.


    Given how spoiled Cameron is with his daughter, he¡¯s going to have to take her there to see it.


    I¡¯ve had a lovely couple of days, a family of three, and it¡¯s as if we¡¯re really isted from the world.


    I felt more and more that this was the right step, and I told myself that as soon as we got on the airne, no one would ever be able to separate us again, and no one would ever know about our rtionship. The secret would remain hidden forever.


    Only, Cameron and I would never have children again.


    Because I¡¯m still a little bit in between, Sunny is a miracle, but I can¡¯t guarantee that the next one will be a miracle too. I can¡¯t bring a dysfunctional child into this world to suffer.


    Cameron doesn¡¯t feel the same way, and he acts as if he doesn¡¯t care whenever the issue is discussed. When he saw that I was getting angry, he gently calmed me down again, ¡°One child would be nice, but let¡¯s just go with the flow, okay?¡±


    Before we left, we said goodbye to George and Gina.


    Ginaughed, ¡°Finally willing to take this step?¡±


    George was a bit sad, ¡°Laura, I really hate to let you go, the showbiz industry has lost a rising star!¡±


    Cameron and Iughed but didn¡¯t say anything, nothing mattered to us now, only each other, the only one in our lives.


    But I never thought that God would y another joke on me.


    The day before I left, Willow¡¯s phone call came in hurriedly, ¡°Ms. Laura, you didn¡¯t go online, did you?¡±


    It was six o¡¯clock in the morning, and I was in a haze of sleep, ¡°I¡¯m not like you young people,¡± Iughed in a hoarse voice, ¡°I don¡¯t have that much energy to go online early in the morning.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t watch TV either, did you?¡±


    My heart suddenly lifted upwards.


    Why was she being so weird, calling early in the morning just for this?


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± I asked.


    The other end, however, began to stammer, ¡°No¡­ no. Ms. Laura, just pretend I never made this call, I¡¯m begging you!¡±


    Said she hurriedly hung up.


    I was stunned for half a day did not return to God.


    Later, I felt that this was very suspicious.


    My heart suddenly welled up a bad feeling, this may be rted to me, and not a small matter!


    I poured a cup of water and drank it down, came to theputer, but dyed to press the boot button.


    I hesitantly went online, but I didn¡¯t realize that when I opened the webpage, all that popped up was news about Cameron dating Queenie!


    I was shocked.


    At that moment, my blood suddenly poured out of my body, my hands and feet went cold, and my soul seemed to have been drained away. I stared nkly at the screen, Cameron and Queenie¡¯s photos were reproduced by many media, I don¡¯t know what happened in them, but from the photos, they were moving and behaving in an intimate manner!


    I violently felt the pain of a million arrows piercing my heart.


    Covering the ce where my heart was, I gasped for air, and cold sweat fell down my cheeks inrge chunks. There was a feeling that I wanted to cry, but I couldn¡¯t, and the whole world crumbled, all of a sudden clouded over.


    How could it be Cameron?


    The Cameron who told me the other day that he would never let go of my hand?


    The media was going crazy with rumors of Cameron¡¯s devotion to his ex-wife, and then it all came back to haunt him. He did three years in jail for his old man when he was The Scott family son-inw, and now that he¡¯s divorced, he¡¯s still affectionate.


    Heh ¡­ sentient!


    I¡¯ll keep scrolling down.


    It was even revealed in the press that Queenie¡¯s son was his at all!


    My vision faded into a blur.


    I don¡¯t me Queenie, I don¡¯t me Cameron, I know this is God¡¯s retribution for me. How could I run away with my own brother and expect to be with him forever?


    That¡¯s what really defied morality.


    I left Sunny in Yasmin¡¯s care and locked myself in my room.


    Cameron made countless phone calls that I didn¡¯t want to hear.


    My feelings for him were still quiteplicated, and this time he cheated me, but I couldn¡¯t do what those cheated women did and seek justice from the negative man. What am I? I¡¯m just his sister!


    I silently checked out of my ne ticket and hotel, and put Memphis, Hopmeadow Downs, the warm sunshine of the Mediterranean, all into the box of the past.

 Laura鈥檚 POV 113

    ¡°Laura, listen to me.¡± Gina left me a message, ¡°I think there¡¯s something fishy about this, Cameron isn¡¯t this kind of person. He obviously made up his mind to take you away, so why did he go and meet up with Queenie? I¡¯m afraid the problem still lies on Queenie¡¯s side!¡±


    I closed my eyes, not wanting to hear or see.


    It didn¡¯t matter what the problem was, what mattered was that as long as I was with Cameron, we would be cursed. It was as if a magical force was stopping us, and I couldn¡¯t get anywhere with him after all.


    Early one morning I heard a loud noise downstairs.


    ¡°Ms. Laura, Ms. Laura!¡±


    I opened the door quietly a crack.


    Willow stood in the living room, white sweater and jeans, her hair tied up in a high ponytail, without powder, overflowing with youthful vigor.


    I smiled bitterly, then looked at myself in the mirror, pale and thin, where was the anger?


    ¡°Ms. Laura, I know you¡¯re in your room.¡± She shouted from downstairs, ¡°I also know that you won¡¯t be able to think about ¡­ because of this, but I think that you isting yourself like this is no different from chronic suicide!¡±


    I held my head and buried my face in my knees, covering my ears as hard as I could.


    Willow¡¯s voice disappeared, and after a while, I suddenly smelled the aroma of instant noodles.


    I hadn¡¯t eaten anything in those days, and even a bowl of instant noodles felt delicious.


    A small hand gently opened the door along the crack, the instant noodles were served in a delicate patterned porcin bowl with a ham sausage on top.


    Willow poked her head in, showing her little tiger teeth in embarrassment.


    ¡°I know you haven¡¯t eaten in a few days, so you must be hungry. But ¡­ this is the limit of my cooking!¡±


    I was touched for a moment in my heart, letting her in and then serving the instant noodles in my hands.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point ofing to meddle in this nonsense if you¡¯re not going to school?¡± I looked at her quietly.


    ¡°I can¡¯t leave you alone!¡± She pouted, ¡°When I ran away from home with no ce to go, when I couldn¡¯t think straight, it was you who stayed by my side. You gave me food and drink, gave me a ce to stay, and guided me like a friend ¡­ Now that you¡¯re in trouble, of course I have to get through it with you!¡±


    My nose turned sour and I silently dropped a tear.


    ¡°Here, take a bite.¡± She smiled, ¡°You taste it. I can¡¯t do anything else, but I¡¯m great at noodles!¡±


    I tasted the special breakfast she had made for me and the slightly spicy vor instantly opened up my taste buds.


    ¡°Teacher,¡± she looked me in the eyes, ¡°That¡¯s all just the media reporting blindly, I don¡¯t believe that handsome uncle would treat you like that. It must be that ex-wife of his who can¡¯t see that you guys are good, and is doing it on purpose ¡­ Look at me, I won¡¯t let that woman get away with it!¡±


    ¡°Willow!¡±I pressed the back of her hand, ¡°This is a matter between adults, you stay out of it! And there¡¯s a lot in between that you don¡¯t know, don¡¯t be reckless. Promise me!¡±


    She grimaced and nodded with great reluctance.


    ¡°Anyway ¡­ you mustn¡¯t separate from the handsome uncle.¡± She said softly, ¡°No matter what, you still have your daughter, don¡¯t you? Never let your daughter lose either of you ¡­¡±


    She slowly lowered her head and her voice was much smaller. ¡°Girls without moms are miserable.¡±


    My heart jolted violently.


    This incident poked her where it hurts, and it poked me where it hurts. I thought back to when I was growing up, and how much I¡¯d always looked forward to having my mom around.


    She was right, children without moms are really miserable.


    And I couldn¡¯t let my daughter, make the same mistake.


    I picked up the bowl and ate all the noodles, then went and freshened myself up and picked out a brightly colored dress.


    Willow looked at me with wide eyes, ¡°Ms. Laura, you look better dressed like this than you ever have!¡±


    I gave her a grateful smile.


    I have to say she was the one who brought me out of this haze.


    I regained my spirit, and the first thing I had to think about was moving out of the house. After working for more than half a year, I¡¯ve got some savings, so it¡¯s not a problem to rent a small house and bring Sunny to live with me.


    George called me to ask me toe out and sit down, and I told him about these ideas.


    ¡°Get another job?¡± He held his chin in one hand and made a contemtive gesture.


    ¡°No, no, you misunderstand.¡± I quickly waved my hand, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you these intentions to ask you to help me find a job! It was already a pain in the assst time.¡±


    ¡°What do you think you can do?¡±


    I consider it for a moment and shake my head, ¡°I don¡¯t really have any ideas at the moment, but I think that teaching might not be a good fit for me.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± He raises an eyebrow and smiles.


    I knew the meaning in his smile; he¡¯d said long ago that being a teacher wasn¡¯t a career that belonged to me.


    ¡°You got me.¡± I shrugged, ¡°I can¡¯t stand on the sidelines rationally with my students, I¡¯ll do my best to teach them the facts of life, but what the school needs, more often than not, is a teacher who¡¯s overqualified in the subject.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not losing confidence with The Denoble Family this time, are you?¡± He looks at me, ¡°I don¡¯t really me you, President Rafael does have a bit of a temper on that one.¡±


    ¡°I do think it¡¯s a good thing you quit though.¡± He grinned, ¡°Just as well I¡¯m short of actresses here!¡±


    ¡°Ah ¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look so surprised!¡± He winked triumphantly, ¡°Anyway, you won¡¯t be able to go with Cameron this time, so why don¡¯t you juste to mypany and take acting training. I¡¯ll package you up and you¡¯ll be ready to go on screen, and maybe even gain a huge fan base!¡±


    I held my breath and spit out a few words with difficulty, ¡°Let me think about it.¡±


    As soon as I got back I finished packing two suitcases.


    Yasmin helped me move my bags into the small apartment I had just rented.


    It was a serviced apartment, close to the city center, in a nice environment, fortunately there was a floor-to-ceiling window facing the sea, the sunlight prated and warmed the whole room.


    Yasmin asked me as she packed her things, ¡°Have you really decided?¡±


    I nodded.


    Sheughed, ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s good to go out more while you¡¯re young. Women are like flowers, if you don¡¯t enjoy the sunshine while it¡¯s in full bloom, you¡¯ll soon be old and gray! At my age, I can¡¯t go out even if I want to.¡±


    ¡°Yasmin, do you really support me?¡±


    I¡¯ve been thinking about the job George promised me for the past two days, and finally decided to go for the boondoggle.


    And there was a decent sry during the training period, which was the most important thing. Right now, Sunny and I, both need a stable ie.


    ¡°Support! I¡¯ll support whatever you do!¡± She smiled, ¡°But I heard that showbiz is a bit messy, can you handle it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, I¡¯ll protect myself.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± She nodded, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about home, I¡¯ll take care of Sunny, so go ahead and break through!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Yasmin.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just ¡­¡± she looked hesitant, ¡°Cameron¡¯s side, you¡¯re not going to tell him?¡±


    I was stunned for a moment.


    It¡¯s been days since I¡¯ve heard from him.


    I wonder what he¡¯s been up to. Busy getting rid of those rumors, or busy catching up with Queenie?


    But I don¡¯t have time to think about that for now.


    Cameron hadn¡¯t been in touch with me during those days, and at first I¡¯d felt an ache in my heart, but then I¡¯d slowly and deliberately faded the matter out of my mind.


    The most important thing for me now was to support myself.


    I said yes to George and joined The Curry Group as a neer to the acting program.


    George was in high spirits for a few days, as if my fame was just around the corner. I took the forms and papers from him and said to him with a soft smile, ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited, maybe soon you¡¯ll realize that I¡¯m not as good as you think.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± He winked, ¡°I trust my own vision, and I trust Willow¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Willow?¡±


    He gave a start, as if he wanted to say something.


    I remembered that Willow had once said she had a favorite, but she wouldn¡¯t say anything if I asked further. The look was exactly like George¡¯s now.


    Could it be that the two of them ¡­


    ¡°By the way, Laura,¡± George said softly, ¡°the training department is a separately managed department, and even though I¡¯m the big boss here, I can¡¯t control it too much, so ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± I understood what he meant, ¡°I won¡¯t talk too much, much less go around publicizing my rtionship with you.¡±


    ¡°I trust you on that one.¡± He smiled, ¡°But I mean, I might not be able to take care of you everywhere, there are a lot of things you¡¯ll have to deal with on your own.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a child, why do I need you to think of everything for me? I have to learn to face it on my own, and in the future, in case I do get into acting, there are even more things to learn.¡±


    ¡°I knew you weren¡¯t just any woman.¡± George gave a thumbs up, ¡°Cameron really wasn¡¯t wrong about you ¡­¡±


    ¡°Cameron?¡±


    I tugged at my heart and looked up at him.


    He shut up at the right time, gave me an awkward look, and turned around to work on something else.


    Turns out Cameron was in constant contact with him.


    It turned out ¡­ that Cameron knew every move I made.


    But he just doesn¡¯t show up in front of me!


    I bit my lip, feeling inexplicably sad.


    When I didn¡¯t want anything to do with him, he wouldn¡¯t let me go, and when I finally got up the courage to give it all up, he let me be the way I am now!


    Did he even try to exin anything to me?


    In that case, we might as well disappear from each other¡¯s lives.


    The short training program is only three months long, and these are just the basics. The course includes body, voice, dance, acting, hosting, and involves all aspects, and the intensity of the course and the strictness of the assessment are much more than I imagined.


    Many people quit in the first month. Some dropped out automatically, and some were discouraged from taking the first month¡¯s monthly exams because they failed. When I got my report card, I didn¡¯t even dare to open my eyes until the ssmate next to me told me, ¡°Laura, you got A¡¯s in five subjects!¡±


    My heart finally dropped.


    But this was only the first step in a long journey, and I still had a long way to go.


    More or less everyone in this training ss has a bit of an acting background, either they¡¯re second-generation stars or they¡¯ve been in the industry all their lives and have countless stage experiences, and I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s a nk sheet of paper.


    There was really no way out for me except to work harder than them.


    During that time, I slept only four hours a day, sometimes memorizing lines in my dreams.


    Sometimes it was already midnight when I finished thest ss, but the next day I had to concentrate on the performance.


    Sometimes I would tell Sunny a story and then fall asleep myself, Sunny could express herselfpletely andined, ¡°Mommy is sleepy like a piggy every day!¡±


    I am very sad, I want to be with her every day, but I can¡¯t do it at the moment.


    Cameron hasn¡¯t been in touch with me and doesn¡¯t even visit his daughter.


    I had mixed feelings about this man, and I was a bit disheartened.


    One day, I dropped Sunny off at the kindergarten, there was some traffic on the way, and by the time I got to the office, it was already close to ss time. I hurriedly ran in, and a young girl dressed in colorful rubbed shoulders.


    She had a special aroma on her body, and her figure and appearance were particrly outstanding, belonging to the kind of character that stands out in the crowd.


    I couldn¡¯t help but look at her a few more times.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    This look suddenly felt familiar, and my mind instantly floated back to the ancient costume drama that was aired a few days ago.


    I smiled at her and was just about to say hello, but I didn¡¯t expect her to stop first and re at me fiercely, the sinister and chilling look in her gaze made me shudder.


    ¡°Fryday, what¡¯s going on!¡± Someone behind me followed, ¡°Hurry up, hurry up, studio three! The next scene will start soon!¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± She answered softly, turning away as if nothing had happened.


    I stood frozen in ce.


    So she was Fryday, the actress who would soon be Willow¡¯s stepmother.


    I could be considered a stranger to her, but why did she just look at me in that way?


    I felt a little uneasy, yet after a while I came back to my senses and thought that I was probably overthinking it. She was in a hurry to get to the movie, so maybe that look was a brewing emotion!


    I was still in good shape in that ss.


    The professional teacher called me over after ss and gave me a thick stack of scripts. ¡°The stage y presentation is in a week.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± I took it.


    ¡°Medusa,¡± she looked at me, ¡°familiar with the book?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve read it before.¡±


    ¡°Memorize your lines in a week.¡± She smiled at me, ¡°We¡¯ve unanimously decided that you¡¯re the first female lead in Medusa!¡±


    I froze for a moment, but then came a huge wave of joy. I gently caressed those scripts with a sense of total aplishment.


    Because I knew that I had worked hard and desperately to get this role, not by anyone¡¯s face, and not by George¡¯s connections.


    I was determined to get the part right and make the debriefing a wless experience.


    That week, I was so wrapped up in my work, studying the script and practicing in front of the mirror every chance I got. I could almost see myself glowing on stage, and I even had a touch of unrealistic fantasizing, would this stage y be a hit and then I would officially be on my way to acting?


    Although I said I didn¡¯t want to be a star, how many people can really be indifferent to fame and fortune? Especially when such a great opportunity was right in front of me.


    However, a weekter when I was ready to deliver, something happened that caught me off guard.


    The lead actress was temporarily reced!


    I received the news like a bolt from the blue, something exploded in my ears, and I was met by the sympathetic and helpless gaze of the character teacher.


    She didn¡¯t say much, just patted me on the shoulder and slowly pulled the stack of scripts from my hands.


    The stage show was dyed by a week, supposedly to give that neer time to get used to it.


    I didn¡¯t feel like attending ss or rehearsing that day. I sat on the floor of thepany, the early winter wind cutting my face like a knife.


    I think of my own this period of time to the heart and soul, think of for this role sleepless nights, non-stop practice ¡­ but now suddenly told me, you were reced, without any reason for the recement, that kind of mood as if from the clouds fell heavily, hurt to the bone.


    ¡°Ms. Laura!¡± A clear voice suddenly called out to me.


    I froze and turned around to see that youthful and tender little face.

 Laura鈥檚 POV 114

    ¡°Ms. Laura, why are you sitting here alone!¡±


    Willow ran over to me and gripped my hand tightly.


    My suppressed emotions seem to have suddenly found a release, I also hold her hand tightly, tears involuntarily snapping onto the back of my hand.


    ¡°Ms. Laura, don¡¯t cry!¡± She panicked and wiped my tears, ¡°I¡¯ve heard ¡­ all about a crappy role, what¡¯s the big deal! Besides, it¡¯s just a stage y, do you really think you¡¯ll be famous overnight just by acting in this?¡±


    I looked at her gratefully, but didn¡¯t even have the strength to fake a smile.


    ¡°I do feel a little sad.¡± I said, ¡°This is the least recognized I¡¯ve ever been.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? You¡¯ll always be the number one heroine in my heart!¡±


    ¡°Thank you Willow,¡± I said softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I let you down, right? Or I informed you toe over to see me perform today, and it turns out ¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that!¡± She wrapped her arms around my neck and sat down next to me, ¡°I sometimes talk to my mom on the phone and talk about videos, and she often talks about what she used to do. In fact, in this circle, it¡¯s not umon for people to change temporarily. Even my mom, I don¡¯t know how many times she was temporarily reced when she wasn¡¯t famous back then!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Imented, ¡°there¡¯s nothing easy in the world.¡±


    In the adult world, there¡¯s never an easy word.


    ¡°But Ms. Laura, I know who messed up this time.¡±


    Willow bites her lip lightly, her snowy eyes shing conclusively.


    ¡°Screwed up?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! How else do you think it¡¯s possible to make a sudden change?¡±


    ¡°Willow, this ¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Fryday!¡± she said the name with hatred.


    My heart shook.


    Fryday? The ¡­ Fryday that I ran into at the office that morning?


    She gave me a hard stare, so it really didn¡¯t seem to be unprovoked.


    But I still can¡¯t believe it, I¡¯ve barely met her, let alone any kind of enmity, why would she do this?


    ¡°Ms. Laura, I¡¯m one hundred percent sure,¡± Willow said in a single word, ¡°that Fryday is the one who pulled the strings on this one! Do you know who the little actor who reced you is? It¡¯s a former ssmate of Fryday¡¯s who never made it big, and only recently signed to The Curry Group for The Curry Group¡¯s acting training.¡±


    ¡°Heh,¡± she sneered, ¡°Who does she think she is when she makes such a big deal out of her arrival? Thinks Fryday is her backer? That can be really wrong ¡­ Fryday and can rely on who? Still not relying on that shameless vigor to seduce my father!¡±


    ¡°Willow!¡±I hastily put up my index finger on my lips, signaling her to shut up.


    This is, after all, in thepany, there are many people, and the walls have ears, in case anyone hears it and passes it on, they won¡¯t be able to say that I¡¯ve been reced, and that my heart is unbnced, and I¡¯m here to whine about it?


    ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t say it.¡± Willow was very understanding, ¡°But Ms. Laura, this beam I have with Fryday ispletely knotted! Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely get this debt back with interest from her.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just for you.¡± Her small face was grim, ¡°It¡¯s more for myself. Heh, want to be my stepmother? I¡¯ll show her that we, The Denoble Family, aren¡¯t so easy to get through the door!¡±


    I looked at her dumbfounded for a long moment and let out a giggle.


    ¡°Any idea who you look like?¡± I teased her, ¡°You don¡¯t look like your father¡¯s daughter, you look more like a mother-inw who gives her new daughter-inw a hard time!¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Her eyes red up, ¡°Big sister, I¡¯m looking out for you!¡±


    ¡°I know, I know.¡± I said in a loud voice, embracing her in a hug, ¡°I¡¯m really especially thankful to the heavens for how I met such a good little sister like you!¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t you dare fight for me.¡± I looked at her, ¡°In this circle, more is better than less. Besides, I think this time should just be a coincidence, I¡¯ve never offended Fryday, she won¡¯t purposely have a hard time with me.¡±


    Willow wanted to say something else, but I stopped her.


    Maybe I¡¯m always slow when ites to rtionships.


    I thought I hadn¡¯t offended anyone, but I didn¡¯t know that I had inadvertently offended peoplepletely and thoroughly a long time ago.


    I didn¡¯t care about the role change, and the stage show didn¡¯t make much of a difference.


    I went to thepany as usual, sses, training and rehearsals. A few teachers secretly praised me for my good psychological quality, especially the character teacher, who seemed to feel particrly guilty about me after thest incident, and gave me more opportunities in the usual rehearsals, which I benefited greatly.


    Until that day, I heard a few colleagues chatting about Fryday during ss.


    ¡°Did you see the news, Fryday¡¯s wedding has been dyed!¡±


    ¡°Supposedly it¡¯s President Rafael¡¯s idea.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think President Rafael has any intention to marry her! It¡¯s her own wishful thinking.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. How can it be so easy to get into the mansion? Moreover, there is a difficult Qianjin ¡­ in this mansion.¡±


    I was shocked, I could not help but connect all the things in my mind. Fryday¡¯s sinister eyes, to theter temporary change of roles, and Willow¡¯s words ¡­


    For a moment my mind was in turmoil.


    After thinking about it, I vaguely feel that maybe Fryday and I have had a misunderstanding for a long time, just I have been I didn¡¯t realize it. And this time happens to be in Willow left home that time, Rafael asked me to meet, gave me his private number.


    Women¡¯s jealousy, it really is the worst.


    I have nothing to do with Rafael, but because of this misunderstanding, I buried a good opportunity to make a name for myself, it¡¯s really not worth it.


    That day I was dizzy, and most of the students in the acting ss were not in the mood to attend ss, they were all enthusiastically discussing the news of Fryday¡¯s wedding postponement.


    I looked at the ss schedule, the afternoon was free time, I simply went to the underground garage to get my car and go home, wanting to spend more time with Sunny.


    However, when the car was halfway down the road, the steering wheel suddenly became uncontroble, the wheels began to skid, and the body flipped to the side ¡­ I was in a cold sweat, my soul was almost scared out of my body, and my hands and feet were scrambling wildly to steer and step on the brakes ¡­.


    Immediately after the ¡°boom¡± sound, I feel this huge sound from the bottom of the car. My mind was nk, the body suddenly popped up, flipped in the air, my whole body seems to be in a weightless state, in addition to their own screams is the sound of ss and metal impact rupture ¡­


    Finally, my eyes ck, no consciousness.


    When I woke up, the left thigh to calf side of the hot tearing pain. Subconsciously move the body, the bones of the whole body are like being pressed by a wheel, especially the head, it is more like it is going to split in half.


    My mouth was dry, and only after half a day¡¯s effort did a muddy grunte out of my throat, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me ¡­?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± A nurse off to the side was observing my IV.


    She leaned over and smiled, whispering, ¡°You were in a car ident, but it¡¯s nothing serious, just a flesh wound, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Car ident? I had a splitting headache, the car ident existed like a nightmare in my memory.


    ¡°Do you want me to go get your husband?¡± The nurse asked.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Your husband. He¡¯s been taking care of you day and night for the past two days when you were in aa. Right now he¡¯s outside, probably so tired he leaned back in the hallway chair and fell asleep.¡±


    I froze when suddenly the door opened, only to see Cameron walk in from outside.


    He had surprisingly lost weight, his cheeks were sunken, his eyes were dark underneath, his beard was unshaven, and his whole body looked a little scruffy.


    However, those eyes were still deep and determined, and the ck and white eyes containedplex emotions.


    For the first time in such a long time, he appeared in front of me.


    I moved my lips, but couldn¡¯t say a word.


    He signaled the nurse to go out, and only the two of us were left in the ward. He slowly walked over to me, sat down next to my bed, gently held my hand, pressed the back of my hand against his face, and let out a long sigh of relief.


    I wanted to pull my hand back, but I didn¡¯t even have the strength to do so, so I had to let him hold it. I nced at him, and he was looking at me too, suddenly bing a mischievous older boy again, and gave me a mischievous heave.


    ¡°It¡¯s actually kind of nice that you¡¯re hurt.¡± He tickled the corners of his mouth, ¡°It¡¯s when you¡¯re most obedient, lying obediently on the bed, not resisting or struggling, not even having the strength to fight with me. How nice!¡±


    ¡°Nervous.¡± I summoned all my strength and cursed in a low voice.


    The smile at the corners of his mouth faded, and there was a look of infinite pity in his eyes after the robbery. ¡°Laura,¡± he said slowly, his voice low, ¡°you ¡­ almost scared me to death.¡±


    These words violently poked somewhere in the bottom of my heart.


    I don¡¯t know if it was because of the pain or something else, but I couldn¡¯t help the tears from falling down.


    ¡°You still care about my death?¡± I whispered, ¡°Queenie seems to need you more than I do.¡±


    He paused and stopped talking.


    That was what was particrly annoying about him, his silence no matter what. Silent silent silent, never offering to exin anything. Even when he bullied me, he didn¡¯t say a word.


    I gave him a look, ¡°Get out, I don¡¯t want to see you here.¡±


    He, however, didn¡¯t hear me as if he hadn¡¯t, pouring me a ss of water and dabbing my lips with a cotton swab. ¡°There are straws in the drawer, drink from themter.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re out.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been in aa for three days, you haven¡¯t eaten in those three days, you¡¯re hungry now, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Cameron, can¡¯t you understand me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get you food.¡±


    ¡°Cameron!¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back and yelled.


    The cry shook the nerves throughout my body, and my limbs ached like crazy.


    ¡°Hiss ¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but suck in a breath of cold air.


    ¡°No movement!¡± He pressed down on my shoulder.


    Those eyes were as firm and powerful as before, and the brutal and domineering aura of his body didn¡¯t fade with time, but instead grew stronger over time.


    ¡°Alright, neither of you two move!¡± A bright voice came from outside the door, ¡°The food is here!¡±


    It was Gina.


    She came through the door with a smile on her face, carrying a lunch box in her hand and setting it on my bedside table.


    ¡°Sick meal, not so good. Make do with what you¡¯ve got!¡±


    She pulls out her stethoscope, checks me over briefly again, looks at the IV, and smiles softly at me, ¡°Laura, do you know you scared the hell out of our Cameron this time? He almost turned Jerez State over in a fit of rage ¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahem ¡­¡± Cameron blushed and coughed heavily from the sidelines.


    Gina smiled with extraordinarily deep meaning.


    However the atmosphere was suddenly a little awkward.


    Gina then pushed Cameron, ¡°Can¡¯t bear to see your Laura eat this clear soupy sick meal? Or why don¡¯t you just go home and make something delicious and send it to her!¡±


    Cameron listened to her, grabbed his jacket and headed out the door.


    Gina put a cushion behind me and carefully helped me sit up, cing the winter melon soup from the lunch box on the small table in front of me.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°Your diet shouldn¡¯t be greasy right now; a light soup is best. I let Cameron back in on purpose to sidetrack him. If he does bring any crab roasted oats, you¡¯re not allowed to eat them either, do you hear me?¡±


    Iughed lightly and nodded. ¡°The winter melon soup tastes good.¡±


    ¡°What kind of soup would Cameron make you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± I blushed.


    Gina grinned, ¡°Still not forgiving people?¡±


    I don¡¯t know what to say. After a long moment of silence, she smiled bitterly, ¡°What¡¯s the point if I forgive or not? Forgiveness doesn¡¯t exist between me and him because we weren¡¯t supposed to have this kind of rtionship in the first ce. I am his sister, if he really reconnects with his ex-wife, I should give my blessing ¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a generous thing to say.¡± Gina bristled, ¡°I hope it¡¯s not pretend.¡±


    My heart trembled fiercely, ¡°Not pretending ¡­ I really mean it! In fact, this time Queenie¡¯s appearance, but gave me a wake-up call, perhaps even the heavens can not see us like this against the reason of heaven ¡­ Heh, a sister wants to elope with her brother? Great treason!¡±


    ¡°Heh, so you think this way? Then Cameron has really been working for nothing these past few days.¡±


    I was silent.


    Gina continued, ¡°These days are all about him guarding you in the hospital ¡­ You were inside for the surgery, and he was outside wiping his tears. Do you know, in all the time we¡¯ve known each other, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen Cameron cry. A big man, crying more than a child!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I was shocked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get angry with him!¡± Gina patted the back of my hand andughed, ¡°Anyway, the Cameron I¡¯ve seen over the past few days has been nothing short of a psycho! He cried when you were in the operating room, heughed when you were out of danger, and then afterward, he went into a rage and used all of his connections to thoroughly investigate the cause of your car ident ¡­ That¡¯s why I just said that Cameron made such a scene that he almost turned Jerez State upside down!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t say a word, there was a sweet taste in the back of my throat, and the corners of my mouth couldn¡¯t help but turn upwards, and it took me a lot of effort to keep it down.


    ¡°He met with Queenie, and it was Queenie who threatened him.¡± Gina looked at me.


    ¡°Cameron knows that you¡¯re bothered by your rtionship, so he¡¯s been trying to find ways to keep it a secret. But somehow Queenie found out ¡­ and she used it to threaten Cameron with exposing your rtionship if he didn¡¯t meet with her.¡±


    ¡°Besides Cameron was meeting with her for nothing else, she was just asking Cameron for money.¡±


    My ears buzzed.


    ¡°Gina,¡± I whispered, ¡°Can¡¯t he exin to me just this little thing? I hate it when he doesn¡¯t say anything and I don¡¯t know anything! With him I¡¯m always kept in the dark.¡±


    ¡°Laura,¡± Gina sighed, ¡°Cameron isn¡¯t one to exin himself. Besides, he¡¯s got a lot on his te, and the perils of the mall are sometimes hard for you to imagine. And ¡­ even if he exins to you, will you listen?¡±


    I lowered my head, in my heart, I actually don¡¯t have anyints against him anymore, it¡¯s just that there¡¯s always a kind of superstition at work, as long as I¡¯m with him, disaster wille and we¡¯ll be punished by the heavens.


    Ginaughed softly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, your own happiness is the most important thing. And the prerequisite for being happy on your own is to be with the one who can make you happy, right?¡±

 Laura鈥檚 POV 115

    Cameron has been taking care of me in the hospital.


    After Gina gave me a detailed examination, she told me that I was lucky this time, it was a bruise but not so bad that I would have to recuperate for a hundred days.


    Cameron rubbed his thumb against my face andughed, ¡°The luckiest thing is that you didn¡¯t hurt your face, how would you break into acting if you broke your face?¡±


    Any way I look at it, there¡¯s a hint of gloating in his smile.


    ¡°Come on, eat.¡± He opened his lunch box, ¡°The Lynch Group private dining!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not going to be the Crab Roasted Wheat again, is it?¡± I screamed, ¡°Can you change the menu?¡±


    ¡°Why are you so picky when you can eat?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too oily, I can¡¯t eat it!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a new recipe.¡± He came over with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s oily but not greasy, try it!¡±


    I swore I¡¯d never eat anything like Crab Roasted Wheat again after I was discharged from the hospital!


    Cameron was very considerate of me, the only inconvenience was wiping and going to the bathroom.


    Before, when I was lying in bed, it was the nurses who took care of me whenever it was time to wipe my body and go to the toilet. However, when I became a little bit more mobile and was able to get out of bed on crutches, Cameron drove the nurses away for some reason!


    I can¡¯t go on crutches alone because my hands are still injured.


    Cameron looked at me with a smirk and carried me into the restroom by the waist.


    ¡°Come on Cameron, please just get out!¡± I¡¯m sweating with impatience, ¡°I can do it myself.¡±


    ¡°How can you do it on your own?¡± He had an evil look in his eyes, ¡°I¡¯ll take your pants off for you.¡±


    ¡°No need ¡­¡±


    Before I could finish, he quickly unbuckled my pants, moved to take them off, and pinned me to the toilet.


    I was rolling from my cheeks to the base of my ears, my heart pounding too hard to look up into his eyes.


    ¡°Can you ¡­ get out?¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t conveniently get out when you¡¯re staring at me ¡­¡±


    Cameron¡¯sugh had a touch of evil in it that was almost hateful.


    He turned around and went out, not forgetting to close the door for me. But this guy¡¯s timing is precise, I just finished rushing and he pushed the door in as soon as I was done, I was startled and screamed, the soles of my feet slipped, and I fell right into his arms.


    He was staring at me.


    I was so embarrassed I wanted to find a crack in the ground ¡­ pants were still up!


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± He said softly.


    His movements were as gentle as his voice.


    At that moment it was as if my body was suddenly on fire, and a restlessness hit my heart like a ferocious little beast. My breath began to catch and I deliberately tried not to look at him, but I could feel his eyes stay locked on my face.


    His warm nostrils moved closer to my lips.


    The movements of his hands gradually slowed down ¡­


    ¡°No!¡± I mmed down on his hand.


    A quick touch to the wound sends a cold sweat down my spine in pain.


    Cameron quickly straightened out my clothes and scooped me up in a cross body hug and set me down on the bed.


    ¡°The wound¡¯s split? I¡¯ll go get the nurse.¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± I called out to him, looking down, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, and there¡¯s no blood on the gauze.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better to call someone to look at it for peace of mind. I¡¯ll go find Gina.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t, don¡¯t, don¡¯t, don¡¯t, don¡¯t, don¡¯t, don¡¯t, don¡¯t, don¡¯t, don¡¯t, don¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°But ¡­¡±


    ¡°Cameron!¡± I was suddenly attached to the time I spent with him, not wanting to part for a moment.


    I signaled him with my eyes to sit down, ¡°Don¡¯t you ¡­ go anywhere.¡±


    Cameron looked at me and his expression changed to one of gentleness. He smiled and sat down next to me, his fingers gently scratching my nose.


    ¡°What were you nervous about just now?¡± He asked in a low voice.


    I re at him.


    He smiles even more cockily and leans in close to my ear, ¡°Where on your body haven¡¯t I seen you before?¡±


    ¡°Cameron, you ¡­¡±


    He wrapped an arm around my waist, and a different kind of affection flowed through the air.


    The fiery temperature that had just returned.


    But at this time, someone pushed open the door with a bang, Cameron and I were startled at the same time, and I turned my head to see George standing in front of me with an embarrassed face.


    He was holding a lot of gifts in his hand.


    Cameron¡¯s face instantly changed, blowing his beard and eyes, George smiled but did not smile and opened the exquisite box in his hand, ¡°I just came back from France to visit, this kind of snacks in the local sales especially hot!¡±


    My cravings were aroused, the color of the gorgeous macarons made me unable to take my eyes off. ¡°The boss personally visited the ss?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for sure, I¡¯m the kindest boss ever!¡±


    ¡°Heh,¡± Cameron sneers, ¡°Then would the benevolent boss please exin how Laura got into a car ident?¡±


    George tightened his smile and patted Cameron on the shoulder, apologies written all over his face.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°George I¡¯m telling you, if you don¡¯t give me an exnation for this matter, I¡¯m not done with you!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, I can¡¯t afford to piss you off, okay?¡± George raises his hands in surrender, then shakes his head helplessly and lets out a long sigh.


    ¡°What are you guys ying dumb?¡± I looked confused.


    George bristles and gives me a wink, then pulls out his cell phone to show me.


    A news item popped into my eyes: popr star Fryday had been taken in for questioning by the police after allegedly framing members of an acting ss.


    Underneath, there was even a picture of me and my resume!


    I was shocked, ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    I didn¡¯t realize that after staying in the hospital for the past few days, it¡¯s like ¡°one day in the mountains and a thousand years in the world¡±, and I didn¡¯t know about all the breaking news that happened!


    ¡°Cameron investigated the car ident like crazy a few days ago,¡± George exined, ¡°and he really found ¡­ Laura, your car ident is not an ident, your car has been tampered with, and the tires have been punctured. The tires were punctured. The car blew a tire while driving, and that¡¯s what caused your injuries.¡±


    I looked at him incredulously, cold sweat all down my spine.


    ¡°And the person who started it ¡­¡± he licked his lips and said the name with difficulty, ¡°was Fryday.¡±


    ¡°How is this ¡­ possible?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a thousand times true.¡± Cameron quietly held my hand, ¡°This matter you do not care, first rest assured to recuperate. George will definitely have to give us an exnation anyway.¡±


    George smiles helplessly, spreading his palms and shrugging.


    I continued to read down that news, thements were filled with more cursing than concern for the event itself. The ones cursing were basically Fryday fans, and there were all kinds of ugly words, saying that I had a bad heart, that I was framing Fryday in order to be famous, and that I was a despicable and shameless woman for evening up with such a vicious trick.


    There are even people from Fryday¡¯s fan club who imed that they want to block me.


    I was saddened in my heart, the one who was victimized was clearly me, yet there were so many people who couldn¡¯t distinguish between right and wrong.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the face to meet people even after I get out of the hospital.¡± I whispered, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t have a chance in the future after things get this big.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true.¡± George was unimpressed, ¡°Laura, it¡¯s actually a good thing.¡±


    ¡°Good thing?¡±


    ¡°It seems you don¡¯t understand the rules of the game in this circle. In this circle, no matter what newses up, if you have exposure, you have value.¡±


    I looked at the two of them half-heartedly.


    Cameron looked nd and icy, while George had a few moments of excitement.


    ¡°You see, you weren¡¯t supposed to be famous, just an average student in an acting ss.¡± George exined to me with a smile, ¡°But now? You¡¯re famous!¡±


    My eyes widened, ¡°You call that ¡®fame¡¯?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing good or bad in this circle, just exposure!¡±


    My heart sinks and I subconsciously look over at Cameron. he¡¯s still holding my hand, his thumb gently rubbing over the back of my hand, reassuring me slightly.


    ¡°Cameron, you don¡¯t care too much.¡± George looks over at him, ¡°If you really want what¡¯s best for Laura, you should let go.¡±


    Cameron gives him a cold look.


    George clears his throat twice, ¡°Ms. Laura, let me run you through this. Before you graduated from college, you had been living in The Lynch Family, even though you were a parasite at that time, The Lynch Family is a well-off family after all, so you don¡¯t need toe out and throw your weight around to make a living, right?¡±


    I nodded sullenly.


    ¡°Later on in your body happened a lot of things ¡­ I know, you went into the TV station, worked as a war correspondent, co-founded a magazine with a friend, studied abroad ¡­ and thenter on, you returned to The Lynch Family and owned your own mediapany.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    He frowned, ¡°So have you thought carefully about the fact that you¡¯ve been on your own all this way?¡±


    That was a wake up call, and I froze at his question.


    It was true that I hadn¡¯t relied entirely on myself this entire journey.


    Whenever there was a critical moment, Cameron would always pop up and y an important role.


    Even without Cameron, it was Patrick who took good care of me when I lived in Hallstatt for the majority of the time I lost my memory.


    ¡°Missy,¡± George patted me on the shoulder, ¡°so you don¡¯t really understand the suffering of the world!¡±


    ¡°I ¡­¡±


    ¡°You live in a rtively innocent environment.¡± He continued, ¡°At this point you lose to Fryday. Fryday doesn¡¯t have any background, a child from a poor family, nothing but a pretty face. She crawled from the bottom and worked her way up to where she is today, her experience is definitely much richer than yours.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, she also knows the rules of the game of the circle better than you do.¡±


    ¡°Laura, there are a lot of things that Cameron has held back for you, either Cameron or someone else, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s good for you.¡±


    ¡°Have you said enough?¡± Cameron chortled in a cold, low voice.


    ¡°George, I told you I didn¡¯t want Laura out in the open, but you had to let her into that circle of yours!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this circle? It can teach her a lot of things about being a human being!¡± George eximed innocently, ¡°Take this news for example, Laura doesn¡¯t have to be upset at all, she¡¯s equal to doing publicity that doesn¡¯t cost anything and rubbing off on Fryday. How many people try to rub off on Fryday nowadays and can¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Strong words.¡± Cameron nked him.


    George didn¡¯t mind,ughing softly, ¡°It¡¯s just a shame about Fryday ¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± he nudged Cameron, ¡°you¡¯re not really going to pursue this to the end, are you? Can¡¯t you cut the police some ck? I¡¯ve dropped a lot of money on Fryday, how hard it is to train someone! Besides ¡­ don¡¯t you have to be considerate of Rafael too?¡±


    ¡°Heh,¡± Cameron sneered, ¡°is he worth my concern?¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll have topensate me. Fryday just became popr and hasn¡¯t made me much money yet ¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± I interrupted them, shocked.


    I looked at Cameron nkly, ¡°What did President ¡­ George mean by what he just said?¡±


    ¡°It means nothing.¡± Cameron replies ndly, shoving a snack into my mouth.


    George looked at him, grinned in a different way, turned around, and walked out.


    My suspicions were confirmed step by step.


    ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± I looked at Cameron, ¡°Did you really put Fryday in the police station?¡±


    ¡°I just thoroughly investigated your car ident.¡± He was expressionless, ¡°It is every citizen¡¯s duty to find out the real culprit and bring her to justice.¡±


    ¡°Cameron, you ¡­¡±


    ¡°This matter ends here, no more thoughts are allowed.¡± He looked serious, ¡°As for what you want to do in the future, think it over yourself. If you really don¡¯t mind being on a hot search every three days, then you can continue to stay in The Curry Group. Otherwise, it¡¯s better to go home with me!¡±


    Iy silently on the hospital bed after he left, the painkillers wearing off and half of my body starting to ache fiercely again. I sighed softly and struggled to sit up, even taking a sip of water tore at my flesh, I really hated Fryday at that moment.


    But more than that I wondered why Fryday was doing this to me, was it really for Rafael?


    After nearly a night of pain, I fell asleep early the next morning in a daze, having one weird dream after another, when I suddenly heard someone calling out to me.


    Jerking awake, I found Willow standing next to the bed.


    ¡°Ms. Laura, how are you feeling?¡± She looked at me anxiously, her big eyes hot with tears.


    I forced a smile at her, ¡°It¡¯s not a problem.¡±


    ¡°I know all about it, it¡¯s that bitch Fryday!¡±


    ¡°Forget it, don¡¯t say it.¡± I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll cause more trouble, ¡°It¡¯s over anyway.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Laura, you mustn¡¯t be afraid. Although those fans of Fryday are spraying you online, there are still quite a few people who are on your side. Don¡¯t take the words of the spammers to heart, think of it as free publicity this time.¡±


    ¡°Heh,¡± Iughed lightly, ¡°That sounds familiar. You and George see eye to eye!¡±


    Willow lowered her head and inadvertently blushed, rubbing the corners of her coat with her two small hands.


    ¡°Oh yes, Ms. Laura!¡± She raised her head again, her face glowing, ¡°My dadpromised with me ¡­ hehehe, he promised not to get married so soon, wait and see first.¡±


    ¡°My dad is my dad, how could he be confused by a little bitch?¡±


    I shook my head helplessly, ¡°Your dad has the right to pursue happiness.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t stop him from pursuing happiness, but that person don¡¯t be Fryday, the sight of her bothers me!¡± Willow was childish, ¡°Ms. Laura, if a man like my dad pursued you, would you say yes?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I had just taken a sip of water and choked violently.


    She seemed to be talking to herself, ¡°Ms. Laura, I think you¡¯re a good match for a handsome uncle ¡­ but I¡¯m kind of in a bind, I should be towards my dad ¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Willowughed softly, a little bit of anticipation in her eyes and a little bit of apology. I looked at her nkly and she shook her head vigorously, saying ¡°nothing, nothing¡± repeatedly.


    ¡°Teacher Laura, I am especially happy these days ¡­ You don t know, Fryday¡¯s poprity has plummeted since she was questioned by the police, and many endorsements have terminated their contracts with her!¡±


    I was dumbfounded, children are children, love and hate.


    I also remembered George¡¯s remark, he spent a lot of money to cultivate Fryday, Cameron doing this is equal to tearing George down, will it affect their friendship?

