《Exposing the Charade of Deep Affection (PDF)》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Exposing the Charade of Deep Affection Chapter 1 A Hideous Scar ¡°Ms. Conner, it¡¯s impossible topletely erase this scar. You know how bad this wound was. All we can do is to make it lighter. That¡¯s all.¡± Looking at the scar across my belly, I couldn¡¯t help but remember that doctor¡¯s words from this afternoon. It couldn¡¯t be erased. I paused and took out a balm from the drawer before applying it to my belly. The bathroom door opened with a creak. I looked up and met Walter Hinton¡¯s sharp eyes in the mirror. He was a standard Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome. Walter¡¯s gaze dropped to my hideous scar. He frowned and left the bathroom without a word. I noticed the fleeting surprise in his eyes, though he hid it quickly. In our two-year marriage, we didn¡¯t have a lot of sex and it was always with the light off. He might have touched it before, but he couldn¡¯t think too much of it as his mind was upied by something else. This was the first time he saw it clearly. I returned the balm to the drawer and walked out of the bathroom. Walter was smoking on the balcony. The light of the cigarette was on and off in the dark. I watched his back for a while before putting an ashtray next to him. I took a breath and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t knowN?velDrama.Org content rights. you would be home tonight.¡± If I knew, I would lock the bathroom door and he wouldn¡¯t walk in on me. ¡°When did you get the scar?¡± He flicked ash into the ashtray lightly and asked an irrelevant question. I thought this was the first time he asked about the scar. I answered honestly, ¡°About five years ago.¡± He nodded and tilted his head slightly to look at me. He asked with a frown, ¡°Where¡¯s the child?¡± I paused, but soon understood he was mistaken. ¡°This isn¡¯t¡­¡± The scar wasn¡¯t from a C-section. Walter didn¡¯t give me the chance to finish the sentence. His phone rang. The ringtone was specially set. Walter hurried over to pick it up as soon as it started ringing. ¡°OK. I¡¯lle over now.¡± I didn¡¯t know what the person on the other end said. But Walter¡¯s tone was gentle. His cold expression had softened. My heart felt a stab. Realizing that he was leaving, I couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Are youing back tonight?¡± With his coat in his arm, Walter turned at my question. His face fell, but he still looked like a polished gentleman. ¡°Don¡¯t wait up. Go to bed early.¡± It meant he wasn¡¯ting back. The bedroom door shut with a bang. I stood on the balcony and watched his ck car leave the yard. I bet he was going to see Ashley Conner, who was his true love. He would be there for her with one call no matter when. I envied her. Walter and I married out of business considerations, not love. We were married because our families needed an alliance. I wasn¡¯t surprised when I found out he loved another woman. Everyone had the one who got away. But I was surprised that the person Walter loved was my sister, Ashley. Ashley got married three years ago. She suddenly divorced two months ago. I didn¡¯t know she was Walter¡¯s true love until I identally saw her and Walter hugging in the garden of the Conner¡¯s house. How dramatic and how hurtful. Honestly, Walter yed the role of a husband well. Although he didn¡¯t love me, he took care of me. I could say that I had a happy marriage. However, I thought my happy days wereing to an end. I was awakened by a sudden call at midnight. I should know better and turn off my phone. I suppressed my anger and picked up. ¡°Hello.¡± I heard a woman¡¯s sultry voice. ¡°Don¡¯t be so hard, Walter. It hurts.¡± I was shocked. Walter? I recognized that it was Ashley¡¯s voice. At this point, I was wide awake. I checked the caller ID and it was Walter¡¯s number. So, they called at midnight to share their sex life? I heard the dial tone and realized that the call had ended. Well, they were kinky. I couldn¡¯t go back to sleep after the call. And I was in a bad mood. It was 1 a.m. I thought it was time to call the police. I called the police and heard the standard question. ¡°Hello, this is the River City Police Department. What¡¯s your emergency?¡± Clenching my phone, I said, ¡°I¡¯d like to report a prostitution case. They¡¯re in Qanat Community.¡± Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Chapter 2 I Call the Police Two hourster, in front of the police station. ¡°Tabatha, nothing happened between Walter and me. I was feeling sick and Walter brought meds for me. I didn¡¯t know why the police woulde to my house and bring us here.¡± Ashley looked at me with an innocent look, seemingly pitiful. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Looking at her, I nodded and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Since it¡¯s a misunderstanding, you should go home and get some rest. I hailed a taxi for you. It¡¯ste. Walter and I won¡¯t drive you home.¡± Ashley looked at my expression and believed that I wasn¡¯t mad. She turned to Walter with a loving gaze. But Walter was giving off a dangerous vibe. She left without saying anything else. I drove to the police station. After Ashley left, I got into the car and sat in the passenger seat without waiting for Walter. It was 4 a.m. I was sleepy and closed my eyes. Before I could fall asleep, Walter sat in the driver¡¯s seat and asked, ¡°Did you call the police?¡± His tone was harsh. ¡°Yes,¡± I grunted without opening my eyes as I didn¡¯t want to look at him. ¡°Why?¡± Walter didn¡¯t start the car. It seemed that he didn¡¯t want to leave. I pinched the bridge of my nose to drive my sleepiness away. I opened my eyes and tilted my head to look at him before saying grumpily, ¡°You woke me up at midnight. It¡¯s my retaliation.¡± He frowned and arched a brow. ¡°I woke you up?¡± Noticing his confused expression, I paused. He didn¡¯t know about the call. I didn¡¯t say anything and just closed my eyes to get some sleep. I believed that I didn¡¯t have to spell it out for him. Walter didn¡¯t ask more questions and simply started the car. The next day. I asked for a day off as I stood up all night. I slept till sunset. Walter wasn¡¯t in the house when I woke up. I had a simple meal and turned on my phone. It showed that I had a few missed calls. Besides the office, the rest of the calls were from Ashley. When I was about to return the call, my phone vibrated. Ashley was calling. I picked it up and didn¡¯t say a word. Ashley said, ¡°Tabatha, do you have time? I want to have a word with you.¡± ¡°No.¡± Iy on the couchzily. ¡°I¡¯ming to the Water Vi.¡± She hung up immediately, worrying that I would reject her. 15 minutester. Ashley was standing outside my door in a green dress. With her curvy figure and beautiful face, she didn¡¯t look like a woman in her thirties at all. I arched a brow. ¡°You¡¯re fast.¡± Ashley smiled, ¡°Walter said the house in Qanat Community was too small and bought me a mansion near here.¡± She walked into the living room and looked around. She turned and said to me, ¡°Walter bought this house three years ago for us. It was decorated in the style I liked. I was surprised that the decoration was still the same.¡± I leaned on the couch and nodded with a straight face before saying indifferently. ¡°You always have good taste. However, I grew tired of the decoration after two years. I n to smash it for renovation.¡± Ashley turned her attention to me and her gaze darkened. She changed the subject. ¡°Tabatha, Walter and I have been together for five years.¡± I looked up from my phone and said, ¡°So? Does it have anything to do with me?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± She lost her fine control of her expression. ¡°So, you¡¯re the other woman. Walter doesn¡¯t love you. You two are married because our families need it for their businesses. Now, I¡¯m back. You shall give me back my rightful position.¡± I leaned backward into the couch and nced at her with a smile. ¡°OK. I get it.¡± Ashley stared at me and snapped as I was talking about my marriage like a stranger. ¡°Tabatha, can¡¯t you hear me? Walter doesn¡¯t love you. Why do you have to hoard him? Why do you have to stand between me and Walter?¡± I sat up straight and propped my head up with my hand, looking at her impatiently. ¡°