 Laura鈥檚 POV 116

    ¡°Howe, George is not that petty!¡± Willow answered my doubts for me.


    I smiled, ¡°You know George well!¡±


    Her little face turned into a red apple all of a sudden.


    That vague spection in my heart became clearer.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s more to you hating Fryday so much than just the fact that she¡¯s marrying your father?¡±


    Willow looked at me and poked her tongue out, shy and delicate in a very endearing way.


    She didn¡¯t say anything, but I knew that she hated Fryday, firstly, because she wanted to be her stepmother, and secondly, because of George.


    George had spent a lot of money to make her famous, and there must have been some kind of hidden rtionship between her and George, which ended when Fryday got her wings and went looking for a bigger support.


    ¡°Ms. Laura,¡± Willow smiled shyly, ¡°how nothing escapes you.¡±


    I looked at her longingly, both happy and worried for her. I pulled her to sit beside me and whispered to her, ¡°You¡¯re still young, it¡¯s not the right time to think about these things. But the fact that you have tasted love is something to be celebrated.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not against it?¡± Her eyes widened in surprise, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s treasonous for me to fall in love early?¡±


    Heh, when was it her turn to say it was treasonous? It would be treasonous if my rtionship with Cameron was publicized!


    ¡°No.¡± I stroked her hair, ¡°It¡¯s normal for a sixteen or seventeen year old girl to develop a crush on a guy she likes. I just hope George is someone I can count on for life. But he¡¯s so much older than you and a friend of your dad¡¯s ¡­¡±


    ¡°Shhh!¡± She said hastily, ¡°That¡¯s why I can¡¯t let my dad know. Ms. Laura, you have to keep this a secret for me, if this gets to my dad¡¯s ears, I¡¯m definitely screwed!¡±


    ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t tell.¡± I promised her, ¡°But after all, paper can¡¯t wrap fire, and you need to be prepared to deal with it in advance.¡±


    She smiled at me and gave me an ok sign.


    The love of young girls is always simple and dreamy, in their world, age, identity, status, social rtions ¡­ are not a problem, as long as there is love, they can transform into a brave thorn bird, breaking through all the shackles.


    But can George return her with the same feelings?


    After all, he is a grown man, in the society for many years, and in the entertainment industry that kind of water depth is difficult to predict. Willow in front of him, is simply a nk sheet of paper.


    In case he is just yful mentality towards this rtionship ¡­


    I shake my head. I can¡¯t stop Willow now, but I still have to get to what needs to be said.


    ¡°Always remember, don¡¯t go 100% in a rtionship, I know you¡¯re wild about it right now, but you have to give yourself a few leeway.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    ¡°Protect yourself.¡± I whispered, ¡°A girl has to respect and love herself. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± She came forward and wrapped her arms around my neck, leaning against me in a petnt manner, ¡°Teacher Laura, you¡¯re so nice ¡­ If we could be together every day that would be even better!¡±


    ¡­


    I hadn¡¯t been able to carefully recall Willow¡¯sst words to me: she wanted to be with me every day.


    I thought it was just a little girl¡¯s off-the-cuff wish, not realizing that it wouldter get me into a little trouble.


    After recuperating for a while I was discharged from the hospital, the fiasco of the car ident a while back had died down, and I didn¡¯t make it to the closing performance of my acting ss. But once I returned to thepany, I obviously felt that everyone¡¯s attitude towards me was different.


    They were all polite to me, and if there was an audition or something like that, I was no longer ranked ording to seniority, and my agent would be the first to notify me.


    I also have a separate dressing room and changing room, a separate assistant and image consultant, and I¡¯m told that I¡¯ll be given a separate agent.


    I was a little ttered by this series of changes.


    George teased me in the office for not having seen the world. ¡°You can¡¯t stand this? When you be famous, you¡¯ll be treated much better than this! You¡¯ll have a team of hundreds of people, and everyone will be around you!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t, President George, I never thought I¡¯d be famous one day!¡± I wiped the cold sweat from my head.


    He gave me a nk look, ¡°A soldier who doesn¡¯t want to be a general is not a good soldier!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the life to be a general.¡± Iughed softly, ¡°I¡¯ll just be a small soldier under you peacefully. If anything happens, I will definitely be the first to go!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m relieved to have your word!¡±


    George pulled a stack of paper-like things out of a drawer.


    ¡°Here,¡± he handed it to me, ¡°the time hase to be first!¡±


    I froze.


    He smiled in a meaningful and ambitious way.


    I looked down and in my hand was a stack of scripts for a y with the intriguing title Laura¡¯s Love Song.


    ¡°Laura Love Song?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°Yes, the y is by an up anding writer.¡± He said, ¡°The original name wasn¡¯t Laura Love Song. I bought the rights from him and asked him to adapt it, purposely naming it Laura Love Song.¡±


    ¡°So ¡­,¡± he squeezed his eyes at me, ¡°it¡¯s customized for you!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t grow your mouth so big!¡± Heughed, ¡°There are several TV dramas in thepany shooting at the same timetely, all of them are big productions to sprint to the prime time slot of the major TV channels, and you are a neer after all, I don¡¯t dare to rashly let you pick the big role.¡±


    ¡°But letting you y a small role in it, I¡¯m not willing to do so, and it¡¯s not much of a workout for you. Thinking about it, I came up with this script.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a small cost production web drama, although it¡¯s not broadcast on TV, but you can¡¯t ahwork airing volume is also very informative. Therefore, I have settled on you to take on the female lead role in this drama.¡±


    I was in the clouds for a moment, I did not expect things to develop so quickly.


    I went from a little known entertainer to the female lead of a drama!


    ¡°But I ¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°I can.¡± I gritted my teeth, ¡°This opportunity is not easy toe by, I will cherish it and perform well!¡±


    ¡°Well, count me in!¡± George¡¯s eyes narrowed into a bridge, quietly told me, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already checked with Cameron ¡­ the script he checked several times, all the kissing scenes nude scenes are all deleted, really have to kiss when the cameraman will surely lend a hand to shoot! ¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I was shocked.


    Couldn¡¯t help but feel my face burning.


    ¡°This little thing also need to report to him.¡± Iughed coldly, ¡°Then in the future, for every movie I shoot, does he still have to be there to supervise? President George, aren¡¯t you very capable? How can you be led by the nose by him!¡±


    ¡°I also don¡¯t want to ah ¡­,¡± George deliberately made a look of hopelessness, ¡°But who let Mr. Luo be so powerful that he added this amount of investment to mypany again?¡±


    He stretched out five fingers.


    I gave him a contemptuous look, ¡°Seeing profit and forgetting righteousness!¡±


    Although I didn¡¯t like Cameron¡¯s meddling in everything very much, this sweetness of being cared for, this sense of indulgence of being pampered, still took root in the bottom of my heart.


    George¡¯s mouth is very tight, the entire The Curry Group group up and down, although all have all kinds of spections about my background, but no one knows about my rtionship with Cameron. It just victimized George, innocently taking a lot of shots for me.


    I purposely invited him and Gina over for dinner to apologize.


    Gina smiled and teased him, ¡°Laura, there¡¯s really no need for you to be overly apologetic! My brother is suave and loves to rumor with pretty girls! With rumors of you and him in thepany, neither of you will suffer!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not good!¡± I look at George and clink sses with him, ¡°President George, here¡¯s to you. I really appreciate the opportunity you gave me for the show, and I also appreciate ¡­ you guarding my rtionship with Cameron so tightly.¡±


    ¡°Friends!¡± He drank up his drink carelessly, ¡°Not just for blocking shots?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha ¡­¡±


    I knew George wouldn¡¯t mean anything special to me, but once I identally found a picture of Willow in his desk drawer.


    A one-inch photo, obviously torn from his student ID, with dried glue on the back.


    But it was the only photo George kept in his desk drawer. I¡¯m slightly relieved to see this, and I hope Willow will have a good rtionship with him.


    Laura¡¯s Love Song has officially begun filming, but not even a few days after the news got out, the inte was in an uproar again. The show was boycotted by arge number of Fryday fans, many of whom left messages on The Curry Group¡¯s official website iming that they would never watch the show and that they would be brushing up the lowest scores on rating sites.


    The most frequent message during that time was:


    ¡°Laura? What a thing! Isn¡¯t that the little actress who rubbed my family¡¯s Fryday the wrong way? Bullshit!¡±


    ¡°A woman with a bad heart! She framed Fryday, she must have staged the car ident and dumped the me on Fryday!¡±


    ¡°Uncle police,e out and catch this vixen!¡±


    ¡°Laura why don¡¯t you go to hell?¡±


    ¡­


    Thements, many of them, were unbearable. And my mental capacity has been much better than the previous time, although I still get shivers in both hands and chills down my spine when I look through them, but after taking a deep breath, I will have endless courage to face them again.


    Cameron didn¡¯t show up at the first moment tofort me, on the contrary, he seldom disturbed me during that time, but every time I came home from work, I could always smell the aroma of the snacks he made.


    He stayed by Sunny¡¯s side, reading her a bedtime story, and sometimes he couldn¡¯t help but sleep on the carpet next to her. The big one and the little one just fall asleep like this, without being covered by the quilt.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Whenever I saw this scene, a soft warmth would well up in my heart.


    Once I was studying the script until midnight, unknowingly sleeping on the balcony, suddenly I felt a slight weight on my body, and when I opened my eyes, Cameron was holding a nket to cover me.


    When we looked at each other, there was a sudden surge of electricity in my heart. It felt as if we had traveled through time and space, and the battle of Alcostan, the encounter on Blossom Hill Rd, and the days of growing up together in The Lynch Family, and spending time together, suddenly appeared in front of our eyes. ¡­


    His kiss fell unexpectedly.


    I didn¡¯t resist, coveting the mesmerizing warmth. I hooked my arms around his neck and responded passionately. He picked me up and returned to the bedroom, my body involuntarily trembled a little when he pressed on top of me again.


    He stopped moving, and there was still a passion in his eyes that hadn¡¯t faded.


    After a long time, he kisses me lightly on the forehead, ¡°Get some early rest.¡±


    ¡°Cameron ¡­¡±


    I don¡¯t know why I even called out to him.


    I was obviously the one who rejected him first.


    ¡°I won¡¯t do anything you don¡¯t like anymore.¡±


    My heart dimmed with an indescribable bitterness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take thosements online to heart.¡± He raised his hand and gently stroked across my face, smiling, ¡°Just do your own thing, I¡¯ll handle the rest. George is right, I should let go of you, but I can¡¯t just leave you alone.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Cameron,¡± I whisper.


    I hugged him tightly.


    We slept together that night, doing nothing, and being reliably by his side made me feel incredibly at ease.


    There were far fewer messages on The Curry Group¡¯s website and the storm was dying down, and I knew Cameron must have been behind it.


    As Laura¡¯s Love Song entered the final stage of production, many of the media¡¯s publicity releases made no mention of the conflict between Fryday and me, but focused on the script itself. I thought things would end like this, but I never expected that day in front of George¡¯s office, I overheard Fryday arguing inside.


    ¡°What do you mean? Huh, now Laura¡¯s your new favorite?¡±


    I giggled in my heart and looked closer, his office door shed a crack and Fryday was facing the doorway, gorgeous and full of aura in a Prada suit.


    ¡°Auntie, can you keep your voice down?¡± George frowned in displeasure, ¡°This is my office at least!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you what that Laura is all about. You¡¯re going to such lengths to protect her!¡±


    ¡°Heh, what do you care who she is?¡± George sneered, ¡°Mind your own business first! Fryday, you¡¯re not unaware of how much effort I¡¯ve put into you, are you? But how do you repay me?¡±


    ¡°First, the scandal with a few male stars, this even, sometimes it¡¯s also publicity needs ¡­ and then make a fuss about marrying Rafael! Heh, as soon as the news of your marriage to Rafael came out, The Curry Group¡¯s stock price dropped 5 percentage points that day!¡±


    ¡°But didn¡¯t I then fail to get married?¡± Fryday sat down on the couch with his legs crossed, ¡°Thanks to your new love!¡±


    ¡°Laura wasn¡¯t my new love.¡± George said with a straight face, ¡°You¡¯ve gone off to be a grandma of a wealthy family, aren¡¯t you going to let me hold up the new guy?¡±


    Fryday was infuriated, ¡°George, you¡¯re doing this on purpose, right? What kind of young grandma of a luxury family ¡­ was all ruined by that vixen Laura!¡±


    ¡°Heh, if you ask me, you and Rafael are really a pair of blood brothers, looking at women with the same eyes!¡± She sneered.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°That little new love of yours, she¡¯s been leaning on Rafael¡¯s tree for a long time! Why else do you think Rafael suddenly stopped marrying me? It¡¯s all because of Laura!¡±


    George was stunned and sank to his knees, ¡°No way, they¡¯re both my friends, don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡±


    ¡°Friends?¡± Fryday grunted softly, ¡°You consider Rafael a friend, but do you have his private phone number? Laura does! Rafael¡¯s private number, even I don¡¯t have it, what gives her Laura the right to have it!¡±


    I stood in the doorway, my body seemed to freeze.


    I realized that Fryday¡¯s grudge against me was really because of Rafael, because of the note with his private phone number!


    And when Cameron saw that I had Rafael¡¯s private number in the first ce, he also had this kind of strong reaction.


    Rafael ¡­ You¡¯re really hurting me!

 Laura鈥檚 POV 117

    There was a silence in the office for a long time, only to hear George say softly, ¡°The private number thing is by no means as serious as you think. As far as I know, Laura is very close to Willow, and Willow is a rebellious girl, she doesn¡¯t listen to anyone except Laura¡¯s words. Rafael gave his private number to Laura, probably just for easy contact as well.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare excuse them!¡± Fryday huffed, ¡°They must have gone dark a long time ago! Heh, I¡¯ve seen this kind of woman¡¯s tricks so many times, don¡¯t I know that little scheme in her mind?¡±


    ¡°Fryday!¡± roared George, with a sudden snap.


    He was quiet for a long while, waiting for Fryday¡¯s emotions to calm down before he said seriously, ¡°I still say that, mind your own business, and also mind your group of fans not to talk nonsense! The inte rumors are rife that it was you who incited your fans to boycott Laura, these news have already been suppressed by me, I hope that you will cooperate well and not let this kind of negative news raise its head again.¡±


    ¡°Also, Laura¡¯s background and my rtionship with her are not what you think! She¡¯s a person who usually keeps a low profile, but that doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s easy to bully, so don¡¯t offend someone you shouldn¡¯t, and when the timees, Rafael and Ibined won¡¯t be able to protect you!¡±


    Fryday¡¯s eyes widened, half mumbling out a sentence, ¡°Who the hell is behind her ¡­?¡±


    ¡°This you don¡¯t need to care.¡±


    ¡°Heh, afraid to say?¡± She bit her lip, ¡°George, you¡¯re scaring me, right? If she really has that much background, what would she not dare to say? I think it¡¯s obvious that you¡¯re just an rmist!¡±


    ¡°You ¡­ ¡°George was dry-eyed with anger at her.


    I violently pushed open the door and entered, the two people inside were taken aback and turned their faces to stare at me.


    I walked straight towards Fryday, forcing down the anger in my heart and giving her a fairly benign smile.


    ¡°Yo, when did you get here?¡± Fryday revealed a disdainful gaze, ¡°Heh, President George, so the artist you¡¯re strongly promoting has the habit of eavesdropping on people!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t eavesdrop.¡± I smiled, ¡°I just wanted toe and talk to President George about something, I didn¡¯t realize that you were inside, so I listened to a few sentences at the door bright and early.¡±


    ¡°Laura, you ¡­¡±


    ¡°Fryday,¡± I said with a straight face, ¡°I¡¯m being very serious with you right now, me and Rafael, nothing! If that¡¯s why you hate me, you¡¯re wrong!¡±


    ¡°I used to be Willow¡¯s teacher, and I¡¯ve only met President Rafael once. Willow and I are more on speaking terms, and he gave me his private number, perhaps out of concern for his own daughter.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, what a brilliant move on your part!¡± Fryday grimaced, ¡°First win the favor of someone¡¯s daughter, then step by step, little by little, you can reach your goal! Hehe, why didn¡¯t I think of that!¡±


    I took a deep breath and smiled slightly, ¡°You really should be nicer to Willow ¡­ if you still want to fight for President Rafael back.¡±


    ¡°You admit it after all?¡± She suddenly gripped my wrist, ¡°You just can¡¯t see me being nice!¡±


    I shook her off hard.


    It¡¯s a good thing I¡¯m not wearing heels, and the thin three-inch heels she has under her feet obviously can¡¯t take the push. She stumbled and hit George¡¯s desk.


    Just about to snap, George cut her off.


    ¡°Fryday, I really have nothing against you.¡± I looked her in the eyes, ¡°We¡¯re both in the samepany, you¡¯re my senior, of course I want to make peace with you. But you¡¯re too deceitful, always treating me as an imaginary enemy, and you have to throw dirty water on me!¡±


    ¡°The police didn¡¯t pursue the matter of the car ident because I didn¡¯t pursue the case. For the sake of President George¡¯s face, I don¡¯t want to bring things to a standstill, but do you really think that I don¡¯t have evidence in my hands that you framed me?¡±


    Fryday¡¯s face changed, and his re at me gained a few more points of mischief.


    ¡°Please stop with the scheming.¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in President Rafael, you should instead reflect on yourself and why you still can¡¯t get to the top despite all your scheming!¡±


    ¡°Laura!¡± she reached out and swung her hand at me, and I was prepared for it and sidestepped her p.


    And she lost her bnce and almost fell.


    George goes over and pulls her back, she¡¯s a little hysterical and yelling like a maniac.


    ¡°Fryday, stop it!¡± George yelled angrily.


    ¡°And you¡¯re pulling me? You should be pulling her!¡± She screamed, ¡°Laura, you bitch! You want to fight me? Heh, I won¡¯t let you go! You¡¯re just like that Willow, you¡¯re both freaks! No wonder you¡¯re attracted to her, I think she was probably brought up by you to be against me at every turn! A couple of monsters!¡±


    She didn¡¯t notice George¡¯s face change.


    But I noticed that something was wrong with George.


    With an indignant shove, he ordered Fryday to stop. He was ring angrily, but his face was slightly flushed, his whole being puffed up, and that rare look of protection appeared on his face, which was always calm and wise.


    I knew he was doing it for Willow.


    I softly stopped, ¡°Fryday, stop it. After all, this is President George¡¯s office! What kind of negative news do you want to make before the media spreads it?¡±


    Fryday came back to her senses as well, sneering and breathing unsteadily. Straightening her hair, she paced her heels high and left.


    The world is suddenly quiet.


    George and I look at each other, silent for a moment, and he sighs, ¡°Sorry ¡­¡±


    Iugh softly, ¡°What kind of words are those?¡±


    ¡°Fryday has a bad temper.¡± He sits back, propping his head up a little weakly, ¡°But she wasn¡¯t like that when she first started out.¡±


    ¡°You still have old feelings for her?¡±


    George froze, then looked at me dumbfounded and smiled shyly, ¡°Nothing really escapes you.¡±


    ¡°President Rafael does he ¡­ know about your past?¡±


    He scratched his head, ¡°He knows all about it, but he doesn¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Fryday and I did date.¡± He said, ¡°But after she became popr, our rtionship faded. Then I took her to a charity g and she was instantly recognized by Rafael.¡±


    ¡°Rafael is a big tree, she can climb it and she¡¯ll be fine for the rest of her life.¡± I looked at him, ¡°And you, at the time, had someone else in mind, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    He hesitates and nods.


    ¡°I wanted her to be good with Rafael, so I was relieved.¡± He said, ¡°Fryday has a strong personality, it¡¯s a bit depressing to be with her.¡±


    ¡°Adolescent girls are simple and naive, and you¡¯re the only gaijin in her eyes. So it¡¯s easier to get along, right?¡±


    ¡°Laura, you ¡­¡± heughed.


    ¡°Fryday is going to have her work cut out for her if she really wants to marry into The Denoble Family.¡± I whisper, ¡°What hasn¡¯t a man like Rafael seen before? He¡¯s only with Fryday because she¡¯s young and pretty and a popr star. He¡¯s been lonely for years and wants a ymate, so of course he¡¯s looking for the woman who can bring him the most excitement. But finding a wife is not like that.¡±


    ¡°Finding a wife is going to be like you.¡± Georgeughed, ¡°Prettyes second, the main thing is smart, low-key, can handle all kinds of people, especially a difficult daughter.¡±


    I was startled.


    A sharp recollection of what Willow had told me.


    ¡°Laura,¡± he tightened his smile, ¡°you really haven¡¯t considered President Rafael?¡±


    I looked at him, my heart suddenly pounding.


    George was blunt, ¡°Rafael likes you a lot.¡±


    ¡°No ¡­¡± I was shocked and backed away, ¡°Are you kidding me!¡±


    ¡°I said seriously.¡± He looked at me, ¡°Laura, think about it, can you really have a future with Cameron?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You and him,¡± he lowered his voice, ¡°you are brother and sister after all.¡±


    ¡°You two are in a rtionship that is simply not seen as such. Especially now that you¡¯re in show business, how many people are waiting for you to make a mistake, waiting to see youugh! Take Fryday for example, if you two have this rtionship and she knows about it, she¡¯ll make a scene for everyone to see!¡±


    ¡°So from a friend¡¯s point of view, I think the best thing for both of you is to each find your other half.¡±


    ¡°And Rafael, indeed, is a good choice. He¡¯s interested in you, and you¡¯re close to Willow, so you certainly won¡¯t have any problems fitting in with The Denoble Family! As for Fryday, she loves nothing more than the status of a posh young grandmother, and there are plenty of Jerez State posh families out there, so I can introduce her to another one.¡±


    ¡°George!¡± I interrupted.


    I take a few deep breaths and try to stay calm, letting my heartbeat return to its normal rate.


    This was ridiculous.


    I could never ept this!


    ¡°George¡­¡± I whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t you go through all the trouble of pulling strings for me. You think I don¡¯t know? You just want to use me to impress Rafael so you can be with Willow in the future!¡±


    ¡°You ¡­ should be with Willow on your own merit! Don¡¯t get any ideas on me!¡±


    After saying that I ran out in a huff.


    Until I ran out of the building and ran to the street corner, my heart was still beating wildly.


    I can¡¯t say what I felt.


    Nervous, and a little heartbroken ¡­


    Cameron and I, we are not allowed to see the light of day, even if I gave him a daughter, we still can¡¯t be together ¡­


    Today George is pulling my strings, tomorrow someone else may be the moonman for Cameron. Anyone can love him, anyone can date him openly, only I can¡¯t!


    Because I¡¯m his sister. I can only love him in another capacity.


    Tears fell from my eyes and I crouched helplessly in the corner.


    For so long, I¡¯ve been under countless pressures, but none of them have been as painful and helpless as this. I hugged my knees and let out a cry in this deserted alley.


    ¡­


    I focused on my work.


    Now it was true that work was the only thing that could take my mind off all my troubles. I gradually found the joy of acting, I can experience all kinds of life, usually hold back too many emotions, but in the theater can be hysterical, free-spirited, cry when you want to cry,ugh when you want tough, you can live a happy life.


    When I¡¯m not filming, all my time belongs to Sunny.


    Sunny has be more and more understanding, she is a very independent child, she doesn¡¯t talk much when she meets strangers, but she bes a little chatterbox when she meets acquaintances.


    She likes to cling to me, but unfortunately I have very little time to spend with her, Yasmin takes good care of her and Cameron tries to spend time with her, so all in all, Sunny is quite happy.


    I¡¯m going to take a long vacation from thepany after this drama wraps up, so I can make it up to my daughter at home.


    However, there are always waves of turmoil in the showbiz world.


    I thought after thest time, Fryday would be a bit more restrained, but I didn¡¯t expect her to intensify her behavior.


    Laura¡¯s Love Song was finished, and there were a lot of unfavorable rumors about me on the inte. Some people even brought up the past, that I was the adopted daughter of The Lynch Family, that my father was a murderer, and that I had written articles for newspapers.


    I was scared to death that someone was going to blow the whistle on my real rtionship with The Lynch Family and my rtionship with Cameron. If that happened, I would have no ce at Jerez State!


    Oddly enough, however, these rumors only appeared for one day and then mysteriously disappeared the next. There was no trace of anything on the inte, and thements underneath ¡°Laura¡¯s Love Song¡± were lopsidedly favorable.


    The Curry Group posted an announcement on their official website, which was very simple, just mentioning that regarding false rumors hurting thepany¡¯s artists, thepany would reserve the right to pursue legal responsibility.


    I was a bit surprised that this storm came and went so quickly, and it didn¡¯t seem to affect me too much. Moreover, The Curry Group added more money than the budget to publicize ¡°Laura¡¯s Love Song¡±, a web series that was incredibly well-received and gained arge number of fans as soon as it aired.


    I became a Netflix sensation overnight.


    The sudden fame and fortune caught me off guard.


    In the past, I had no worries about going out, but now even if I go to the supermarket, I have to dress ording to the requirements of the image consultant, and I have to make sure that I look good in front of the public at all times.


    Whether I¡¯m shopping for groceries or having afternoon tea, I have to be fully armed and try to be unrecognizable.


    And I had to be more attentive to protect Sunny from being exposed to the media.


    It was very rare that I came home early that day.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    For me it was early, for Sunny, 9pm was the time she was already asleep. I quietly into her room, in her small face gently kissed, the day¡¯s fatigue instantly disappeared, there is a feeling of immense satisfaction.


    As I exited I smelled the aroma wafting from the kitchen.


    I ran over excitedly and Cameron was serving up a te of crab roasted wheat from a pot. I instantly did a double take, grabbing one and shoveling it into my mouth.


    Oily but not greasy, tender and delicious, the vor of crabmeat soaked through my taste buds.


    ¡°Well ¡­,¡± I sighed heartily, ¡°It¡¯s like I¡¯ve got the world!¡±


    ¡°What a foodie.¡± Cameron grunted lightly and smirked, ¡°Don¡¯t all actresses have to stay in shape?¡±


    ¡°Who wants to be an actress?¡± I sat down on my butt, grabbed my chopsticks and started chowing down.


    ¡°Actresses live a non-human life ¡­ can¡¯t eat cake chocte ice cream, can¡¯t drink coffee c milk tea, boiled green vegetables every day, drinks only in water, but also have to work out on time, and run to the beauty salon every day ¡­ to be squeezed to have no time for themselves at all, and live in the spotlight all their lives, magnifying their shorings for others to see!¡±


    I concluded, ¡°I¡¯m not going to suffer that!¡±


    Cameron looked at me strangely, ¡°So what are you now, Ms. Laura the Netflix sensation?¡±


    I yfully smiled at him, ¡°I got into acting just to experience another life. I didn¡¯t want to be famous.¡±


    I only thought of it as a job, so I didn¡¯t want to be famous in the first ce, I just wanted to earn some money to support my family.


    ¡°But you¡¯re famous now!¡± Cameron said lightly.


    I could hear a bit of resentment in his tone.


    My heart moved, put down my chopsticks, and asked him softly, ¡°Cameron, do you ¡­ not like me like this now?¡±


    He didn¡¯t look at me and didn¡¯t answer.


    We just sat quietly, for a long time, his low voice sounded, ¡°As long as you like it.¡±


    He raised his eyes, and his eyes were as deep as the cold sky, and I clearly saw my reflection.


    ¡°As long as ¡­ you grasp yourself, on the line.¡± He said softly.

 Laura鈥檚 POV 118

    A tremor ran through my heart.


    And with that, it hurt like hell too.


    Such a Cameron had never seen before, I once did not even dare to think about it.


    I always thought he was overbearing and unreasonable. But I¡¯ve never seen such a side of him: helpless, patient, unable to let go but forced to do so.


    ¡°Cameron,¡± I said in a low voice, ¡°many people think that actresses are canaries, and that after they be famous, they will marry a rich man and spend the rest of their lives in luxury without having to work hard. I used to hate that, I think it¡¯s an insult topare a woman to a canary.¡±


    ¡°But now ¡­,¡± I looked at him, ¡°I would love to be a canary in your hands.¡±


    He tightened his grip on my hand.


    My tears dripped onto the back of his hand. ¡°I want you to keep me on a leash for the rest of my life, and I¡¯ll never be able to fly away.¡±


    ¡°Silly,¡± he smiled, ¡°of course I would.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m afraid ¡­ that if one day you don¡¯t want to be with me anymore, you have the most honorable reason to leave me ¡­ because you¡¯re my brother, Cameron, and any woman can stand by your side, only me! No, I can¡¯t be there for you as a lover.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think so much.¡± He stroked my head, ¡°Aren¡¯t we good now?¡±


    ¡°But how long will this goodnessst?¡± I looked up at him.


    There was a hint of confusion and uncertainty in his eyes as well.


    We had given each other our all, and now, we could no longer give anything.


    ¡°Laura,¡± he forced a smile, ¡°what¡¯s wrong with you? Don¡¯t you always emphasize that we¡¯re brother and sister, that we shouldn¡¯t be together? Why are you being sentimental now! Have you been acting too much? Not out of character yet?¡±


    I let out a giggle and whacked him hard.


    ¡°By the way,¡± I said, ¡°Speaking of acting I want to ask you ¡­ when that web series of mine first aired, there were a lot of negative rumors, did you see them all?¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°But in just one day¡¯s time, those rumors were all squashed!¡±


    He gently nodded his head, his expression nd.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you?¡± I looked at him with wide eyes, ¡°You did it, didn¡¯t you? You used something to make those rumors disappear so quickly! Even The Curry Group¡¯s PR department couldn¡¯t match that speed!¡±


    Whoops, he licked his lips and hesitated, ¡°I didn¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I was going to intervene,¡± he said, ¡°but it¡¯s a media matter, after all, and I¡¯ve had rtively little dealings with the media industry, only George. Just as I was looking for connections and manpower, the false rumors had already been dropped.¡±


    I¡¯m still a little skeptical, ¡°Really ¡­ not you?¡±


    ¡°What am I lying to you for!¡± Heughed, ¡°If it¡¯s really me, I have to take this opportunity to take credit from you!¡±


    ¡°But I also think it¡¯s strange,¡± he frowned again, ¡°I also want to know who this person is, the movement is even sharper than George, things are done without a drop of water.¡±


    ¡°There ¡­ can¡¯t be any fraud in this, can there?¡± I asked.


    Cameron looked at me, a little appreciation appeared in his deep gaze. ¡°Not bad, learning to be shrewd! Finally know a thing to see through the phenomenon to see the essence!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right Laura,¡± he came around behind me and patted me on the shoulder, ¡°you¡¯re reassuring me more and more.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t always treat me like a child.¡± Iugh, ¡°I¡¯m a baby mama now! I¡¯m not the Laura I used to be.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    He lowers his head and gives me a soft kiss on the cheek.


    The moonlight shines in and spreads like ayer of frost on the living room floor, and Cameron embraces me as I walk over to him, leaning on his shoulder, wishing for the first time that the long night would never end.


    Laura¡¯s Love Song went all the way to the top of the charts. It was originally exclusive to one site, but it ended up being bought by several more sites to capitalize on the buzz.


    Fryday, on the other hand, was rarely seen during that time, and I heard that she lost a lot of job offers.


    I didn¡¯t feel likementing on anything, and I could only sigh softly at the news and then quickly get back to work.


    I¡¯ve been under a lot of pressure at worktely, with publicity rushesing in one after another, and talk show offers flying in like snowkes.


    My agent chooses my announcements very carefully and rehearses them with me before I go on them, so I have to keep in mind what to say and what not to say.


    I can¡¯t say whether this life is good or bad, it¡¯s just a very novel experience. More often than not, I feel like I¡¯m just a puppet, with the strings in other people¡¯s hands, and even the curvature of the corners of my mouth are all standardized by rules and regtions.


    No wonder many female celebrities rush out at the peak of their careers to marry and have children.


    These days are indeed exhausting.


    One day down the notice is alreadyte at night, I am exhausted, and I can not wait for a pillow to appear in front of me immediately.


    I leaned on the back seat of the car, the agent is still next to me and kept saying, this program where I performed well, where there are shorings, back to us to watch the rey, shorings have to be corrected in a timely manner¡­


    I really admire her superhuman-like energy, this big sister does not need to sleep?


    ¡°Oh my god, it¡¯s ringing again!¡± Sheined, ¡°I say Laura, your identity is different from before now, I¡¯d better change your cell phone number for you!¡±


    I froze and saw her holding my cell phone in her hand.


    She was the one who kept the cell phone while doing the show, she looked at me helplessly and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s been ringing since you were on the show! Check it out, which big shot is it?¡±


    I thought it was Cameron, but what appeared on the screen was a number with no notes.


    This number, it looked familiar ¡­


    I suddenly remembered that Rafael had written his private number down on a piece of paper.


    At that time, Cameron was angry, so I did not put this number into the phone, and then because of this number, Fryday several times against me, I did not put this number on my mind, I did not expect him to call at this time!


    I was so sleepy that I told the driver to pull over and jumped out of the car to pick up the phone.


    ¡°Ms. Laura,¡± Rafael¡¯s low, maic voice was on the other end, ¡°Didn¡¯t disturb your rest, did it?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I said, ¡°I was just working on the program.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to call you sote.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°Is Willow there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not ¡­,¡± his voice lowered, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°You?¡± I was in shock.


    When I didn¡¯t know before, I could treat him like a normal friend, but now that I understood what he thought of me, I resisted a little.


    ¡°Can I help you, Mr. Rafael?¡± I said softly.


    He hesitated and sighed slightly, ¡°I¡¯m taking the liberty ¡­ Ms. Laura, are you free tomorrow? I would like to take you to dinner, may I oblige?¡±


    ¡°It ¡­¡± I said, ¡°I do have tomorrow off, but it¡¯s not easy to take this day off, I want to spend time with my family.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t take up too much of your time. Ms. Laura, I have something very important I want to talk to you about, will you please oblige? At eleven-thirty noon, I¡¯ll have my driver pick you up.¡±


    ¡°Hey ¡­¡±


    Before I could say anything, he hung up on his end.


    I froze halfway through staring at my phone.


    This Rafael, with his brutal and overbearing temperament was truly nothingpared to Cameron.


    I got into my car, went home and fell asleep until almost noon the next day.


    My phone buzzed and vibrated, I picked it up and the person on the other end said, ¡°Miss Laura, Mr. Rafael asked me to pick you up, I¡¯m already downstairs at your house.¡±


    I giggled inwardly, cursing Rafael for being such a pushover as I quickly got up and freshened up and changed.


    This trip had to be made, and I had to tell him clearly and unambiguously that I hoped to keep a suitable distance in the future.


    When I arrived at the restaurant, the waiter guided me to a private room on the top floor. The decor was elegant and atmospheric, with a floor-to-ceiling window facing the sea. Four walls and the ceiling are ss, the sun shines in warm but not strong, the temperature and light are controlled just right.


    When you are in it, it is like a crystal house with a unique atmosphere.


    Rafael smiled and stood up, owing me a chair.


    ¡°You may not like red wine.¡± He said, ¡°I have champagne for you, Bolkov rose.¡±


    I watched silently as he poured the liquid into a highball ss, a bright peach color that was dreamy.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Rafael.¡± I clinked my ss with his, ¡°The champagne is very nice.¡±


    ¡°This is my private club.¡± He looked at me, ¡°If the food is not to your liking, be sure to let me know and I¡¯ll have the chef change it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡± I said, ¡°What exactly did Mr. Rafael want with me today?¡±


    He puts down his knife and fork, his eyes lingering on my face for a moment.


    ¡°Ms. Laura, I won¡¯t beat around the bush.¡± He said softly, ¡°I have a favor to ask.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°I want you ¡­ to leave Fryday alone.¡±


    I was stunned, my heart feeling as if it was plummeting from high in the sky.


    It turned out that I would be wrong, he set up this Hongmen Banquet to plead for Fryday.


    I looked at him, suddenly not knowing what expression to make, so I forced a smile, ¡°Why would Mr. Rafael say that? What could I possibly have against Fryday?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Laura ¡­¡±


    ¡°Fryday caused me to get into a car ident and got me attacked by all those opinionated people on the inte, if it were you, would you let her go?¡±


    Rafael stared at me, his eyes weren¡¯t sharp, but they had their own aura of austerity.


    Men of his age and experience hide their sharpness long ago, they know how to hide the thorns in their body in the right ces, or else they hurt themselves.


    ¡°Ms. Laura,¡± heughed softly, ¡°you¡¯re right, she really doesn¡¯t deserve forgiveness for what she did. But she¡¯s getting hereuppance now, her workload has been greatly reducedtely.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the way the game is yed in this circle, no matter what kind of news, as long as you have exposure and you live in the limelight, you win. But Fryday is now blocked, and George doesn¡¯t want to enable her anymore, if it goes on like this ¡­ her years of hard work will be lost.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t she ask for this?¡± I hooked the corner of my mouth.


    The te of steak in front of me was good, beef flown in from Australia, and the sauce had a unique vor that whetted the appetite.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it rare.¡± I wiped it with my napkin, ¡°Can Mr. Rafael switch it to medium rare for me?¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± Rafael waves his hand and someone next to him takes my te.


    ¡°Anything else Ms. Laura wants, I¡¯ll be sure to amodate.¡±


    I take a deep breath and a big gulp of champagne.


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯d love to be spared.¡± Iughed, ¡°But I¡¯m really not that generous.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an extraordinary woman.¡± He looked at me, ¡°I knew it from the first time I saw you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tter me like that, I¡¯d really go soft.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Laura.¡± He nodded slightly again andughed softly, ¡°I, Rafael, have never been so polite to any woman.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s time you changed your temper.¡±


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t speak, both eyes fixed on me, his brow furrowed, but a smile pregnant at the corners of his mouth.


    Tried tough but couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°So it seems that Fryday is important to you.¡± I scowled. ¡°You¡¯re willing to be polite to another woman for her. So why won¡¯t you marry her? You would have married her earlier and saved yourself all this trouble today. You should know why Fryday messed with me several times, it¡¯s because she misunderstood ¡­¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t misunderstand.¡± Rafael snapped, ¡°These things, are not misunderstandings.¡±


    I froze.


    There was so much moreplexity in his eyes; pity, tolerance, thoughtfulness, tenderness, and manly desire.


    ¡°But Mr. Rafael, I ¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand where you¡¯reing from,¡± he interrupted, ¡°and I¡¯m not going to impose on you. At my age, I have long since learned that truth, that what is forced is not sweet.¡±


    ¡°Laura,¡± he called my name softly, ¡°I admire you, I¡¯ve felt differently about you from the first time I met you. I don¡¯t want that admiration to bother you though.¡±


    ¡°As for my affair with Fryday, it is none of your business. After much thought, I realized that I still care more about my daughter¡¯s feelings ¡­ I owe my child too much and want to make it up to her.¡±


    I was on pins and needles under his gaze.


    His words in and out of the right way, the proportion of the precise pinch, and his whole body, with a mature and stable, let a person irresistible charm.


    Perhaps what Fryday loves is not the status of a young grandmother of a wealthy family, this man, is worthy of love.


    ¡°After Fryday followed me, she paid a lot for me.¡± He continued, ¡°including the loss of that child.¡±


    ¡°The news of her miscarriage couldn¡¯t be known to the media, so she didn¡¯t take a day off and went straight from the hospital to the show. I do feel a little heartbroken about that ¡­¡±


    Rafael sighs andughs softly, ¡°Even if I can¡¯t give her marriage, I want her to befortable.¡±


    I was silent.


    In the middle of the day, he continued, ¡°It was her fault that she targeted you before, so when rumors against you reappeared online, I did everything I could to silence those rumors.¡±


    ¡°So it was you?¡± I was stunned.


    He still had a very gentlemanly smile on his face, ¡°I hope I can earn your forgiveness for doing this.¡±


    ¡°Fryday came from a poor background with little to no background, it wasn¡¯t easy for her to get to where she is today.¡± Rafael looked at me, the smile on his lips had a different meaning, ¡°And you, even as an adopted daughter, you grew up with The Lynch Family to fall back on, am I right?¡±


    My heart snapped up and both my hands twisted together unconsciously under the table.


    His gaze was deep and inscrutable. I didn¡¯t know exactly how much he knew, but the fact that he¡¯d investigated me meant he¡¯de prepared.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not deliberately investigating you. I don¡¯t have this habit of prying into people¡¯s privacy.¡± He smirked, ¡°The one who blocked Fryday this time, is Cameron.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Laura, the rtionship between you and Cameron is not that simple, right?¡±

 Laura鈥檚 POV 119

    I was silent for about a couple dozen seconds.


    But those short tens of seconds passed quite long. My mind was spinning fast, people¡¯s IQ is the highest when they are in a hurry, right?


    ¡°My rtionship with him?¡± I settled back andughed softly, ¡°In what way does Mr. Rafael mean?¡±


    ¡°I did grow up in The Lynch Family, and I¡¯m known as brother and sister to two of The Lynch Family¡¯s brothers. If that¡¯s any kind of rtionship, then ¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so good at excusing yourself!¡± Rafael cracked a smile,ughing without a trace of burden.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I would excuse it, but I wouldn¡¯t rely on anyone.¡± I pursed my lips.


    The steak had been made medium rare and brought up, and I nonchntly sliced a piece.


    ¡°Is there another dessert?¡± I asked, ¡°Macaroons are too sweet, and my agent has orders that I¡¯m not allowed to eat anything too sweet. Preferably a croissant, the kind with a hint of savory.¡±


    Rafael shakes his head hopelessly, the smirk still on his face.


    He arranges for the waiter to serve dessert as I requested.


    ¡°Everything as Ms. Laura wishes!¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Iughed, ¡°It¡¯s true that my rtionship with Cameron is a bitplicated, but I really didn¡¯t know that he was the one who put the seal on it. I broke into acting because of George¡¯s knowledge and because I wanted to experience another life. I don¡¯t want to rely on anyone, and I want every penny I make to be my own hard-earned money.¡±


    ¡°So ¡­¡± I shrugged, ¡°Mr. Rafael can tell Fryday that being a rich young grandma isn¡¯t every female artist¡¯s goal, at least not mine. She doesn¡¯t have to be hostile towards me, because my world, will be wider than hers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell her.¡± Rafael¡¯s eyes softened, ¡°Ms. Laura, would it be possible to ask Cameron to remove the gag order?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± I promised him.


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    Rafael pours me another ss of champagne. We clinked our sses and the moment our eyes met, my face flushed for no reason.


    I had a different opinion of him, too.


    I thought he was stubborn, unreasonable, and a cold, selfish man, but now it seems that he¡¯s not new to the world and still values his feelings.


    The webcast of Laura¡¯s Love Song exceeded 2 billion.


    This number can¡¯t be said to be brilliant, but it¡¯s considered the best among web series produced at a small cost. Because of this small achievement, I¡¯ve be thepany¡¯s rookie, and many of the top stars under George¡¯s hand are courteous when they see me, praising me for my unlimited future.


    I don¡¯t know how many press releases George bought, but the inte was full of praises, and the media blew me away.


    I couldn¡¯t even stand to look at all the fluffypliments.


    Cameron, however, was watching with great interest. He never paid much attention to the entertainment news, but he was on his cell phone all day long those days, flipping through the headlines and such,ughing as he did so.


    ¡°Laura that¡¯s an ugly picture of you!¡±


    ¡°Your face looks fat from this angle!¡±


    ¡°Wow, Laura, I didn¡¯t realize you had such thick legs?¡±


    ¡°Is this one considered a hard photo and how many times did you photoshop it?¡±


    I give him a hateful nk look and he snickers, picking up his phone and waving it in front of my face.


    I ignored him and sat on the windowsill, suddenly a big hand rested on my shoulder, coarse fingers lightly picking my chin, and when I raised my eyes I was met with his bad smile.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯re an actress, you mustn¡¯t just get angry. Anger grows wrinkles!¡±


    ¡°Cameron, you ¡­,¡± I cried.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had a little sess, I¡¯ll arrange a celebration for you!¡±


    ¡°Celebration?¡±


    He smiled mysteriously.


    Three dayster, he took me to the beach.


    At that time, twilight, the gorgeous evening sun will be the seaside sky reflected pink-orange color, the sea and sky line like there is a brilliant golden edge.


    There was a yacht parked on the sea, pure white hull, a few seagulls dancing around it, everything seemed like a dream.


    On it was written Laura No. 1 in ck letters.


    ¡°Laura One again?¡± I smiled at him, ¡°You moved the restaurant on Blossom Hill Rd here?¡±


    ¡°I bought this yacht for you.¡± Cameron gently held my shoulder, ¡°Ms. Laura, may I have the pleasure of a cruise?¡±


    I followed him on board, the yacht was spacious and decorated in a luxurious and extravagant European style. It was as if I had walked into a magical castle, and Cameron was the knight guarding me faithfully.


    I looked back at him andughed softly, ¡°You¡¯re the only one who can make me feel like a princess.¡±


    He leans over and kisses my forehead, ¡°It¡¯s okay to be a princess, but don¡¯t ever be a sleeping princess.¡±


    ¡°Cameron ¡­¡± I looked at him with some excitement.


    His rigid face is particrly charming in the fireworks splendor. He held my hand tightly and whispered in my ear, ¡°As long as you like, I will give you ¡­ all of them If you can¡¯t ept it, take it as a brother¡¯s favor to his sister, OK?¡±


    I looked at him in a daze and couldn¡¯t help but wet my eyes.


    ¡°Hey, you two don¡¯t go too far oh!¡± Suddenly a voice came out, ¡°Cameron, you¡¯re so inadequate, letting us hold it in the cabin for so long while you just focus on being here for two!¡±


    I turned around to see George and Gina smilingly walking out from the cabin, still leading Sunny.


    Sunny immediately jumped over as soon as she saw me, I hugged her tightly and kissed her on her pink little face, I couldn¡¯t get enough of it.


    ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± I was surprised and delighted.


    ¡°To celebrate the future movie queen together!¡± Gina took out a bottle of red wine from the barrel.


    ¡°What are you talking about!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± George smiled, ¡°I told you I had the right vision! You¡¯ve worked hard in the past few years, and you¡¯ll definitely win the Golden Lion Award as a movie queen in the future!¡±


    ¡°My brother will also give you absolute support behind you!¡± Gina snaps.


    I waved my hand in fear, ¡°Forget it! I don¡¯t have that much ambition, I¡¯ve already risked half of my life in a web series this time, a Golden Lion? That¡¯s not something I can get!¡±


    ¡°Look at you!¡± George gave me a nk look.


    He poured drinks for everyone, and the clinking of sses, the crisp sound of pinging, apanied by the waves, was exceptionally pleasing to the ear.


    I snuggled up next to Cameron, a moment of infinite contentment.


    George suddenly remembered something, ¡°Hey, Laura! While the scenery is beautiful, your makeup is not smudged, and there is a yacht and wine, hurry up and take a picture and post it on Twitter!¡±


    ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°To get popr!¡± He said, ¡°Of course, we don¡¯t have to be in the picture. All you need to do is tell your fans that you¡¯re attending a social event in this environment, and your poprity will surely rise!¡±


    With that, he pulled out his cell phone and assigned me a few positions to pose in, and told me to put on my sunsses, in which Cameron¡¯s silhouette should ideally be vaguely reflected, so as to keep the fans guessing whether this was my boyfriend or not.


    I was helpless, ¡°Is this a publicity tactic?¡±


    ¡°There are plenty of tactics in this circle, this is just skin deep.¡± Georgeughed.


    I sighed softly, ¡°I can¡¯t even eat a meal in peace!¡±


    However, I didn¡¯t realize that what made me even more unsettled was yet toe.


    George was about to take a picture of me when suddenly his face froze and he stared straight at his phone.


    When he lifted his eyes again, a stony, quizzical gaze swept over Cameron and me.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I ask.


    George¡¯s gaze darkened, and he looked at Cameron with a few qualms.


    I had a very bad feeling in the back of my mind.


    ¡°Brother, what the hell!¡± Gina got impatient and took his cell phone.


    Her face changed as well, and after a moment of hesitation, she shed the contents of her phone for us to see.


    It was entertainment headlines from major websites.


    The sites never ovepped in what they reported, and this time they broke the same story: rich businessman Rafael having lunch with a mystery woman, who was suspected to be rising star Laura!


    The report was apanied by a photo of me having lunch with Rafael.


    Although the rity was not high, but the discerning eye took one look at the silhouette and knew that it was definitely me and Rafael.


    For a moment my hands and feet went cold, my scalp tingled, and a chill crept up my spine.


    I subconsciously looked at Cameron, who was grimacing, his brows furrowed and he was gently biting his lower lip.


    ¡°Cameron, I ¡­¡±


    I hadn¡¯t figured out how to exin it to him when George looked at me a little reproachfully, ¡°How can you have this kind of news at this time?¡±


    ¡°I ¡­¡±


    ¡°Laura, this is very troublesome and not good for your public image!¡±


    George turned around and made a series of phone calls, telling the PR people to make sure this news is taken down, and asking the nning people to think of a good idea to see what can divert the public¡¯s attention, so that people can fade this news away as soon as possible.


    He was busy, but I was sitting on the sidelines, and Cameron was quiet, not like him at all.


    There were several times I tried to open my mouth to talk to him, but one look at his ice cube-like face and rejecting attitude made me wince.


    ¡°Daddy ¡­,¡± Sunny panicked a little, looked at him and then at me, and asked with a little beak, ¡°Can I have a cupcake?¡±


    Cameron tenderly held her in his arms and smiled at her, gently picking up a piece of cupcake and feeding it to her mouth.


    Tears sprang out of my eyes unexpectedly, ¡°Cameron ¡­ you listen to me, it¡¯s not like that, it¡¯s all written by the news ¡­ I, I did have dinner with Rafael, but we ¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop it.¡± He looked at me coldly and let out a lightugh, there was something else in his gaze.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take Sunny home first.¡±


    ¡°Cameron!¡±I rush, stepping forward and pulling him back, ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me?¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to trust you for? Heh, who am I to you? At best, I¡¯m just your brother!¡±


    ¡°No ¡­¡±


    ¡°You have the right to date other people.¡±


    ¡°Cameron!¡± i screamed.


    ¡°Laura!¡± he turned to re at me, ¡°Don¡¯t say anything. I¡¯m saving your face in front of Sunny ¡­ so be quiet too!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything shady!¡± I was trembling, ¡°In the end, this is still because of you! If it wasn¡¯t for you blocking Fryday, Rafael wouldn¡¯t have found me! Rafael came to me because he wanted to ask for my help, begging you to revoke your block on Fryday!¡±


    Cameron¡¯s steps paused, but he didn¡¯t turn around.


    The yacht docked quickly and he disembarked with Sunny in his arms, not long after hearing the sound of a car starting up and fading into the vastness of the night.


    My legs are weak kneeling on the deck, tears choked in my throat, want to cry but can not cry out.


    My mind was in a daze.


    Gina put her arms around my shoulders and whispered softly tofort me.


    My voice choked, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on here ¡­ Just now I was watching the fireworks with Cameron on the deck, and he smiled so gently at me, saying that as long as I like it, he¡¯ll give it to me ¡­ But why did it turn out like this? why did it turn out like this in the blink of an eye?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t me Cameron!¡± came George¡¯s hurried footsteps, ¡°You were too careless! How could anyone take a picture?¡±


    ¡°Laura,¡± he crouched down in front of me, ¡°Come on, don¡¯t feel too bad ¡­ The PR department has already started to act, and this news will be pulled down soon. But because there are pictures this time, whatever the actual situation is, it¡¯s not very good.¡±


    ¡°What you need to do now is to be silent. Don¡¯te out to exin, don¡¯t mention this. When the heat slowly dies down it¡¯ll be fine!¡±


    I raised my teary eyes to his, ¡°But Cameron ¡­¡±


    ¡°And you have the heart to care about Cameron. Mind your own business first!¡±


    George sighed, ¡°Actually ¡­ Laura, I think it¡¯s really not a good idea for you and Cameron to go on like this.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Brother!¡± Gina red at him, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It was meant to be, Cameron is your brother, and with a rtionship like yours, you can either sneak around for the rest of your life, ore out in the open and be treated like a joke and a legend by the whole world! Which do you want to choose?¡±


    ¡°Either way!¡± Gina was not fair to me, ¡°People live their lives for themselves, it¡¯s none of other people¡¯s business.¡±


    ¡°Oh, for themselves?¡± George sneered, ¡°Aren¡¯t they getting married? What about when they get a marriage license? Brother and sister to get a marriage license? Is that allowed byw!¡±


    ¡°Brother!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay!¡± George waved his hand and said to me again, ¡°Laura, in fact, as a friend, I wish you guys a good life ¡­ but you are destined to be together because of your rtionship!¡±


    ¡°Both of you should stop fooling yourselves, why don¡¯t you take this opportunity to get things straight!¡± He said, ¡°I think Rafael¡¯s fine, and you and Willow hit it off ¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to make it.¡± I blurted out, ¡°I don¡¯t get along with Rafael ¡­ He still has Fryday in his heart. This time he invited me to dinner to plead for Fryday!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so dead-set!¡±


    ¡°Brother, don¡¯t be so stubborn!¡± Gina was on my side, ¡°I think Cameron and Laura are made for each other, brother and sister or not, the two of them are perfect together!¡±


    I got a headache from their noise and waved my hand to stand up.


    My legs and feet were numb and I limped toward the shore.


    I wanted to go home ¡­ back to the home that belonged to me and Cameron.


    I¡¯ve never missed that home as much as I do right now.


    It was close to midnight when I got back, Sunny was asleep and Yasmin was taking care of her. Cameron was nowhere to be found.


    I expected all this, I smiled bitterly, tears falling on the back of my hand. I did not turn on the light, in the dark I touched every piece of furniture in this room, every inch of the wall, every floor tile ¡­ every ce is Cameron hand decorated, every ce has his temperature.


    But now, he wouldn¡¯te back.


    For a whole week, we were in a cold war.


    But he did not lose contact with me, he woulde back every day to see Sunny, and greet me politely, but this kind of politeness seems to be cold, and a thick wall appeared between me and him.


    That¡¯s when thepany struck while the iron was hot and arranged another movie for me.


    ¡°This time the movie is a big production, the special effects artists were hired from Hollywood!¡± George got the script and said to me, ¡°You¡¯re the second female in it, you have a lot of parts, especially the fight scenes, you have to make the most of it!¡±


    I nodded my head nkly.


    He patted me on the shoulder, ¡°Let¡¯s put Cameron aside, work is important! By the way, this time, we¡¯re going to shoot the exterior scenes first, we have to go into the desert, so hurry up and get ready, wait for the director¡¯s notice!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I froze, ¡°Going to the desert?¡±

 Laura鈥檚 POV 120

    Despite a thousand reluctance in my heart, thepany¡¯s arrangement had to beplied with.


    George said, ¡°Laura, your rtionship with Cameron needs to be chilled right now, maybe if you pull away for a while and you each have space and time, the problem will be solved!¡±


    I thought about it, and that made sense.


    George was a veteran of love affairs, and he was certainly more experienced in these matters than I was.


    The day of departure to the desert was set for the next day, I didn¡¯t even have time to arrange things at home, I just hurriedly exined a few words to Yasmin, simply packed my luggage and set off.


    Even the script was read on the way.


    The movie was called Bad of the Desert. And I yed the female number two, a cold-blooded female assassin, who followed the great general faithfully, was bitterly unrequited, and helped him solve a lot of thorny problems, with a tragic ending.


    Probably because of the state of mind at that time, my eyes staring at the script actually unknowingly shed tears.


    Shooting was in full swing.


    The desert climate is a great challenge for me. This time, the director chose the location at a high altitude, with a dry climate and a big difference in temperature between morning and evening. The first few days were very difficult for me to adapt to, and I would often get dizzy.


    At noon, I almost suffered from heat stroke, and at night, I would often wake up from the cold, and my hands and feet would still be cold despite how many nkets I covered them with.


    What¡¯s worse is that themunication signal there is very poor, and the cell phone signal is sporadic. Sometimes when I was waiting for a scene on the set, I wanted to video Sunny at home to see what she was doing, but the top left corner of my cell phone had three big, chilling words, ¡°No Service¡±.


    I suffered like this for half a month.


    Suddenly one day the director gave me a day off, ¡°Laura, look who¡¯sing to visit you?¡± I was shocked to see Rafael from afar.


    I was shocked to see Rafael approaching from a distance. He was dressed in a white tracksuit and a ducktail hat, and he was looking very good, looking radiant.


    ¡°Mr. Rafael?¡± I rushed to greet him.


    Willow poked her little head out from behind him and gave me a mischievous squeeze.


    ¡°You¡¯re here too!¡± I was overjoyed.


    ¡°The boy knew you were filming here and had toe see what it was like on location.¡± Rafaelughed lightly, ¡°I didn¡¯t feelfortable with hering alone, so I followed her here.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Dad you need to speak with a conscience!¡± Willow pouted, ¡°Obviously you¡¯re the one who reads at home all day long that Ms. Laura is filming in the desert, the conditions must be tough ¡­¡±


    Rafael red at her before the words left his mouth. Willow smiled and made a face at me.


    I instantly realized what was going on here.


    Rafael¡¯s eyes are gentle and the smile on his lips seems to melt people.


    My face heats up, only to hear Rafael whisper, ¡°The conditions here are not good, but I know it¡¯s your job and you can¡¯t turn it down. I still want you to befortable working though. I¡¯ve got something for you, so don¡¯t refuse.¡±


    ¡°Here, I chose this great gift!¡± Willow waved her hand behind her, and immediately someone carried over a box, and she excitedly pulled me over to look at it.


    Inside the box were electric warmers, electric nkets, two sets of woolen thermals, and whole bottles of toners, moisturizing sprays, sunscreens, and the like.


    ¡°It¡¯s hot during the day and cold at night here, so that¡¯s what I have!¡± Willow spat out her tongue and touched my face with her small hand, ¡°Ms. Laura, look at you, you¡¯ve only been filming for a few days and your whole body is dark and thin! These cosmetics and maintenance products are all ones that I¡¯ve used and found to be quite effective!¡±


    ¡°The things aren¡¯t expensive, you must take them.¡± Rafael smiled, whispering in my ear, ¡°I know, you don¡¯t like to specialize. If I buy you a nice house here and get someone to take care of you, I¡¯m afraid that if word gets out, people will say that you¡¯re ying big shots. That¡¯s not what you want.¡±


    ¡°So thought it would be better to send you something practical. These didn¡¯t cost much either, but our thoughts go out to you.¡± Rafael¡¯s voice trailed off, ¡°Laura, I know you value the thought more than the form. Do I count this as throwing in the towel?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t speak for a moment, I just felt my face burning.


    Rafael¡¯s eyes were gentle and deep.


    Cameron was a fire, and Rafael was the all-epassing sea, a force to be reckoned with in its calmness.


    I nodded, long enough to whisper, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Can we take the day off?¡± Rafael looks at me.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Before I could respond, he had called the director over. The two said something, and the director, beaming, greeted the entire cast and crew with a day off today.


    It turned out that Rafael had chartered a camel caravan and invited the crew to travel with him through the desert.


    ¡°Mr. Rafael, this ¡­¡± I gently tugged on the corner of his coat.


    He looked back, perhaps because of his age, I always felt that there was doting in his eyes.


    He smiled and said to me, ¡°I invited the whole crew, no one will write anything about it. Besides, inviting it in your name will also allow you to get along with the director and integrate into the team as soon as possible.¡±


    My heart warmed and I looked at him gratefully. ¡°Thanks ¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± He said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go y together?¡±


    Before I could react, he jerked my hand, interlocking his fingers with mine naturally, and pulled my hand into his pocket.


    I wiggled out of it twice, and he didn¡¯t force the issue, keeping a very genteel smile on his face. He helped me onto a camel and then let go.


    Willow jumped on right after him.


    ¡°You two are so much fun.¡± Heughed, ¡°I¡¯ll be right behind you!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry dad!¡± Willow was very yful, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of ¡®your¡¯ teacher Laura!¡±


    ¡°You kids!¡±


    The camel got up and I nearly lost my bnce for a moment.


    The leader told me to lean in with Willow, grab the reins, and it took a while to get used to it before I found the joy of riding a camel.


    The Dunhuangndscape is exotic and mysterious. I grew a little mesmerized and excited, and whatever I saw was new and I couldn¡¯t wait to share it with mypanions.


    Willow, however, had disappointment written all over her little face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I probably guessed what she was thinking and smiled, ¡°Is it that you don¡¯t want to ride a camel with me?¡±


    ¡°Not at all!¡± She forced a smile.


    ¡°Ugh, I know!¡± I deliberately said, ¡°How meaningless it is to y with an old woman like me! For something like riding a camel, of course you have to be with your lover! That¡¯s the only way to feel like you¡¯re the wind and I¡¯m the sand. ¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Willow really anxious, eyebrows knitted, beeping small mouth, a small face pink through red, especially cute.


    ¡°Well well well, don¡¯t say it!¡± I put one hand on her shoulder, ¡°George was originally going toe over with the crew, but he¡¯s the boss after all, with all kinds of official business!¡±


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s the only one in the world who¡¯s busy!¡± She grunted lightly.


    But after all, he was young, emotionse and go quickly, and it didn¡¯t take long for him to regain his spirit again, talking andughing with a few other actors, and he was going to stay with the crew and learn acting from everyone else.


    ¡°Still really staying?¡± I asked her, ¡°Would your dad approve?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to school anyway, so let me learn acting!¡± She was full of concern and longing, ¡°This ¡­ might also be the closest way to get to him, don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    I froze, then smiled.


    She was a girl in love.


    Losing her mind, with zero IQ, all she thinks about every day is how to please her beloved. Such a girl is cute, yet also a bit pathetic.


    But I still have a lot of respect for her. She can love someone like a moth to a me. Even if the result is not satisfactory, but tried, struggled, fought, love will have no regrets.


    What about me?


    Can I love him as much as she does?


    I can¡¯t. I¡¯m afraid to even admit my rtionship with him, and to this day I keep Sunny firmly under wraps at home for fear that people will learn that I have a child with my brother.


    I care about too many things, fame, fortune, reputation, other people¡¯s opinions ¡­ all the wind and grass can make me like a scared bird. It¡¯s amazing that all these out-of-body thingse before Cameron.


    I¡¯m also afraid that Cameron will lose his reputation because of this.


    Maybe no results is what I¡¯ll get with him ¡­


    I shook my head, a bitter feeling welling up in my heart.


    I continued to focus on filming, those days the progress was fast, it was supposed to take two months to shoot the location, ording to this progress a month and a half will be enough.


    Willow had already gone back, ultimately young and enthusiastic like a gust of wind.


    That day I had a solo scene.


    The scene was not a light one, it was a female assassin facing thousands of soldiers, and there were several close-ups of me. The director filmed me first, and during the fight I was asked to roll around in the desert.


    At noon, the sun hung in the sky like a fireball, burning the desert like a ball of fire. I rolled around in the sand and did what the martial arts director asked me to do, but no matter how I filmed it, it was not up to the director¡¯s standard.


    Yet I was already bruised and battered, with falls, contusions, and burned skin from the sand.


    ¡°Laura,¡± the director frowned, ¡°you need tomit a little more! Think about it, the second female is trying to save the male lead, and she¡¯s luring a thousand troops away by herself, she¡¯s bound to die! How tragic this emotion is! It needs to feel like you¡¯re at home with death, don¡¯t be so soft in your fall, okay?¡±


    I bit my lip and said nothing.


    The costume was soaked with sweat, and it was ufortable to stick to my skin. My mouth was dry, my brain was foggy, and I felt like the blood in my body was rushing to my head, and the soles of my feet were light when I walked.


    The agent gave me a bottle of ice water and whispered in my ear, ¡°Laura, fight for it! Stick with this scene, and we¡¯ll be able to go home ¡­ Go for it!¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± I nodded my head vigorously.


    I didn¡¯t hear anything else, but I heard the word ¡°home¡±.


    Home ¡­ home can see Sunny, can hold the little girl in the palm of your hand again. Home can also see Cameron, not seen me for more than a month, his anger should be subsided, right?


    As soon as I get home I might be able to smell the crab roasting wheat again ¡­


    Iughed and continued with the shooting. As soon as the director yells ¡°go¡±, I grab my props and roll around in the sand as required.


    ¡°Good, good mood!¡± The director shouted, ¡°Keep it up!¡±


    I was relieved.


    However a headlong rush, I didn¡¯t expect my feet to slip and my whole body rolled down that dune like a ball. I panicked, grabbing and stomping, but the sand was all around me, so I couldn¡¯t grab anything.


    I heard them yelling ¡°Laura¡±, but I was falling faster than they could save me.


    I have no strength, the yellow sand will bury me, a strong to the nose and eyes drilling ¡­ thud, my eyes ck, back knocked on something, drilling pain.


    Waiting for the pain to slowly disappear, I also came back to my senses, which realized that I fell into a hole.


    Surrounded by darkness, the panic in my heart also built up to the peak. Only the little bit of the cave entrance had bright light pouring in.


    My legs went weak and I screamed for help, but I couldn¡¯t hear anything but my echo. The feeling at that moment was as if I had been abandoned by the world, and as if the whole world had perished and I was the only one left.


    I clutched my head and cried, hunger, thirst, fear, and the exertion of these days had strained my nerves to the verge of copse.


    No one came to my rescue until nightfall, while I groped around and all at once felt an animal skull. I screamed as all my sanity was consumed by this darkness. I was helpless and desperate, I thought I might die here ¡­ just like these animals, finally found by people, only a pile of white bones left.


    It was in this fear and despair that I survived until dawn the next day, when the sun rose and the temperature in the cave rose a little. I moved my numb arms and legs and tried to find out if there was any escape route through the weak light.


    I can¡¯t die.


    My daughter can¡¯t live without her mom. ¡­


    I suddenly remembered my time as a war correspondent in Alcostan, I had survived the harsh and dangerous conditions, I had survived the war, so what hurdle could I not get through?


    So I cheered myself up, and walked along the hole, but I really touched the wall of the cave seems to have vines.


    Tugged hard, the hole fell into the sand.


    This means that the vines are growing outside!


    I was ecstatic and climbed up the cave wall a little bit. I can¡¯t tell you what I went through, it felt like a walk through hell. Three steps up, two steps back, but I made it out.


    The moment my palm touched the hole, it was as if I had been reborn. It was only then that I realized that my palms were abraded with skin and blood, and the fiery pain bored all the way into my heart.


    However, before I had time to be happy, I found a more serious problem ¡­ The scenery around here was changed, the surroundings were empty, and a few vultures circled in the sky, making creepy cries.


    I remembered that time when I was traveling on a camel, I heard the locals talk about sandstorms. Once this kind of desert storm passes through, all the scenery will change drastically, making people lose their direction in the vast desert ¡­


    I leg a soft paralyzed sitting on the ground, my mind is nk, even the strength to cry are not.


    Is it my destiny to die in this desert?


    I tried to walk out, but a day and a night without food, climbed out of that hole and consumed a lot of my physical strength, my mouth is dry, hunger and sleepy, did not walk a few steps in front of my eyes a ck ¡­ Wake up again, lying in a soft chair, the tip of the nose and the smell of sandalwood.


    And Cameron, just beside me quietly watching me!


    I was shocked and struggled to sit up, but my whole body hurt like it was falling apart.


    Cameron pressed my shoulder to let me lie down, when I felt the softness and warmth of his palm, I was sure that I was not dreaming, and I did not die ¡­ He saved me, he let me live once again!Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Cameron ¡­¡± As soon as I called out his name, my voice immediately choked, and I couldn¡¯t stop the tears from flowing down.


    ¡°Cameron, will you give me a hug?¡± I whispered, ¡°I miss you so much ¡­¡±

 Laura鈥檚 POV 121

    Cameron didn¡¯t make a move.


    He looked at me and moved his lips but said nothing. There was something veryplicated in his eyes that I couldn¡¯t read or guess, but at that moment my heart was ecstatic.


    Not only was I not dead, but I could see him again!


    ¡°Cameron ¡­¡± I called to him softly again, ¡°Where is this?¡±


    I hear the sound of a humming engine and the ce is rocking every now and then.


    Cameron slowly helps me up, adjusts the seat back and hands me a ss of water.


    ¡°On my ne.¡± He said, ¡°You¡¯re stuck in the desert and the only way I can find you is by ne.¡±


    ¡°Oh ¡­¡± I nodded, ¡°So where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Back to the hotel downtown, of course!¡± Suddenly a chirpy voice came.


    I was startled to see Fryday slowly walk into this cabin, twisting and turning in a red dress of vor.


    She had a smile on her face as if she were a victor.


    She gently sat down next to Cameron, smiled sweetly at him, and put her hand on his shoulder.


    Cameron didn¡¯t push her away.


    ¡°Cameron, the crew has prepared lunch, but the conditions here are really simple, and the food is not much ¡­ When the nends, how about we go to the hotel to eat?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat something on the airne first.¡± Cameron said lightly, ¡°Laura hasn¡¯t eaten for a day and a night, her body won¡¯t be able to take it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Fryday smiled and pressed a ringing bell on her hand.


    Then someone brought airne food.


    There¡¯s not a lot of variety, but it¡¯s all ording to my favorite vors. I look at Cameron, Fryday is snuggled up next to him, they look and act as if they are close ¡­


    I was very confused, but my heart gave an involuntary twitch.


    ¡°Cameron, you go to rest, Ms. Laura here to me.¡±


    ¡°You take care.¡±


    Cameron stood up, and it was as if I had be an insignificant person in his eyes.


    I want to call out to him, but Fryday snaps and presses my hand. She hooks her lips, her eyes hiding a lot of words.


    Cameron walks into the front cabin.


    I shake Fryday off and look at her angrily, ¡°Why are you here? I don¡¯t need you to take care of me, so get out too!¡±


    ¡°Ms. Laura, don¡¯t be angry.¡± She covered me with the nket andughed, ¡°I know you don¡¯t like seeing me, but Cameron asked me toe with him, so could I note?¡±


    ¡°Him?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± She said, ¡°Ms. Laura, I actually have you to thank for that ¡­ Heh, that old man Rafael, he¡¯s no match for Cameron!¡±


    ¡°Thank you for letting me know Cameron. he is young, rich, and from a famous family, such a man is called the best ah, how can Rafaelpare to him!¡±


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on, eat something first.¡± Fryday brought the rice to me, ¡°Ms. Laura doesn¡¯t eat, do you want me to feed you?¡±


    ¡°Fryday, what the hell do you want!¡± I knit my hair in anger, ¡°I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t you pester Cameron!¡±


    ¡°Stalk?¡± She sneered, ¡°Laura, now do you know what it¡¯s like to have your man stalked? Did you think about today¡¯s retribution when you were stalking Rafael!¡±


    ¡°I have nothing to do with Rafael!¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± She hummed softly, ¡°But everyone knows that President Rafael, in order to please you, his confidante, made a big show of visiting the cast and chartered an entire caravan of camels to invite the cast to tour the desert!¡±


    ¡°What ¡­¡±


    ¡°The media has gone crazy, and you¡¯re still in the dark?¡±


    Fryday smiled smugly, his eyes barbed.


    And my heart plummets, thumping in panic.


    Cameron ¡­


    He must have seen the news too! He must have misunderstood.


    ¡°Cameron was so mad when he found out he couldn¡¯t even eat.¡± Fryday demonstrated with me, ¡°I was the one who stayed with Cameron all those days!¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything, just clutched the nket tightly.


    She paused and said, ¡°Laura, why don¡¯t we get this straight. I know Cameron cares about you, or else he wouldn¡¯t have used his private jet to look for you all over the world. But even if he cares about you, he can only do it as a brother!¡±


    There was a sudden buzz in my ears, as if something had exploded.


    I stared at her incredulously.


    Sheughed, grinning in a triumphant, extraordinarily cheerful manner.


    ¡°Get some rest.¡± She walked out of the cabin, ¡°I¡¯m going to go stay with Cameron.¡±


    I sat by the window in a daze.


    Outside wereyers of clouds that joined together like a white desert.


    The fear in my heart was also as if it was rising in this high altitude. This panic was no less than falling into a hole and hovering on the edge of life and death.


    She knows ¡­


    She knows everything!


    The story would probably spread quickly.


    And Cameron and I, would be exposed to all the spotlights, would be the center of attention for the whole world, the butt of everyone¡¯s jokes.


    After the nends, I lock myself in my hotel room. It was the best five-star hotel in the desert area, with all the amenities and conditions, and I had someone to take care of me and apany me wherever I went.


    But the only thing I don¡¯t have is Cameron¡¯s attention.


    He stayed in the same hotel as me, but didn¡¯t talk to me and went in and out with Fryday every day. Soon the rumor spread, and the media went crazy with rumors that Cameron was courting Fryday, flying her around the desert in his private jet.


    I watched the news every day, as if there were countless thorns in my heart.


    I took a leave of absence from the production on the pretext that I wasn¡¯t feeling well. There is only onest set of shots left, and it won¡¯t take much time to focus on them. The director told me to get well first.


    But lying in the hotel every day is not an option.


    So I went back to the desert alone. When I fell into the hole, although I was wearing a costume, I had my cell phone with me. My cell phone must still be in that hole, and I wanted to get it back.


    I wrapped myself in a bandana, put on my sunsses, and rode the bus to the desert area like the locals.


    At the end of the day when I was the only one left on the bus, the kind driver asked me, ¡°What are you doing in the desert? It¡¯s dangerous to go alone, do you want me to apany you?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± I smiled gratefully, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to get lost!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been here once, I won¡¯t get lost!¡±


    The driver shook his head helplessly and drove the bus back. I took a few steps forward before realizing that I had really just talked a big game. The surrounding vast desert, the same sky, the same yellow sand.


    I couldn¡¯t even tell south-east from north-west, and I was bragging about it?


    Just when I was at a loss, an SUV stopped in front of me.


    The windows came down, and in the car was Cameron¡¯s cold side face.


    My heart fluttered.


    His low, husky voice rang out, ¡°What are you doing here again?¡±


    I muffled, ¡°I have something to do.¡±


    He jumped out of the car and came to me.


    I meet his angry eyes and he scolds me harshly, ¡°Laura, is there something wrong with you? You almost lost your life herest time, have you forgotten? What are you doing here this time!¡±


    My temper and tears welled up, ¡°What do you care what I do here? Anyway, you have Fryday with you now, what am I going to do, do you still care?¡±


    ¡°Heh, you¡¯re good at being evil!¡± He sneered, ¡°Backwards!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± I wipe away my tears.


    I ignored him and continued on to the desert area.


    ¡°Laura!¡± he stepped forward and grabbed me hard.


    ¡°You let go!¡± I looked at him, ¡°Cameron, leave me alone ¡­ I¡¯m here for something really!¡±


    ¡°What is it that you can¡¯t tell me? Another date with Rafael to ride camels in the desert?¡±


    I swung a p across his face.


    His face suddenly changed and he stared at me silently, like a wolf waiting for an opportunity.


    I was flustered too, not expecting to act like that. I looked at him timidly, and my hand involuntarily touched the side of his face, ¡°Yes ¡­ sorry, does it hurt?¡±


    He violently held my wrist.


    ¡°Go back with me.¡±


    ¡°Cameron ¡­¡±


    His aura was irrefutable. ¡°Go back with me!¡±


    He¡¯s incredibly strong, and in a couple of moves, he shoves me into the car and drops the locks.


    ¡°Let me down!¡± I screamed hysterically.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°You be quiet!¡± He yelled, ¡°What the hell do you want? What don¡¯t you have to be satisfied with! Laura, be content!¡±


    ¡°How dare I be dissatisfied?¡± I looked at him, ¡°I came out on my own today, I didn¡¯t dare to bother anyone! And I don¡¯t know how you followed me out ¡­¡±


    Cameron didn¡¯t say another word, his brow furrowed as he silently started the car.


    I pressed down hard on his hands on the steering wheel.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting out of the car!¡±


    ¡°Laura are you out of your mind!¡± He snapped, ¡°What¡¯s so great about the desert? Are you going on a treasure hunt!¡±


    ¡°I lost my cell phone in that hole! I¡¯m going to get it back!¡±


    ¡°Nuts!¡± He cursed indignantly.


    ¡°Cameron ¡­¡±


    ¡°There are dozens of dust storms a day in the desert, not to mention that hole was buried a long time ago, and even if you find it, are you going to fall in it again?¡±


    Cameron red hard at me, gritting his teeth, ¡°Don¡¯t say a word from now on or I¡¯ll strangle you right now!¡±


    He turned off the engine and sat in his seat with his arms wrapped around his body, panting heavily one at a time.


    The huffing and puffing on his face hadn¡¯t gone away, his whole face seemed to be covered by dark clouds, and the knots between his eyebrows were getting deeper and deeper.


    He had never been this angry with me before.


    I was silent, quietly bowing my head as the tears fell. I thought a lot in that moment of silence, a wave of the past rushing into my head.


    Outside the car is an endless blue sky, white clouds and yellow sand.


    It was as if we were the only two people left between the vastness of heaven and earth.


    I turned my head to look at him, a moment I want topletely own him ¡­ I suddenly kissed him on the lips, he froze, eyes wide open, hand on my waist just want to push me away when I pressed the whole person up.


    I kept kissing him.


    Forehead, sideburns, high nose, knife-like chin ¡­ his neck, solid chest, t belly ¡­


    I took the initiative to undress him, caressing every inch of his skin, he quickly moved, violently rolled over and pressed me underneath, and we intertwined with each other, from intense to gentle, and from gentle to intense, over and over again tirelessly.


    My whole body floated up, as if walking in the clouds, he took me into a colorful country ¡­ psychedelic, gorgeous, warm, in front of my eyes suddenly bloomed fireworks, I can not help but release all the enthusiasm ¡­


    I realized that doing this with my favorite person was so beautiful.


    Afterwards Iy in his arms. His chest sweaty and sticky, my fingers gently draw circles on it.


    His skin was a particrly nice wheat color.


    ¡°What are you doing.¡± He grinned and grabbed my hand, cing it on his lips and kissing it lightly. ¡°That tickles!¡±


    ¡°Cameron,¡± I whispered, ¡°Any idea why I had to get that phone back?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re rich.¡± He rambled, ¡°Ever since I was a kid, you¡¯ve been stingy, and you refuse to rece anything that doesn¡¯t need to be scrapped!¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how you feel?¡± I frowned and whined in a small voice, ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about ¡­¡±


    Heughed softly, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Because there are memories of us in the cell phone ¡­¡± my voice gradually sank, ¡°There are so many pictures in there, I didn¡¯t even want to delete them ¡­ but they¡¯re all There is no backup.¡±


    For a long time, he said softly, ¡°Throw it away, the past will nevere back.¡±


    He got up and organized his clothes, and draped his jacket over me. I felt deste inside and reached out my arms around him, tears welling up in my eyes.


    ¡°Cameron, I thought I was going to die when I fell into that hole. It really ¡­ was especially cold at night in the desert, and I was almost unconscious. But while in a trance, I thought I saw you.¡±


    He raised his hand to touch my hair.


    I continued, ¡°My mind was full of you. I realized that the only person who means the most to you is the one whoes to mind when it¡¯s a matter of life and death. Just like once in Alcostan, when the war was all over the ce, you were all I could think about then too ¡­¡±


    ¡°Cameron,¡± I looked at him and licked my lips, working up the courage to say the words, ¡°Let¡¯s start over!¡±


    His eyes lit up, but quickly darkened. He looked at me quietly, as if he had a thousand words to say.


    After a long time, he came back to his senses, the sound of the car starting buzzing in his ears.


    All he said was, ¡°I¡¯ll take you back.¡±


    We were speechless the whole way.


    I secretly looked at his side face, I couldn¡¯t tell if he was happy or angry, I only felt that he was like a piece of ice, cold and refusing to let people in.


    Thest few shots went off without a hitch, and because of the thrill of thest time, the director was extra careful this time, preferring to add more budget for special effects, rather than letting me take the risk again.


    Once we got back to Jerez State, it was time for the promotional campaign to begin in earnest.


    Cameron and I hadn¡¯t seen each other in the meantime. But the scene from that day, lingering between the blue sky and yellow sand, always haunted me.


    I made an important decision to announce at this press conference that I had a boyfriend and quit acting.


    I thought it would be fine as long as I didn¡¯t reveal that the person was Cameron, and that I didn¡¯t have to care what people guessed since I was quitting anyway. However just before the press conference, Fryday found his way backstage.


    I had already finished my makeup and when I looked up I saw in the mirror that she was standing behind me.


    ¡°There¡¯s a couple things I¡¯d like to talk to you about alone.¡± She tickled the corners of her mouth lightly, ¡°Would you mind if you asked all your assistants to step back for a moment?¡±


    I paused and gave a wink to my agent.


    The agent immediately led his assistants out and Fryday and I were the only ones left in the dressing room.


    Fryday¡¯s eyes focused on my left ring finger.


    ¡°Quite pretty.¡± She hummed lightly, ¡°But that¡¯s not a big diamond!¡±


    ¡°Cameron gave it to me once upon a time.¡± I smiled, ¡°It¡¯s not a big diamond, but it¡¯s a rare pink diamond, flown in straight from South Africa. Just this one is also worth a fortune!¡±


    Fryday blushed and sneered, ¡°Are you nning to tell the media that in a while?¡±


    ¡°Will say so.¡± I don¡¯t deny it, ¡°But I won¡¯t name Cameron.¡±


    ¡°You think everything will be fine if you don¡¯t say his name, Laura, you¡¯re so childish!¡±

 Laura鈥檚 POV 122

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m childish and I¡¯m stupid!¡± I looked at her, ¡°I¡¯m just in stupid! Why did I lose faith in Cameron when I had the chance to go away with him and get away from this ce of wrongdoing just because of an inexplicable piece of news? I never should have believed that he and Queenie would rekindle their old me!¡±


    ¡°Likewise, I don¡¯t believe Cameron would have any feelings for you!¡± Iughed, ¡°Fryday, you¡¯re just purposely acting like you¡¯re intimate with Cameron in front of me.¡±


    ¡°Heh, whatever you think!¡± Fryday looks at me askance, leaning against the dresser and wrapping her arms around her chest.


    ¡°Laura, I just want to say one thing to you.¡± She looked serious, ¡°I¡¯ll be at this presentation! I¡¯ll be sitting on stage watching you. And I already know that you and Cameron are brother and sister ¡­¡±


    She paused andughed, ¡°If you don¡¯t want a reputation, you¡¯d better publicize it honestly. Think about what to say and what not to say.¡±


    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±


    ¡°Sort of.¡± She was blunt.


    Iughed softly, ¡°You have no proof. With empty promises, who are you going to convince that Cameron and I are brother and sister?¡±


    ¡°Laura, you are so stupid!¡± She looked at me, ¡°Did you think I wouldn¡¯t be prepared for anything? Would I havee empty handed?¡±


    My heart fluttered slightly, ¡°What do you have in your hand?¡±


    ¡°Just an ace.¡± She smiled smugly, and with a lift of her body to sit directly on the dresser in front of me, leaned down and whispered, ¡°Laura, you¡¯d better be a good promoter! Don¡¯t say a word that thepany hasn¡¯t told you to say! Hehe, George is so hard to hold you up, he¡¯s still waiting for you to make money for him!¡±


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    Without waiting for me to speak, she patted me on the shoulder, stepped on her high heels and walked out with her head held high.


    I sat there, my heart very apprehensive. There aren¡¯t many people who know about my rtionship with Cameron, except for the people of The Lynch Family, which are George and Gina, and the two of them are definitely not going to be loud-mouthed.


    Then there was Queenie ¡­


    Could it be her?


    My mind was so messed up that I didn¡¯t even look back when the stylist walked in and reminded me several times that it was time to change.


    I went into the conference site apprehensively and followed the program like a robot to interact with the host, the program and lines were all set up in advance, the stage was lit up with shing lights, the build-up was a great sess.


    When it came to the reporter¡¯s question session, arge number of reporters bypassed the male and female protagonists and attacked me directly.


    ¡°Ms. Laura, it is said that during the filming of the location, Mr. Rafael visited the desert, are you guys dating?¡±


    I was prepared for this and smiled but didn¡¯t answer as instructed by thepany.


    But the reporter still pursued me, ¡°Mr. Rafael was chasing you?¡±


    ¡°Is it because of you that Mr. Rafael broke off his engagement to Miss Fryday?¡±


    ¡°Do you feel you¡¯re a third party to Mr. Rafael and Miss Fryday?¡±


    The questions were more pointed than the others, and it would be a lie to say that I wasn¡¯t flustered as I was being grilled by the crowd for the first time. I could barely stand up on the stage, the shing lights were making me dizzy, and I looked to my agent offstage for help, only to see Fryday sitting next to Cameron, her hand gently on his arm.


    Then she looked up and smiled at me, her eyes provocative.


    My heart pumped hard and I lurched on my feet, violently failing to stand, breaking my heels and sending a sharp pain rapidly down my ankle.


    I felt so helpless, I was standing in the spotlight, so many people no one helped me, they just looked at me funny.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    They wanted to dig up what was best for their story.


    Every pore in my body felt like it was being erged, the smiles on people¡¯s faces turned into grimaces as they slowly moved closer to me and kept asking questions that embarrassed me.


    I retreated until there was no way back.


    At that moment a warm palm supported my waist.


    I was startled, followed by his generous embrace, Cameron stood beside me, his strong arms blocking all the reporters who were chasing me.


    His low, icy voice was infinitely intimidating, ¡°If there¡¯s anything you want to ask me,e and ask me.¡±


    The scene suddenly quieted down, those reporters looked at each other and whispered, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Cameron?¡±


    Outside the crowd, Fryday stared coldly this way, his face pale.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Cameron,¡± he said faintly, ¡°If there¡¯s anything you want to ask, juste and ask me.¡±


    ¡°And what is Cameron to Miss Laura?¡±


    His gaze was like a torch and he smiled softly, ¡°Did you not look into Ms. Laura¡¯s life before harassing her?¡±


    I looked at him and couldn¡¯t help but tighten my grip on his hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m her brother.¡± He said, ¡°You should know that Laura is the adopted daughter of The Lynch Family. We grew up together, as a child I was her brother, as an adult I hope to be her lover.¡±


    The entire room went silent, followed by a low gasp.


    I stared at him dumbfounded as well, my heart nearly jumping out of my throat. He just interlocked his fingers with mine and gave me a firm gaze with an unobtrusive slight smile.


    ¡°She¡¯s just the adopted daughter of our family, and I think we can totally be together.¡± Cameron said, ¡°And the truth is, I¡¯ve liked her a lot for a long time. I¡¯ll be with her and there¡¯s nothing anyone can do to stop it.¡±


    I slowly wet my eyes and my ears were buzzing. All theplex emotions rushed towards my heart at that moment, and I was at a loss for words, except to hold on to Cameron.


    He held me back and it was an incredibly safe harbor.


    The reporters at the scene were even more excited, the news was far more explosive than Rafael¡¯s visit. They switched targets to Cameron, seemingly forgetting that this was a movieunch.


    Cameron handled the situation with aplomb, answering every question in an organized manner, avoiding the important ones and gagging the journalists without making a fool out of himself.


    He also did everything he could to protect me.


    An ¡°adopted daughter status¡± solved all the problems.


    However, I didn¡¯t notice a figure slowly walking into the hall, slowly approaching us. He pushed his way through the crowd and stood in front of Cameron and I. I suddenly panicked because the figure looked so familiar. ¡­


    He was wearing a ducktail hat that only showed half of his face.


    And the curve of his mouth takes me back to that gray memory.


    ¡°Laura,¡± the grim voice came over like a gust of wind, ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    I freeze in ce.


    A flicker of panic shed across Cameron¡¯s face as well.


    The man eased his ducktail off and his gaze was like a poison arrow.


    ¡°Carter¡­¡±


    ¡°Carter?¡± he looked at me, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be calling me big brother?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t speak.


    I catch a glimpse of the smug smile on Fryday¡¯s face not far away, and I realize that the ace in the hole she was talking about is actually him!


    Carter holds a piece of paper in his hand, folded in half, and I get a vague feeling of unease.


    ¡°Heh, adopted daughter of The Lynch Family?¡± He leaned in close to me and said in a very low voice, ¡°Would you like me to announce, in front of everyone, exactly what you are?¡±


    My body shook violently.


    I stared at his hand as he slowly unfolded the folded up paper, revealing only a little bit, but I could clearly see a few big words: DNA proof.


    He looked at me and smiled, his grim eyes seeming to inquire, ¡°Would you like me to disy this for all to see?¡±


    At that moment I went all out.


    I was terrified, and the extreme fear was like a power drill, drilling a gurgling gush of blood through my heart.


    I didn¡¯t really care what people thought of me anymore, but I was afraid that Cameron would be ruined because of it. I was afraid that Sunny would be exposed to the cameras and be the center of everyone¡¯s curiosity and research.


    At that time, there might even be good people, under the banner of medical research on Sunny, to see what is different from others when a child is born from a biological sibling ¡­


    The vertigo hit me again.


    I settled down and saw a determined Cameron beside me, and felt the pain of a million arrows piercing my heart the moment I made up my mind.


    Cameron was about to say something when I stopped him.


    Carter smiles grimly and meets eyes with Fryday from outside the crowd.


    I let go of Cameron¡¯s hand and walked over to the press. The venue is silent and the cameras keep shing. I took a deep breath and pulled hard at the corners of my mouth to smile:


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m the ¡­ daughter of The Lynch Family.¡± I turned slightly sideways, ¡°These two are my brothers, but between me and them, it¡¯s just brother and sister.¡±


    ¡°Laura, what did you say?¡± Cameron called out to me from behind.


    I ignored it and said with a flourish, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Cameron, I can¡¯t ept you ¡­ I already have a boyfriend, Rafael.¡±


    ¡°Laura ¡­¡±


    ¡°Mr. Rafael is very nice to me.¡± Iugh, ¡°What the media reported is true, Mr. Rafael dide to visit me in the desert area during my filming and was caring and considerate to me. But I don¡¯t admit that I was the one who broke his rtionship with Ms. Fryday ¡­ He broke off his engagement with Ms. Fryday first.¡±


    After saying this I cked out and was a little unsteady on my feet.


    I could feel Cameron¡¯s gaze, sharp, despondent, disappointed, and ming with bitterness.


    The agent stepped forward at the right time to block the reporters for me, ¡°Miss Laura has already exined what should be exined, please focus more on this movie, thank you all!¡±


    ¡­


    I don¡¯t know when that conference ended. It was as if I was sleepwalking until the venue was empty.


    I subconsciously turned around to look for Cameron, but I was the only one left in this huge ce, and it was as if I had been abandoned by the world again.


    A pair of ck leather shoes stop in front of me and I raise my eyes to see Carter gloating and smiling.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, my good sister.¡±


    I looked away, not wanting to look at him.


    He crouches down and whispers, ¡°You¡¯ve had quite a life! Now you¡¯re an actress ¡­ Heh, actually I¡¯ve long realized that you have a knack for acting! Once upon a time, you and Cameron acted under my nose, is that not enough?¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± I looked straight at him, ¡°You¡¯re not so bad, colluding with Fryday! Can you satisfy her though?¡±


    ¡°Once upon a time the eldest son of The Lynch Family, elegant and golden, even in poor health, he shone in a crowd. Hehe, now that he¡¯s fallen into a mourning dog, do you still want to learn from those rich kids to bag actresses?¡±


    ¡°Laura!¡±


    Carter snapped, grabbing me by the neck.


    I stared straight at him, not frightened by the choking sensation. The biggest storm had just been experienced and I was fearless now.


    A flicker of trepidation crossed his face and he slowly released me again.


    ¡°Heh, looks like you¡¯ve forgotten you¡¯re the daughter of The Lynch Family and mom and dad! I¡¯m telling you, Cameron has taken everything from The Lynch Family in a despicable and underhanded way! Dad is in the hospital, and Mom, who used to be such a noble person, now has to go out and work for someone else!¡±


    I was a little saddened to hear what happened to Mom.


    After all, mother and daughter are connected by the heart, even if there was a lot of dissatisfaction with her in the past, it has slowly dissipated over the years.


    However, when I think of Anne¡¯s death, when I think of the many misfortunes and sorrows she once brought to The Lynch Family ¡­


    I took a deep breath, ¡°Carter, it wasn¡¯t Cameron who caused this situation, it was you guys. I know everything, Patrick has a case there too, it was mom who masterminded the kidnapping back then, and Anne¡¯s death could be said to be directly caused by mom!¡±


    ¡°I just can¡¯t believe it,¡± I looked at him, ¡°she¡¯s a mother too, she has a daughter too, how could she do this to someone else¡¯s daughter? Besides it was her own sister¡¯s baby too!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s at a time like this, and you¡¯re still helping Cameron!¡±


    A poisonous light swept through Carter¡¯s eyes as he stared at me, and then he smiled softly, ¡°But even if you still favor him, it¡¯s useless ¡­ You two can never be together in this life!¡±


    ¡°Cameron I¡¯m not done with him on this score.¡± He said, ¡°Sooner orter, one day, I¡¯m going to make him pay back what he owes me and what he owes mom and dad with interest! My good sister, you¡¯ll have to think carefully about which side you¡¯ll be on when the timees!¡±


    ¡­


    For days on end I locked myself in my room.


    I didn¡¯t answer my phone, I didn¡¯t answer my work, even taking care of Sunny, Yasmin was doing it for me. Sunny sometimes came to me and asked me why daddy didn¡¯te home. I don¡¯t know how to answer, a sudden sour heart, I can only reluctantly use the most perfunctory reason to put off, ¡°Dad is busy at work ¡­¡±


    ¡°Mom ¡­¡± Sunny hugged the bear, two big eyes pitifully looked at me, ¡°they all say ¡­ that you and dad ¡­¡±


    ¡°Say what?¡± I shuddered.


    ¡°Said you two are brother and sister, you can¡¯t have a baby at all!¡±


    My scalp went numb, my ears buzzed, and my heart pounded.


    The thing I feared most had happened.


    I¡¯m afraid that this matter has been rendered by Carter and Fryday and made a big fuss ¡­ Sunny is still hurt, and everything I wanted to hide, all of it can¡¯t be hidden ¡­


    ¡°Ms. Laura!¡± Yasmin knocked on my room door, ¡°Mr. Rafael is here, do you want to meet him?¡±


    I was stunned.


    Yasmin whispered, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to see him, I¡¯ll go and return it for you.¡±


    ¡°Just a minute ¡­,¡± I thought for a moment, still nning to let Rafael in.


    Yasmin took Sunny out into the garden to stack blocks while I sat in the living room with Rafael.


    He looks over at me, takes a gentle sip of tea, and whispers, ¡°You look pale.¡±


    Raising my eyes, I meet his concerned, gentle eyes, and my heart flutters slightly.


    ¡°Mr. Rafael ¡­,¡± I mumbled, ¡°I actually should have taken the initiative to find you. I¡¯m sorry about the other day ¡­ I mean that incident at the movieunch.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, did I bring you trouble by saying you were my boyfriend ¡­ in front of all the press? I¡¯m really sorry ¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be sorry.¡± Heughed softly, then sat down next to me and gently held my hand.


    ¡°Actually ¡­ I¡¯m willing to be the shield.¡± The softness of his voice made me feel warmer.

 Laura鈥檚 POV 123

    ¡°Mr. Rafael ¡­¡±


    ¡°And now you¡¯re going to call me Mr. Rafael? It¡¯s too much of apliment.¡± He said.


    I lowered my eyes, a bit of a dilemma.


    ¡°Okay, Rafael,¡± I smiled at him and his hand didn¡¯t let go, the warmth from the bottom of his palm traveling all the way into me.


    For a moment it was like I was at the peak of my vulnerability. I was tired and I wanted someone to just keep holding my hand, I wanted to have that embrace to lean on as soon as I turned around.


    But why did this person have to be Rafael?


    I sat up straight and gently pulled my hand out.


    ¡°Laura, to tell you the truth,¡± he whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve found out about your real rtionship with Cameron.¡±


    I smiled bitterly, ¡°This is a big deal, isn¡¯t it? I knew that neither Fryday nor Carter would leave me alone.¡±


    I buried my face in my hands as the pain drilled into my heart.


    ¡°It¡¯s been squashed, it¡¯s not as bad as you think.¡± He smirked, ¡°I know about you because I¡¯ve looked into you before.¡±


    ¡°I have aplicated history with The Lynch Family.¡± I said, ¡°I was abandoned by my birth parents because at the time they were only thinking about their own interests and didn¡¯t think about me at all. I was adopted by a man named Jacob, and until I was eight years old, all I remember is beatings, bruises, and him being drunk.¡±


    ¡°Laura ¡­¡± He put one hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°But by some misadventure,¡± I look at him andugh helplessly, ¡°I was actually adopted again by The Lynch Family. None of them knew I was originally The Lynch Family¡¯s daughter untilter, when it all came out ¡­¡±


    ¡°Cameron is my half-brother.¡± I said, ¡°Which I also didn¡¯t know until after I had my daughter.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad.¡± He reassured me, ¡°Things won¡¯t always be that bad.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why Fryday found Carter ¡­ The day of the movieunch, Carter showed up with DNA proof in his hand. I was really scared that Cameron would lose his reputation over this, so I ¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand all that.¡±


    Rafael¡¯s smile was so gentle it looked like it was going to melt people.


    ¡°Laura, I said I¡¯m willing to be your shield. But ¡­ I can also give you everything you want, including marriage.¡±


    I was shocked and stared at him in bewilderment.


    He looked soft, but his eyes were firm, not like he was joking at all.


    I was a little panicked and couldn¡¯t help but move to the side, whispering, ¡°Rafael, we ¡­¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t force you.¡± He said, ¡°But I hope you can seriously consider it. It¡¯s not going to work out for you and Cameron, and you guys definitely need to find a life of your own.¡±


    ¡°Laura, if you¡¯ll say yes, I promise you a lifetime of happiness. It doesn¡¯t matter if you want to keep working after you get married, or if you want to quit acting and be a full-time wife at home, I¡¯ll do everything I can to help you organize it.¡±


    ¡°As for Sunny¡­¡± he looked at me seriously, ¡°you won¡¯t lose her. I will love her as if she were my own daughter, and I¡¯m sure Willow is happy to have a little sister. Sunny¡¯s identity will never be revealed, and I will mobilize all my forces to protect her well.¡±


    I clenched my lips as every word he said felt like a stone hitting my heart.


    His offer was indeed tempting. Speaking of him alone, he¡¯s a man, dashing and rich, very well-maintained despite his middle age, still rich and strong, and the center of attraction for many women in Jerez State.


    It would certainly be the best choice to marry him.


    But there is always a voice in my heart shouting Cameron s name.


    I can¡¯t let go ¡­ The thought of leaving Cameron makes my heart tremble and tear, and it shrinks into a ball of pain.


    Rafael, seeing that I didn¡¯t react, thought I was acquiescing and smoothly took me in his arms.


    I leaned into him, suddenly a little tired, and slowly closed my eyes. Opening them again after a long time, I whispered to him, ¡°Let me think about it, okay?¡±


    ¡°Good. Take your time to think about it, there¡¯s no rush, I¡¯ll give you plenty of time.¡±


    ¡°Thank you really, Rafael.¡±


    ¡°No need, it¡¯s all my heart.¡± He smiled.


    ¡°By the way, what are you going to do in the meantime? Are you going to keep working, or do you want to take a vacation?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I want to take some time off.¡±


    ¡°Does George know?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t told him yet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell him.¡± He looked down at me, ¡°Just as well, I have something else I want to talk to him about.¡±


    I was skeptical, could it be about Willow?


    But right now I¡¯m too preupied with myself to care about anyone else.


    Rafael adds, ¡°Are you going to keep living here? Some of the reporters know where you live now, and they¡¯ll probablye to block you often. I think why don¡¯t I help you arrange a ce ¡­¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± I refused his kind offer, ¡°I won¡¯t be staying here, but I do have a ce to stay. Rafael, don¡¯t ever do anything for me at this point ¡­ The more you do for me, the more guilty I feel about you.¡±


    He looked at me quietly for a long moment, a small smile rippling across his lips.


    It was a little doting and tolerant, with a touch of arrogance and pity.


    Finally he said, ¡°I respect your opinion.¡±


    I took Sunny back to the small apartment Cameron bought from the old days.


    It hadn¡¯t been cleaned there for a long time, and ayer of dust had settled on the furniture. The ss was opaque in the sunroom in the attic, too.


    The swing set was still there, but the fruit-green cushions had turned a little brown. The pots of hydrangeas and hyacinths ced on the iron railing outside the window withered.


    I cleaned the house from the inside out and took advantage of the sunshine to put the bedding, carpets, and cushions on the roof terrace to dry out in the sun.


    I threw away all the wilted flower branches, but the pots were still usable, so I reburied them with flower seeds in anticipation of the next year¡¯s bloom.


    I also repaired the swing set. I put oil on the swing where it should be oiled, and screwed in the screws where it should be screwed in. After three days of work, the cabin finally looked like a home.


    Sunny was especially excited to see the swing set and stayed on it, yelling that he wanted to take a nap on it.


    ¡°OK, whatever you want!¡± I touched her little face and put the soft bedding on the swing for her.


    It¡¯s sunny here at noon, and with the blinds drawn, it¡¯s warm but not blinding, so it¡¯s perfect for a nap.


    I transferred Sunny to another private kindergarten, so that she could have a good vacation and I could have a good vacation before starting school.


    Just as I had just put her to bed, the phone vibrated. I picked it up and couldn¡¯t help but feel a little excited.


    ¡°Patrick?¡± I picked up, ¡°Why it¡¯s you!¡±


    ¡°Big Star!¡± His voice was still sunny, ¡°Are you almost over me?¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Iughed, ¡°It¡¯s just that I was so busy with work a while back that I did neglect to contact ¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m right here in Jerez State.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I was shocked and delighted, ¡°You¡¯re back?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m back on vacation.¡± He said softly, ¡°How about it, is it convenient toe out and get together?¡±


    I agreed.


    I made an appointment with him at two o¡¯clock in the afternoon, at the same cafe as before.


    I was so excited to see Patrick that my heart almost leapt out of my mouth. To think it¡¯s only been two years since I left Hallstatt, but it feels like a couple of lifetimes.


    Patrick is still the same, tall, strong and sunny, with a military-like temperament. Only his skin was a little darker again, and he still showed his signature eight teeth once he met people.


    ¡°How nice!¡± I looked him up and down several times and couldn¡¯t help but redden my eyes, ¡°Seeing you again. You haven¡¯t changed a bit ¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± He made a stop sign, ¡°It¡¯s not easy to see you once, don¡¯t make it so sad okay?¡±


    Iughed and wiped the tears away. ¡°And thanks for taking care of me back in the old days at Hallstatt ¡­¡±


    ¡°Laura!¡± he feigned irritation, ¡°If you keep this up, I¡¯lle back quietly on vacation from now on and never inform you!¡±


    He lowered his voice andughed softly, ¡°There are so many people here, why are you crying? In case people recognize you as a big star, the media will then write nonsense saying that I bullied you ¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± I broke intoughter.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen all the TV shows and movies you¡¯ve made!¡± He gave me a thumbs up, ¡°Awesome, Laura, I¡¯m so happy for you!¡±


    ¡°What!¡± I waved my hand, ¡°I can¡¯t act at all, it¡¯s just a matter of catching up and a bit of luck!¡±


    ¡°By the way, why are you back on vacation all of a sudden?¡± I asked him, ¡°Is the work over there finished?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. Just back for a couple days of rest for now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m quite curious ¡­ what exactly are you investigating over there?¡±


    He just smiled and didn¡¯t answer.


    I knew that this was his work secret, and I was the one who had spoken too much. I was embarrassed to lower my head, but I suddenly heard him greet, ¡°Cameron, this way!¡±


    I shuddered, my arms and legs trembled uncontrobly, and a chill ran down my spine.


    Cameron slowly walked this way, ck casual top, khaki pants, with a cold andzy charm.


    Patrick stood up and they gently hugged and shook hands, when his eyes fell on me, his biting eyes seemed to shrink gently.


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who asked Laura out.¡± Patrick smiled as he looked over at me, ¡°I¡¯m sorry ¡­ Laura, for not telling you ahead of time that I asked Cameron out as well.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Cameron¡¯s face was icy.


    ¡°Come on, sit down first.¡± Patrick squeezed his shoulder.


    Cameron reluctantly sits beside him, and I sit across from the two men, head down, just stirring the coffee stick in my hand.


    The atmosphere was silent and awkward.


    Halfway through the day, Patrick said softly, ¡°This time, count me in as an old friend who¡¯s being nosy.¡±


    ¡°Laura, I¡¯ve read the news ¡­ about the day of your movieunch, I don¡¯t know exactly what happened, but I know that there¡¯s absolutely no way you¡¯d admit that what¡¯s-his-name, President Rafael, is your boyfriend! You have bitter feelings, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Patrick!¡±I gave him a somewhat reproachful look.


    Cameron still didn¡¯t respond, darkening his face and looking away.


    ¡°Will you two stop throwing tantrums like children all the time?¡± Patrick urged for peace, ¡°Think about it, you¡¯re both parents now, even if it¡¯s for Sunny¡¯s sake, don¡¯t make such a scene!¡±


    ¡°I think this is just a misunderstanding.¡± He looked at Cameron and then at me, ¡°Can¡¯t each side make a concession?¡±


    It was like a big rock was stuck in my heart.


    ¡°Cameron!¡± Patrick touched him with his arm, ¡°You¡¯re the man, take the initiative! You make peace with Laura first!¡±


    ¡°Laura, whatever happened, it¡¯s in the past.¡± He looked at me, ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy for you and Cameron to make it all the way through the storm, this rtionship has to be cherished too, right?¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Cameron said coldly, ¡°Patrick, it¡¯s not easy for you toe back for a trip, so don¡¯t bother about what¡¯s going on between me and her ¡­ Heh, what¡¯s going on between the two of us isn¡¯t that simple!¡±


    My heart stung hard, I barely pulled out a smile, ¡°Yes Patrick, the matter between the two of us really isn¡¯t that simple, you can¡¯t control it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on with you two?¡± Patrick¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°It¡¯se to this, do we really want to split up?¡±


    ¡°Patrick!¡± yelled Cameron, ¡°Stay out of it if you¡¯re told to! Take your vacation! What, do you really want to be the world¡¯s policeman?¡±


    ¡°Cameron you ¡­¡±


    ¡°I have things to do. Leave first!¡±


    Cameron got up and left, only throwing us a cold back.


    Patrick was stunned in ce for half a day, looked at me and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him ¡­ him?¡±


    I smiled bitterly, ¡°Patrick, you really don¡¯t care. He and I will never be possible again in this life!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about Laura, you still have a Sunny!¡±


    I know Patrick is old fashioned, but some things are really out of his jurisdiction.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you and Cameron are just done!¡± He frowned, ¡°After all these years, can¡¯t we move past this? Who the hell is that Rafael, I¡¯ll talk to him!¡±


    ¡°Patrick!¡±I was a little angry too, ¡°Just stay out of it when I tell you to, don¡¯t you understand? That Rafael, is a very rich old man, he¡¯s my boyfriend!¡±


    ¡°Laura!¡±


    ¡°Cameron and I are impossible, no way!¡± Tears fell from my eyes, ¡°He¡¯s my brother, I could never be with him!¡±


    With those words, a heart emptied.


    It was as if I couldn¡¯t feel my heart beating and my soul was drained, but with much relief.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    It was as if the world had entered a vacuum and was silent. Patrick looked at me silently, his eyes full of incredulity.


    ¡°What did you ¡­ you say?¡± He mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s ¡­ Cameron is your brother, that I know ¡­ but you¡¯re not brother and sister, you¡¯re an adopted child of The Lynch Family ¡­¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I closed my eyes, ¡°I¡¯m not even an adopted child of The Lynch Family. Ethan is my dad, Mellisa is my mom, Carter is my real brother ¡­ and Cameron, is my half-brother! ¡±


    ¡°Laura,¡± he froze, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard you say that before ¡­¡±


    I settled down and wiped away my tears. ¡°Because this whole thing is a family scandal for The Lynch Family.¡± Iughed softly, ¡°How can a family scandal be publicized? Is it going to be a big deal that a brother and sister in The Lynch Family fell in love and had a baby?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I never told you. Patrick, I didn¡¯t mean to try and lie to you, but it¡¯s something that really can¡¯t be talked about, and the fewer people who know about it, the better.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe that.¡± Patrick was silent for a moment, ¡°How can things be so coincidental?¡±


    ¡°Things are just so coincidental!¡± I said, ¡°Everything is fate. I had to resign myself to fate!¡±


    He frowned, like he was deep in thought.


    Fiercely he pulled me toward the door.


    ¡°What for?¡± I eximed.


    ¡°Come with me to the police station.¡± He whispered, ¡°This matter is too fishy, I don¡¯t believe it!¡±

 Laura鈥檚 POV 124

    He could not help but pull me into the car and drive towards the police station.


    I was a little apprehensive along the way, and the few times I tried to speak up he blocked me out.


    ¡°Patrick what the hell are you doing!¡± I huffed, ¡°You¡¯re a great cop, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re back on vacation, not back on a case ¡­ Besides, you can¡¯t handle this case!¡±


    ¡°Laura, you be quiet first!¡± His tone was quite a bit milder, ¡°I don¡¯t believe anything said about this matter! That¡¯s why I want to take you back to the police station to take a look.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to see?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know, do you?¡± He gave me a look, ¡°I took blood samples from people in The Lynch Family when I was investigating that Anne case.¡±


    I froze, ¡°So what?¡±


    ¡°If you have a blood sample, you can do a DNA match!¡±


    ¡°The DNA has already been done!¡± I was helpless.


    ¡°What¡¯s been done is you and Carter, right?¡± He said, ¡°What about yours and Cameron¡¯s? Has it beenpared?¡±


    ¡°Is that necessary?¡±


    ¡°Laura,¡± he smiled, ¡°we police are all about evidence! You can¡¯t go by inference alone, there has to be hard evidence!¡±


    I followed him to the police station, since it was the weekend, there were only officers on duty. I covered my face with a scarf and pressed my hat down, and followed him into the sample room.


    Patrick found The Lynch Family¡¯s blood samples in the middle of a pile of samples.


    Everyone¡¯s was there but Cameron¡¯s. He patted his head and sighed, ¡°Ugh, this is something I neglected to do ¡­ It was Cameron who asked me to look into Anne¡¯s case in the first ce, and when I took the sample, I didn¡¯t take his.¡±


    I shrugged, with or without his sample, the result is actually the same.


    ¡°Laura,¡± he said softly, ¡°I¡¯ve always found this suspicious. Keep an eye out and try to convince Cameron to do a DNA match with you.¡±


    ¡°Patrick ¡­,¡± I said helplessly.


    ¡°You must listen to me!¡± His stubbornness is unrivaled, ¡°You and Cameron are brother and sister, this is ridiculous. It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t seen Sunny before. I¡¯ve seen Sunny before. If two siblings have simr genes, most of the children born will have gic diseases, but what about Sunny? She¡¯s healthy and smart, she doesn¡¯t even look like she¡¯s got a problem!¡±


    I nodded. ¡°This is a problem I¡¯ve also suspected ¡­ Sunny may be a special case.¡±


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s a special case or not, it all has to be said with evidence.¡± Heughed, ¡°I¡¯m a very strict cop!¡±


    ¡°Aye! Uncle cop!¡± Iughed too, ¡°But ¡­ Cameron is angry with me right now, how can he go with me to do DNA?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not hard.¡± He thought for a moment, ¡°Actually, DNA doesn¡¯t have to have the person in question present, there¡¯s his hair, blood, or even a used towel toothbrush with his fibers on it, all can be DNA verified!¡±


    After that I started to keep an eye on the matter.


    To be honest, Patrick has a point. Things have to be based on evidence, not on inference alone. Carter and I are brother and sister, there¡¯s evidence for that one, and me and Cameron? Just an inference.


    But little by little I realized that trying to get Cameron¡¯s hair or blood or whatever was nothing like as difficult as convincing him to go with me for a DNA test!


    First of all, he¡¯s ignoring me.


    And secondly, even if he did, it was on Sunny¡¯s behalf. Hees to check on Sunny, leaves after checking on him, or just takes Sunny outside to y, and sends him back at night, without even entering the house, and has zeromunication with me.


    I¡¯ve thought about letting Sunny do this, but it¡¯s just a favor. But Sunny, this little girl, once she ys, she leaves everything behind.


    Then I came up with a solution.


    That night I asked Yasmin to take care of Sunny at home, and I booked a room at a clubhouse on the beach. The room was located on the top floor, overlooking the beach, with a unique view.


    Then I messaged Cameron: ¡°Sunny¡¯s school has an event at the Marina Clubhouse and both parents are required to attend. Can youe?¡±


    After a while, he did reply, ¡°Send me the address ande right over.¡±


    I snickered at the sess of the ploy, I was going to have to pull his hair out this time!


    Cameron arrived at the room as promised, however, once he entered and found me alone, he immediately realized what was going on. He grunted softly, then turned to leave when I snapped a few steps in front of him, stopping me in the doorway.


    ¡°Heh, what for?¡± Heughed coldly, his gaze contemptuous, ¡°These days your boyfriend does not apany you? Are you empty and lonely?¡±


    ¡°Cameron,¡± I pursed my lips, ¡°If I were to ask you out alone, would you refuse toe?¡±


    ¡°Do you think so?¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re just going to ignore me for the rest of your life?¡±


    ¡°Laura,¡± he smiled faintly, ¡°You¡¯re the one who said Rafael was your boyfriend in front of all the press, you can¡¯t have forgotten that so quickly, can you? Or did you use it and realize that Rafael¡¯s old man couldn¡¯t satisfy you at all? That¡¯s why you came to me again? Doing it with me is morefortable?¡±


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    I red at him angrily.


    A mocking smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.


    Yes, I was pretty ridiculous the way I was right now, and I had brought all this on myself. I was the one who hurt him in the first ce, and I expect him to have something nice to say about it?


    I took a deep breath, vaguely smelling his faint scent.


    Surprisingly, there was a thumping agitation in that moment.


    I moved closer to him, my hand gently hooked around his neck, closed the door behind me with my foot, and deliberatelyughed, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s still the mostfortable with you ¡­¡±


    ¡°Bitch.¡± He looks at me coldly.


    ¡°Cameron,¡± I slipped my fingers into his hair, ¡°let¡¯s ¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± He pushed me away.


    I¡¯d lost the battle, I was clearly just about to get his hair!


    ¡°Laura, why are you so disgusting right now!¡± He res at me, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯re no longer anything between us now other than being my daughter¡¯s own mother! You stay away from me, it¡¯s dirty!¡±


    ¡°Is that what you really mean?¡± I looked at him, ¡°I don¡¯t believe it!¡±


    I became unashamed in that moment. One was for his hair, and the other was ¡­ that I really moved.


    I wanted him like crazy.


    I went up to him and hugged him, and he pushed me out of the way several times. Then I went straight for his hair and scratched a few bloody marks on his face ¨C there were his body fibers in my fingernails for DNA identification as well!


    Cameron waspletely pissed off at me.


    He red at me hard, like a lion about tosh out, his whole being radiating a vicious and biting aura.


    ¡°Laura ¡­¡± he stepped closer to me, his big palm a grasp on my waist, ¡°Since you¡¯re so horny, I¡¯ll satisfy you!¡±


    That night was extremely crazy.


    He didn¡¯t move on me, he let off steam. He tortured me like crazy, the two sensations of pain and pleasure intertwined in my body, I was sent to heaven one moment, and then sent to hell the next.


    Early the next morning, he left without a word.


    I was such a bitch that I was probably worse than a whore in his eyes.


    The king-sized bed was a mess, the sheets crumpled underneath me, and I had traces of him all over me. I found his hair on the pillow and carefully tucked it away, sighing softly.


    Not only did I get his hair that night, he left something else behind ¡­ My face heated up as I rubbed the sheet up and took it to the police station along with my hair.


    Patrick said that the test results would note out until ten dayster.


    A big stone in my heart fell to the ground, in fact, my heart also secretly hidden a small expectation ¡­ Expect the test results toe out, Cameron and I do not have any blood rtionship.


    So we can be together openly and honestly, right?


    I involuntarilyughed out loud when suddenly a car pulled up beside me.


    ¡°Laughing while walking, what¡¯s so funny?¡±


    The window drops and it¡¯s Rafael¡¯s angr face.


    He opens the car door for me and I sit next to him. His eyes stopped on me and I realized that he probably saw the marks on my neck ¡­


    My face heated up and I was busy covering it with the cor of my jacket, coughing twice in embarrassment.


    His face changed, ¡°You were togetherst night ¡­?¡±


    I lowered my head and twisted my fingers in my clothes.


    His smile had a different meaning, ¡°Heh, you two are really ¡­ in love.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°Rafael,¡± I whispered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to ¡­ you.¡±


    ¡°You and I have nothing to be sorry about.¡± His voice was t, ¡°There¡¯s nothing between us, no contract, and the promises are all one-sided on my part. So who you stay with is your freedom.¡±


    I take a deep breath and steal a couple nces at him. I couldn¡¯t see any ripples from his face, but I had a vague feeling that he was getting angry.


    ¡°Rafael, I don¡¯t know what to say ¡­ I know you¡¯ve been good to me, and I¡¯ve failed you in that goodness, I ¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything.¡± He stopped at a red light and turned his face, giving me a small smile, ¡°Look like I¡¯m ckmailing you or something. I¡¯m not that petty.¡±


    I pursed my lips.


    ¡°Are you going to see Cameron again in the next couple days?¡± He asked.


    I was stunned, not knowing what he meant by his question.


    ¡°If you do see him, let him know.¡± He looked serious, ¡°Carter might turn on him.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I stared.


    He looks at me and whispers, ¡°You heard right, it¡¯s Carter. your own brother.¡±


    ¡°What does he want?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure exactly.¡± He frowns slightly, ¡°I know a little bit about his beef with Cameron, The Lynch Group is in Cameron¡¯s hands right now, Ethan, Mellisa, and Carter, they didn¡¯t get anything out of it, swept off their feet so to speak by Cameron. ¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s only natural that Carter would want revenge.¡± He said.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel my heart tighten.


    ¡°Anyway, remind Cameron to act carefully these days.¡± He spoke in a gentle tone, ¡°I¡¯ve also heard about this asionally from a couple of friends at the mall, and Carter may be making a move.¡±


    ¡°Well, thank you.¡± I was grateful.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much,¡± heughed softly, ¡°Think about it, Carter has nothing now, what can he do? He has no money, he can¡¯t be of any use in the mall, and he doesn¡¯t have many contacts that would pose much of a threat to Cameron.¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t threaten Cameron in any of those ways,¡± he said, ¡°the only thing he can do is set Cameron up in terms of his personal safety.¡±


    I nodded, he had a point.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been warned about everything that needs to be warned about.¡± Rafael looked at me, his gaze gentle, ¡°I¡¯ve done my best for you ¡­.¡±


    He pulled over to the curb and I got out, watching him walk away.


    The emotion of that moment was indescribable, I had a feeling I would owe him more.


    When I got back to my senses, I began to worry about Cameron; Rafael¡¯s analysis was correct, Carter was now a vicious man, and it was definitely his personal safety that was at stake for Cameron.


    Cameron is usually followed in and out of the house, Carter is afraid that it will be difficult to strike. But those people can¡¯t protect him 24 hours a day, there is always a time when there is a gap.


    Thinking of this, I immediately went to Cameron¡¯s house.


    He was the one who opened the door for me, and as soon as he saw me, there was still an unconcealed mockery and contempt in his eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He leaned against the doorframe, ¡°Didn¡¯t you toss and turn enoughst night?¡±


    I knew he was going to say something like that.


    I ignored him and pushed past him and squeezed through the door, Cameron froze, then shouted after me, ¡°Laura, what are you doing?¡±


    I barged into the bedroom, pulled out my suitcase, and shoved all the clothes from his closet into it.


    Then quickly packed up everything he had: belt, tie, socks, and underwear.


    When I was done packing I carried both suitcases downstairs to the living room.


    Cameron looked at me wide-eyed, held his tongue for a long moment, and exploded into a low growl, ¡°Laura!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t fold enough!¡± I looked at him with my chin up, ¡°So I¡¯vee to pack your things.¡±


    ¡°What the hell do you want!¡±


    ¡°Pack your stuff ande live with me!¡±


    It was the most direct thing I could think of.


    Keeping an eye on him twenty-four hours a day, limiting his range of motion to just under my nose, so that Carter didn¡¯t have a chance to take advantage of it.


    Cameron didn¡¯t appreciate it, though. He looked at me askance and sneered, ¡°So impatient? Looks like Rafael really can¡¯t get enough of you.¡±


    ¡°What do you care.¡± I said lightly, ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m with him right now. I¡¯m taking Sunny and staying out here.¡±


    He frowned, ¡°Where are you staying?¡±


    I looked at him quietly, ¡°The apartment ¡­ is the one you bought me before, the one with the ss sunroom.¡±


    Cameron¡¯s brow twitched slightly.


    He followed me back to the house under my coercion.


    Sunny was so happy to see him that she swooped over like a little bird, asking him to read stories, showing him her new dolls, and pestering him to take her to the yground.


    Yasmin also smiled, ¡°This is good, this is what a family looks like!¡±


    Cameron hummed lightly, ¡°Heh, family? I¡¯m afraid the big star has forgotten how to spell family.¡±


    I gave Yasmin a wink, telling her to take Sunny out first, then threw him a small card. ¡°Cell ess card, keep it. The door to the house is a fingerprint lock, and you set your fingerprints then, so I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve been erased over the years, have they?¡±


    He nced at me impatiently.


    I smiled and continued, ¡°Since you live together, you are a member of this family. You¡¯ll share the chores appropriately!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Cameron, how about you contract for tonight¡¯s meal? I kind of miss your crab roasted oats!¡±


    ¡°Laura, don¡¯t go too far!¡±


    Cameron threw that down and then started to look around, from the living room to the attic, like a lion patrolling his territory, leaving every corner untouched.


    I knew what he was looking for.


    Probably traces of another man.


    I was dumbfounded. Such childish behavior for such an adult.


    However, an inexplicable feeling of emotion ¡­ welled up in my heart I think that he still cares about me.


    Just like that, we lived together again.


    This time I felt like a heroine, protecting the people I wanted to protect at all times. I followed him around from time to time, he went to work, I waited downstairs, and waited until he waspletely out of favor with me, and also finally moved his office to his home.

 Laura鈥檚 POV 125

    Wherever he went I followed. Once after dinner, he subconsciously touched his pants pocket, pulled out half a day what did not pull out, followed by a bit scratching his head in a hurry like.


    He must have been addicted to cigarettes.


    He went quietly to the door, changed his shoes, and was about to go out when I got up and followed.


    ¡°Laura!¡± he red at me, ¡°What the hell do you want?¡±


    Iughed at his look and pretended to be innocent, ¡°Don¡¯t want to do anything ¡­ just want to follow you.¡±


    ¡°Why would you want to follow me?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m afraid that once you go out, you won¡¯te back.¡±


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    Cameron let out an indignant breath.


    ¡°Laura, is this torture in disguise? I just wanted to go out and get a pack of cigarettes!¡±


    I scooted closer to him, unable to hold back the giggle. ¡°Then consider this my torture in disguise. Cameron, I love it when you look at me like you¡¯re pissed off and can¡¯t fuck me over!¡±


    ¡°Laura,¡± he blushed.


    ¡°No smoking in the house.¡± I also squared my face, ¡°I told you this on your first day here! Because there are kids and elders in the house and Sunny and Yasmin can¡¯t take the smell of smoke!¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s always okay if I buy it and smoke it outside, right?¡±


    ¡°Even more so.¡± I looked at him, ¡°What if someone ties you up while you¡¯re smoking?¡±


    ¡°Do you have mud in your head?¡± He stared dryly, ¡°Or have you been acting too much? Who would kidnap me? Those kidnappers would have to find someone better to kidnap!¡±


    ¡°Carter would!¡± I yelled.


    My heart hangs in the air at the mere mention of it.


    All the days Cameron had been here, I hadn¡¯t told him why I¡¯d insisted he live with me.


    ¡°Carter will,¡± I say, ¡°Carter will turn on you!¡±


    He narrowed his eyes at me for a long moment and let out a softugh, ¡°Who told you that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you care who it was ¡­¡±


    ¡°Was it Rafael?¡±


    I raised my eyes in shock.


    He straightened up, crossed his arms, and sneered. ¡°Did he say that he learned from a friend that Carter was going to get back at me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded lightly.


    ¡°Heh ¡­¡± heughs, ¡°It¡¯s all over the mall. It¡¯s pretty much known in my circle!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°And Rafael actually took this as news and courted you?¡± He looked at me, ¡°And you actually believed it! What can I say about you? Stupid!¡±


    He reached out and rubbed my hair vigorously.


    I didn¡¯t understand what was going on for a moment.


    ¡°You knew all that?¡± I asked him in a daze, ¡°If you know all that, aren¡¯t you going to get ready?¡±


    ¡°Prepare for what?¡± He frowned, ¡°Doesn¡¯t Carter just want to get back at me? Then go ahead and do it! He has nothing now, what do I have to be afraid of!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because he has nothing that he¡¯s so vicious!¡± I advised him, ¡°Cameron, have you heard that saying? A barefoot man is not afraid of a man in shoes.¡±


    ¡°Heh, I¡¯ll wait!¡± He snorted lightly, ¡°You¡¯re funny though Laura. carter is your own brother and instead of helping him you¡¯re worried about me!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my brother too.¡± I hung my head.


    Half the time, he grunted softly.


    Another one of those dismissive sneers.


    ¡°Brother ¡­¡± he muttered, ¡°It¡¯s ironic that we¡¯re in a rtionship right now.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t want anything to happen to you!¡± I got anxious, ¡°Our rtionship is ironic, but you¡¯re at least my daughter¡¯s real dad!¡±


    ¡°And ¡­,¡± I looked at him, ¡°I have nothing to do with Rafael, can you stop bringing him up all the time?¡±


    Cameron was stunned, his eyebrows slightly rxed.


    But the eyes are still sharp.


    ¡°I¡¯m not with Rafael.¡± I whispered, ¡°I was using him as a shield that time in front of the press. Because I was afraid Carter would publicize our rtionship so ¡­¡±


    ¡°Even as a shield.¡± Cameron¡¯s gaze deepened, ¡°Heh, Laura, you owe a big favor! How do you think you should pay it back?¡±


    He looked a little teasing, as if he was watching a joke.


    My heart tugged at me, and I was in a state of shock. Suddenly it felt like I was making a fool of myself by minding his business.


    The air of silence felt awkward.


    After a long time, Cameron gently walked out of the room, not forgetting to admonish me as he opened the door, ¡°I¡¯m going for a walk, don¡¯t follow me!¡±


    ¡°Cameron ¡­¡±


    He paused in his tracks.


    I take a deep breath and whisper, ¡°I¡¯ll exin it to Rafael.¡±


    ¡°Exin what?¡±


    ¡°Cameron¡­ I just realized you¡¯re the most important man in my life. I¡¯ll exin it to him and I¡¯ll repay this favor in some other way.¡±


    My face heated up when I said that.


    Wasn¡¯t that too direct a way to speak? It¡¯s like memorizing lines, a bit mushy.


    But it¡¯s what I really think.


    Cameron stops by the door; he doesn¡¯t look back. His shoulders rose and fell with his breathing, and his back was reflected in the dark night with an indescribable despondency.


    ¡°Get some rest early.¡± For a long time, he threw down such a sentence.


    I went back to my room, my mind was nk, time seemed to start roaming. When I closed my eyes, all the grudges and grudges of thest twenty years came rushing back to me all at once.


    The next day I made an appointment with Rafael.


    I decided to have a showdown with him.


    Rafael was a little surprised when he got my call and agreed to meet me.


    I left the house early and kept thinking about what to say when I met him. But after thinking about it all the way, I still didn¡¯t have the right words.


    I ammenting the brain is too stupid, but when I walked into the corner, through the ss window of the roadside store, suddenly realized that there are people behind me to follow me ¡­


    I flinched, my head went nk for a few seconds, and then I looked back, and it seemed like no one was there.


    Maybe I was making too much of a fuss.


    However, just as I was about to walk to the ce I had agreed with Rafael, I suddenly felt a tingle in my back, as if I had been electrocuted, and my whole body trembled uncontrobly, then my eyes went ck and I lost consciousness.


    Woke up lying in a shabby room.


    I do not know where this is, surrounded by darkness, cold wind from the broken window poured in.


    I shivered, my feet stomped on something I didn¡¯t know, and when I fixed my eyes on it, it was actually a person too!


    ¡°Ah!¡± I screamed.


    The man slowly moved his body and raised his head. The moment I locked eyes with him I was speechless with shock.


    ¡°Rafael?¡± my heart was in my throat, ¡°How could it be you?¡±


    Rafael looked around and gasped, his eyes growing deep and condensed.


    ¡°It¡¯s Carter,¡± he whispered, ¡°the man who followed you, it¡¯s Carter ¡­¡±


    I snapped to the figure reflected in the ss window on the street corner.


    It turned out that the man was really following me!


    ¡°I got there before you.¡± He said, ¡°I watched you walk over, but all of a sudden you fell to the ground ¡­ I ran over and found Carter knocking you out with an electric baton and dragging you into a van.¡±


    I gawked and kept gulping, my heart pounding in panic.


    ¡°And how did ¡­ you ¡­¡±


    Rafael looked at me and smiled softly, ¡°I saw you were in danger and followed you. Carter found me and used the same method against me to get me here as well.¡±


    Baffled, I asked, ¡°Carter¡­ what the hell does he want?¡±


    Rafael looks at me without making a sound, his crystal eyes darkening at the moment.


    He moves slowly to my side, first helping me untie the ropes from my arms and legs, then looking around.


    There doesn¡¯t seem to be a suitable exit for escape except for that broken window.


    Rafael is silent for a moment, tying the sheets and quilts and even the curtains all together into one long rope.


    ¡°You go out first.¡± He said to me, ¡°When you get out don¡¯t stop for a moment, run and go to the police!¡±


    ¡°No ¡­¡± I hesitated, ¡°I can¡¯t leave you here alone!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that at this point!¡± He spoke to me very loudly for the first time, ¡°Just do what I say!¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°Rafael ¡­¡±


    ¡°Carter is targeting you, Cameron!¡± he yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? He¡¯s got you here to get at Cameron! And what about me? He brought me here because he was afraid his whereabouts would bepromised!¡±


    ¡°His target wasn¡¯t even me.¡± He gripped my shoulders tightly, ¡°Laura don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be in danger!¡±


    My nose turned sour and I watched him in a daze as he dropped a tear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t be afraid.¡± He gently embraced me and patted my back, ¡°I¡¯m here, I won¡¯t let anything happen to you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate before it¡¯s toote.¡± He smiles softly at me.


    I nodded, but I held onto his hand, unwilling to let go.


    But then there was a bang on the door.


    Carter walks in slowly, his silhouette blocking out the dim light of the hallway, his footsteps echoing in the empty space, each one making my heart skip a beat.


    He grinned a slightly eerie smile.


    Rafael steps in front of me.


    Carter nced at him and said coldly, ¡°Mr. Rafael, this is none of your business, and I really don¡¯t want to hurt anyone.¡±


    ¡°Laura¡¯s business is my business.¡± Rafael¡¯s voice was low and husky, ¡°Carter, advise you, she is your own sister after all ¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so annoying!¡±


    Carter swung his fist over, Rafael was caught off guard and fell to the ground.


    I rushed over to help him. Carter hit him in the corner of the mouth and he was covered in blood as he slumped to the ground coughing violently.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing!¡± I screamed at Carter.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know what I¡¯m going to do?¡±


    Carter shoves me hard.


    There were mirrors on the wall behind me, and with his push, I mmed right into that mirror, shattering the ss and falling to the floor with a crash. I lost my bnce and mmed down on that ss g, both palms of my hands aching as if they were spaced out.


    He tossed me a cell phone.


    ¡°Call!¡± He red at me viciously, ¡°Get Cameron out here! I want to talk to him alone!¡±


    I braced my hands on the ground and stepped back a little.


    Two trails of blood appeared on the floor and my mind went nk.


    ¡°Call!¡± He roared.


    Tears instantly came to my eyes.


    ¡°Carter¡­¡± I tried to stabilize him first, ¡°You, will you calm down? No matter what, I¡¯m your sister¡­ you do this to me, does mom know?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention mom to me!¡± Carter pointed at my nose and red angrily, ¡°Laura, you don¡¯t deserve to be mom and dad¡¯s daughter anymore! You¡¯ve been with Cameron that ¡­ heh, do you know who he is? Do you know what you¡¯ve done!¡±


    He grabbed me and shook me so hard I was like a ball of cotton, my organs seemed to have shifted.


    ¡°Laura ¡­ I¡¯m going to let you die, all of you!¡±


    ¡°Let her go!¡± Rafael rushed out from behind, both arms jammed around Carter¡¯s neck. Carter couldn¡¯t breathe, his eyes were round, his hands were loose and I escaped from under his hands.


    The two of them fought into a mess, the room banging sound, I panicked and confused, six God, except for staring at all this in front of me, but there is nothing I can do.


    Suddenly I saw the phone on the floor.


    I shivered and picked it up, my fingers seemed to be out of control, I tried my best to stay calm, just about to dial the police, but suddenly there was a sharp pain in my wrist.


    Carter kicked me in the hand.


    The phone flew out.


    Rafael fell to the ground as well.


    I looked at Carter as he stood in front of me with a ghostly smile. He seemed to be swimming on the edge of insanity, his eyes were off.


    ¡°Listen to me!¡± I tried hard to calm him down, ¡°I, I¡¯ll agree to any terms you want ¡­ Didn¡¯t you ask me to call Cameron out for money? How much do you want, I¡¯ll try to fulfill you ¡­¡±


    ¡°Not money!¡± He stomped his foot hard and hissed like a manic monster.


    ¡°Laura, you don¡¯t understand anything. Cameron he¡¯s a bastard, but he took everything that should have been mine! He ruined The Lynch Family, he ruined Mom and Dad, and he ruined me!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying ¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to understand!¡± He stared at me, his eyes showing a cold light, ¡°Laura, you¡¯re in league with him ¡­ Heh, you two are in league! It¡¯s whoever I get!¡±


    ¡°Carter¡­¡±


    Before my words fell, I saw him pull out a pistol, and the ck, slippery barrel pointed straight at my brow.


    My soul was broken, the hairs on my body stood up in sweat, and my spine was immediately cold.


    He smiled grimly, just a moment to pull the trigger, I was too scared to move, that thousandth of a second toote to react, there is only one thought in my mind: I¡¯m going to die¡­


    ¡°A loud bang pierced my eardrums.


    The smell of gunpowder floated in the air.


    However, when I came back to my senses, I realized that I was still alive, my heart was beating violently, a wisp of light smoke in front of my eyes ¡­


    In front of me,y a man, blood gurgling out from underneath him.


    ¡°Rafael!¡± I screamed out of breath, tears rolling down my face in a torrent.


    Carter stood frozen not far away as well, smoke stilling from the muzzle of the gun in his hand.


    I gently lifted Rafael to his feet, he was still conscious, yet his face was ashen and his lips were white. My hands were sticky and wet, and it was only then that I saw that he had been shot in the shoulder, and one arm was hanging limply to the ground.


    ¡°Rafael, Rafael¡­¡± I called out his name.


    He had taken the bullet for me.


    I¡¯d rather be the one who got hurt, the one who should have died!


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry ¡­¡± he was out of breath, ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m fine ¡­ holding up¡­ ¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you say anything, I¡¯ll call an ambnce!¡±


    I went to look for the cell phone, only to find it squeezed tightly in Rafael¡¯s hand.


    The screen showed that a 911 call had just been dialed.


    I cried harder and took Rafael in my arms.


    ¡°No one¡¯s going anywhere!¡± Carter suddenly yelled. Sweat beads on his forehead as well, his lips trembling as he slowly raised his gun again.


    ¡°I already killed one anyway, I don¡¯t care!¡±


    I looked at him coldly, and in that moment, all hell broke loose.


    Rafael closed his eyes and I held him a little tighter again.


    I closed my eyes too, readying myself for this.


    But then, a siren sounded outside, and through the window I saw red and blue police lights shing.

 Laura鈥檚 POV 126

    The police broke down the door and the sounds of a fierce fight came again, however this time Carter was restrained in a few moments, his gun thudded down in his hand and he was kicked out of the way by the police.


    They held him down by the shoulders, his face pressed against the ground as he struggled mightily but couldn¡¯t move.


    He had an extra pair of cold handcuffs on his wrists.


    I watched all of this indifferently, as if it was none of my business. I sat there woodenly, my thoughts drifting to nowhere, only to feel the body temperature of the person in my arms gradually cooling, but also gradually take my soul away.


    The paramedics arrived to dress my wounds and carry Rafael to the ambnce.


    Before Carter was taken away by the police, he looked back at me deeply. He stared into scarlet eyes, a look filled with resentment, anger, and murder ¡­


    Yet I was surprised to see another emotion: amazement.


    I don¡¯t know what he was surprised about; he moved his lips, the corners of his mouth twitching as if he had something to say.


    The police gave a stern rebuke, and Carter turned back to the police car, where he was twisted by several people.


    ¡­


    I was still guarding the door to the operating room when Cameron arrived at the hospital. The ghastly white light above the operating room, reflecting the three big blood-red letters in the operation, was particrly shocking.


    The moment I saw Cameron, I waspletely devastated.


    I threw myself into his arms, tears falling in big drops, my whole body cold and trembling.


    I was scared out of my mind with this storm, and at the same time, I was dying of guilt because of Rafael.


    ¡°What am I going to do ¡­¡± I sobbed, ¡°Willow doesn¡¯t know yet, does she? Should I let her know? ¡­ Rafael if anything does happen to me because of me, I ¡­¡±


    Cameron just stroked my hair.


    Half the time he held my shoulders and looked me straight in the eyes. He didn¡¯t say anything, but his brows were furrowed and there seemed to be a thousand words in his eyes.


    Then he let out a faint sigh, ¡°This matter ¡­ is too strange.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I didn¡¯t understand what he meant.


    He let go of me and sat on the bench, leaning his head against the wall and looking up at the ceiling.


    After a long silence, he suddenlyughed, something close to a self-deprecatingugh.


    ¡°Heh, Laura ¡­¡± he looked at me, ¡°In the future ¡­ we are afraid that we really have to say goodbye.¡±


    My heart clenched, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be by his side from now on.¡±


    He gently shrugged off the words, followed by getting up to leave.


    ¡°Cameron ¡­¡±


    I tried to call out to him, when the operating lights went out all of a sudden and the doctor came out of it.


    I couldn¡¯t care less about Cameron and rushed to meet him, ¡°How is he?¡±


    The doctor looked at me seriously, ¡°It¡¯s not life-threatening, but the left shoulder was pierced by a bullet and the scap was crushed, it¡¯s possible that it will cause inconvenience in his future life.¡±


    My knees went weak and I slumped in my chair.


    Willow came running from one end of the corridor, her eyes red, and as soon as she saw me tears immediately came to her eyes as she shouted, ¡°Where¡¯s my dad? What the hell is going on!¡±


    George followed her and gently supported her, ¡°Willow, calm down ¡­ your dad will be fine.¡±


    ¡°How do you expect me to calm down in this situation!¡±


    ¡°Willow,¡± I stood up and hung my head low, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault ¡­¡±


    ¡°I just want to know how the hell this happened!¡±


    She red at me, panting sharply.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°He was trying to save me.¡± I shed tears, incoherent, ¡°Now Carter is under police control ¡­ Rafael he took a bullet for me, it¡¯s not life threatening but his left shoulder is badly injured ¡­ ¡±


    Willow froze in ce.


    George helped her sit down and gently reassured her.


    Not long after Rafael was pushed out of the operating room by doctors and nurses.


    I took one look and my whole heart lifted. He was lying there with his eyes closed, his face was bloodless, his breathing was weak, and his left shoulder was wrapped in thick gauze, but blood was still seeping out.


    Willow jumped over to him, her cries were heartbreaking, and it took George a lot of effort to calm her down.


    She looked at me with red eyes, ¡°Ms. Laura, my dad was hurt ¡­ for you, will you take care of him?¡±


    I snapped to think of Cameron¡¯s words just now, Laura, I¡¯m afraid we really have to say goodbye in the future ¡­ you¡¯ll be by his side in the future ¡­


    Then the pain of a million arrows pierced through my heart hit me.


    Willow clutched my hand tightly, herrge, sobbing eyes filled with anticipation.


    I looked at her and nodded my head for a split second, and my organs shattered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take good care of him.¡± I tugged at the corners of my mouth and forced a smile, ¡°I will ¡­ definitely. I¡¯ll never leave him again.¡±


    It was a promise I made to Willow and an apology to Rafael.


    Those days I stayed at the hospital bed to take care of him. I did everything myself, from scrubbing and changing medicines to feeding and watering him.


    Taking care of a sick person is hard work, but I made myself work even harder, as if by taking care of him a little bit more, I could lessen the debt in my heart.


    Rafael took it all in stride.


    When he was able to sit up, I was learning from the nurse how to give him a massage.


    After I finished learning I sat on the edge of the bed and gently rubbed his legs.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be busy.¡± His voice was husky, ¡°Rest for a while.¡±


    I raised my eyes and was met with his gentle eyes.


    I smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m not tired. The doctor said that you can¡¯t stay in bed for a long period of time, you must move around on time to promote blood cirction, which is also good for your wound recovery.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful day today,¡± I look outside, ¡°I¡¯ll help you out for a walk in the sunter!¡±


    ¡°Laura ¡­¡±


    He seemed to have something to say.


    But after looking at me for a long time, nothing came out.


    His left arm was in a sling, and the thick gauze was removed and reced every day, but the wound never seemed to heal.


    When I changed the medicine for him, I looked at the left shoulder, a cup bottom size deep purple hole, surrounded by reddish-brown flesh are turned out, vaguely can see the bone.


    I felt guilty and heartbroken once more at the thought, and my nose couldn¡¯t help but ache.


    ¡°Laura,¡± his thick voice came again.


    This moment he peeked over slightly and gently took my hand in his.


    ¡°Have you thought about it?¡± He asked me.


    I understood what he meant. I looked at him and whispered, ¡°Thinking about it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be burdened. Laura, if you¡¯re doing this because I took a bullet for you, then you don¡¯t have to be so condescending.¡±


    ¡°No aggravation.¡± I smiled, ¡°Rafael, I¡¯m lucky to be married to you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°How many women are as lucky as I am to have a man who loves her with his life?¡± I said, ¡°I won¡¯t regret being with you because I know you¡¯ll always love me.¡±


    He smiled, a hint of emotion in his deep gaze. He rested his forehead against mine, and his warm breath lingered on the tip of my nose.


    I think that¡¯s probably how the story ends.


    I marry him and spend my life repaying him, and he does me no favors. Willow and I get along again, and there won¡¯t be too much family conflict.


    As for Cameron ¡­


    He¡¯ll always just be my brother, forever.


    I felt a touch of salt on my lips and a tear fell in.


    Rafael¡¯s kissesnded on the side of my face, the tip of my nose, my chin ¡­ then my lips. His kisses weren¡¯t fiery, but they were like a thin stream of water.


    He gazed at me and smiled gently, ¡°I will never let you regret this decision.¡±


    That¡¯s when the nurse pushed her way in, ¡°Mr. Rafael, it¡¯s time to change the medication.¡±


    I hurriedly stood to the side, but felt that today is strange, usually there are two nurses to change the medication, howe there is an extra one today?


    One of the slightly older nurses, kept her head down, intentionally avoiding something.


    I had a momentary weird feeling in my heart.


    When they finished changing the medicine and went out, that older nurse stayed behind and patted me on the shoulder.


    She still had her head down, and with therge mask on, I couldn¡¯t see her at all, however she opened her mouth and startled me, ¡°Pleasee out with me and settle Mr. Rafael¡¯s hospital bill for this period.¡±


    I froze in ce, my eyes locked on her.


    The voice was all too familiar ¡­


    That¡¯s when she snapped her head up and her icy eyes looked at me as well. My blood seemed to pour out for a split second, my heart pounding.


    ¡°Pleasee out with me.¡± She said again.


    I snapped back to my senses and followed her out the door. When we reached the end of the hallway, she took off her mask, put both hands in her pockets, and looked at me silently.


    My throat felt like it was clogged.


    What should I call her?


    The word ¡°mom¡± was weighing a thousand pounds in my throat.


    ¡°You can call me anything you want, even auntie.¡± Mellisa smiled softly, ¡°I have a few things I want to say to you.¡±


    ¡°Laura,¡± she paused, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been a while.¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Is what you want to say down there, Laura, do you still have mom and dad in your heart?¡± I looked up at her and sneered, ¡°Mom, how am I supposed to answer you on that one? Maybe from the moment I was born and you sent me away, our mother-daughter bond was over.¡±


    ¡°Do I still have Mom and Dad in my heart?¡± I was silent for a moment, ¡°Of course there is ¡­ You can¡¯t even imagine how much a child who grows upcking affection and love longs for a father¡¯s and mother¡¯s love.¡±


    Mellisa¡¯s face changed.


    There seemed to be tears in her eyes, but she was ultimately a strong woman. Even if life gave her more trials and tribtions, she would not easily show her weak side.


    ¡°Heh,¡± she grunted softly, ¡°You think I went through all this trouble and disguised myself to blend in and meet you just to ask this? Laura, you underestimate your mom.¡±


    I looked at her quizzically.


    A shallow sadness that saw through the world passed over her face.


    ¡°Laura, I¡¯ve known for a long time that you wouldn¡¯t forgive me. I never had much hope for my children either, children are a debt owed in a previous life, and in this life I have given you life, so I can say my debt has been settled.¡±


    ¡°So if you forgive or don¡¯t forgive me, I can ept it openly. But you are my daughter after all, and I was remiss in not raising you properly and being there for you. I will spend my life making up for it.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you want to say?¡± I looked at her.


    ¡°No.¡± Her gaze retracted and she looked grave, ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is, do you really want to see your own brother in jail?¡±


    My heart tightened.


    ¡°You came to me today to ask me not to sue Carter?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been locked up in the police station all these days, and he¡¯s getting his punishment.¡±


    ¡°Heh ¡­¡± I looked at her incredulously, ¡°Luckily I called you a mom ¡­ You said in your mouth that you want topensate me, is thispensation? At the critical moment, you still favor your son!¡±


    ¡°Carter he kidnapped me, illegally held a gun, and intentionally injured people.¡± I said word for word, ¡°He made these mistakes, it¡¯s not up to me to say whether he goes to jail or not, it¡¯s up to thew! Besides I had a scare this time, it was all about Rafael taking that shot for me! If I let Carter off the hook, I won¡¯t be able to justify it to Rafael!¡±


    ¡°Laura, do you have to do this?¡± She was a little agitated, ¡°Carter is your own brother!¡±


    ¡°But does he think of me as his own sister? When he tied me up, when he held a gun to my head, I really didn¡¯t think he was my brother!¡±


    ¡°Laura ¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop it, it¡¯s not working!¡± I red at her angrily, ¡°Carter made a mistake and he¡¯s going to pay for it!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s your only brother, the only son of The Lynch Family!¡± Mom¡¯s eyes rounded and her lips trembled, ¡°You ¡­ don¡¯t help outsiders and hurt your own family!¡±


    I cackled inwardly.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    She looked at me for a long time and said nothing.


    Then turned around and left angrily.


    I stood in ce, thinking back on her words, and the more I thought about it, the more wrong I felt.


    Only brother, only son ¡­


    And what was Cameron?


    I thought about how Carter had mentioned Cameron when he kidnapped me, referring to him as a ¡°bastard.¡±¡­


    I thought it was because he hated Cameron, and when people are angry, they can say anything.


    However, now it seems ¡­ as if there is another mystery!


    I thought about it and rushed to call Patrick.


    ¡°Wow, Laura, do you have to be so punctual?¡±


    I was confused, ¡°What?¡±


    He cracked upughing on the other end, ¡°It¡¯s been exactly fifteen days since thest time you brought Cameron¡¯s hair in, not a minute too soon!¡±


    I alsoughed, ¡°Then ¡­ DNA identification is not the result? You saidst time that the identification would take fifteen days.¡±


    ¡°I knew you were for this.¡± He said, ¡°Luckily my vacation doesn¡¯t end until tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going back to Hallstatt tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, work¡¯s not done there yet.¡±


    ¡°Laura, first things first.¡± He paused, ¡°The results just came back, the probability of you and Cameron being gically simr is ¡­¡±


    I held my breath for a moment.


    ¡°Zero.¡± He uttered the word softly.


    The feeling ¡­ at that moment was indescribable.


    As if the heart of a mountain that has been pressed for a long time, suddenly the mountain copsed and cracked, and the debris fell piece by piece and smashed me, I didn¡¯t feel any pain, but there is a kind of endless pleasure.


    But after the pleasure?


    I felt heartache all of a sudden.


    The pain that tore through my heart and lungs came to me like a wave at this moment.


    I crouched on the floor, clutching my cell phone tightly as tears fell like rain.


    ¡°Laura, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Patrick asked on the other end, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Fine ¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± He smiled, ¡°Here are the results from the police, there won¡¯t be any problems. You and Cameron aren¡¯t brother and sister, so that¡¯s a relief for you, isn¡¯t it? You can be together now.¡±


    I covered my mouth so he wouldn¡¯t hear that I was crying.


    ¡°Hurry up and tell Cameron the good news,¡± he whispered, ¡°Laura, I truly want you to be happy. There was a time when I thought I could give it to you, but then I realized that your happiness can onlye from Cameron.¡±


    ¡°You guys have to be good, you hear me?¡±


    Patrickughed heartlessly on the other end, ¡°I¡¯m going back to Hallstatt tomorrow, so don¡¯te to see either of you off! But when you guys get married, make sure you send me the invitations, I have toe back for the wedding!¡±


    I hastily snapped off the phone and wiped my eyes.


    I didn¡¯t expect the reality after the truth came out to be etched in my mind.


    I turned my head to look at the ward ¡­


    Cameron and I aren¡¯t brother and sister, but we still can¡¯t be together.


    Never, ever can.


    ¡°Laura,¡± someone suddenly tapped me on the shoulder.


    I startled and turned around to see it was actually Rafael standing in front of me, Willow holding him up and smiling at me.


    ¡°Ms. Laura how are you?¡± She was like a happy little sparrow, ¡°I just came to see my dad, the old man seems to be recovering fast under your care! Now I¡¯m helping him out for a walk, would you join me?¡±

 Laura鈥檚 POV 127

    Rafael also looks at me with a probing gaze, smiling softly, ¡°Walk together?¡±


    I was a little flustered and refused in a low voice, ¡°No need. I¡¯ve got a few things I want to do and I want to go out ¡­ Willow, your dad is in your hands for now.¡±


    ¡°But Ms. Laura ¡­,¡± Willow pouted, and tried to say something when Rafael stopped her.


    ¡°If you have something to do, go ahead and do it.¡± He said softly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± He had a look in his eyes that could melt a person, ¡°There are doctors and nurses at the hospital, it won¡¯t be a big deal. Laura, I think it¡¯s best if you go back and get some rest and a good night¡¯s sleep, you¡¯ve been working too hard thisst while.¡±


    I feel a little hard in my heart.


    Why did fate have to arrange things this way? When I made up my mind to be with Rafael, it let me know such a cruel truth.


    I walked out of the hospital.


    It was a sunny day, the air was a bit cool but there was no wind and it was veryfortable. I could smell the early winter.


    How long had it been since I¡¯d been out for some air?


    In fact, I didn¡¯t have anything to do, I just wanted to escape from Rafael for a while. I needed a space to be alone for a while, to adjust myself so that I could face the next road.


    However ghostly, I actually went to the nursing home. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen Ste, my foster mom and my aunt. I suddenly wanted to see her, and subconsciously I had another idea that I might learn more about Cameron¡¯s life from her.


    I met Ste in the hospital room.


    But she wasn¡¯t doing well, and the paramedics told me that she wouldn¡¯tst much longer.


    ¡°You¡¯re Ms. Laura, aren¡¯t you?¡± The dean recognizes me with a slightlyplicated look, ¡°Don¡¯t just be busy filming and being a star, you shoulde and care for your mother too.¡±


    I nodded silently.


    ¡°How is she ¡­ really doing?¡±


    ¡°Long-term depression torture, causing her body functions to be damaged.¡± Dean told me, ¡°She has almost no immunity left, amon cold or flu could kill her.¡±


    My heart tightened, ¡°So, she¡¯s really dying?¡±


    ¡°Be prepared.¡±


    Coming out of the dean¡¯s, I was at a loss for words.


    She¡¯s dying ¡­ She¡¯s actually dying.


    I should have let Cameron know.


    That¡¯s when Ste saw me standing in the doorway, she raised her eyes and smiled at me.


    The sunlight shines into the ward, her body seems to be gilded with ayer of golden light, even her smile bes sacred.


    ¡°Mom ¡­¡± just called out to her, I immediately choked up.


    I put the medical staff are expelled, the room is left with me and her. This suite is very luxurious, her monthly medical expenses up to seven figures, but now she is hunched over, her description is withered, a handful of bones ¡­ have more, what is the use?


    She¡¯s also lost an equal amount.


    I helped her take a bath, changed into clean clothes, let her sit in the wheelchair, I helped herb her hair. Her hair is thinning, has long lost its luster, and there are a lot of white hair ¡­ I can not help but feel a sour nose, this is all fate.


    If she had known that it would end this way, would she have destroyed her sister¡¯s marriage back then?


    Without her sabotage, I might have grown up in a very normal family, with mom and dad loving, with my brother as apanion, following the trajectory of life to find the other half, and settle down for life.


    But if that had been the case, I would never have met Cameron ¡­


    Cameron.


    At the thought of that name, my heart can¡¯t help but throb a little.


    ¡°Mom, okay.¡± I gathered her hair behind her head in a bun.


    However, just as I straightened up, I saw a man walk in the doorway ¡­ I stared at him in awe, a few days of light, but it seemed like centuries apart. ¡°Cameron?¡± my heart pounded, ¡°You¡¯re here too.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± He nodded, his expression still light.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He said, ¡°Thank you for doing this for my mom. I saw it all earlier.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what I should have done.¡± I smiled, ¡°She¡¯s my mom too.¡±


    The caregiver walks in to give Ste her nutritional shots.


    Cameron gently walks over to me, ¡°Can I talk to you alone for a second?¡±


    ¡­


    We walked side by side on the grass in front of the nursing home.


    The early winter sun beat down on us like a warm, soft nket. The two of us didn¡¯t say a word, it seemed like a protracted silence, the two of us were two warriors seeing who couldn¡¯t hold thest line of defense and speak first.


    I snickered.


    Then I secretly raised my eyes to look at him.


    He is still rigid and cold, very manly, handsome and intoxicating.


    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what his real parents would have been like. How good should they have been to give birth to such an excellent him?


    And why didn¡¯t they want him?


    My head was full of questions and when I wasn¡¯t paying attention, I was yanked into my arms by a strong force. I snapped back to my senses, the embrace familiar and warm with the faint smell of tobo.


    Tears drilled out of my eyes all at once.


    Cameron was holding me so tightly, he was so strong that I had trouble even breathing.


    ¡°Cameron ¡­¡± I wrapped my arms around his shoulders.


    Only to hear him whisper in my ear, ¡°Laura, don¡¯t go.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± His low, husky voice was so pleading, ¡°Don¡¯t go, don¡¯t leave me.¡±


    My body shook.


    ¡°I know all that.¡± He said, ¡°We are not brother and sister ¡­ at all No!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the son of this family, and I don¡¯t know who I am.¡± He smiled bitterly, ¡°But I want to be with you.¡±


    ¡°Cameron ¡­,¡± tears welled up in my eyes and I wrenched myself away from him viciously.


    ¡°Do you resent the fact that I don¡¯t have the birthright that would make me worthy of you?¡± His eyes zed with intensity. ¡°You¡¯re The Lynch Family Missy and I¡¯m nothing.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that!¡±


    ¡°The Lynch Group is in my hands now, and everything I am is yours!¡± He tightened his grip on my shoulders, ¡°Laura, I can give you anything, The Lynch Group was supposed to belong to you too.¡±


    ¡°But you belong to me! I¡¯m not going to give you up to anyone¡­ you owe Rafael, I¡¯ll help you figure it out, make him whatever terms he wants, but I can¡¯t give you up!¡±


    I pushed him away, my heart in turmoil.


    ¡°Laura¡­¡±


    He was about to say something else when suddenly an escort came running from the distance.


    ¡°Miss Laura, Mr. Cameron.¡± She said hurriedly, ¡°Mrs. Ste hase to her senses for a moment and says she has something she wants to say to you, please hurry and follow me!¡±


    Cameron and I looked at each other and hurried upstairs.


    In the hospital room, Ste was lying on the bed, mentally stable, but breathless.


    She slowly opened her eyes, looked at Cameron and then at me, and extended her withered hand.


    I hurriedly took it, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m here.¡±


    She stared at me intently, her cloudy eyes showing a rare tenderness. Her lips moved a few times, and she sucked in a cool breath.


    A machine next to me made a dripping sound.


    I was startled and wanted to run out and call for a doctor, however, she held my hand tightly and finally let out a weak, raspy voice.


    ¡°Anne¡­¡±


    Anne¡­


    My entire body froze.


    Although Ste was looking at me, it seemed as if her gaze was no longer focused, and she mumbled, ¡°Anne, Anne¡­¡±


    I crouched down beside her and gently stroked her hair. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Anne. Mom, just say what¡¯s wrong!¡±


    ¡°There you are.¡± She smiles.


    She lifted her hand with difficulty, as if that arm weighed a thousand pounds. Finally she lifted it to touch my face, and her fingers were cold, as if her soul was slowly being drawn out of her.


    I knew she was running out of time.


    ¡°Anne, it¡¯s so nice of you toe ¡­¡± she was almost speaking with her breath, ¡°You know, mommy has missed you ¡­ so much for so long ¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry mom.¡± My voice choked.


    The apology came from the bottom of my heart, no matter whose daughter I was, Jacob or Mellisa, Anne¡¯s death was inextricably linked to me.


    ¡°Silly child, do you need to say sorry to your mommy?¡± Sheughed, then looked to Cameron beside me. she reached out shakily and took Cameron¡¯s hand in hers.


    Then she puts my hand and Cameron¡¯s together.


    ¡°Anne¡­¡± she gasped, but still barely spoke, ¡°Cameron¡­¡±


    ¡°Take care of her¡­ help me take care of her¡­¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°Mom, stop talking for a second.¡± I wiped the tears from my eyes, ¡°I¡¯m going to call the doctor!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no use, don¡¯t call.¡± She smiles at me, her emotions calm, ¡°Mom will be gone soon.¡±


    ¡°No, it won¡¯t!¡± I bite my lip.


    Ste¡¯s eyes look straight at me.


    Eyes that are no longer clear and written with worry.


    ¡°Anne, you¡¯re mommy¡¯s only child¡­ Mommy will protect you and won¡¯t let anything happen to you¡­¡±


    ¡°Cameron¡­¡± she looked at Cameron, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    Cameron¡¯s brow furrowed and he responded in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°Back then, when I carried you back, mom had selfish intentions ¡­ because mom only had Anne as a daughter, and mom wanted to find a lifelong support for her ¡­¡±


    Although I already knew Cameron¡¯s birth, I was still shocked to hear first hand from Ste that he wasn¡¯t biological.


    I look at Cameron, he looks solemn, as if he has already withdrawn from the joys and sorrows of the human world.


    ¡°Take care of her ¡­ must take good care of her ¡­¡±


    Ste suddenly coughed and wheezed so hard that the machine next to her kept sending out a dripping rm. I wanted to go out and call for someone, but I don¡¯t know what happened, but the strength in her hand was surprisingly strong, as if she had concentrated herst strength in this hand.


    She clutched me tightly.


    ¡°Cameron ¡­¡± She started rolling her eyes and shaking, ¡°Cameron, I¡¯m sorry ¡­ your real parents. They¡¯ve been looking for you, they¡¯re ¡­¡±


    Before this mystery could be unraveled, however, her body shook violently a few times, her legs suddenly stomped straight, and the light from her pupils gradually dissipated.


    Eventually she closed her eyes.


    The machine next to her showed a straight line, and the dripping rm sound, turned into a continuous drip.


    The doctor and nurse came in, did a final check, and came up to us and whispered, ¡°My condolences.¡±


    I watched this woodenly.


    My heart was aching, but the pain wasn¡¯t as intense.


    They covered her with a white cloth and pushed her out.


    My heart was empty in that moment. I tried to remember what I remembered of The Lynch Family since I was eight years old, the Ste I remembered, the Ste who always thought of me as Anne, and I realized how she could have be so mentally disturbed, sure, it¡¯s sad for a mother to lose her daughter, but she lost her only daughter.


    I looked at Cameron, who stood in a daze, equally expressionless.


    Cameron and I organized Ste¡¯s funeral together, and it was a very sad one, with no one there but Cameron and me.


    It was drizzling rain that day, and the sky was covered with dark clouds, heavy and depressing.


    We both stood in front of her grave, her tombstone is also very simple, only wrote the name, birth year and date of death, not even the names of her husband and children.


    In life, she got a lot of scenery, but in death, there is not even a send-off person.


    My heart suddenly surged with sadness, gently put the white gardenias in front of her tombstone.


    Cameron stood beside it, dressed in ck. From the time of Ste¡¯s death until now, I have not seen him smile, his face has been cold, deep eyes, as if in thought.


    In the middle of the day, he squatted down and gently cupped a billet of soil and sprinkled it in front of her grave.


    ¡°Go.¡± My hand rested on his shoulder, his coat soaked and cold from the rain.


    He stood up and turned his gaze toward me. The moment I met his eyes, my heart pounded.


    ¡°Mom¡¯s finally in the ground.¡± He whispered, ¡°And our mission isplete.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded, ¡°Luckily I wasn¡¯t wrong to go over and see her onest time ¡­¡±


    ¡°Laura ¡­¡± He raised his hand, and as he was about to touch my face he hesitated, his hand stopped in mid-air for a long time, but gently fell on it.


    Like before, his rough thumb, caressing my cheek.


    ¡°Remember what Mom said before she died?¡± He looked at me.


    I thought he was talking about his birth, the secret that Ste took to her grave.


    I sighed, ¡°She breathed herst halfway through the sentence¡­. What do you do? Are you going to track it down? And where do you start?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    ¡°Then what is it?¡± I froze.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking ¡­ about you!¡±


    I felt his gaze turn fiery.


    The slight coolness of the drizzle was washed away by his passionate eyes.


    ¡°She said for me to take care of you.¡± Cameron embraced my shoulders, ¡°She said the whole point of adopting me back then was to give you something to fall back on for life!¡±


    ¡°No ¡­¡± my heart ached, ¡°Mom meant Anne ¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it was all God¡¯s will?¡± He looked at me quietly, ¡°Anne is dead and you came into the family to rece Anne. In mom¡¯s mind, you are Anne and I am the one who guards you ¡­¡±


    ¡°Cameron!¡±


    I pushed him away violently.


    If he says anything else, I won¡¯t be able to hold back my tears.


    ¡°Laura!¡± he locks his gaze on me, ¡°I told you, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m giving you up!¡±


    ¡°Drop the guilt about Rafael.¡± He whispered, ¡°He took a bullet for you, but he can¡¯t use that as ckmail to put you on the hook for a lifetime of happiness!¡±


    ¡°Come with me, Laura ¡­.¡±


    His low, husky voice swayed me for a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking you and Sunny out of here ¡­ We¡¯re not brother and sister, we¡¯re not bound by anything anymore! I¡¯m taking you to a ce where no one knows us for the rest of our lives and I¡¯ll spend my life taking care of you and protecting you!¡±


    I looked up at him.


    There was a strange, determined gleam in his eyes.


    I hesitated in that moment; after all, I didn¡¯t feel that deeply for Rafael, and had agreed to be with him because I felt guilty for him, and because I was in the way of my rtionship with Cameron.


    But now, as Cameron said, we¡¯re not brother and sister, there are no more bonds.


    Maybe ¡­ Rafael¡¯s favor, I can repay in another way?

 Laura鈥檚 POV 128

    ¡°Cameron, I ¡­¡±


    I lick my dry lips.


    There was a growing rity of promise in his gaze.


    I¡¯ll go with you ¡­


    The words keep ying on my lips.


    I hold his hand tightly, still interlocking my fingers like before. We looked at each other in silence, a thousand words melting into the meeting of our eyes.


    ¡°Cameron, I ¡­¡± When I finally got up the courage to say yes to him, my cell phone rang at that exact moment.


    As soon as I answered the phone it was Willow¡¯s voice with a sobbing tone.


    ¡°Ms. Laura, my dad is not doing well ¡­¡±


    My heart snapped up.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Take your time, don¡¯t rush.¡±


    ¡°Wound infection.¡± She obviously suppressed her sobs, ¡°Because the infection has started a high fever again, he is now in the first aid ¡­ The doctor said that he probably won¡¯t be able to keep this arm ¡­ Even if he does, he will still be disabled in the future.¡±


    My knees went weak and I almost fell on the ground.


    ¡°Ms. Laura ¡­,¡± Willow called me softly, ¡°are you listening?¡±


    ¡°Uh, I¡¯m in.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m outside the emergency room, I¡¯m so scared right now ¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared.¡± I settled down, ¡°I¡¯m on my way!¡±


    I hung up the phone and turned around.


    Cameron yells behind me, I turn around and see his bleak face.


    My heart throbbed hard.


    The rain wasing down faster and faster, and the sky was overcast like a dull gray curtain.


    Perhaps my future with Cameron is like this sky, cloudy and never seeing the rainbow after the rain.


    I swallowed back my tears, not daring to look into his eyes. ¡°Cameron, I¡¯m sorry ¡­ now I have to go and guard Rafael.¡±


    He looked at me, half-heartedly, andughed softly.


    Theugh seemed to be self-deprecating.


    ¡°Go.¡± The temperature in his gaze receded, ¡°Laura, from now on, we have nothing more to do with each other!¡±


    I stood in stunned silence with a loud bang in my ears.


    He turned away before I did. I will always remember his ck trench coat that day, his whole body was wrapped in ck, leaving alone in the cemetery in the rain. His back disappeared in the rain, disappearing in my blurred vision.


    I bit my lip.


    Cameron, goodbye.


    I said softly in my heart.


    It¡¯s never going to happen again.


    Rafael¡¯s surgery on his left shoulder took a full five hours, and the best surgical specialists in the country came to Jerez State to consult with him ande up with an impable n. The surgery was a sess and he saved his left arm, but his left hand would never be the same.


    The day he was discharged from the hospital I packed up his things while the doctor was giving him a final checkup.


    ¡°Reach forward with both hands and raise them up.¡± The doctor instructed.


    Rafael did as he was told and I could see that his left arm was noticeably shorter than his right.


    ¡°Okay, take your time and bob up and down to see.¡±


    Rafael continued to do this, his left arm moving with apparent slowness.


    ¡°Congrattions, Mr. Rafael.¡± The doctor smiles, ¡°It¡¯s a blessing to be back like this!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not as flexible as it used to be, but it doesn¡¯t affect your daily work. Doing more rehab exercises,ing in for follow-ups once a month, and taking your medication on time, it¡¯s good to be able to maintain the status quo.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Rafael smiled softly.


    Willow chimed in, ¡°Dad, if you really amputate your arm this time, you¡¯ll look like the one-armed warrior on TV!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, you brainless girl?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying ¡­,¡± Willow pushed me towards Rafael with a cheeky grin, ¡°Even if you lose your left arm, your Laura won¡¯t mind you! ¡±


    My face heats up slightly.


    Rafael turns his gaze to me and smiles softly, as if with an apology in his eyes.


    Willow ran toward the door, ¡°Okay, okay, I don¡¯t want to be a light bulb for you guys, I¡¯m going to go get discharged ¡­ you guys have a good time for two!¡±


    ¡°This girl!¡± Rafael snorted lightly and looked at me, ¡°Don¡¯t bother with her.¡±


    ¡°Which I can.¡± Iughed, ¡°Willow is adorable, she and I have been good friends for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Laura,¡± Rafael was silent for a long moment, ¡°You¡¯ll really marry me?¡±


    I avoided his eyes and nodded softly.


    ¡°Cameron is not your brother.¡± He said softly, ¡°That I already know. In that case ¡­ you are free to make your choice and I will honor it.¡±


    ¡°I made my choice a long time ago, Rafael,¡± I took his hand in mine, ¡°From the moment you took that bullet for me, I made my choice.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re ming yourself because of guilt, then you don¡¯t have to ¡­¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I say the words with difficulty, ¡°I was willing to follow you because you protected me with your life. I¡¯mfortable leaving the rest of my life¡¯s happiness in your hands.¡±


    Rafael looks at me and smiles softly.


    ¡°When are you moving in with me?¡± He asked in a low voice, ¡°Or ¡­ we¡¯ll buy another new house.¡±


    ¡°No, your house is fine.¡± I said, ¡°But I don¡¯t want to live together until we get married. I¡¯m still living in my old apartment.¡±


    He frowned, ¡°The door to that apartment ¡­ Cameron can be opened too, right?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that? You¡¯re doubting me?¡± I got a little down, ¡°Rafael, since I chose you, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to stay in a rtionship with another man!¡±


    ¡°Laura, I didn¡¯t mean anything by it.¡±


    ¡°You just don¡¯t trust me!¡±


    I turned my back, the string of events that had urred over the past few days had frayed my nerves beyond belief.


    It was as if I was a traveler with a heavy load, but I was deep in a quagmire, with more and more pressure on me, but I couldn¡¯t get out of it.


    ¡°Laura,¡± a hand rested on my shoulder.


    His tone softened, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you ¡­ I admit, I¡¯m a little jealous of Cameron. You¡¯re my woman from now on, but between you and him ¡­¡±


    ¡°You know everything between me and him, and there¡¯s a child between me and him!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not bothered about the past with you.¡± He sighed, ¡°Laura, I just want you to be honest with me. We¡¯re getting married after all, and we¡¯re going to spend our lives together in the future, and I don¡¯t want you to live with me with a knot in your heart.¡±


    ¡°I cherish you and I cherish this rtionship ¡­,¡± he said, ¡°and I hope you do too.¡±


    I take a deep breath.


    Rafael says these things in an unassuming manner, with a little bit of doting indulgence, but without overindulging, and retaining a little bit of majesty, so that people don¡¯t dare to cross that line.


    For such a man I am very convinced.


    He has a good sense of tension and rxation, and uses both kindness and authority to keep everything under control.


    In contrast, Cameron is much simpler, love is love, hate is hate, ck and white ¡­


    I brought my thoughts back, trying my best to control myself from thinking about the name Cameron.


    ¡°Laura,¡± Rafael said softly, ¡°still mad at me?¡±


    I turned my face to look at him and went along with the step, ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you ¡­ but I must exin to you that I¡¯ve decided to marry you, and there¡¯s no more possibility with Cameron. He¡¯s just my daughter¡¯s father to me, nothing more.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± He pressed his forehead against mine, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being tongue-tied earlier.¡±


    I suddenly felt tired.


    Two people are so careful even to say a word, they have to apologize for saying the wrong thing, so what should it be like to get along after marriage?


    ¡°You can live wherever you want until we get married, I won¡¯t force it.¡± He said, ¡°Even if Cameron goes to see Sunny, it¡¯s still appropriate.¡±


    ¡°But ¡­ when are you going to bring Sunny to my ce as well and we¡¯ll have dinner together as a family? I want to cultivate a rtionship with her too.¡±


    I agreed, ¡°No problem, just this weekend!¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Rafael sat up straight, still holding my hand lightly, and looked at me with a slight smile.


    ¡°What do you think about the wedding?¡±


    I was stunned and answered truthfully, ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about a wedding, I want to keep it simple.¡±


    ¡°Keep it simple ¡­¡±


    He narrowed his eyes and mumbled repeating those four words. I couldn¡¯t tell from his face whether he was happy or unhappy, the deep look made me feel strange inside.


    ¡°Fine, just do what you want.¡± He smiled faintly, ¡°Laura, actually I would love to give you a grand wedding and let you marry me in style. But since you want to keep it simple, you have your own reasons, and I respect your wishes.¡±


    I nodded and gave him a grateful smile.


    I wanted to keep it simple, I just didn¡¯t want to make it hard for Cameron.


    ¡°What about your career?¡± Rafael asked again, ¡°Still want to continue?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± I said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a housewife, I¡¯m a man of leisure.¡±


    He looked at me, ¡°I guess being a star wasn¡¯t enough.¡±


    ¡°I just think it¡¯s good for a woman to have a career of her own, it¡¯s kind of a spiritual support to slow down the aging process.¡±


    He cracked a smile.


    In his impression, women probably have long hair and short eyes, and looks are most important. Otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have married a movie queen, then a Fryday, and finally found me.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    And I think that serving a man with color will notst long.


    Keeping this career is not only a spiritual support for myself, it¡¯s also my financial source. More and more, I¡¯m getting the feeling that I¡¯m earning money to buy my own flowers, and that¡¯s a good feeling.


    Besides, I don¡¯t want to rely on Rafael too much. Dependence would turn into dependence, and then he would control me, and I would never be able to get ahead.


    After Rafael was released from the hospital, I returned to work.


    I didn¡¯t realize that he had asked George to arrange the best resources for me. Talk shows, variety shows, advertisements, movie and TV series contracts, all of them flew towards me like snowkes.


    And they were all high quality and big productions.


    George even arranged for a specialized voice and dance teacher to teach me singing and dancing three times a week, in preparation for my future multi-disciplinary development.


    However, at my advanced age of twenty-eight, I was really struggling to learn all this. So I asked my agent to help me put off these lessons.


    Rumors started to spread around thepany, ¡°Laura is really something, she doesn¡¯t even take the lessons that President George arranged for her!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s had big backers since she started! First it was Cameron, and now it¡¯s Mr. Rafael ¡­ The looks aren¡¯t exactly heavenly, but the level is really high!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, how can Frydaypete with her? In the future, I¡¯m afraid Fryday will be reduced to carrying her shoes!¡±


    Iughed at these rumors.


    What¡¯s the use of arguing? Instead of wasting time on these catty little things, I should concentrate on making myself stronger.


    Rafael called to ask me to join him for dinner.


    It was still at his private penthouse clubhouse, where the space was rtively private, and before I arrived, he¡¯d ordered a tight security detail to make sure no surreptitious reporters would bother.


    I couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of the old days when I was a reporter myself when I saw this array.


    He saw meughing lightly and asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s so happy?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°I just think it¡¯s not easy for reporters, remembering when I used to be a reporter, the ones who chased after me weren¡¯t celebrities, but they were all big shots, and for a piece of news, they also had to guard outside day and night like this, rain or shine.¡±


    He did not respond, a moment, he reached out his left hand, gently holding my hand.


    His left hand was still not dexterous, and the strength of his grip on me was also much smaller than before.


    ¡°In the future, I won¡¯t let you suffer this kind of aggravation again.¡±


    His voice was low, with a steady strength.


    I was surprised, this is supposed to be reassuring, but why just now for a moment, a feeling of uneasiness flooded the bottom of my heart?


    I saw the fixed brace still in ce on his left shoulder after he took off his suit, and soon that uneasiness was buried by guilt.


    ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± I asked him.


    He smiled and shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m lucky I didn¡¯t hurt my right hand. I usually use my right hand more, and this injury didn¡¯t affect my daily life.¡±


    ¡°But after all, it is ¡­¡± I paused and whispered, ¡°falling into a lifelong disability.¡±


    ¡°You dislike me as a disabled person?¡±


    ¡°How!¡±


    I raised my eyes and met his staring eyes.


    My heart couldn¡¯t help but flutter slightly.


    He smiled and lowered his head to ce a gentle kiss on the back of my hand. ¡°Laura, from now on, I¡¯ll be counting on you to take care of this handicapped person of mine.¡±


    I pursed my lips and told him very solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    However, these two words were like a thousand-pound boulder pressing on my chest.


    One by one, the waiters served the food, all of which were my usual favorites; Rafael was a meticulous man, and his subtlety was all in the smallest of details.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard some rumors.¡± He said.


    I was stunned for a moment, ¡°Are a lot of people saying that not only did I steal Fryday¡¯s man, but that I¡¯ll rece her in her career?¡±


    ¡°Heh,¡± he smirked, ¡°You didn¡¯t steal her man, she and I broke off our engagement first. But I wonder ¡­ if you¡¯ll have any hard feelings toward me over Fryday?¡±


    ¡°How do you mean?¡±


    He fell silent for a long moment and said softly, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to rece her in your career. She has her benefits.¡±


    I froze, not knowing what he meant or what to feel inside at this moment.


    ¡°We¡¯re about to be husband and wife, and there are some things I don¡¯t want to keep from you.¡± He said, ¡°I approached George privately and asked him to more or less lift up Fryday as well.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± I responded faintly.


    Rafael looks at me cautiously, ¡°Not mad, are you?¡±


    ¡°What am I mad about.¡± I smiled at him, ¡°Don¡¯t think of me as being so careful. I know you still have old feelings for Fryday and I can understand if you do.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not old feelings, Laura ¡­¡±


    ¡°No need to exin, I understand.¡± I put down my knife and fork and looked at him seriously, ¡°You¡¯re doing the right thing. Rafael, I also don¡¯t want people to think that because I¡¯m married to you, I have to stomp on your ex hard. If Fryday¡¯s career does go down the drain, people who are looking at it will surely me me for it, and I won¡¯t be able to live with myself then.¡±


    ¡°So I agree with you.¡± I said, ¡°It shows that you¡¯re not only affectionate towards Fryday, but that you¡¯ll look out for me. And I know that your feelings for Fryday right now are just out of concern for an old friend, right?¡±


    Rafael surveys me for a long time, his gazeplex, moving his lips but saying nothing.


    Finally he hooked the corners of his mouth in a smile that had some bitterness in it.


    ¡°Laura,¡± he said, ¡°you¡¯re very understanding and sociable. But if today, in Cameron¡¯s ce, you did this, would you still be so understanding and generous?¡±

 Laura鈥檚 POV 129

    I froze, my hand, which was trying to cut the steak, stopped in midair, and the knife and fork fell to the table, shing with the te with a crisp, luscious sound.


    Heart pounding.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    I felt a little sad in that moment.


    This was the second time Rafael and I had a disagreement.


    Instead of being married, the two of us were like two business partners. We can sit down calmly and discuss any issue and face each other¡¯s exes.


    It¡¯s so unlike being married. I can¡¯t help but ask myself, Laura, Rafael, is this a question you can answer?


    Would you be so calm if this person were Cameron today?


    The answer, of course, is no.


    How could I possibly tolerate Cameron thinking about another woman¡¯s career? How could I possibly understand that he¡¯d be thinking about another woman¡¯s career? It was hard for me to sit next to Fryday and hold his hand for a long time!


    I quietly looked at him, he also looked at me, we clearly see each other each heart, but in the end just a faint smile.


    ¡°Forget it.¡± He gave me a step down, ¡°Steak doesn¡¯t taste good cold.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I uttered those three words from the bottom of my heart.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so polite.¡± Heughed softly, ¡°Maybe one day you¡¯ll realize that I¡¯m not as nice as you think I am at all. I might have done something wrong to you too, and when that happens, will you forgive me?¡±


    I didn¡¯t really understand the meaning of his words at the time, thinking that the things he was referring to as wronging me were the feelings he was involved in with Fryday.


    So I raised my head and said in a half-joking tone, ¡°If you dare to get entangled with another woman behind my back and do something wrong to me, I¡¯ll cut you up like a steak!¡±


    Rafaelughed his ass off.


    I was so exhausted from that meal that I was more tired than I was from the war. It wasn¡¯t until thisugh from Rafael that my hanging heart fell to the ground.


    ¡­


    George arranged for my agent to get me another new movie and a talk show.


    He said that notices don¡¯t need to be too much, sometimes high exposure is rather a sign of low quality. Especially for someone like me, who is halfway through his career in show business, it¡¯s more important to focus on quality rather than quantity.


    Iughed, ¡°President George how has this picture changed? Didn¡¯t you used to say that exposure is everything!¡±


    ¡°That was when you were not famous, of course the higher the exposure the better! But now that you¡¯ve made a name for yourself, you can¡¯t take the rough route anymore, it has to be boutique!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who has a point.¡± I said, ¡°Anyway, you are my boss, of course I listen to you.¡±


    ¡°Listening to me is definitely right!¡± He raised his eyebrows, ¡°This movie can be sent topete for the Golden Lion Award! When the timees, I will escort you and guarantee that you will ascend to the throne of the movie queen ¡­¡±


    Before the words left his mouth, a crisp cough suddenly came from the doorway.


    Fryday leaned on the doorframe, his arms wrapped around his chest, his chin up, smiling slightly, his disdainful gaze turning several times on me.


    ¡°You guys have something to talk about, so I¡¯ll head out.¡± I say hello to George.


    As I pass Fryday, I get the distinct feeling that she wants to eat me alive with her hostility.


    Even though I hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, this was still not a ce to stay for long.


    Fryday grunted softly and mmed the door with a bang.


    I shook my head and hadn¡¯t taken more than a few steps out when I heard the door open again and a tter of heels came from behind me.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s something, Laura!¡± her voice was shrill andced with mockery, ¡°Heh, I really underestimated you before!¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it!¡± She stopped in front of me, ¡°What kind of kung fu do you use to get so many men to fall head over heels for you? Let me learn it too!¡±


    I turned to look directly at her and took a deep breath.


    For Rafael¡¯s sake, I didn¡¯t want to get into a confrontation with her, but things came to me on their own, and I had to fight to meet them.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, but I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to learn this kung fu!¡± I smiled.


    She blushed, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just that shit in bed? You know a lot of tricks, don¡¯t you? Hehe, really shameless and cheap!¡±


    ¡°Watch what you say.¡± I sank my voice and warned her, ¡°Fryday, to be able to get to this point, do you think you¡¯re so clean? Let me tell you, since I have the ability to make men die for me, I have the ability to find out about you! How much ck material do you have, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know ¡­ If you really piss me off, the big deal is that we are fish dead! I don¡¯t belong to this show business, I don¡¯t care if I quit! But what about you? What else can you rely on if not this body?¡±


    ¡°So don¡¯t challenge me again and again, Fryday,¡± I looked at her, ¡°Rafael has old feelings for you, and I¡¯m not going to push you over the edge. But don¡¯t you dare give me an inch! I, Laura, am not someone you can mess with!¡±


    Fryday stared at me in a daze, her face flushed red for a moment, biting her lip gently, hatred burning in her eyes.


    In the middle of the day she sneered, ¡°Heh, I can¡¯t argue with you now, and I¡¯m not qualified to argue with you. You Laura is the future movie queen, the pir of The Curry Group, what am I?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just an old favorite of Rafael¡¯s who had a fling with Cameron!¡± Sheughed, emphasizing the word ¡®Cameron¡¯.


    There was a thud in my heart.


    ¡°But I¡¯ve heard that The Lynch Group is in turmoil these days! I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s going to be a regime change.¡±


    ¡°Who did you hear that from?¡± I red at her.


    She doesn¡¯t answer, just purses her lips and smiles.


    ¡°Do you think a secret like that is kept for life?¡± She said, ¡°You know Cameron¡¯s life all too well, it¡¯s rumored that he¡¯s from an unknown background, and now The Lynch Group, which isn¡¯t what it used to be, could go under at any time!¡±


    A chill ran down my spine.


    Cameron¡¯s life, other than Ste who told me on her deathbed, could there be someone else who knows?


    I fiercely recalled Mellisa¡¯s furious words when she came to me that day, telling me not to join hands with outsiders to harm my only brother ¡­


    Could it be that she already knew the inside story?


    ¡°Laura,¡± Fryday¡¯s shrill voice came again, ¡°it¡¯s destiny that we both are involved with Rafael and Cameron at the same time. For the sake of that fate, I¡¯ll tell you one more thing ¡­¡±


    ¡°Rafael¡¯s ex-wife is back!¡± She whispered in my ear, one word at a time.


    There was a buzzing in my ears, as if something had cracked.


    When she looked up at her, she smiled an extraordinarily sinister smile.


    ¡°Who? Who¡¯sing back?¡±


    ¡°Becky!¡± trailed Fryday, ¡°Former movie queen, Rafael¡¯s ex-wife, Willow¡¯s own mother!¡±


    ¡°Laura, what are you gawking at? Don¡¯t stare so wide-eyed!¡± She hid a smile, ¡°Aren¡¯t you always good at stealing men? This time you¡¯ll give it a try and see who¡¯s more skillful between you and this godly ex-wife of his!¡±


    ¡°To say that this Becky movie queen, she is not ordinary, she ¡­¡±


    Fryday was about to say something else when a low cough suddenly came from behind him.


    George slowly paced up and down, his face not looking good.


    ¡°Fryday, you talk too much! Didn¡¯t I give you enough work to do?¡±


    Fryday smiled sarcastically, floated me a nk stare, and walked away with her heels ttering.


    George looked at me as if he had something to say.


    I followed him into his office and closed the door.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take what Fryday said to heart.¡± He handed me a ss of water.


    I smiled, ¡°Which words?¡±


    He blushed in embarrassment and made a motion to wipe his sweat.


    ¡°Fryday told me so much,¡± I looked at him, ¡°It was a lot of information and I couldn¡¯t digest it for a while.¡±


    ¡°I know you have doubts.¡± He sat down, ¡°I¡¯ll answer them for you one by one.¡±


    ¡°Cameron he ¡­¡±


    ¡°Cameron¡¯s life is something I¡¯ve only just heard about.¡± George was a little heavy, ¡°He only told me, even my sister didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°So, is The Lynch Group really finished?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but grip my ss tightly in my fingers.


    ¡°Not yet.¡± He paused, ¡°But once the news spread, there was real chaos within The Lynch Group, and The Lynch Group does have an uncertain future.¡±


    ¡°Who spread the word?¡± I frowned.


    George looked at me and didn¡¯t make a sound.


    I know in my heart, it¡¯s probably my mom, Mellisa.


    She¡¯d do anything for her son, even stand up for Carter when he kidnapped me and hurt Rafael.


    ¡°Laura,¡± George added, ¡°I don¡¯t think Cameron¡¯s troubles are a big dealpared to yours.¡±


    I froze, ¡°And what trouble am I in?¡±


    ¡°Becky¡¯s really back.¡±


    I responded with a faint ¡®oh¡¯, nothing on the surface, but my heart really felt like a mess.


    ¡°Anyway, she¡¯s Rafael¡¯s ex-wife, and you and Rafael are getting married, it¡¯s not good that she¡¯sing back ¡­ at this point in time!¡±


    ¡°George,¡± I look at him, ¡°have you already met Becky?¡±


    He nodded and admitted, ¡°She¡¯s Willow¡¯s mom after all, and if I want to chase someone, I have to meet the parents!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really good! Still really hitting on minors!¡±


    ¡°You still have the heart to be sarcastic? Think about how you¡¯re going to get through this first!¡±


    ¡°What do I need to get through?¡± I don¡¯t get it, ¡°Rafael and Becky got divorced a long time ago, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m the one who stepped in!¡±


    ¡°Laura,¡± he sighed, ¡°You still don¡¯t understand show business!¡±


    ¡°Becky came back this time and contacted me first, aside from the factor that she¡¯s Willow¡¯s mom, there¡¯s a good chance she¡¯ll choose to make aeback with me. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be as free when I arrange resources for you at that time. Besides, you two have a new love and an old love in the samepany, what will the outside world talk about?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what others say, it¡¯s not like I live for others.¡± I waved my hand.


    It¡¯s the truth. What¡¯s on my mind right now isn¡¯t Becky, it¡¯s Cameron.


    The Lynch Group was hisbor of love, and I wouldn¡¯t be willing to give it up just because of his life.


    If Cameron does leave The Lynch Group, where does he go from here?


    And now that the wall is falling down, Cameron has treated his father and brother so well, sweeping all these people who are close to him out of the door, the board of directors must also be quite critical of him ¡­ Now, perhaps there will not be anyone to stand by his side.


    I suddenly had some heartbreak.


    George called out to me several times before I came back to my senses.


    ¡°Laura, I¡¯m being serious with you, what are you fuming about again?¡±


    I raised my eyes and met George¡¯s angry two-pronged stare.


    ¡°Nothing ¡­¡± I smiled resentfully, ¡°thinking about the script!¡±


    ¡°By the way, what were you saying?¡± I ask.


    He gives me a nk look. ¡°Saying Becky!¡±


    ¡°Oh, go on.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you, The Sterling Family is very powerful.¡± He paused, ¡°That¡¯s why Becky was smooth in the biz back in the day.¡±


    ¡°The Sterling Family¡­ ¡°But in all the years I¡¯ve lived here, I haven¡¯t heard of any powerful The Sterling Family.


    ¡°The Sterling Family¡¯s sphere of influence is not in Jerez State, but around Southeast Asia.¡± George exined, ¡°The Sterling Family is a big plutocracy that has a voice throughout Southeast Asia.¡±


    ¡°So powerful!¡± I eximed,ughing, ¡°Looks like I really can¡¯t afford to mess with the Becky movie queen, or I¡¯d better not marry Rafael.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s two different things.¡± George grinned back, ¡°But what¡¯s the point even if the family is powerful? That Becky still can¡¯t inherit the family business, and the Southeast Asian people are so traditional that there has to be a boy in the family to inherit.¡±


    ¡°Son preference.¡± I bristled, ¡°There are no men in The Sterling Family?¡±


    ¡°Not in Becky¡¯s generation, at least.¡±


    George shrugged, regretfully. ¡°s, if I was born in The Sterling Family, the tens of billions of dors of family fortune would be in my pocket ¡­¡±


    ¡°Dream on!¡± Iughed.


    At the same time, I was curious about the movie queen.


    However, I didn¡¯t realize that it was Becky who asked me out first.


    I was on set that day, there was no scene for me in this section, so I dragged a chair and sat aside to memorize my lines. Suddenly my assistant found me and pointed to a spot not far away.


    George and Willow were standing there waving at me.


    I was wondering how these two people coulde at the same time, but George spoke first: ¡°I¡¯ve already greeted the director, he¡¯s going to shoot someone else¡¯s scene first, Laura, why don¡¯t you go out with us for a while?¡±


    ¡°With you guys?¡± I felt bad, ¡°Honestly, who else?¡±


    Willow nced at George, ¡°I told you nothing gets past Ms. Laura!¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s the thing,¡± she said with some difficulty as she gently crossed my arm, ¡°It¡¯s ¡­ it¡¯s my mom, she wants to meet you.¡±


    My heart tightened.


    Although I guessed that it wasn¡¯t the two of them who wanted to see me, I never expected that it would be Becky!


    We met at a cafe near the set, and just walking in, I recognized her immediately.


    She was sitting by the window, wearing an earth-colored dress with a wool jacket of the same color and a string of pearls around her neck, simple and elegant.


    She looked out the window leisurely, with an air of aloof detachment, far from the world, Willow did get her genes.


    ¡°Ms. Laura, why are you frozen?¡± Willow touched me with her arm, then ran towards Becky, ¡°Mom!¡±


    Becky smiled and turned her head, and in that moment our eyes met and my heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°Hello.¡± She stood up and extended her hand, smiling, ¡°Willow should have introduced me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes ¡­,¡± I fell back looking a little timid, ¡°Hello Becky Movie Queen.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so polite, it¡¯s better if we call each other by our first names.¡±


    ¡°How can this be, you are a senior.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s not to like?¡± She smiled softly, her eyes looked like they could see into the bottom of one¡¯s heart, ¡°Anyway, you¡¯ll soon be Rafael¡¯s wife, and it¡¯s only really inappropriate to call each other, seniors and juniors, between us.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to answer at once.


    The atmosphere fell into silence.


    Not long after, it was Becky who broke the deadlock first. ¡°Willow, mom just saw a flower store on the corner, can I trouble you to run with President George and help me choose a few Birds of Paradise?¡±

 Laura鈥檚 POV 130

    Willow immediately understood and tugged George along and ran out the door, giving Becky and I room to talk alone.


    ¡°Laura,¡± Becky¡¯s voice was soft, ¡°if you¡¯re really ufortable calling me by my first name, it¡¯s okay to call me Sister Becky, that¡¯s what everyone in the circle used to call me.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± I smiled, ¡°Sister Becky.¡±


    She looked down and stirred the coffee in front of her.


    Her fingers were long and white, and a simple ruby ring could be worn by her in an extraordinary way.


    This is probably called the color of the country.


    In the middle of the day, she raised her eyes and smiled lightly at me, ¡°Are you nervous about meeting me?¡±


    ¡°A little, to be honest.¡± I took a deep breath, ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly what you meant by meeting me, and besides, we¡¯re in a rtionship with Rafael ¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to mind Rafael,¡± she said softly, ¡°We¡¯ve been divorced for a long time, he¡¯s just an ex-husband to me, the father of my daughter. We haven¡¯t spoken to each other in years, but even if we can¡¯t be a couple, we¡¯re still friends. I¡¯m happy for him that he¡¯s found the ideal person to start a new marriage.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I was a little embarrassed.


    ¡°It¡¯s me who should thank you.¡± She suddenly reached out and gently rested her hand on the back of mine.


    Her palm was warm, which was a bit unexpected. In my impression, this kind of heavenly beauty, nine times out of ten, her hands are cold.


    Her attitude was gentle, just like the temperature of her palms, giving people afortable feeling.


    ¡°I heard from Willow that you¡¯ve been taking good care of her. In fact, I¡¯ve long wanted toe and see the teacher Laura she spoke of, but it¡¯s just that over at Southeast Asia, things have been busy, so I¡¯ve dyed until now.¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t dare to apologize.¡± Iughed, ¡°Willow and I talk to each other very well, it¡¯s probably our destiny.¡±


    ¡°As soon as I saw you today, I felt destined to be with you as well.¡± She smiled, ¡°I¡¯m going back to Southeast Asia after spending some time at Jerez State. I hope you¡¯ll continue to take care of Willow in the future.¡±


    I was stunned, ¡°You ¡­ still have to go?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She smiled, ¡°It¡¯s not like the rumors that say I¡¯m taking this opportunity to make aeback. I simply came back to run an errand, and when it¡¯s done, of course I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    ¡°What is it, is it important?¡± I asked casually.


    She blushed, and after a long time, sighed softly, ¡°It¡¯s a family matter for me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± I shouldn¡¯t pry into random people.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡± She pursed her lips, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt to tell you, the purpose of my return this time is to find my family.¡±


    ¡°Family?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I actually have a brother.¡±


    That was strange, George had clearly said that The Sterling Family had no more boys in her generation, so where did she get a brother from?


    ¡°Heh, my brother is much younger than me. Same father as me.¡± Her voice trailed off as she cupped her cup, ¡°But I only saw this brother maybe once or twice when I was a kid, and I remember him as a little baby.¡±


    ¡°Did ¡­ you guys lose touch?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Sort of.¡± She nodded, ¡°And then for some reason, I never saw this little baby again. Growing a little older, I realized that this brother had disappeared a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Disappeared!¡± I marveled.


    ¡°Why did I make my acting debut in Jerez State when I was obviously living in Southeast Asia? Now you understand.¡±


    Sheughs softly, ¡°Because of that brother, who has always been a pain in my dad¡¯s ass. When I first started high school, he heard that his brother might have been abducted to Jerez State. But Jerez State isn¡¯t our family¡¯s territory, and it¡¯s not easy to find someone here, so Dad made me drop out of school and go into Jerez State acting.¡±


    ¡°Laura, show business is a ce where it couldn¡¯t be easier to build connections and make friends with powerful people.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I responded softly.


    Now I understood why Becky¡¯s acting career was going so smoothly, it was inseparable from the full support of her family¡¯s power behind her.


    And her family didn¡¯t see her as a daughter, but instead as a tool to find her brother.


    Was this her luck or her sorrow?


    ¡°So ¡­ did you find it?¡± I asked her.


    She smiled and shook her head.


    ¡°After all these years, there were only a few clues, but no results.¡± She said, ¡°I¡¯ve gotten honor, money, status in Jerez State, I¡¯ve gotten love, I¡¯ve gotten a child ¡­ but I¡¯ve lost a lot of things too. I¡¯m tired and I don¡¯t want to give up my life to find someone who maybe doesn¡¯t exist anymore.¡±


    ¡°But at the moment you¡¯re back.¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Yes.¡± She smiled helplessly, ¡°Because Dad is in a precarious condition and won¡¯tst much longer, and it¡¯s still his long lost son that¡¯s on his mind in his hospital bed. And now The Sterling Family, is facing a change of dynasty, our family has no son, and in that patriarchal ce, if there is no male heir, the board of directors will have to change thest name. It¡¯s a whole lot of internal and external problems, so to speak, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I came to Jerez State this time, to make onest attempt to see if I can find that brother.¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡± This time it was my turn to reach out and shake her hand, ¡°It will be found!¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She smiled heartily.


    ¡°And ¡­ I won¡¯t be making aeback, I don¡¯t want to be in the scene anymore.¡± She gave my hand a gentle squeeze and sized me up, ¡°Laura, has anyone ever told you that you look like me?¡±


    I giggled inwardly.


    She took her cell phone and flipped up a picture of a press release.


    Arge picture at the top was a still of me, and a smaller picture at the bottom was an old still of her from twenty years ago. At first nce, there was indeed a resemnce between our eyebrows, and the media had described me as her sessor.


    I¡¯ve seen this news and didn¡¯t pay attention to it at the time, I just thought it was a gimmick for the PR department to promote my new movie.


    ¡°This ¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    Becky smiled, ¡°What a coincidence, this movie you¡¯re making now is a remake of the movie I made twenty years ago. We both yed the same character, and I won the movie twenty years ago with that role, so I¡¯m sure you can too.¡±


    ¡°Laura,¡± she gazed at me quietly, ¡°you do look a little like me when I was younger. Not only do you look alike, but that personality and temperament, really.¡±


    So Rafael chose me because it¡¯s still hard to forget her?This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    So Willow approached me because I was the most like her real mom?


    I suddenly felt heavy hearted and a little out of breath.


    George and Willow have already bought the flowers back, light orange bird of paradise, just like her light and elegant temperament.


    However, I vaguely feel that there is a strong emotion hidden in this calmness of hers. She is a woman who is good at hiding.


    After meeting with Becky, my heart has been anxious, I can not say why, I always feel that something is going to happen. That day¡¯s scene didn¡¯t go well. I shot a simple scene over and over again.


    The director¡¯s face turned blue and told me to go back and familiarize myself with the script again. I left the set as if fleeing and drove back to my small apartment in one breath.


    I didn¡¯t realize that Rafael was already waiting there.


    ¡°There you are.¡± I was stunned and forced a smile at him, not really having the energy to say hello.


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    He muffled a grunt.


    He was a little strange, not looking very good and frowning one way or the other. Usually when he sees me, even if there¡¯s something wrong at work, he¡¯ll still smile gently.


    But today he seemed to have a bit of anger under his eyes.


    I let him in and headed for Sunny¡¯s room. When I open the door, the bed is empty.


    ¡°Cameron picked up.¡± He whispered behind me.


    I froze, snapping to the fact that it was Friday, and Sunny spent every weekend, at Cameron¡¯s.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I nodded, ¡°Yasmin came with?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    My heart suddenly tightened, ¡°You guys met up when Cameron was here ¡­?¡±


    Rafael looked up at me, an elusive light emanating from those dark eyes.


    ¡°What, are you nervous about me meeting up with Cameron?¡±


    ¡°What am I nervous about!¡± I said back to him in a nonchnt manner, heading off to the kitchen to find something to eat.


    He let out a lightugh and took a seat in the living room, never much of a TV watcher, but he picked up the remote.


    ¡°Watch the entertainment channel for a while.¡± He looked over at me and said softly, ¡°Let¡¯s see what¡¯s in the news for our future movie queen.¡±


    ¡°Rafael,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but top him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you today? Gloomy!¡±


    He didn¡¯t reply, just blushed harder and harder.


    A short whileter, an entertainment report came on the TV: ¡°It¡¯s been reported that Becky, who was the biggest movie star in the country 20 years ago, has made aeback¡­ Becky has arrived in Jerez State in a low-profile meeting with Laura¡­ Will this be the first time that the old and the new movie queens will be meeting each other? Let¡¯s wait and see¡­¡±


    My mind went nk and surprisingly my first reaction was to grab the remote and turn off the TV.


    I don¡¯t know why, but I was kind of scared that Rafael would find out that I had met up with Becky, and I could guess that the fact that he was looking bad today might have something to do with it.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Rafael looked straight at me, ¡°I want to watch some TV, don¡¯t you even have that freedom in your house?¡±


    ¡°Are you the one watching TV, or did you purposely give me the TV to watch?¡± I looked at him too, ¡°Rafael, you might as well make it clear. From the moment I walked in the door today I felt the atmosphere was off, you¡¯re never like this ¡­ What¡¯s wrong with you? Is it because I¡¯m meeting with Becky?¡±


    ¡°Why did you meet with her? You met with her without telling me!¡±


    I was overwhelmed by his yelling.


    ¡°Rafael¡­¡± I tried to be as calm as I could, ¡°Meeting with her is my business, should my actions be restricted by you?¡±


    ¡°But what do you take me for when you do that! One is my ex-wife, the other one is the woman I¡¯m going to marry, your meeting was even captured by the media, but I still don¡¯t know anything about it! What do you take me for?¡±


    I licked my dry lips, a tightness in my throat.


    Rafael hadn¡¯t snapped at me like this, or before that, he¡¯d hidden it exceptionally well. He¡¯s gentle and considerate and gentlemanly, and it¡¯s because he¡¯s so perfect that I forget he¡¯s mortal, too. He has a temper too, and he can be cranky, and he¡¯s not easy to get along with.


    I suddenly felt tired, after being with him, the word ¡°tired¡± appeared frequently in my life.


    ¡°From now on, you stay away from Becky!¡± He yelled angrily.


    I felt aggrieved, he was unbelievable.


    Becky a woman, this marriage can be lighthearted, but also treat him as a friend, but also for his impending marriage to be happy ¡­ but what about him?


    His heart and temperament is not even as good as a woman¡¯s.


    He¡¯s still counting.


    That is to say, he still cares about Becky ¡­


    I figured it out in a sh.


    I stared at him in a daze, he was out of breath from that outburst just now, and now his emotions hadn¡¯t calmed down, and his left shoulder was aching from the exertion.


    He was sitting on the couch, his right hand holding his left shoulder, looking quite ufortable.


    I went over to add a cushion behind him and he didn¡¯t look at me squarely, just grunted lightly.


    ¡°Rafael, you still care about her.¡± I said softly.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± He turned his face to look at me and raised his voice sharply.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that you still love Becky, after all these years, and it hasn¡¯t changed a bit.¡±


    I looked at him quietly, and in that moment there was no up and down emotion in me.


    I didn¡¯t feel heartache, I didn¡¯t feel disappointment, I didn¡¯t feel heartache, and when I faced this man who was going to be my husband, I said that he had been deeply in love with another woman in his heart, but in an extremely t tone, as if I was talking about someone else.


    Did I ever care about Rafael? Neither did I.


    I was just grateful to him the moment he took the bullet for me. But gratitude isn¡¯t love, after all.


    After the brief moment of gratitude, we had to face reality. Neither of us is the person we want for each other, and both of us have another person deep in our hearts, and my marriage to him was a tragedy before it even began.


    Rafael res at me, his eyes burning with two fires, seemingly annoyed.


    ¡°Laura!¡± he yells, ¡°Do you realize what you¡¯re saying?¡±


    He snapped to his feet, his angry gaze never leaving my face. His voice was low and dripping with the slightest chill, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, that kind of talk is not allowed to be said again ¡­ That¡¯s my bottom line.¡±


    ¡°Also, don¡¯t mention the name Becky in front of me, and you¡¯re not allowed to see her in the future! I don¡¯t want to see this woman again!¡±


    ¡°Be reasonable, Rafael,¡± I said, ¡°Ask your heart, do you really like me? Even people on the outside can see that I look a little bit like Becky ¡­ Heh, I realize now that she¡¯s the only one you¡¯ve loved from the beginning to the end! I¡¯m just her double!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    ¡°Is it me you want to marry?¡± I looked at him, ¡°If you really forgot about Becky, you wouldn¡¯t be reacting so violently right now. Do you dare to say you didn¡¯t have her on your mind when you were with me?¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± He sneered, ¡°Heh, do you have Cameron on your mind when you¡¯re with me?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t speak for a moment.


    ¡°Laura,¡± he snorted softly, ¡°There are some things you and I both know! So please don¡¯t specte on my thoughts in the future, and I won¡¯t interfere with your actions. But just one thing, if you still want our marriage tost, no more meetings with Becky!¡±


    I sucked in a breath of cold air, such a Rafael was unfamiliar and frightening to me.


    People are multi-faceted and he¡¯s no exception.


    I give him a look and walk right out the door. His angry growles from behind me and I cover my ears as I get into the elevator.


    The moment I descend, I let out a long breath of relief, tears welling up uncontrobly, my fingers trembling slightly.


    How could I have gotten myself into this situation!


    It was gettingte as I walked along the beach, the sea breeze cold and hard and all I had on was a sweater. I wrapped up tightly in the only piece of clothing that could keep out the cold.


    My cell phone rang many times, all from Rafael, with three dozen missed calls.


    There were also messages from him, all generally meaning that he had calmed down, knew it was wrong and promised not to do that to me again.


    I smiled bitterly and simply turned off my cell phone.


    Unintentionally touched the ne on my neck, the pendant is aplete piece of small shells, because long time to wear on the body, the shells have been worn by the skin smooth and round.


    I was stunned, my heart had a sour feeling.


    This ne, Cameron had given it to me.

 Laura鈥檚 POV 131

    Cameron¡­


    I couldn¡¯t help but put the ne to my mouth and kiss it gently, and it wasn¡¯t until then that I realized what kind of pain longing really was.


    The chain was something he had given me back in Alcostan.


    The bullets were flying, the war was raging, and we were living in a makeshift tent set up by the UN Peacekeeping Forces. I worked day and night writing press releases, and he stayed with me day and night. He found a small river in the mountains behind the tent area and picked up this intact shell and made it into a ne for me ¡­


    Those days were the closest I¡¯ve ever been to death and the closest I¡¯ve ever been to happiness.


    After staying at the beach for a while I went home, Rafael had already left, the smell of cigarette smoke in the living room had not yet dissipated, a note was left on the table, ck on white, the strong and powerful strokes of the pen wrote only three words: I¡¯m sorry.


    My heart was in turmoil, and I threw the cigarette butts in the ashtray and the note into the trash.


    The next day¡¯s shooting still couldn¡¯t catch up with the schedule. The director was lecturing me three times, and I felt more and more out of shape. Between breaks, I heard the director¡¯s cynicism: ¡°Nowadays, some people think they¡¯re big names before they¡¯re even popr! It¡¯s good to have someone to back you up, you don¡¯t have to act properly, you can stillpete for the queen of the movie!¡±


    I was a bit hot, so I asked the director to take a vacation, and I wanted to make some adjustments during the free afternoon.


    The idea of escaping suddenly popped into my head.


    Escape from this ce, escape from all this chaos, let go of my mind, let myself be quiet for a while, maybe when Ie back I¡¯ll be in a much better state.


    So I simply headed for George¡¯s office to see if I could get him to help amodate me, not realizing that there was someone in his office.


    ¡°Sorry!¡± As soon as I pushed the door open, I felt so reckless that I hurriedly withdrew.


    But the person in the door stared at me silently.


    ¡°Just a moment!¡± He shouted, ¡°It¡¯s Ms. Laura, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Stunned, I looked at him, sure that I didn¡¯t remember this man.


    The man smiled at me and said, ¡°I saw the movie you were in, the one shot in the desert. The performances were great and the roles suited you really well!¡±


    Oh, so it was a movie fan. I smile politely, ¡°Thanks for thepliment.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Laura, may I have a moment alone?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    I look over at George in surprise, and he shakes his head gently, a look of wanting to say something on his face.


    ¡°Laura,e in first and close the door.¡± George slowly stood up and gave me another wink as he walked over to me.


    I immediately realized that the visitor might not be simple.


    ¡°It is,¡± George introduced with a light smile, ¡°This is the Commissioner of the UN Working Group, Mr. Kevin.¡±


    ¡°You can just call me Kevin,¡± he smiled and extended his hand.


    George seemed to be considering the right thing to say, while this Kevin grabbed the conversation and addressed me directly, ¡°Ms. Laura, I have something to say straight away. You should have seen the news, the international situation is unstable right now, and there is still a lot of war going on around the Middle East, which is a matter of great concern to the United Nations.¡±


    I nodded, what does this have to do with me?


    ¡°The United Nations has deployed arge number of peacekeeping troops,¡± Kevin continued, ¡°And as a special group of people, entertainers have a wide range of influence, and their every word and action is highly scrutinized, so they have to take on a greater social responsibility. We are looking for suitable entertainers all over the world to be UN Goodwill Ambassadors, traveling to war-torn areas to do promotional activities, so that more people care about current affairs and troubled areas.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s it.¡± I suddenly realized.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Kevinughed, ¡°I¡¯ve read Ms. Laura¡¯s resume, and Ms. Laura is a journalist by trade and has worked as a war correspondent, covering the Alcostan region, is that correct?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s even better!¡± He looked quite excited, ¡°Ms. Laura fits the criteria of a UN Goodwill Ambassador, both in terms of appearance and actual experience! That¡¯s why I came here today is ¡­¡±


    ¡°Laura can¡¯t!¡± George patted him on the shoulder, ying an official voice, ¡°Kevin, it¡¯s not that my old friend won¡¯t help you with this favor, Laura is shooting a movie right now, and her schedule can¡¯t be staggered at all!¡±


    ¡°I know Ms. Laura is the pir of yourpany!¡± Kevinughed and said, ¡°George, I¡¯m not here to dig up your pir, just a few days is enough! Besides, this is a good opportunity for yourpany to expand its influence!¡±


    ¡°I really can¡¯t ¡­¡±


    ¡°George!¡± Kevin was persistent, ¡°The UN¡¯s mission is not something that anyone can share! Otherpanies can¡¯t even ask for this opportunity if they want it.¡±


    ¡°But this movie of mine is costing me a fortune, and if I kill it a dayte, it¡¯s all money burned into it!¡±


    ¡°Old friend, don¡¯t just look at the immediate benefits, okay?¡±


    ¡°Kevin!¡±


    The two of them argued endlessly, yet as soon as I heard Alcostan, my heart involuntarily trembled and I made a decision just in a sh.


    ¡°President George!¡± I looked at him, then at Kevin, and whispered, ¡°I would like to ept the assignment and run to Alcostan as a goodwill ambassador.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s great!¡± Kevin almost jumped up and down with joy, while George¡¯s face was grim and cloudy.


    ¡°Laura, there¡¯s no rush to reply so quickly,¡± he winked at me one time, ¡°just think about it.¡±


    ¡°No need to think about it.¡± I reconfirmed with Kevin, ¡°It¡¯s to Alcostan, correct?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right! Every Goodwill Ambassador goes to a different ce, but these are adjustments that can be made, if you find Alcostan inconvenient, you can apply to be transferred to another ce ¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere else, I¡¯m only going to Alcostan!¡±I looked at him, ¡°Please let me go to Alcostan, I¡¯ve been there once before, I¡¯ve done an understanding of the war environment and the human environment there, and I guarantee that I canplete the mission sessfully.¡±


    ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll arrange it right away!¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± George couldn¡¯t help himself, ¡°You guys are talking quite a bit! Where to put me?¡±


    ¡°Laura,¡± he looked at me with a serious expression, ¡°I¡¯m ordering you as a superior, you¡¯re not allowed to participate in this activity! The first priority is to make the movie, I won¡¯t stop you from doing whatever you want after the movie is finished, but you can¡¯t leave for a day until the movie is finished! Otherwise, you are viting the contract!¡±


    The office suddenly quieted down, the atmosphere was a bit awkward, George is always kind, never talk to me like this, maybe this time was also forced by me.


    But I was determined to go.


    I looked at him quietly, took a deep breath, and said lightly, ¡°President George, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s say I¡¯m in breach of contract, even if I lose all my money, I¡¯ll pay the breach of contract.¡±


    ¡°Laura, are you out of your mind?¡± George¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°It¡¯s not about the money! If you mess up like this, I¡¯m afraid that in the future you¡¯ll find it hard to have good resources in this circle, how are you going to get a foothold? You ¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to pay any price!¡±


    I raised my eyes to look at him, and he was stunned, stepping back slightly.


    I¡¯ve never been so determined, ¡°Let¡¯s count this event as something I took on privately, I¡¯m breakingpany rules, I¡¯ll admit to punishing you any way you want, but Alcostan, I have to go!¡±


    Three dayster I got my pass to Alcostan.


    This trip to Alcostan wasn¡¯t quite the same asst time, the airport over there was bombed and couldn¡¯t be flown directly, so you had to go ovend, take a train and then change buses, and cross the borders of several countries. But thanks to the UN, the trip went very smoothly and I was escorted all the way.


    Even so, I traveled for two days. When I finally arrived, it was as if I had been through a great catastrophe. After all the difficulties of traveling, not being used to the soil and water, and the harsh climate ¡­, my immune system finally copsed, and before I could start my campaign, I fell seriously ill.


    Alcostan than six years ago, the situation is not much better, six years ago, corpses everywhere, six yearster is still trampled by the war devastation, this ancient mysteriousnd lost thest trace of vitality.


    Even in the capital, there is not even a decent hotel or hospital. Luckily, the UN team had a doctor with them and medicines, we stayed with local civilians, and the ceasefire was in effect for a few days, so I was able to heal.


    That day I stood in the courtyard, which was not so much a courtyard as an open space surrounded byrge gray square stones. The two palm trees at the entrance were listless, their charred leaves covered in a thickyer of dust, and standing under a gray sky, they looked particrly bleak.


    On the outside of the courtyard was a bombed-out shrine once dedicated to the god of their branch of the religion.


    However, even the god could not protect them.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel sad that the world was so bleak.


    Suddenly someone handed me a ss of water and two pills, I turned around and Kevin was smiling at me.


    ¡°Big Star, you¡¯re in luck!¡± Heughed, ¡°Our doctor said that if you don¡¯t get any rest or treatment without stopping for the past few days, this illness of yours will definitely develop into pneumonia!¡±


    I smiled gratefully, ¡°Thanks to you guys taking care of me on this journey.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re the ones who brought you out, it¡¯s only right to take care of you.¡±


    Kevin sized me up, ¡°You seem preupied?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I said, ¡°It¡¯s just that when I see see these two trees ¡­ at the door, I suddenly feel a little mncholy.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    I looked at him, ¡°I¡¯ve been here before and I¡¯ve heard a lot of stories about Alcostan. At one time it was a rich and prosperous country, but now ¡­¡±


    I sighed softly and asked him, ¡°Any idea what people measure wealth by here?¡±


    He thought for a moment andughed softly, ¡°Real money? Oil? Real estate?¡±


    ¡°None of it.¡± I gestured to the doorway, ¡°It¡¯s them.¡±


    ¡°Palm trees?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I said, ¡°Because it¡¯s in the desert, with high temperatures and little rain all year round, the climate is arid, and water is precious here, more expensive than oil. You need water to grow trees, so instead ofparing real money, theypare whose family grows more trees. Whoever¡¯s family can afford to raise a yard of palm trees is definitely a tycoon.¡±


    ¡°I see!¡± Kevinughed, ¡°I, a UN staff member, don¡¯t even know as much as you do.¡±


    ¡°This family has two trees in front of their door, so they must have been a well-off family once upon a time!¡± I shook my head, ¡°But now it¡¯s all we can do here, live one day at a time.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so pessimistic!¡± Kevin patted me on the shoulder, ¡°The United Nations has already intervened, and the peacekeeping force is also carrying out peacekeeping activities here, I believe that the rebels will soon be pressed down, and this ce will regain its former prosperity.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really!¡± He winked, ¡°Plus with an enthusiastic and responsible public figure like you publicizing the situation here for the whole world to know, Alcostan will definitely be fine!¡±


    ¡°By the way, what¡¯s our itinerary?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve fully recovered physically?¡±


    ¡°No problem!¡± I said, ¡°I want to get to work as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°True to form, you¡¯re a journalist.¡± Heughed, ¡°The itinerary is like this, five days in total, and we¡¯re limited to this area of the capital. We¡¯ll go to a few schools first, and then to shelters and orphanages, which are not controlled by the rebels, and have been able to operate only with the support of international enthusiasts¡­. Anyway, the people who have suffered the most from the war are the children, and that¡¯s one of the things we¡¯re focusing on more on this trip.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± I nodded, ¡°So what do I need to do?¡±


    ¡°You can take pictures and y games with those kids or something. The children here, who have lost their loved ones in the war, are disced, and can¡¯t even guarantee basic survival and education, but they are innocent ¡­ so call for international attention to these children of war. It¡¯s good that you spread such an idea.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± I promised, ¡°I wonder if there are any more stores here?¡±


    ¡°Shops?¡± He widened his eyes, ¡°There were, a couple ofrge shopping districts that were huge, but they were bombed out a long time ago. The goods in the stores were looted and the stores were all forced to close.¡±


    ¡°And ¡­ where do they all go to buy things?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going shopping, huh?¡± Kevin thought for a moment and said, ¡°There¡¯s a bazaar about three or four blocks from here. What do you want to buy?¡±


    I smiled, ¡°I thought I was going to the school and the orphanage! I can¡¯t go empty handed, I want to buy some gifts for the kids.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very thoughtful of you!¡± Kevin also smiled, ¡°The children must be happy! Laura, you¡¯re such a good person, no wonder you¡¯re popr, you¡¯re beautiful and kind-hearted, God will also bless you, your movie this time will surely be a big seller too!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t praise me like that!¡± I was so happy that I couldn¡¯t tell the difference.


    ¡°You seem to have special feelings for thisnd.¡± He said, ¡°George was furious in the office that day, but you insisted oning.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I agreed softly.


    ¡°It¡¯s more than just contributing to UN peacekeeping, isn¡¯t it?¡± He looked at me mischievously, ¡°But to say that you want to seek fame and fortune through the status of goodwill ambassador is not quite like ¡­ To say fame and fortune, that movie of yours canpete for the queen of the movie!¡±


    ¡°How do you know I¡¯m not trying to do something?¡± I raised my eyebrows, ¡°The movie can be made at any time, but the status of UN Goodwill Ambassador will not be avable again if you miss it. I¡¯m putting in for the long haul!¡±


    ¡°No like no like!¡± He wrinkled his eyebrows and looked at me very seriously, ¡°It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯te into contact with other actresses before you. When they heard about the United Nations, they were all glowing, as if they really wanted to use this as a career springboard. But not you!¡±


    ¡°Laura, I can¡¯t be wrong. You don¡¯t see this as a springboard, you really want toe! Your eyes are lighter and more determined than theirs!¡±


    I smiled sarcastically, ¡°And you know how to read faces?¡±


    ¡°Let me guess ¡­¡± He rubbed his chin with his hand and suddenly his eyes lit up, ¡°Could it be that you¡¯re from this religion?¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

 Laura鈥檚 POV 132

    ¡°Pfft ¡­¡± I spit out a mouthful of water and burst outughing.


    ¡°Kevin, you have such a vivid imagination!¡±


    He scratched his head in embarrassment, ¡°I was just guessing.¡±


    ¡°Nothing to do with religion.¡± I smiled, ¡°Something to do with previous experiences.¡±


    ¡°Is it convenient to tell me?¡±


    I look at him.


    The atmosphere is silent for a moment, but my thoughts remain active. The scene of six years ago appeared in front of my eyes again, Cameron and I, peacekeeping barracks behind the hillside creek, beacon days, we rely on each other ¡­


    For a long time Iughed softly and sighed, ¡°Kevin, it seems to be sweltering even more in Alcostan.¡±


    His eyes widened and he half realized what was going on.


    However, I finally understood the poem, and now I know all the sadness, I want to say, but the sky is cooler.


    ¡­


    The next day I left early in the morning and went around about three blocks to find the bazaar. Women here must be apanied by an adult man when they go out, otherwise they are breaking dogma and will be flogged in the street. I wore a ck burka like the local women and covered my face to avoid any trouble, and I asked Kevin to apany me.


    To be on the safe side, he also covered half of his face with a turban.


    There were a lot of good things in that bazaar, from chic and exquisite totem jewelry to extremely ethnic clothing. These things were new to me as a foreigner, and I lingered at every stall, looking at everything and not wanting to leave.


    I ended up buying some stationery, a bit of cheese and a local pie-like food called naan, and some silk scarves and veils.


    The stationery was distributed to the students and the food and scarves were taken to the children in the orphanage. I heard Kevin say that the orphans here are mainly girls because there is also a patriarchal mindset here, and when wares, families protect the boys first and the daughters are disced.


    ¡°Laura, almost done?¡± Kevin urged me, ¡°It was just dawn when we came out, and now the sun is rising ¡­ If we don¡¯t leave, we¡¯ll get into trouble if someone finds out!¡±


    It was then that I noticed the time.


    And Kevin was right, this bazaar is basically full of men, I¡¯m a woman who¡¯s already very noticeable, in case we¡¯re found out again that we¡¯re a foreigner and provoke any ethnic extremists, this trip really can¡¯t be eaten.


    ¡°Alright.¡± I counted the things in my hands, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry back!¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    However, before the two of us could get out of the marketce, we heard a loud bang not far away, and then all the people around us crouched on the ground with their heads in their hands, and some of them ran to the opposite ce in a panic, shouting something as they ran.


    I was shocked, my mind went nk, subconsciously clutching Kevin¡¯s clothes, looking around warily.


    Several airnes passed over our heads, their roar shrill and ear-splitting. There was moremotion in the marketce, and I was knocked over several times, lost in a cloud of dust.


    ¡°Kevin ¡­¡± The dust choked my eyes, making it difficult to even breathe.


    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± A hand grabbed me as I ducked toward a nearby stone house.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± I choked and coughed several times, ¡°I thought this marketce, wasn¡¯t controlled by the rebels?¡±


    Kevin gasped for air and pulled out his cell phone to make a few calls, his face then changed.


    ¡°Laura ¡­¡±


    My heart was in my throat, ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry back.¡± He spoke quickly, ¡°The rebels have torn up the truce and raided civilian neighborhoods, and now there are heavy casualties.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The ce where we live ¡­,¡± his eyes suddenly red, choking on his words.


    I had a bad feeling in the back of my mind.


    Luckily the bombardment didn¡¯tst long, maybe a couple dozen seconds, and the world slowly quieted down. People poked their heads out and stood in the street whispering.


    Kevin gave me a wink, and we took the opportunity to run out of the blocks and back the way we came.


    But ¡­


    That road wasn¡¯t what it had originally been.


    The road, which was already rough, was now even more crumbling. The road was full of corpses, some of which were not even whole, with one arm in the east and one in the west, some of which were headless, and some of which had been blown in half, gurgling blood.


    The road was dyed red with blood, the gravel became a hideous scarlet, and the smell of explosives and blood wafted through the air.


    My legs gave out and I crouched on the side of the road, gulping and dry-heaving, tears welling up in my eyes.


    ¡°Laura, not here!¡± Kevin grabbed me up in a death grip, ¡°Run!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t run Kevin!¡± I covered my mouth, trying my best not to cry out, ¡°Kevin ¡­ me, my legs are weak, I ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Boom-¡±


    Not far away, a fleeing man stepped on andmine and instantly blew into pieces, a hand fell just in front of my eyes ¡­


    ¡°Ah!¡± I lost my voice and screamed, covering my ears and crouching on the ground, the feeling of that moment was worse than death!


    ¡°Go, Laura!¡± shouted Kevin like mad, ¡°What are you trying to do? You¡¯re going to let the rebels run in and kill you, a foreigner? Hurry up and go!¡±


    I used myst ounce of strength to pull myself to my feet, and ran forward after Kevin like a zombie ¡­ In front of me was a blood-red mass of airnes, bombs, and dark mines ¡­ twisting and turning into a powerful monster, opening its bloody mouth and rushing at me! Carnival smile ¡­


    We passed the family that originally lived there, and their house had been leveled. The shrine waspletely blown up, the two palm trees with yellowed leaves in front of the entrance were burned down to half of their original size, and the family, well, they were gone.


    I burst into tears for a moment.


    They were such a good family, they could have emigrated to other countries when the war came, but they stayed because of their loyalty to their religion and their love for thend. They did a lot of favors for the United Nations, and I heard that some of the previous groups of peacekeepers stayed with them, but what did they get in the end?


    Families are broken and ashes are destroyed ¡­


    I couldn¡¯t control myself and ran like crazy to that dirt and gravel. Just early in the morning, just before I left the house, thedy of the house was so uneasy that she asked me to take her homemade map with me to show me where to go in case I ran into an ident. That cute little girl in this house, personally gave me the naan bread she had for breakfast in her bag and told me to eat some when I was hungry ¡­


    ¡°No, no!¡± I cried, frantically picking at the pile of gravel with my hands, as if that would dig them out and they¡¯d still be alive afterward.


    ¡°Laura!¡± yelled Kevin from the door.


    ¡°Laura, get out here! We¡¯re going to meet up with the UN troops!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hear anything, and the ten fingers of my steak were dripping with blood, but it was as if I couldn¡¯t feel the pain.


    But then, a sudden force lifted me up by the waist, a familiar and warm embrace. I was stunned, tilted my head to see the gray sky, the sky beacons, bombs hissing, but that person¡¯s face, is countless times in my dreams appear ¡­


    ¡°Cameron?¡±


    I was startled, as if I was dreaming, and subconsciously reached out my hand to touch his face ¡­


    At this moment, the ttering sound of machine guns suddenly came out from the next alley, each sound seemed to explode in my ears. Cameron hugged me and slumped on the ground, he used his body to protect me tightly, and behind him, there were more rows of bullet holes on the gray wall.


    ¡°Cameron, Cameron ¡­ ¡°My heart was beating violently, shock and panic drained my strength, and the surprise of Cameron¡¯s sudden appearance was more than I could bear. My strength gradually overdrawn, my consciousness is already blurred, but I can still hear myself murmuring, ¡°Cameron, is it you ¡­ am I dreaming?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk!¡±


    I leaned against his chest and his low voice came into my ears along with a powerful heartbeat.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you somewhere safe.¡±


    ¡°Cameron,¡± my taut nerves snap instantly and I can¡¯t stop the tears from pouring out of my eyes.


    I thought I¡¯d never see him again, but here he was!


    When I woke up, I was already in the camp where the UN peacekeeping troops were stationed. Kevin looked at me from the side and shouted excitedly, ¡°Wake up, wake up, finally!¡±


    I slowly sat up with a splitting headache, my whole body even the cracks of my bones were aching.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Kevin handed me a ss of water, ¡°Big Star, you scared me to death! If anything happens to you here, George will kill me when I get back!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± I was so light-headed that I couldn¡¯t muster any strength.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Kevin was relieved, ¡°Thanks to that Mr. Cameron!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Cameron ¡­,¡± my mind shook as a scene from before I passed out mmed into my head. The bombing, the alley fight, Cameron shielding me with his body, leading me to escape from that ce of wrongdoing ¡­


    Turns out I wasn¡¯t dreaming!


    ¡°Where is he?¡± I grabbed Kevin by the hand.


    ¡°Where is he, where is Cameron?¡±


    Kevin looked a little surprised when Cameron lifted the tent p and slowly walked up to me with the potion in his hand.


    I stared at him in awe, my vision blurring for a moment as a deep gash was torn in my heart.


    Kevin silently retreated, Cameron sat on the edge of my bed and fed me the medicine one spoonful at a time. I was so focused on crying that I couldn¡¯t feel how bad that potion was. I looked at him for a split second, and the aftermath of this robbery was like a dream.


    ¡°Cameron¡­¡± I reached out and finally touched his face. Very real, warm and soft, is a sharp angr face, handsome and more than a few vicissitudes.


    He gently wiped away my tears, the knot between his eyebrows opening a little.


    ¡°I heard George say that you ran here alone.¡± He whispered, ¡°Laura, you really don¡¯t let people worry about you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t want to worry you.¡± I cried andughed, ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t want to worry anyone, this operation wasmissioned by the UN working group as a goodwill ambassador to do publicity ¡­ I really didn¡¯t expect the rebels to be so arrogant as to unterally tear up the truce agreement ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°What are you doing running here for a good reason?¡± Cameron has a deep reproach in his eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t you just shoot your scene properly? Heh, what kind of goodwill ambassador? Do you still care about fame and fortune?¡±


    ¡°You know that what I care about is not fame and fortune ¡­,¡± I lowered my head.


    ¡°Heh,¡± heughed coldly, ¡°still think you are six years ago that lone female reporter to break into the world?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m long gone from six years ago.¡± I said softly, ¡°I¡¯ve gottenzy over the years and I don¡¯t have that drive anymore. But Cameron, this ce is important to me ¡­¡±


    ¡°No matter how important, it¡¯s in the past.¡± His eyes are indifferent and detached, ¡°I heard the people of the working group say that they are ready to return one after another tomorrow, you also follow along to go back.¡±


    ¡°Cameron ¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let your fiance worry.¡± He looked at me and said slowly, ¡°He¡¯s still waiting for you at Jerez State.¡±


    My heart goes cold.


    The word fiance he bites off.


    Yeah, I was a married man. The original n was to marry Rafael after that movie and never have anything to do with Cameron again. In fact, I was the one who gave up on him first. That day at Ste¡¯s gravestone, he asked me to go with him onest time, and I refused.


    Laura, you brought this all on yourself ¡­Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    I forced a smile and tried to hold his hand again, however he deliberately kept his distance from me. It was like a wall had been erected between us, we could only see each other, but we could never cross the hurdle.


    ¡°When we get back, have Sunny stay with me for a while.¡± Cameron said, ¡°You¡¯re getting married, so you must have a lot of things to do and can¡¯t take care of her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s ¡­ now.¡±


    ¡°Yasmin is taking good care of her.¡±


    I nodded softly, a pang of loss in my heart, ¡°She¡¯s about to forget about me as a mom, I guess.¡±


    Cameron looks at me for a long time and whispers, ¡°You¡¯ll always be her mom, that won¡¯t change.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    For some reason, I just wanted to cry. I thought I could go back six years by taking a trip back in time, but time is irreversible, and the people we were six years ago and the people we will be six years from now are long gone from the people we once were to each other.


    ¡­


    Due to some coordination problems in the middle, we departed three dayster. The airport had been repaired and this time it was possible to go back by ne.


    I don¡¯t know if it was on purpose, but Cameron¡¯s seat was on the right side of the aisle, and Kevin and I sat on the left side. And Kevin had no intention of switching. He¡¯s a smart guy, there¡¯s no way he couldn¡¯t see that Cameron and I were rted, but he kept quiet the whole way.


    That is, until there was an opening in the middle of the transfer when Kevin went out to get coffee for everyone.


    He gave it to Cameron and then handed it to me. Cameron and I, however, asked in unison, ¡°No sugar, right?¡±


    Kevin froze and smiled slightly, ¡°No, no.¡±


    A little embarrassed, I opened my mouth to exin, ¡°Cameron doesn¡¯t like sugar.¡±


    Who knew Cameron would say at the same time, ¡°Laura doesn¡¯t like sugar.¡±


    Kevin wasughing his ass off at this.


    Cameron coughed lightly and stood up, ¡°I¡¯m going out for a smoke.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until he was gone that Kevin sat down next to me. ¡°You two are so in tune.¡±


    ¡°Say what!¡± I cover up by drinking my coffee.


    ¡°This Mr. Cameron, he¡¯s a big name in Jerez State, too.¡± Kevin looked at his far away back and sighed, ¡°Jade tree, a talented man ¡­¡±


    ¡°Know quite a bit!¡± Iugh.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know anything just because I work at the UN,¡± hees up to my ear, ¡°I probably know more about all this gossip than your fans!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really impressed then.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the reason you had toe to Alcostan this time, isn¡¯t he?¡± Kevin¡¯s eyes crystalized, ¡°I know you were a reporter six years ago, was he here too? Are you revisiting your old stomping grounds, or are you just rekindling an old me?¡±


    ¡°Kevin!¡± I red at him.


    He shrugged and shut up at the right time.


    I felt ufortable as if I¡¯d been poked and prodded with a secret, and took a big gulp of coffee. Kevin sat down in the window seat, sped both hands behind his head, and closed his eyesfortably.


    He didn¡¯t fall asleep, and not long afterward, as if talking to himself, he said, ¡°I¡¯m a gossip spreader, and I¡¯ll gossip with you a few more times ¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    His eyes opened a slit and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, ¡°Any idea how Mr. Cameron found you?¡±

 Laura鈥檚 POV 133

    ¡°What did you say?¡± My heart shook.


    Kevin straightened up and smiled, ¡°Our itinerary was all arranged in advance, even if Mr. Cameron knew where we were staying and what our route was ¡­ But that day was an unexpected event, no one could have predicted it in advance. You say, how could Mr. Cameron appear by the side of you like a godly soldier and save you out?¡±


    Yeah!


    I can¡¯t believe I never thought about that.


    I was only surprised by Cameron¡¯s appearance, but never pursued how Cameron could suddenly appear there? Yes, he¡¯s so powerful, it¡¯s not hard for him to find someone.


    But the problem is, it¡¯s Alcostan! How can it be that easy to find someone?


    And as Kevin said, it was just another one of those unexpected things that happened that day.


    I was confused.


    Kevin looked at me and smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll whisper it to you, you don¡¯t let anyone know.¡±


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±


    He pointed to my neck.


    I didn¡¯t understand what it meant, and he gave me another wink, and I snapped to the fact that I had been wearing the shell ne. Rushing to take it out, Kevin just smiled.


    ¡°That¡¯s why.¡± He gestured for me to take it off, then he took it in his hand and gently broke the shell open ¡­ I was stunned that there was a tiny ck chip inside!


    ¡°Other people keep pearls inside their shells, you¡¯re good, you keep trackers in your shell!¡± Heughed.


    I suddenly did not know what to say, my hands were trembling slightly.


    This ne, I wore it for six years ¡­


    So, in these six years, every moment of my whereabouts did not escape Cameron¡¯s eyes?


    No wonder ¡­ no wonder every time I was in danger, Cameron would appear at the first time, no wonder he was there whenever I needed him ¡­


    I bit my lips tightly, fine beads of sweat were secreted on my forehead on the tip of my nose, my scalp was a little numb, for a while I couldn¡¯t describe my feelings.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Kevin looked at me, ¡°You suddenly look so ugly.¡±


    ¡°Kevin ¡­,¡± I asked him, ¡°How did you know I had ¡­ in my ne?¡±


    He paused and said, ¡°It¡¯s like this ¡­ We are, after all, a United Nations working group that is organized and disciplined. On this trip, there are also staff members who are especially responsible for personal safety. Even if we encounter an unexpected situation, they should be the ones responsible for your safety. But in the end it was Mr. Cameron who carried you back ¡­¡±


    ¡°Suddenly there was such an extra person like him, the working group had to interrogate him. That¡¯s what we do, I hope you understand.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°So ¡­¡±


    ¡°So once you ask, you ask.¡± He said, ¡°Mr. Cameron was quite cooperative, not as grumpy as the legend says ¡­ And he has been concerned about your health and safety. Laura, it¡¯s obvious that he really likes you ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Okay, stop it!¡± I interrupted him.


    The heart fluttered and hurt.


    The ne broadcasts about to take off, I forced a smile and said to Kevin, ¡°It¡¯s about to take off ¡­ Can I trouble you to go out and see? Cameron is still smoking outside.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Kevin agreed faintly.


    He got up and headed out of the cabin.


    I closed my eyes and leaned back in my chair for a moment.


    I didn¡¯t say a word to Cameron until the nended at Jerez State.


    As soon as I left the airport, I saw Rafael waiting for me. He naturally took my bags from me, looked at me meaningfully, and whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    After getting in the car his face was still ugly, cold and stiff, and he didn¡¯t say a word to me the whole time, didn¡¯t even look at me, kept looking out the window.


    He was definitely very angry about this time.


    His assistant sat in the front and turned back to me with a smile, ¡°Ms. Laura has had a hard journey, President Rafael has already arranged a hotel room, you should go and rest first.¡±


    ¡°Hotel?¡± I was stunned and looked at Rafael, ¡°Not going home?¡±


    Until then he was willing to turn his face slightly, and said expressionlessly, ¡°I still have some official business to deal with, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to make it in time if I send you home, so I¡¯ve booked a room for you in that hotel near my office first. You go to rest for a while, eat something, if the energy is okay, a littleter I let someone send a set of evening dress over, you apany me to attend a banquet.¡±


    I got a big head when I heard about the banquet, ¡°Can I not go? I ¡­ I¡¯ve been flying too long and I¡¯m still dizzy and want to get a good night¡¯s sleep. Besides ¡­ you don¡¯t have to pick me up if you can¡¯t get me home in time, I can get back on my own ¡­¡±


    Rafael jerked his head around to look at me, his eyes radiating a sharp light, the corners of his mouth hooked up in what appeared to be a sneer.


    ¡°That banquet at night, it was my banquet for directors, producers and investors. Heh, Laura, do you know how much money you¡¯re going to lose if you quit halfway through that movie?¡±


    I was dumbfounded.


    His assistant hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry Ms. Laura, President Rafael has already taken care of all thepensation for you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks ¡­,¡± I looked at Rafael, ¡°But I¡¯m really tired, I want to go straight home.¡±? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Go home?¡± Rafael¡¯s voice lifted, ¡°Back to that home you and Cameron used to have?¡±


    ¡°Heh,¡± he grunted softly, ¡°Laura, you think you¡¯re just going to lose money for this mess? That director¡¯s power can¡¯t be underestimated, even George has to be courteous when he meets him! If you say you won¡¯t do the movie, do you think the showbiz industry is your family?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to lose the money, but we have to make up for it, don¡¯t we? You¡¯re not going to this banquet, do you think it¡¯s appropriate?¡±


    ¡°I ¡­¡±


    ¡°Heh, Alcostan!¡± he stared at me hatefully, ¡°It¡¯s nice to relive old dreams, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    My face burned hot for a second.


    ¡°To the hotel!¡± Rafael growled lowly, ¡°You better behave, I might still have a way to bail you out and you won¡¯t be out of the loop!¡±


    I closed my eyes, my head aching. I didn¡¯t want to argue with him.


    Just went to the hotel as if he was holding me hostage, and he left as soon as he pushed his luggage towards my room. I couldn¡¯t think of anything else, I took a good shower and slept first, which I slept through and woke up at six in the evening.


    I remembered that Rafael had said there was a party in the evening.


    I rubbed my head and sat up with a strong grip, freshened up and ate something briefly, the tuxedo hadn¡¯t been delivered yet.


    I was a bit puzzled and was debating whether to call Rafael or not when suddenly the doorbell rang.


    Opening the door, Rafael was standing in the doorway, his eyes staring straight at me, his face not normally ugly.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I let him in, ¡°Don¡¯t you have a party tonight? What took you this long.¡±


    ¡°The party was canceled.¡± He sat down and lit a cigarette.


    I frowned and was about to open the window when he pulled me back.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± His eyes were sharp, ¡°You can stand the smell of Cameron¡¯s smoke, but you can¡¯t stand the smell of mine?¡±


    ¡°Rafael!¡± I pushed him away as hard as I could, inadvertently touching his injured left shoulder, he stifled a grunt and bent over with a slightly pained expression.


    I softened for a moment, my feelings conflicted again at the thought that he had gotten hurt for me.


    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± I went over to help him and sighed softly, ¡°Rafael ¡­ Can we be calm and talk?¡±


    Rafael quieted down and sat sullenly on the couch, a soft hum escaping his nose.


    I sat down next to him, suddenly feeling that even at such a close distance, the two of us were still far apart.


    There was no sound for a long time.


    Rafael suddenly sneered, ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to talk? Talk. Why don¡¯t you talk?¡±


    I licked my lips and took a deep breath, the words lingering in my throat for a long time. ¡°Rafael, let¡¯s just ¡­ postpone the wedding.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying,¡± I raised my eyes to his, ¡°that this is not the right time for us to get married.¡±


    He stared at me for a long moment, the look on his face going from shock to mockery. He slowly hooked the corners of his mouth, the slight sneer full of distrust.


    ¡°Heh, first the wedding was postponed, then dyed indefinitely, and then our engagement was automatically canceled, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Rafael ¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that what I used to deal with Fryday originally, you¡¯re now using against me!¡±


    I had nothing to say but respond with silence.


    After a while, I told him softly, ¡°Rafael, it¡¯s really not a good time for us to get married. Think carefully about what¡¯s been happening for a while ¡­ Could we walk into a marriage without any burdens?¡±


    ¡°We stillck an understanding of each other.¡± I said, ¡°We both need to calm down.¡±


    ¡°Calm down?¡± He raised an eyebrow and snapped his eyes at me, his eyes sharp as des, ¡°Heh, you do need to calm down! One trip to Alcostan, and you¡¯re already too groggy to tell the difference! You probably can¡¯t recognize who your fiance is anymore!¡±


    He moved closer to me, almost face-to-face with me, his eyes like torches. ¡°Laura, from the moment we started getting along until now, I¡¯ve put you first in everything! You say I can¡¯t let go of Becky, but have you ever let go of Cameron, I don¡¯t care about your past with Cameron, and I¡¯m willing to treat your daughter as if she were mine, so how far do you want me to go? Why do you need to use Becky as an excuse to cover up your heart¡¯s weakness, to cover up the fact that you can¡¯t forget Cameron at all!¡±


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    I stared at him in stunned silence for a moment. Every word he said was like a needle in my heart, a pain I had to face.


    I also more clearly see a reality, he is right, I simply can not forget Cameron. my marriage with him, destined to be a tragedy.


    I paused andughed softly, ¡°Since you put it that way, you¡¯ve already seen through me, Rafael, I don¡¯t want to marry you. I can¡¯t let go of Cameron, but I don¡¯t want to be Becky¡¯s double either!¡±


    ¡°Finally forced the truth out of you, did you?¡±


    Rafael¡¯s right hand squeezes me violently, and his left arm slowly lifts up, and I seem to be able to hear the cackle of his shoulder des rubbing against the steel spikes inside of them against each other ¡­


    My heart tightened as the thought popped into my head: why didn¡¯t Carter¡¯s bullet prate my body that day? If it had hit me, I wouldn¡¯t have had to owe him this extra burden.


    ¡°Laura,¡± he stared at me, his eyes slightly red and his voice raspy, ¡°this arm of mine, it¡¯s ruined forever.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You said you¡¯d be my left arm.¡±


    ¡°Rafael ¡­¡±


    The guilt at the back of his mind tickled so easily.


    Rafael looked grim, but there seemed to be fire zing in both eyes, and I felt a man¡¯s desire emanating from there ¡­ It was a domineering desire for exclusivity, an evil desire that would rather destroy than let anyone else have it.


    I felt danger rapidly approaching me.


    I pushed him away violently, a wave of panic running through me. I stared at him with wide eyes, he looked like he had suddenly changed, changing from his usual gentle and considerate behavior to a hideous and arrogant one. He pressed me onto the sofa in one go, with just one hand he was also very strong. I struggled desperately, but to no avail, our body sticking without a gap ¡­


    He started kissing me roughly and ripping my clothes off.


    ¡°Rafael!¡± i was so scared i almost hissed. I pounded him and hit him, even kicked him with my feet, but he didn¡¯t budge. He had turned into an evil aggressor.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this ¡­ you calm down!¡± I grabbed his hand and tried to stall for time, ¡°Rafael listen to me, I¡¯m not really trying to dy the wedding ¡­ it¡¯s just, it¡¯s just that as soon as I get back, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll have a lot of work to do, let¡¯s just change the date okay ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Laura!¡± he snarled ring at me, ¡°Stop ying games with me ¡­ Do you realize that you¡¯ve worn out all my trust and patience with you!¡±


    ¡°What were you and Cameron doing in Alcostan, huh? You¡¯ve got a lot of nerve, stacking a green hat this high on top of my head and treating me like a monkey!¡±


    He threw me a p so hard that I was dazed, my ears buzzed, and blood flowed from the corner of my mouth, then the other half of my face ¡­ He rode on top of me and just hit me left and right, pping me a dozen times, and for a moment I was as if I had plunged into hell, and my nose and mouth were full of the taste of blood.


    The only remaining consciousness is to beg for mercy.


    I kept begging him, begging him to stop hitting, but he was getting more and more energized, pulling up my hair and mming it into the cab ¡­ The heartbreaking pain attacked my whole body, and Iy on my back on the carpet, and suddenly a mouthful of blood was coughed out.


    ¡°Rafael ¡­¡± I held on to thest of my strength, ¡°please don¡¯t fight ¡­ I was wrong, I was wrong! I¡¯m the one who wronged you, I ¡­¡±


    ¡°You bitch!¡±


    He raised his foot and viciously kicked me in the waist.


    I instantly looked like I had scattered my bones, writhing on the ground like a mass of mollusks.


    His coldugh came from above my head, and it gave me the creeps. I barely lifted my head, and my afterglow caught a glimpse of him removing his clothes piece by piece ¡­


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    He mmed down behind me, his big hands reaching under my skirt and ripping off the inside in a few tugs ¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t, Rafael ¡­ don¡¯t!¡± I cried, ¡°No, don¡¯t do this!¡±


    ¡°Then what do you want?¡± He gave my hair a hard yank, ¡°Laura, I was just too good for you once upon a time! Women like you, the better I treated you, the more you stepped on my head ¡­ just like that, so you can give me a good bitch!¡±


    ¡°No ¡­¡±


    ¡°We will soon be married, after marriage, you still do not give me to fuck? Heh ¡­¡± he sneered, ¡°I¡¯m just bringing our wedding night forward to today!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡­¡±


    Desperation and panic mmed into my heart.


    A deep sense of humiliation rips my dignity to shreds.


    His hand reaches out in front of him, and I take the opportunity to bite the back of his hand hard, and he yells out in pain, hitting me while cursing the bitch. But he couldn¡¯t use the strength in his left hand, and his right hand couldn¡¯t move because of my bite.


    I had a sense of near-death despair, I thought that even if I put my life on the line, I couldn¡¯t let him get away with it, so I didn¡¯t know where I got the strength from, and I bit the back of his hand bloody.


    ¡°Laura, you bitch!¡± He roared, struggling to pick up an ashtray on the table with his left hand.


    At that exact moment, the doorbell rang sharply.

 Laura鈥檚 POV 134

    Rafael didn¡¯t give a damn about the doorbell.


    But the ringing became more and more urgent, and finally even Rafael became impatient.


    He whispered a harsh curse, then let go of me and got up to get dressed.


    I was like a prisoner who had been pardoned, not caring about the pain, I scrambled to pick up all the clothes that were messy on the floor and put them over my body, rolled and crawled into the restroom, and then unlocked the door.


    Leaning against the door and sitting on the floor ¡­ until this time I was really relieved. Just now the panic, despair, humiliation, and a brain attacked the heart, I covered my mouth with a bath towel, bawling in the bathroom.


    I rinsed my body over and over with water. There were still wounds on my body, and the water in the pool kept getting stained red. Even then I had to clean it, I felt disgusting and dirty ¡­


    I rubbed my whole body red and purple, the water vapor enveloped the bathroom and turned it into a mist. After a long wash, I was physically and mentally exhausted, slowly climbed out of the bath, in front of the mirror a little bit of medicine.


    From the forehead to the corners of the mouth, a bruise red and swollen, neck to the corbone of the position also has a lot of injuries, the most difficult to deal with is the back, a turn is a tearing pain.


    It was hard to get myself cleaned up and I shuffled my feet out of the room when I realized with a start that there was someone sitting on the couch. I first thought Rafael hadn¡¯t left and let out a yelp of surprise, but then I heard a gentle voice say to me, ¡°Laura don¡¯t be afraid, it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    I settled down before I could see that it was actually Becky in front of me.


    ¡°Your face ¡­¡± She was a little shocked, busy pulling me to sit down and look carefully.


    Gradually a helpless and sympathetic look appeared in her gaze.


    ¡°Rafael did it.¡± She said softly.


    I lowered my head, the nightmare really not wanting to bring it up again.


    She took me by the shoulders and patted me twice, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, don¡¯t be afraid ¡­ It¡¯s all in the past.¡±


    I was in love for a while, leaning on her body aggrieved crying up.


    From her soothing I get a firm strength, and she turned out to be Rafael¡¯s ex-wife ¡­


    ¡°What brings you here?¡± I ask her, raising my eyes, then responding, ¡°Were you the one who kept knocking on the door earlier?¡±


    She shook her head and smiled at me. ¡°No, it¡¯s actually a coincidence that I¡¯m here today. My father is sick you know, his days are numbered and I want Willow toe back to Southeast Asia with me to see her grandfather onest time. I came here today to talk to Rafael about it. But when I went to his office people were not there, his assistant brought me here ¡­¡±


    ¡°It was his assistant who knocked on the door.¡± Sheughed softly, ¡°In the past, when I wasn¡¯t divorced, if I had something to do with him, no matter what he was doing, he had to drop whatever he was doing beforehand to deal with me. So the people around him knew I was good, so they kept knocking on the door!¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is ¡­¡± I wiped my eyes, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re awesome or I would have ¡­¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Rafael?¡± I ask, ¡°He left?¡±


    She nods.


    ¡°Laura,¡± she looks at me, wanting to say something.


    She turns to get me a ss of water and says a few moreforting words, and after a few moments of silence, she says to me, ¡°Laura, I came here to see Rafael today, but since I met you, I¡¯m going to talk to you some more.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Please tell me what¡¯s up.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°Mellisa¡­ is your mother, right?¡±


    I was stunned, ¡°Yes, you ¡­ you know her?¡±


    ¡°Only recently befriended.¡± Becky slowed down, ¡°You know, I came to Jerez State to find my family.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± I remembered, ¡°Did you find the person you were looking for?¡±


    She smiled, ¡°Found it, it went well. Thanks to Mrs. Mellisa¡¯s help.¡±


    My hand, which was holding the cup, shook hard.


    ¡°What?¡± I stared at her, ¡°You said ¡­ my mom? How can she help you?¡±


    Becky looks at me and pulls out her cell phone.


    She flipped over a few photos, like an appraisal report or something, and witness statements.


    ¡°This is ¡­¡±


    ¡°This is all from Mrs. Mellisa.¡± She said, ¡°The DNA test, I had it done myself.¡±


    My heart leaps up.


    ¡°Laura,¡± she looked at me, ¡°Cameron is the missing child from The Sterling Family!¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    My ears perked up.


    The news was so shocking that I had trouble taking it in for a moment, much less connecting the dots.


    ¡°Listen to me slowly.¡± She held my hand, ¡°It was Mrs. Mellisa who reached out to me, saying that her sister had stolen a boy from the orphanage that year. The boy was less than a year old and couldn¡¯t even walk, and she said that this boy, most likely, was our missing child from The Sterling Family.¡±


    ¡°I also asked the family,¡± she continued, ¡°the woman who gave birth to my father in the first ce did once bring the child to Jerez State to y, and was identally targeted by enemies ¡­ In the confusion the child was Lost the child, after searching learned that the child was rescued by the orphanage, but by the time The Sterling Family¡¯s people found the orphanage, the child was gone.¡±


    My heart was pounding.


    ¡°But ¡­ how would my mom know all this?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Mellisa was in the thick of it back in the day with her sister, sisters vying for a husband, wasn¡¯t she?¡± Sheughs.


    I hang my head.


    ¡°Laura,¡± she said softly, ¡°women¡¯s jealousy is so powerful that nothing can stop it. They can¡¯t wait to find out everything their love rivals do, so it shouldn¡¯t be too hard for Mrs. Mellisa to look into this.¡±


    ¡°My mom wouldn¡¯t be that kind.¡± I smiled bitterly, ¡°She and my foster mom, her sister, they¡¯re not the same. My foster mother¡¯s character is simple, but my mom¡¯s heart has a city ¡­ this matter I¡¯m afraid that she has long investigated clearly, but has been suppressed not to say, as a trump card pinched in the hand.¡±


    ¡°And most likely, she also understands The Sterling Family¡¯s position in Southeast Asia, she may also want to use this matter to get something ¡­¡±


    Beckyughed and patted me on the back of the hand, ¡°Knowing your mother is like having a daughter!¡±


    ¡°Did I guess right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She said, ¡°Mellisa helped me, and she did it on a condition. Her condition was to use The Sterling Family power to bail out Carter and revitalize The Lynch Group.¡±


    I giggled inwardly.


    Things really weren¡¯t that simple.


    ¡°You, promise?¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± Becky looked pale, ¡°There¡¯s always a price to pay if you want to achieve your goal. Besides, this is my father¡¯sst wish.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a dutiful daughter.¡± I whispered.


    ¡°I grew up in a patriarchal atmosphere, filial ¡­ obedience huh.¡± She smiled helplessly, ¡°Filial piety is already my habit.¡±


    ¡°Do you ¡­ you hate Cameron?¡± I was a little worried, ¡°He and you have never met, suddenly there is such an extra person topete with you for The Sterling Family, and he has the same father and mother as you, you ¡­¡±


    ¡°Why would I hate him?¡± Becky was frank, ¡°It¡¯s not that he¡¯speting with me, even without him, The Sterling Family would have no part of me. It¡¯s our tradition that the family business is passed on to the male, not the female.¡±


    ¡°Instead, I have to thank Cameron, I feel much more at ease with himing back to take over The Sterling Family. That way The Sterling Family won¡¯t fall into the wrong hands. Besides, it¡¯s not umon for men over there to have a few mistresses, Cameron is my brother after all, he won¡¯t treat me badly.¡±? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Are you really that open-minded?¡± I looked at her in surprise.


    ¡°What?¡± Sheughed, ¡°Is it because you think all the women in our family are sad?¡±


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t.¡± I shake my head.


    Becky drops her eyes and smiles, a little helplessly. ¡°All the women in our family are like this ¡­,¡± she said softly, ¡°but I¡¯m much luckier than the previous generation, I¡¯ve at least been out of the house, stepped into the acting circle, seen all kinds of human feelings, and opened my eyes. ¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m more in my element.¡±


    When she said this, her eyes shed with an unusual kind of determination.


    In fact, from the first time I met her, I knew that she was an extraordinary woman.


    I gently nodded, and after a moment of silence, she patted the back of my hand and said, ¡°You take care of ¡­ yourself these days and try not to go out, although actresses don¡¯t always have to rely on their faces to eat, but even if they are an ordinary woman, their face is also quite important. Don¡¯t let the media capture you like this, and then do something with ulterior motives.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± I smiled gratefully, ¡°Thank you Sister Becky.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m off then.¡± She bids me goodbye.


    Before she left, she remembered something and turned to me, ¡°I¡¯ve agreed to your mother¡¯s terms to bail out your brother and revitalize The Lynch Group. in a few days, there will be arge amount of money injected into The Lynch Group¡¯s ount.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    ¡°Laura,¡± she sighed softly, ¡°I know this is a family matter for you, but ¡­ even if I¡¯m being talkative, I¡¯d like to remind you that you¡¯re the daughter of The Lynch Family and The Lynch Group is half your ¡­ this you can¡¯t let go.¡±


    I froze.


    Even though it wasing from her, an outsider, I didn¡¯t feel ufortable, but rather sweet.


    Besides, she did remind me that The Lynch Group should be half mine.


    ¡°And,¡± Becky looked at me in a different way, ¡°as for Rafael ¡­¡±


    That nightmare just came back to life. I smiled bitterly, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible for me and him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to break you guys up.¡± She said, ¡°It¡¯s still up to you to decide what to do with your rtionship. I¡¯m just saying ¡­ that you should be wary of him and think carefully about the marriage, Rafael isn¡¯t as honorable as he seems.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t expected Becky to say that about Rafael, and it wasn¡¯t that long ago when the two of us had met, she hadughed and wished him well in his new marriage.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t seen much of each other,¡± she grinned, ¡°but from the first time I saw you, I felt a kindred spirit, and then with Cameron added to the mix ¡­ it was inevitable that I would have some mixed feelings about you. ¡±


    ¡°Sister Becky, this ¡­¡±


    ¡°Anyway, consider it carefully.¡± Her expression turned serious, ¡°It¡¯s like this no matter who you marry. Marriage is a major event in a woman¡¯s life, some people say that it¡¯s a woman¡¯s second reincarnation, even though this kind of speech is criticized by some feminists, it still has its own truth.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I replied softly.


    ¡°You rest well.¡± She looked at me, ¡°If you need my help with anything in the future, just let me know.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    I walked her out the door.


    Becky told me to stay and left me her big scarf to cover my face again.


    I thought a lot after she left, but there were a thousand things to think about, like a jumbled mess. Lying on the bed, I dare not turn around, when I move, it will pull the body¡¯s injuries, tearing pain, Rafael beat me, I did not dare to tell anyone, but this humiliation is like a ball of fire in the mouth of the heart, think about it, I feel sad, I hate.


    I only gave a phone call to the assistant, let her quietly bring me two pieces of clothing, and then I wrapped myself tightly, from the back door of the hotel quietly slipped home.


    I went home and recuperated for more than half a month. I lied to George that I was not feeling well, refused tomunicate with the outside world, and locked myself up at home.


    I applied the best ointment every day, and the wounds on my face disappeared rtively quickly, and no traces of them could be seen in about ten days, while the wounds on my body were still a little painful when pressed, but they were no big deal.


    Once again, when I received George¡¯s call urging me to return to work, I was upstairs in the sunroom, sunbathing,zily curled up in the swing, listening to the cuckoo chime, with my favorite Chopin ying on the record yer, and a ss of red wine on the counter, a good portion of which I had drunk.


    ¡°Hey Laura are you listening?¡± The person on the other end got a little impatient and lowered her voice, ¡°What the hell do you want? You went on strike halfway through the movie, and then all of a sudden you say you¡¯re taking a twenty-day vacation, so I can¡¯t even arrange a job for you! Do you really don¡¯t want to be in this circle anymore?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Iughed lightly, ¡°I was just wondering if I should rece the crystalmp in my downstairs living room with a new one.¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, no kidding you.¡± I said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be back to work tomorrow. Keep on letting you squeeze!¡±


    ¡°Auntie!¡± I could imagine his desperate expression through the microphone, ¡°I just ask you to finish filming a movie for me in peace, okay? Do you know how much your poprity has dropped these days?¡±


    ¡°No exposure, of course no poprity, that¡¯s what you said, this is thew of survival in this circle!¡±


    ¡°You know you still ¡­¡± George stopped in the middle of his sentence, I know he¡¯s still mad at me for being a goodwill ambassador for Alcostan.


    Anyway, I also did this thing wrong, so I smiled kindly and said, ¡°President George, I solemnly apologize to you! Otherwise, I will  for you ¡­ to ensure that this kind of thing, the next one will not be repeated!¡±


    George lightly grunted, ¡°Count on you having a bit of a conscience. But even though you didn¡¯t have any works during this period of time, your exposure was okay. At least your marriage to Rafael¡¯s made a lot of noise.¡±


    I was violently ufortable and sank my voice, ¡°Don¡¯t mention him to me!¡±


    ¡°You guys had a fight?¡± He asked, ¡°Why did you dy the wedding? The media especially likes this kind of news, and insisted that you are using the opportunity to hype it up, just like the original Fryday again!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not, and I don¡¯t have to hype it up.¡± I said, ¡°George, don¡¯t ask questions if you¡¯re a friend. Something¡¯s going on between us anyway. ¡­¡±


    ¡°Laura,¡± he coughed twice, ¡°even if there are problems again, think about what you can¡¯t forgive him for when he took that bullet for you ¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he has always saved my life. He took a bullet for me, crippled an arm for me, and hitched in his whole life for me! But ¡­ but so he¡¯s going to control my life, so he can beat me?¡±


    There was a silence on George¡¯s end.


    I¡¯ll admit I was emotional, ever since I was beaten by Rafael and almost raped by him, my whole body has gone a little nuts, sometimes I get short of breath and shaky when I think about it.


    ¡°Forget it ¡­¡± I took a few deep breaths to adjust myself, ¡°There¡¯s no use talking about it now, I¡¯d better get ready to return to work. It¡¯s better to support myself than to marry a man!¡±


    George didn¡¯t say a word.


    I hung up the phone, thinking that I hadn¡¯t watched much TV during this period of time, and I didn¡¯t understand what the entertainment trends were out there. This circle is changing rapidly, I rested these nearly twenty days, maybe the world has been a thousand years.


    However, when I turned on the TV, the news that came from all over the world was all about Cameron. ¡­

 Laura鈥檚 POV 135

    It turns out that during this period of time, Cameron¡¯s life has been rumored.


    Several of the bigger TV stations were taking turns rolling out that conference held publicly by The Sterling Family. At the conference Cameron was dressed in a form-fitting ck suit that framed his perfect figure wlessly.


    His angr face, cool and indifferent eyes, rational and wise words, as well as the strong aura emanating from his body ¡­.


    He is still the old Cameron.


    My nose is sore, and I can¡¯t help but move closer to the TV, as if I can get a little closer to him.


    But am I still the same person I used to be?


    Am I still in his world?


    Maybe he and I are destined to be separated in this life, maybe we had some kind of entanglement in our past lives, and in this life I returned a daughter to him, so we don¡¯t owe each other anything.


    But I really want to have a lifetime with him can not be unraveled, even if we can not love each other, hate each other can also.


    At this time, my cell phone kept vibrating again.


    ¡°What is it?¡± The caller was George again.


    His voice was a little hesitant, ¡°You ¡­ you¡¯ve seen the news, right?¡±


    ¡°Watching it.¡±


    ¡°About Cameron ¡­¡±


    ¡°I know all about it.¡± I replied faintly, wanting tough, a hooked lip but two lines of tears fell.


    George¡¯s end was silent for a long time and didn¡¯t move.


    Come to think of it, it was really quite difficult for him to be caught in the middle. He is Cameron¡¯s best friend, my boss, and has business dealings with Rafael. And with all of us in the mix, it wouldn¡¯t be good for him to favor anyone.


    ¡°Actually, even I was shocked, I didn¡¯t expect Cameron¡¯s life to be so twisted. But luckily, he finally found his family.¡± George said softly, ¡°The Sterling Family made a lot of noise this time, all the dignitaries in the family came, except Cameron¡¯s father who was really too sick to get out of bed.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± I responded softly.


    ¡°The Executive Director of The Sterling Family, publicly announced at the conference that Cameron will be joining the Southeast AsiaThe Sterling Family Group as the first heir. He¡¯s taking charge of 50% of the group¡¯s affairs first, and once the business is familiarized, The Sterling Family will be his.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Laura,¡± he said, ¡°The Sterling Family will be hosting an appreciation banquet in three days.¡±


    ¡°Does it concern me?¡±


    He paused, ¡°It¡¯s relevant; The Sterling Family is making a big deal out of taking Cameron back to Southeast Asia after this appreciation dinner at Jerez State, so almost all the famous people from all walks of life have been invited, and that includes people from show business.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± I said, ¡°Becky got her start in show business from Jerez State, so it¡¯s only right that she invite old friends.¡±


    ¡°But strangely enough,¡± George whispered, ¡°you have an invitation too, and I have it right now.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    I giggled inwardly.


    I did have a fewmercials and a movie and television production, and although I had built up a certain amount of poprity and was being talked about in the media, in terms of poprity and power, I should be nowhere near the point of attending The Sterling Family¡¯s banquet.


    George continued to lower his voice, ¡°Do you think this could be an invitation from Cameron?¡±


    My heart suddenly pounded.


    Settling down, I asked him again, ¡°Who else is on the list, do you know?¡±


    He said a few names, these people are all sort of the pirs of The Curry Group media, either the queen of the television or the movie star, and Fryday and I,pared to them, are very much like going to be the sidekick.


    I guess because we are highly talked about, we are used to attract the media¡¯s attention? But with The Sterling Family¡¯s power, why would they need to use two small stars that were hyped up as the center of public opinion?


    ¡°Never mind, you don¡¯t need to think about it.¡± George said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen the overall list, no matter whether it¡¯s academia, business or any other circles, there are many neers invited, you don¡¯t need to worry too much. Just dress appropriately when you get there, talk less, and keep your behavior low key ¡­ Keep in mind that Rafael was also invited, plus that rtionship you have with Cameron ¡­ Ugh, Laura, you¡¯re in a tough spot! ¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I smiled awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯ve kind ofe to a deep realization of what it means to be a rat in a bellows. Right now I¡¯m that rat, jumping into a big bellows, thinking I can fly up to the sky, but actually it¡¯s good that I didn¡¯t get yed to death!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so pessimistic,¡± heughed, ¡°there¡¯s a lot of people going that day, and the press will be busy. Just don¡¯t draw attention to yourself and everything will be fine!¡±


    ¡°Yes, in case I stand out, wouldn¡¯t that be a racket? The media would have to seize this opportunity to dig me and CameronRafael up!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an understanding man!¡± Georgeughed softly.


    I hung up the phone and started looking for a suitable dress.


    On the day of the appreciation banquet, the whole venue was full of clothes and jewelry, and I purposely picked a in brown dress with a high neckline to wrap myself up tightly. In addition to two earrings, there is nothing to dress up, hair simply disk a little, put on some light makeup, this appearance in a group of noblewomen and celebrities singer and movie queen in the middle of, really does not count for anything.


    Even when Fryday saw me, she eximed and teased, ¡°Yo, is this our future big movie queen Laura? Coming to the banquet like this, hehe, I didn¡¯t see it at first, I thought it was the assistant I fired!¡±


    I had no intention of fighting with her, George had said that the more low-key I could keep this situation today, the better.


    So I asked the emcee to put me in the center to enter the venue, and walked with two more colleagues on the left and right, and didn¡¯t stay on the red carpet for more than a few seconds before turning around and entering the ballroom. The first wave of stars killed the reporters¡¯ sh, and the next wave was a few famous schrs and experts who are rarely seen on TV, so the reporters were waiting for me, and I, who walked in the middle, naturally became a fish out of water.


    However, just when I was not pursued by the reporter today andcent, I found that it is really a narrow road between the enemy ¡­


    I was able to escape the reporters, but not my own mom.


    My mom, Mellisa, was at the party, alongside my brother, Carter.


    At that moment I froze in ce, I do not know whether to turn and run away, or should be generous to go up to say hello. My rtionship with them seemed more awkward andplicated than that with Cameron or Rafael.


    The word affection is an extremely warm and precious word in this world, but when ites to me, I have never experienced it.


    Mom spotted me and came this way with Carter. I couldn¡¯t hide anymore, so I just stood there, barely pulling a smile out of my face.


    ¡°Mom,¡± I whispered, ncing at Carter and squeezing out those two words with difficulty, ¡°brother.¡±


    ¡°Not bad, recognizing you as a brother!¡± Carter narrowed his eyes, grimacing.


    He looked good, still tall and handsome, not like a fresh out of jail, and I¡¯m sure he couldn¡¯t have suffered much in jail just with how much my mom loved him.


    But what about me?


    Did I deserve to be kidnapped by him? And almost got shot to death by him?


    Thinking of my mom came to plead with me after the incident, letting me not prosecute Carter, thinking of her bias, thinking of the shot Rafael took for me, thinking of the price I paid for this ¡­ This series of things is like a domino that pushes down, one after another, weighing on me breathlessly.


    Thinking of these, my mood is inevitably ups and downs.


    ¡°Heh, why don¡¯t you recognize it?¡± I looked at Carter, ¡°If there was someone who ever wanted you dead, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯d recognize that person in ashes, right?¡±


    Carter¡¯s eyes darkened, the corners of his lips still slightly hooked in a kind of chilling smile.


    ¡°Laura,¡± my mom looked at me, ¡°are you still counting on this?¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be counting on it?¡± I was incredulous, ¡°Mom, do you think I should be generous? The one who kidnapped me is my own brother anyway! We¡¯re all family behind closed doors, why should we care so much?¡±


    ¡°You ¡­ ¡°Mom paused, her face not looking good.


    Then she said coldly, ¡°Anyway, Carter has been punished, and he¡¯s been in the mmer this whole time! He¡¯s been in jail, it¡¯s a stain on his life that he can¡¯t erase, isn¡¯t that enough? What more do you want Laura, he is your brother after all!¡±


    ¡°After all, he is a brother ¡­¡± I sneered, ¡°Heh, so I deserve to be kidnapped by you guys with affection?¡±


    ¡°Whatever you think!¡± Carterughed sorrowfully, ¡°Anyway, a girl is too big to stay in the family, we treat you as a family and you turn your elbows out!¡±


    I red at him, not wanting to make more of a fuss. He had the good sense to leave as well and went around with his champagne in hand to make a toast. Mom and I stood face-to-face, and for a while I couldn¡¯t leave or stay.


    After a long moment, I said, ¡°I saw some friends and went over to say hello.¡±


    ¡°Laura,¡± Mom called out to me.


    Aplicated look came over her face. Her hand rose, probably to touch my head, but it stopped in mid-air, hesitated, and then dropped.


    Just as she had hesitated, she resolutely put me down.


    My heart went cold.


    ¡°Laura, wait, I have something I want to tell you.¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± I looked at her faintly.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re getting married, congrattions in advance.¡±


    Iughed softly, ¡°You¡¯re so misinformed, haven¡¯t you heard that my wedding date has been dyed?¡±


    She frowned, her gaze dripping with skepticism. ¡°You¡¯re not marrying that Mr. Rafael?¡±


    ¡°I think he and I need a little more time to get to know each other.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s good to get to know each other better. Marriage is a big deal.¡± I was surprised by her reaction.


    I thought she would take the opportunity to make a few snide remarks, drag out those past events between Cameron and me, or inquire about what¡¯s going on here, and continue to educate me in the meantime.


    But I didn¡¯t expect ¡­


    I feel a little sour in my heart, after all, mom is a mom, she still cares about me as a daughter, right? She is actually just like all the mothers in the whole world, she is worried and anxious about her daughter¡¯s marriage, right?


    ¡°Laura,¡± she suddenly held my hand. Her fingertips were cold despite the fine furs she was wearing.


    ¡°I know in your heart you resent me. You me me for favoring your brother, don¡¯t you?¡± There were a few moments of pity in her gaze, ¡°But what do you want me to do? It¡¯s true that it¡¯s Carter¡¯s fault for kidnapping you, but have you ever thought about the fact that you¡¯re his sister after all, and what¡¯s in it for him if he kidnaps you? Besides, he hasn¡¯t gotten to the point of losing his heart!¡±


    I was furious when I heard this, ¡°He hasn¡¯t lost his heart? Heh, you¡¯re not going to tell me that he¡¯s a grown man and he¡¯s still being instigated, are you?¡±


    Mom looked at me sharply, her lips twitching slightly.


    Something didn¡¯t sit right with me at that moment, but the emotion passed by.


    After a while she regained herposure and said to me softly, ¡°Laura, you really shouldn¡¯t be mouthing off about helping outsiders. In the future you¡¯ll learn that a rtive is a rtive, and even if they are wrong, they are still the people in this world who are connected to you by blood, and our blood is thicker than water.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to argue with her any further and found an excuse to leave.


    Hiding in a corner by myself, I brought a te full of food and ordered tworge drinks from the waiter. Everyone else was busy socializing by pushing their sses, but I was the only one busy filling my belly.


    What can I do to relieve my worries? Food!


    However, I was still very distracted.


    Not far away, I saw my mom taking Carter to socialize with someone. Mom still has the style of a strong woman, even though she has been up and down so many times, her kind of temperament is more and more solid, standing in the crowd, still so dazzling.


    On the other hand, Becky took Cameron and introduced him to some elders, probably the elders of The Sterling Family. Their hands and feet, their words and actions were all so noble and calm. Cameron, in particr, had more of a mature manliness about him, and wherever he went, he was the center of attention surrounded by celebrities.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    I smiled.


    I was more like an outsider, or I was on the wrong path from the beginning, I didn¡¯t belong to their world at all.


    Soon Becky took the stage, standing in front of the microphone with grace and beauty. She waved her hand and the room instantly quieted down. With a decent smile on her face, she thanked everyone in a gurgling voice for attending the party on her busy schedule.


    ¡°Also on behalf of the entire family, I¡¯d like to extend a huge thank you to The Lynch Family for raising my brother these past few decades.¡±


    She invited Mellisa to the stage and gave her a deep bow in front of the crowd.


    ¡°Thank you Mrs. Mellisa!¡± Becky said, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t know where to find my brother. And thank you Mr. Cameron, if it wasn¡¯t for your The Lynch Family¡¯s dedication to nurturing him over the years, Cameron wouldn¡¯t have been so good ¡­¡±


    ¡°I spent the best years of my life at Jerez State,¡± she said emotionally, ¡°I dedicated my youth here, and I always believed that Jerez State would not treat me poorly ¡­ Sure enough I was I found my long lost family here. I am grateful to Jerez State, and The Lynch Family is even more of a benefactor to The Sterling Family ¡­ So on behalf of The Sterling Family, I promise that we will maintain a long term cooperation with The Lynch Group in the future, and I ask you to bear witness to us. We ask that you bear witness to the fact that nothing I have said is untrue! We, The Sterling Family, will spare no effort to support The Lynch Group no matter what!¡±


    There was silence on the stage, and then I don¡¯t know who led the apuse, one after another, until the whole ballroom was drowned in apuse.


    People were talking to each other, while Becky and Mellisa hugged each other on stage, and a few more shareholders of The Sterling Family walked up to thank them, the atmosphere was peaceful, but I was on edge.


    What would Cameron face in this family?


    Even if it is the biological son of this family, but for so many years no news, those shareholders are not easy to wait until The Sterling Family old man is about to die, is trying to seize the power, suddenly appeared out of thin air such an heir ¡­ they endure this breath?


    If they can¡¯t bear it, won¡¯t their target of revenge be Cameron?


    I suddenly broke out in a cold sweat ¡­ This recognition of kinship, could it be a conspiracy?


    Just as I was thinking, Cameron walked onto the stage with faith, and all eyes were on him. He smiled slightly, imposing, sharp gaze around the crowd, inadvertently in my ce to stay a little more ¡­


    The moment I locked eyes with him, I blushed violently and my breathing seemed to have stopped.


    Those few seconds seemed like centuries.


    Then he slowly averted his gaze and greeted everyone in a low, maic voice.


    And at the same time, he looked at me again, his eyes seemed to have a different meaning ¡­

 Laura鈥檚 POV 136

    What he was trying to say I didn¡¯t know, yet my mind was apprehensive.


    Some people look to my side, some people began to talk about something. Cameron pause time is not long, a total of only ten seconds, but it is this short ten seconds is very difficult to endure, I feel as sharp in the back.


    I always remember George¡¯s words, to be low-key, do not attract attention, but it is at this juncture Cameron stared at me not to let go ¡­ I unconsciously lowered my head to avoid his gaze.


    Good thing he quickly began to speak, ¡°First of all, I would like to thank you all foring.¡±


    ¡°When I just learned that myst name is not Lynch, I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t imagine my feelings ¡­ The bewilderment, helplessness and even despair of not having a sense of belonging often gued me. During that time I always had nightmares at night, dreaming that I fell into a ten thousand feet deep abyss, surrounded by a familiar face, they just watched me fall, no one reached out a hand to pull me a hand ¡­¡±


    My heart trembled as I listened to him continue, ¡°The Lynch Group was my heart and soul, I treated it like my own child, but suddenly one day I was told that I was not the biological father of this child, I¡¯m sure anyone else would not be able to ept that.¡±


    ¡°But I was lucky enough to eventually find my family.¡±


    At this point there was a round of apuse from the stage, and the patriarchs of The Sterling Family stood around with smiles on their faces.


    I don¡¯t know if they were upset or not, but to have such an heir out of nowhere, no one would be convinced!


    Cameron smiled and looked calm, he has always had a kind of aura of a king in the world.


    ¡°Below ¡­ I want to thank someone.¡± He whispered.


    I raised my eyes and suddenly met his gaze, my heart skipped a few beats.


    He averted his gaze and looked at the crowd, ¡°I¡¯ve been through a lot during this period of time, and this incident wasn¡¯t a bad thing for me, and my will has been tempered. Looking back now, all of this is really nothing, what¡¯s more important is that I recognize the human heart ¡­¡±


    ¡°Identity doesn¡¯t matter to me, because after this incident I know that no matter if I¡¯m rich or not, no matter if I¡¯m a rich businessman with a lot of money or a mediocre person, there will be a woman standing beside me.¡±


    My heart leapt into my throat and I couldn¡¯t even breathe. I was so excited at that moment, I thought he was talking about me.


    I thought that after all these storms, he was still willing to think of me as the one who stood by his side.


    In fact, I was willing to.


    In that moment I wanted to leave everything behind, I could not wait to take a few steps to jump on the stage and hug him ¡­ as hard as I could and never miss him again.


    I looked up and smiled softly at him, and when I met his gaze once more, I almost dropped a tear.


    ¡°This woman ¡­¡± he said slowly, ¡°and I are meant to be. No one can take her away from me!¡±


    There was a sudden murmur on stage, a lot of people mingling, some turning their eyes to me and smiling in a different way. I sat there, my body stiff, my blood seeming to boil throughout my body.


    No matter how lively they were talking, to me, it was as if the whole world was only left with Cameron and I. I looked at him, thinking that as he slowly walked off the stage, he woulde over to me and hold my hand.


    Instead, he gave me an indifferent nce, a sneer curling up at the corner of his mouth.


    He turned a corner, at another table, bowed slightly to a woman, and took her hand again¡­. They walked gracefully onto the stage, where murmurs turned to cheers and apuse, shes streaked across the stage, and reporters busied themselves with trying to capture the all-important scene.


    Only I, frozen in ce.


    My blood was boiling a second ago, but this second it started to freeze. It was as if I had turned into an ice sculpture, cold from the inside out.


    Cameron looks back at me again before he walks onto the stage, his smile like a sharp dagger stabbing into my heart.


    I huffed backward, my vision blurring ¡­ When I saw that the person standing next to him was actually Queenie, my legs went weak and my whole body almost fell out of my chair.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Someone behind me held me up.


    I settled down and saw that the visitor was Becky, who looked at me with a few sympathetic eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay ¡­,¡± I tugged at the corners of my mouth, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°The house is probably too stuffy.¡± Sheughed softly and took my arm, ¡°I¡¯ll show you around the yard.¡±


    It was just as well that I wanted to get away from this ce, I knew that I had be theughing stock of the entire party and to stay any longer would be an insult to myself.


    Becky took me to the backyard, it was quiet and had a small pavilion, she had a pot of tea brewed and brought a few snacks.


    I have no appetite at all, even drinking water can choke on air, but also a mouthful of water sprayed on Becky¡¯s skirt. I med myself, and quickly looked for paper towels to help her wipe, but I didn¡¯t expect to knock the teapot to the ground again.


    There was a mess of debris, and I crouched on the floor, finally breaking down and crying out.


    ¡°Laura,e on.¡± She helps me up and sits down, ¡°I understand where you¡¯reing from, and I know a little about what¡¯s going on between you and Cameron ¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± I shook my head, ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s sorry for him. I was the one who had to marry Rafael when he wanted to take me away, and I¡¯m to me for getting myself into this mess.¡±


    ¡°You figured out the marriage to Rafael?¡± She sighed softly, ¡°It¡¯s rare in a person¡¯s life to run into someone they love with all their heart, no matter what you decide, don¡¯t ever go against your heart for any other reason.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to marry him.¡± I smiled bitterly, ¡°But how am I supposed to repay his debt? He took a bullet for me, and that arm of his was ruined because of me!¡±


    ¡°Heh, I didn¡¯t realize that after all these years, that¡¯s still all he knows how to do.¡± Becky grunted lightly.


    I was stunned, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± She smiled lightly, ¡°Anyway, I warned you that Rafael isn¡¯t as honorable as he seems. Keep an eye out for yourself.¡±


    I could hear that she was saying something, was Rafael hiding something from me?


    ¡°You¡¯re probably surprised why that woman is Queenie, aren¡¯t you?¡± She looked at me.


    My heart ached as if it were cracking open.


    Yes, why Queenie? I thought the woman had disappeared from my life.


    I still remembered her from six years ago, when The Scott family hadn¡¯t fallen, when she was The Scott family¡¯s firstdy, proud and bossy and didn¡¯t give a damn about me. She was Cameron¡¯s ex-wife, and the marriage between The Lynch Group and The Scott Group was a big news story back then.


    On the day Cameron married her, I was alone on a flight to New Avalon. ¡­


    Cameron became the scapegoat when The Scott family got into trouble. Then they got divorced and she was in bed with Carter and almost cost me my life the day I had my baby. And then I heard she had that baby with one of her chauffeurs ¡­


    I¡¯m just not happy, for such a woman, why Cameron still want to get her back?


    Just intentionally revenge me?


    ¡°You probably don¡¯t know Queenie,¡± Becky said if she meant it.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    I didn¡¯t get her point andughed, ¡°How could I not know her? Once upon a time ¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean once upon a time.¡± She interrupted me softly, ¡°Laura, you don¡¯t know much about Queenie¡¯s background.¡±


    ¡°Background?¡±


    She takes a sip of her tea, ¡°Queenie¡¯s mother¡¯sst name is Lomar, and The Lomar family is considered a prominent family in our area of Southeast Asia.¡±


    I was stunned. I really hadn¡¯t heard much about her mother before, all I knew was Daniel, the guy whomittedmercial bribery but had Cameron take the fall for him.


    ¡°Actually Daniel isn¡¯t much of anything.¡± Beckyughed softly, ¡°He did everything he could to get Ms. Lomar back then, but he was only interested in the power of The Lomar family. Daniel got rich with the help of The Lomar family, and that¡¯s how he came to be known as The Scott Group. It¡¯s just a pity that he is bossy and arrogant and has no bearing, when things go wrong, he will only hide behind ¡­ this is what dragged the group down.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Back then he was the one who let Cameron take the me for him.¡±


    ¡°I heard that Cameron took the fall for him because Daniel and Queenie threatened him with your safety.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    I was shaken.


    Becky¡¯s eyes had a few moments of hesitation, and after a while, she pursed her lips and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s all in the past, let¡¯s forget about it for now¡­. just talked about Queenie¡¯s mother¡¯s house?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    ¡°After Daniel¡¯s downfall, their family has no dependence, Mrs. Lomar has been raised in high esteem since childhood, a woman with little idea. And Queenie¡¯s private life is chaotic, also by the media to stare for a period of time ¡­ In short The Scott family that time is more difficult to bear, Southeast Asia The Lomar family heard about it, insisted on their mother and daughter to pick up back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Queenie is living the same brocade life as before.¡± I sighed, ¡°Some people have a good life, no matter how many storms there are, they live a life of honor and prosperity.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be wrong to think that The Lomar family took them in for no reason.¡± Beckyughed, ¡°I¡¯ve already said that the status of women over there is low, if The Lomar family didn¡¯t see that Queenie is quite pretty and has value for marriage, they wouldn¡¯t have brought them here.¡±


    ¡°Marriage ¡­¡±


    That said I get it, it¡¯s another business marriage, nothing about emotion, just profit.


    ¡°So Cameron is also a weight on your The Sterling Family.¡± I look her in the eyes, ¡°He¡¯s here to be this heir and at the same time a tool of the union, right?¡±


    Becky sighs.


    After a long time sheughs bitterly, ¡°Laura, it¡¯s really not a good thing for a woman to be too smart and capable. Just like me, after enjoying being courted and being worshipped like a god by the fans, going back to being that good girl from The Sterling Family is just too much for me.¡±


    ¡°And you ¡­¡± She turned her face to look at me, her expression nd, but her gaze hid a lot.


    ¡°Laura, you actually see it, but you can¡¯t let it go in your heart. I¡¯m afraid you and Cameron have no possibility in this life, but don¡¯t worry, your daughter Sunny, The Sterling Family will do everything in their power to make sure she gets the best care.¡±


    My heart felt like it was dripping blood.


    Becky¡¯s words were so sensible and reasonable that it was impossible to argue with them, but I always had a few moments of resentment.


    ¡°Go back.¡± She said, ¡°Been out too long, in case the good guys are on to you and you get into trouble again.¡±


    I agreed and let her go first. I sat in the pavilion for a little while longer, and saw that the sky was clear just now, but at this moment, small snowkes actually floated up ¡­


    It was the first snowfall this winter, and I remembered that when I was fifteen years old, Cameron was attending college abroad, and there was an early snowfall on the day he came home for winter break. I went to pick him up for my parents, but the flight waste because of this snow, and I waited for him all night at the airport. When he finally came out of the airport, I was so tired that I fell into his arms.


    When I came to my senses I was already lying in a warm bed, and there was a park ticket on the bedside, with a note on the back that said, Make a wish on the day of the first snow, silly!


    When I rushed over there was no one in the park but Cameron standing in front of the carousel. Snowkes were falling on his head and body, turning his angr lines gentle. His face was still cold, but there was a hint of warmth in his eyes.


    Many years have passed, but I have never forgotten that day. I forget what I wished for, but I remember freezing like a fool and curling up in his arms. Although he did not say a few words to me, but that was the most beautiful first snowfall of my life.


    ¡­


    My eyes were suddenly moist and my nose had a sour feeling.


    I snapped back to my senses and hurried toward the banquet hall. After turning a few corners in the hallway, I saw that there was a lounge nearby, so I went straight in. I didn¡¯t want to go back into that bustling ce, the hustle and bustle belonged to them, I was only good for solitude.


    When I entered the lounge, I was just about to close the door, when suddenly someone pressed the door against me from the outside. I panicked and tried to push against it to open it, but the person came barreling in, clicking the door and padlocking it.


    I screamed and scrambled to touch the wall switch. The lights came on, and the familiar, aloof, cold face seemed to float out of a dream.


    ¡°Cameron ¡­,¡± I mumbled, ¡°Why, how is it you?¡±


    His thin lips hooked.


    A meaningful smile in the deep pupils of his eyes.


    ¡°You break into my private lounge and ask me why I¡¯m here?¡±


    Cameron¡¯s voice sounded better than it diding out of the microphone, and his whole being exuded a dangerous charm, as it had before and even more so now.


    I dropped my eyelids, my heart pounding.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry ¡­,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯m in the wrong ce, I¡¯m getting out.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in, why are you in such a hurry to leave?¡±


    He pressed me against the wall, one arm propped next to my head, and just looked at me steadily.


    ¡°Cameron ¡­¡±


    ¡°Nothing you want to say to me?¡± Heughs softly.


    I shook my head.


    ¡°Good.¡± He whispered, ¡°I have something I want to tell you.¡±


    He suddenly turned around and turned on the TV screen, the remote control clicked a few times and an impact immediately appeared on the screen. The image wasn¡¯t clear, but you could tell it was a surveince camera at the entrance to the hotel, and the woman who walked in was me.


    After that Rafael walked in as well and after a while walked out again.


    My heart clenched, it was the exact same image from the day Rafael cornered me!


    Cameron showed me the time on the top right corner of the monitor.


    ¡°Forty minutes from the time he walked in to the time he walked out.¡± He sneered, ¡°Except for the time you guys were in the shower, he couldn¡¯t have done it for long in total, could he?¡±


    I blushed, not wanting to hear any more, and reached for the door, but it was already locked by him.


    ¡°What, this is too much to take?¡± Cameron¡¯s eyes looked like they were going to burn a hole in me, ¡°And can you stand the ¡­ next one?¡±


    I was shocked when he lunged at me and pinned me down hard on the big bed.


    He lifts my skirt and pushes my legs apart with his knees, I¡¯m like a circr gauge that¡¯s been spread apart at the greatest possible angle, and then he rips away myst line of defense in an unrelenting, brutal ¡­

 Laura鈥檚 POV 137

    ¡°Cameron, no!¡±


    I struggled desperately.


    I was terrified, I¡¯d had a fear of this sort of thing since thest time Rafael had done that to me. I felt that humiliation again, and the gut-wrenching pain of a man¡¯s fist swinging at me.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Cameron taunted, ¡°Used to doing it with Rafael, but not with me?¡±


    ¡°No, Cameron ¡­¡± I cried, blocking his ever encroaching hands, ¡°I¡¯m begging you to stop! I¡¯m scared ¡­¡±


    ¡°Scared?¡± It was like he had knives hidden in his eyes, ¡°You didn¡¯t have the word scared in your head when you made love to Rafael!¡±


    With that he sped up his movements and I was pinned beneath him, a pain searing through my body as hard as fire.


    My fear and humiliation, all together, reached their peak.


    I hated him, but there was nothing I could do. His low voice in my ears, with rude curses, heavy gasps, gradually turned into a whisper ¡­ He attacked one by one, at first the pain was terrible, then I actually catch a hint of pleasure in this pain, and then he and I fused into one, and together we came to the pinnacle of the extreme¡­ ¡­


    ¡°Cameron ¡­¡± I whispered to him.


    I wished I could just melt into him and let him take me, I wanted to forget everything that had gone before and let this moment freeze into eternity.


    But when Cameron looks up, I see his cold eyes. ¡°Laura,¡± he sneered, ¡°Which one makes you morefortable, me or Rafael?¡±


    My heart hurt like it had been sent through a meat grinder and tears ran down the corners of my eyes. I looked at him silently and bit my lip, raising my hand to give him a hard p.


    ¡°You¡¯re insane!¡± Cameron roared, and his hand rose high in the air, pausing in midair for a long moment, but still not falling.


    ¡°Get out!¡± He pushed me off, ¡°I never want to see you again.¡±


    I scrambled to get dressed, and before I could pull on my sweater, Cameron grabbed me by the shoulders from behind.


    There¡¯s a quizzical look in his gaze, settling on the spot where my corbone is.


    I cover up, immediately realizing that the neck injury hasn¡¯t healed. Looking up at Cameron, he¡¯s looking at me too, his expression meaningful.


    ¡°It¡¯s ¡­¡±


    ¡°None of your business.¡± I replied coldly.


    He grunts lightly, ¡°Rafael did that? Heh, I didn¡¯t realize he had a hobby like that!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t take it anymore and yelled at him, ¡°He did, but it¡¯s not what you think!¡±


    ¡°Cameron, nothing happened between me and him.¡± My body trembled, ¡°That day in the hotel, he hit me ¡­ he almost beat me to death!¡±


    His eyes darkened, his eyebrows knitted lightly, gradually returning to a cool face.


    ¡°He beat you ¡­,¡± he gritted his teeth, ¡°that is also you me yourself!¡±


    ¡°Heh, so I should thank him!¡± He taunted, ¡°He did what I wanted to do but didn¡¯t ¡­ You woman just owes a beating!¡±


    Holding back my tears, I haphazardly put on my clothes and grabbed the door.


    However, just turned the corner of the corridor, I saw arge number of reportersing this way, walking in front of the Fryday. she sharp eyes, immediately saw me, like a hunter saw the prey that kind of excitement, with the back of the journalists waving and shouting, ¡°Hey, Laura is there! There they are!¡±


    I froze, only to see a crowd of people rumbling toward me. I stayed where I was, and in the blink of an eye I was surrounded by them.


    Their eyes weren¡¯t limited to me, but also Cameron, who was following behind me.


    Fryday smuglyughed with her hands sped in front of her chest, ¡°Yo, Cameron, Laura!¡± she deliberately picked up her voice, ¡°Where¡¯s this fighting from? That ¡­ looks like Cameron¡¯s private lounge over there?¡±? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    My legs gave out and I took a few steps backward, bumping into Cameron¡¯s chest.


    He quietly shook my hand.


    I fixed my mind and was thinking about how to answer, Fryday began to find fault again, ¡°The people in this circle it is true that there are some snobs, a lot of first tier big names are whoever is red to y with whoever, but our future Laura movie queen is even more powerful, it is whoever has money who sleeps with whoever! Oh ¡­ what¡¯s wrong Laura, Rafael that old man really can¡¯t satisfy you anymore, right?¡±


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    There was a low chuckle amongst the reporters, and then they turned their cameras on me, shes streaking across the room.


    I was a little dizzy, but at that moment a hand gently rested on my shoulder.


    ¡°Those are words I think would be most appropriate for yourself, Ms. Fryday.¡± Cameron stood beside me with a nd smile on his face.


    ¡°Heh, Cameron,¡± Fryday¡¯s voice was shrill, ¡°This is the ¡®sister¡¯ you once held in your heart! Now that she¡¯s getting married, can¡¯t you let her go? Sneaking her into themon room, in case Ms. Queenie finds out, that¡¯s a big deal!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Laura has grown up with me since she was a child, and her feelings are certainly no better than the next person¡¯s. Now that I¡¯m going to Southeast Asia, there¡¯s nothing unusual about having something I want to tell her, right? And how do you know what Queenie thinks, Ms. Fryday?¡±


    Cameron narrowed her eyes slightly andughed in a low voice, ¡°Queenie is not as petty as you think!¡±


    Now it was Fryday¡¯s turn to be speechless, only standing by the side and staring dryly. Reporters of course do not dare to write nonsense, there are too many people involved, Cameron¡¯s words and watertight, if they write anything out of the ordinary, offending Queenie or offending Cameron, will not have a good end.


    Fryday couldn¡¯t keep his face up, his face was red for a while and white for a while. The reporters dispersed one by one when they couldn¡¯t catch any valuable news, and only the three of us were left in the corridor.


    Cameron tapped me on the shoulder, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    I was just about to leave with Cameron when Fryday stopped us.


    This gorgeous face is full of pride and resentment.


    Sheughed softly, looking at me and then at Cameron, ¡°Cameron, Laura is almost someone else¡¯s wife, what¡¯s the point of you still chasing after her so closely? Hehe, I thought Cameron¡¯s heartfelt confession to Ms. Queenie on stage today was sincere, but now I¡¯m afraid it may not be!¡±


    Cameron was silent for a moment andughed slightly, ¡°There is a saying ¡®when a fake is real, it¡¯s real¡¯, Ms. Fryday has acted in many costume dramas, so she should know the truth of this saying, right?¡±


    ¡°How much of what is said on stage is true and how much is false, do you have to count so clearly? Hehe, Miss Fryday how many false words have you said on stage, have you counted them yourself?¡±


    Fryday blushed.


    ¡°So it¡¯s better to be confused as a human being.¡± Cameron looked at her coldly, ¡°Also, never push people too far! In the end, the only one who gets hurt might be yourself.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still facing Laura until now!¡± exasperated Fryday.


    ¡°Cameron ¡­ Oh no, I should call you Young Master Cameron now, right?¡± She lightly grunted, ¡°Cameron has transformed into the young master of Southeast Asia The Sterling Family, is it possible that Laura, the movie queen, is also going to move her career center to Southeast Asia?¡±


    ¡°Fryday!¡± I couldn¡¯t stand it any longer, ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense without proof? You have to be responsible for what you say!¡±


    ¡°I do think it¡¯s a good idea.¡± Cameronughed.


    I was stunned and looked back at him, the determination in his gaze was as if he was a different person from the violent and cold Cameron who had just been in the room.


    My heart fluttered.


    Cameron gently wrapped his arm around my waist, and it seemed to be the same as before, as if the two of ¡­ us had never been separated.


    But I knew it was just wishful thinking on my part.


    Fryday face has a huff, also can only hold back not dare to attack in front of Cameron.


    Just sourly said, ¡°Heh, Cameron to this once ¡®sister¡¯ still really care!¡±


    ¡°Anyways, Laura and I were once family too.¡± Cameron said, sliding his hand down and interlocking his fingers with mine. ¡°It¡¯s only right that I take care of her.¡±


    ¡°Help yourself! Don¡¯t make Ms. Queenie jealous!¡± Fryday rolls her eyes and tters away on her heels.


    I froze in ce, I actually didn¡¯t take a single word of Fryday¡¯s words to heart, I just coveted the time I spent with Cameron ¡­


    Cameron let go of me, his face turning cold again. I knew it was time to break up.


    ¡°Bye.¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Or you could think about going to Southeast Asia.¡± Cameron¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t loud, but each word hit me like a hammer.


    Go to Southeast Asia? Iughed. What would I do there? Watch him and Queenie love each other every day? I didn¡¯t go to their weddingst time, was I supposed to be there this time?


    I shook my head and ran away. Tears were welling up in my eyes and my heart was aching. I kept running like this, wishing that just like in those TV dramas, there was a ck hole in the universe at the end of the road, and I could go back in time by drilling into it.


    Back to that first snowfall when I was young, back to the embrace at the Alcostan Beacon ¡­


    Not long after that party, I went back to the office to get ready to start work again, and as soon as I got back that day, I heard a lot of talk around the office, and Fryday was all smiles.


    I met her in the corridor, she was still as arrogant as ever, and the assistant beside her handed me a beautifully wrapped small box with choctes inside.


    Fryday tilted her chin slightly and smiled, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to congratte me?¡±


    ¡°Congrattions?¡± I was stunned, ¡°You¡¯re going to ¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting married.¡± She ruffled her long hair.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I nodded, ¡°congrattions.¡±


    ¡°Without asking me who my groom is?¡±


    I was silent. Her two big eyes twinkle and she looks rather pleased with herself.


    ¡°Heh,¡± Iughed softly, ¡°looking at you, does this guy have something to do with me again?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes you¡¯re still pretty smart, Laura.¡±


    I waved my hand, ¡°Whoever it is, I congratte you. You don¡¯t have to tell me who it is, I¡¯m not interested either. Fryday, actually I really don¡¯t have the heart to fight with you, and there¡¯s no need for you to unt anything with me, the two of us, it¡¯s better if we don¡¯t interfere with each other.¡±


    Finished I want to go, and Fryday to her assistant made a wink, the assistant first left, Fryday a pull my arm andughed, ¡°ouch, who want to fight with you! In the future, we are a family, I can¡¯t wait to tter you!¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    The smug look on her face grew a little thicker.


    ¡°I said ¡­¡± she trailed off, ¡°we¡¯re family from now on! Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re Carter¡¯s own sister and I¡¯ll treat you like family too!¡±


    ¡°Carter?¡±


    This was really unexpected.


    I was still very confused for a while after she said that.


    How could it be Carter? When did she hook up with Carter? Did mom say yes?


    ¡°Laura, I¡¯ve really met someone this time!¡± She wrenched me over her shoulder, smiling outwardly, but actually demonstrating to me. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Auntie to be such a good person, and Carter is also very sincere to me ¡­ Hehe, The Lynch Group is now The Lynch Group again, I¡¯m going to take a long vacation with George, and then slowly reduce the workload and then retire. I¡¯m going to take a long vacation from George and slowly reduce my workload before retiring from the movie.


    After saying that, she raised her eyebrow and left with a high profile.


    The chocte in my hand was crushed at some point, and my hand was covered with dark brown chocte syrup, emitting a rich vor.


    I hurriedly drove to The Lynch Family.


    It was the same vi that The Lynch Family used to live in, but they had bought it back and redecorated it, making it even more luxurious than before. Dad is still in the hospital, basically quit The Lynch Group, now the whole group is managed by Mom and Carter.


    The Lynch Family¡¯s maid seemed to know that I would being, and opened the door to wee me.


    As soon as I walked in, I had the feeling that it was like a lifetime ago¡­. The big yard, the fountain in the garden, the flower house at the back of the yard, and the swing next to the flower house are all the same¡­. Everything is the same as it was before, and this ce carries the whole of my youthful time, and it is the most important part of my life. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m going to be able to get a good look at them.


    Now look again, they seem to have be the most familiar strangers.


    ¡°Miss, please use.¡± Someone brought me a cup of grapefruit tea, the former servants of The Lynch Family knew my taste.


    ¡°Mistress will be down in a moment.¡± She smiled, ¡°You sit and wait for a while.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said after thanking her, ¡°You go about your business without me.¡±


    ¡°Auntie, did Laura add enough honey to that tea? She likes it sweeter.¡±


    Mom¡¯s voice suddenly came from the stairs.


    I turned back to look at her, she was dressed in a lotus root-colored wool knit dress, with a skeleton knit sweater of the same color draped over it, a little bit of light makeup on her face, she slowly walked down from upstairs, looking particrly elegant.


    I was stunned for a long time, and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t bother ¡­ I¡¯m losing weight now, don¡¯t want so much honey.¡±


    ¡°Sit down.¡± Mellisa gaze has a fewplicated.


    I thought about it, but I still said to her bluntly, ¡°Mom, there is a happy event in the family recently?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She replied, ¡°The home has been redecorated, the wedding should have a wedding look.¡±


    ¡°Is it ¡­ Carter?¡±


    ¡°Could it be me?¡± Sheughed softly. ¡°I was going to wait for everything to be set up before I sent you a wedding invitation. It¡¯s a must for you to attend your brother¡¯s wedding.¡±


    I lowered my head, ¡°Do you know who your daughter-inw is?¡±


    ¡°You child, why are you asking silly questions today?¡± She said, ¡°How can I not know, it¡¯s Fryday!¡±


    ¡°Mom ¡­¡±


    I wondered if this was the same Mellisa, wasn¡¯t she a strong woman? Wasn¡¯t she a strong woman? Wasn¡¯t she always focused on her background, always putting the family¡¯s interests first? Anymore, Carter¡¯s marriage should be a good match, howe she chose a Fryday without any background?


    ¡°I know what you want to ask.¡± She raised her hand, ¡°There¡¯s no need to say it. Now that it¡¯se to this, I can¡¯t stop it!¡±


    ¡°I just suddenly don¡¯t think this is like you.¡± I looked at her, ¡°Where have you ever been this negative before?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Fryday?¡± She asked me back andughed, ¡°Laura, I know you may have had a bit of a problem with her, but people are multi-faceted and you can¡¯t just look at one side of her.¡±


    ¡°Oh, multi-faceted ¡­,¡± I sneer, ¡°So the other side of Fryday is that she may have a hidden identity that fits your idea of a daughter-inw? Or do you and Carter, or even The Lynch Group as a whole, have some sort of ulterior motive that she holds?¡±

 Laura鈥檚 POV 138

    Mellisa¡¯s face clouded over.


    ¡°Laura,¡± she said softly, half-heartedly, ¡°this isn¡¯t like you either.¡±


    ¡°Once upon a time you were kind and considerate and wouldn¡¯t say such shady things to hurt your family!¡±


    ¡°Now you think I¡¯m shifty?¡± I bristled, ¡°That¡¯s because I don¡¯t think kindness can be exchanged for anything at all, including the warmth of loved ones!¡±


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± I was a little chilled, ¡°Why did you do that? You clearly know how Fryday harmed me in the past, why do you still let her in the door! Is it that in your heart, a daughter is never more important than a son? I will never be as important as Carter?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about!¡± She red at me, ¡°You¡¯re so old, why are you still fighting for favor in front of your parents like a little kid?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve never been favored by my parents!¡± I shouted, ¡°I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like to be spoiled by my parents!¡±


    I felt this conversation turn extremely ironic.


    Tears welled up in my eyes as my heart suddenly sank. ¡°Mom, can you spoil me for once, Fryday is my arch nemesis, she has harmed me several times, can you not let her be my sister-inw?¡±


    ¡°Laura, you ¡­¡±


    There was a sh of guilt in Mellisa¡¯s eyes.


    She sat down gently beside me and stroked my hair tenderly, a warmth that was so far away that I subconsciously flinched and tried to escape when she first touched me.


    ¡°You and Carter, you¡¯re both the same in Mommy¡¯s heart.¡± She said softly, ¡°Laura, I feel more guilt towards you ¡­ If you think I¡¯ve been unfair, it¡¯s probably because you weren¡¯t around me growing up.¡±


    ¡°As for your brother and Fryday, it¡¯s settled, so will you stop fooling around?¡±


    ¡°Me fooling around?¡± I looked at her, thinking how strange this woman was.


    ¡°Fryday, even though she¡¯s a thousand times worse, she¡¯s done The Lynch Family a great service.¡± Mom¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, herplexion faint, ¡°She is without background or power, a child of a poor family, and has spent so much time in the show business kind of fish and dragons, and is not a clean ¡­ person, but she has done your brother a great favor, and is also a great favor to The Lynch Family. It can be said that without her, your brother might have been counted dead in that big prison!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I mentally shuddered.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that ¡­ that weird?¡± I wondered, ¡°Carter got out and it wasn¡¯t Becky who helped?¡±


    ¡°Becky certainly yed a bit of a role, but the main thing is still Fryday,¡± Mom sighed, ¡°Laura, you¡¯ve always thought that your brother kidnapped you on purpose, but haven¡¯t you ever thought about it? you¡¯re siblings, after all, and your blood is thicker than water, so even if he kidnapped you in a moment of confusion, could he really have Would he really kill you with a gun? You and Carter grew up together, his character does have dark ces, but he is not so heartless to his family!¡±


    ¡°Heh, he didn¡¯t mean it? That makes it my fault?¡± Iughed coldly.


    All in all, Mom¡¯s words were all in Carter¡¯s favor.


    Not to say that women in The Sterling Family have no ce, things aren¡¯t much better in The Lynch Family!


    ¡°Think about it.¡± Mom patted me on the shoulder, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about your brother, but what are your ns for marriage? Are you still going to marry Rafael?¡±


    I scowled.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re going to Southeast Asia with Cameron?¡±


    I raised my eyes, ¡°Heard that from Fryday?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t care who I heard it from, I just wanted to ask you, are you really going with him?¡±


    ¡°It might be a good way out too.¡± I replied absently.


    Mellisa¡¯s face darkened.


    I knew for sure she didn¡¯t approve. She hated Cameron, and no matter what Cameron¡¯sst name was, it didn¡¯t change the fact that she hated him.


    But the more she disapproved, the more I wanted to do it.


    It¡¯s sad to think that I get along with my own mother like this.


    I stood up to say goodbye and Mellisa didn¡¯t see me off, but stood silently in the living room. I felt her looking at me, and that gaze made me cold and sour, but then I thought of her favoritism towards Carter, and I ran out of the house quickly and without a care in the world.


    I didn¡¯t expect to run into someone in the yard.


    ¡°Laura?¡± asked Fryday, taking off her sunsses and seeming a little surprised.


    ¡°I was just leaving.¡± I said coldly.


    ¡°Hey, wait first!¡± Fryday caught up, ¡°No wonder Auntie called me and said she wanted me toe over to exin things ¡­ to you!¡±


    I raised my eyes to look at her, ¡°Exin what?¡±


    ¡°Go, go to the backyard to talk!¡± She ordered the maid as she walked, ¡°Backyard flower room, send some ck tea and dessert over! The ck tea should be Big Red Robe, and the dessert should be two pieces of avocado pastry.¡±


    Before we even walked in the door, we were acting like hostesses.


    We went to the ss flower room, where The Lynch Family keeps orchids, the most expensive of which is worth about six figures. The Lynch Family has always kept orchids, the most expensive of which is worth about six figures. They are delicate and not hardy, so this light-filled flower room is dedicated to them, and has since been converted into a small lounge. With bookshelves and sofas, sipping afternoon tea and reading a novel in a cozy room was the most luxurious time of my youth.


    Fryday took off his jacket and greeted me, ¡°Sit down!¡±


    Iughed softly, ¡°I¡¯m much more familiar with everything here than you are.¡±


    She paused and chimed in with the same smile. ¡°Yes, of course you are more familiar than me, this is your mother¡¯s home! Feel free toe back more often when you have time in the future!¡±


    She said this in a sheepish way, meaning that I was going to marry too, and that she was the only one who could be the mistress of this house.


    ¡°Fryday,¡± I said, ¡°there is no point in arguing with you, but I still want to tell you, as long as you and Carter are not married, you do not want to be the master of this house! You should still have a little sense of proportion as a human being. Quasi-sister-inw and sister-inw, only one word difference, but the meaning is too far apart. What¡¯s ¡®permitted¡¯ can turn out to be ¡®not permitted¡¯, you should know this very well, you have the experience of being withdrawn from marriage!¡±


    Fryday did not speak, her face flushed a shade of red.


    For a long time she wrapped her arms around her chest, ¡°I know you don¡¯t see me in a good light, and I¡¯ve never seen you in a good light. But this is also fate, not enemies do not get together! In fact, I didn¡¯t think about marrying Carter at first, because I didn¡¯t want to get involved with you. But then I thought, marrying him doesn¡¯t mean I have to live with you, and I, too, really need to find a rich family to deliver the rest of my life.¡±


    ¡°Is a mansion really that important?¡± I asked.


    She looked a little sarcastic, ¡°You¡¯ve never been poor, you don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been poor ¡­¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°You that is considered poor?¡± Sheughed andughed, and there were tears in the corners of her eyes, ¡°Laura, forget it, when have you ever been poor? You¡¯ve been poor enough to go to New Avalon part-time and live in the sunshine! Do you know what it means to be poor? Do you know what it¡¯s like to watch a loved one have no money for medical treatment, to watch him die in front of you?¡±


    I was shaken.


    Even when she was crying, she was forcing a smile.


    And it was as if I had unintentionally uncovered a deep scar on her body.


    Fryday kept smiling, but the corners of her eyes were wet.


    This woman who had always been flighty and domineering suddenly made me feel pity.


    The maid brought refreshments as she ordered, she picked up a piece of avocado pastry and gently bit into it, smiling, ¡°You know what? I didn¡¯t even know avocado before I entered the acting industry, much less thought that one day, I would be sitting in the back garden of a posh family, taking avocado pastry as afternoon tea!¡±


    She talks about her birth.


    She is not from Jerez State, her hometown is in a small mountain vige. It was surrounded by mountains and closed to transportation, and people lived in near istion, many of them never stepping out of the mountains in their lives. Their ancestors have lived a very primitive life, farming, cattle and sheep, relying on the sky to eat.


    If there is a disaster and there is no harvest in a year, they have to go hungry.


    In such a harsh environment, Fryday has developed into today¡¯s such a charming and attractive appearance, in fact, God is still fair.


    She said, ¡°I am the oldest of three children in my family, and I have younger siblings below me. I didn¡¯t go to school for a few years, I didn¡¯t graduate from elementary school because my family couldn¡¯t afford to pay for it, and the idea there was that there was no need for a girl to study a lot, and that she would have to marry sooner orter anyway.¡±


    ¡°If I had given in to fate, we wouldn¡¯t be sitting together right now.¡± Her eyes looked out the window, ¡°Now I would have probably married into a neighboring vige early, exchanged a bride price for my brother, and given birth to a few children, out of shape, with dull eyes, and only knowing how to work every day.¡±


    At that she hummed softly, as ifughing at herself.


    ¡°My father was long gone, and my mother dragged the three of us along by herself. In our kind of ce, orphans and widows in the family are the most bullied. You can¡¯t even imagine how I suffered through my childhood ¡­ When I was fifteen years old, my mom couldn¡¯t stand it and ran away with a man from the neighboring vige.¡±


    My heart shook.


    Fryday looked nd, like she was telling someone else¡¯s story. ¡°My younger brother was ten years old that year, and my younger sister was eight, so I had no other choice but to take them both with me. I was like those young girls in the vige, to earn more money to work in the city, that was my first time to go out.¡±


    ¡°I what kind of dirty work tired work have done, and then in order to take it easy, I can only apany the foreman to sleep ¡­¡±


    ¡°Fryday ¡­¡± I heard it and felt bad.


    ¡°Heh,¡± sheughed softly, ¡°for the first time, and I don¡¯t know where to ount for it.¡±


    ¡°But even so, I couldn¡¯t save my sister when she was sick ¡­¡±


    Said her voice a little choked.


    She hurriedly picked up her teacup and took a big gulp of tea, just like pouring wine, as if pouring it in would solve a thousand sorrows in one drink.


    ¡°But God still favors me.¡± She wiped the corners of her eyes, ¡°At least I¡¯m pretty, and I seem to have a natural sensitivity to acting. Once I went to a theater audition, the casting director picked me right away, even though it was just a group performance with no lines.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how I got into the acting world ¡­¡± she looked at me, ¡°I was lucky to run into George, who was the first man I ever liked, but we didn¡¯t really get along. After he made me famous, we broke up peacefully, and then I met Rafael.¡±


    Her eyes went straight to me, ¡°Laura, Rafael was the first man who was willing to give me marriage. Do you know how much I longed to marry a man like that? I even used a miscarriage to make him feel guilty andpassionate towards me¡­. What woman doesn¡¯t care about her children? Do you think I¡¯m willing to personally count off my own flesh and blood in my belly?¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s true?¡± I was shocked, ¡°Willow said at that time, that carpet in her room would not run to the door of your room for no reason ¡­ I also relieved her, saying that you can¡¯t be this kind of person, I didn¡¯t expect you ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t think I was so vicious, did you?¡± She sneered.


    ¡°Why?¡± I was incredulous, ¡°This will not do you any good, you hurt your own body, harmed a child, and framed Willow!¡±


    ¡°The only good this will do is make Rafael feel like he owes me forever!¡± She raised her voice.


    However her gaze dimmed again, ¡°But I hadn¡¯t counted on youing out halfway through the day!¡±


    ¡°I get it all.¡± I let out a long breath, ¡°I finally understand why you are against me at every turn and why you hate me so much.¡±


    ¡°People are born unequal.¡± She said softly, ¡°I¡¯ve fought most of my life to get to this point in my life to be able to sit in the bower with you and have afternoon tea, but this is the environment you grew up in. I¡¯ve gone to great lengths to keep Rafael on a leash by having an abortion, but you have no trouble getting his heart ¡­ How can you make me not hate?¡±


    ¡°Fryday,¡± I closed my eyes and tried to say something else to her but nothing came out.


    ¡°Laura, I actually still hate you now.¡± She said coldly, ¡°But I would prefer you to leave the circle. As you said before, you leaving this circle won¡¯t affect you in any way, but acting is all I have.¡±


    ¡°I really wish you¡¯d get the hell out,¡± she snorted softly, ¡°Get the hell out to Southeast Asia and be with your Cameron!¡±


    After a long time, Iughed and looked at her, ¡°I don¡¯t hate you so much now. Fryday, you have a good life with Carter. I don¡¯t expect anything else from you, just don¡¯t give my mom a hard time!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this. Since I entered this family, I know how to be a good daughter-inw.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for everything.¡± I faintly excused myself.


    ¡°Wait.¡± She called out to me.


    Her eyes were a little hesitant, but she told me, ¡°There¡¯s something else I want to tell you. Rafael and I are no longer possible, so I¡¯m telling you this entirely from the standpoint of your future sister-inw ¡­ Rafael kind of person, it¡¯s time to leave!¡±


    I was stunned.


    She smiled, ¡°You think he really took that bullet for you?¡±


    My heart snapped into my throat.


    ¡°Heh, actually, sometimes when I think about it, Rafael and I are really on the same page!¡± Sheughed, ¡°I purposely miscarried in the first ce to make him feel guilty about me, so why wouldn¡¯t he y a bitter trick to make you feel guilty about him too? Our tactics are really the same!¡±


    My ears buzzed and my heart never beat so fast.


    ¡°What proof do you ¡­ have for saying this?¡±


    ¡°Listen for yourself.¡±


    Fryday pulled a small chip out of her bag. ¡°The proof is all here ¡­ Don¡¯t ask me how I got it, heck, when I was obsessed with Rafael, I hated to put tracking devices on his entire body. I got this recording from a wire, even he doesn¡¯t know about it!¡±


    I took it, my hands shaking uncontrobly.


    I realized why my mother didn¡¯t object to Fryday being her daughter-inw, and why she said that Fryday had done The Lynch Family a great service ¡­ It turned out that all the secrets were hidden in this tiny chip.


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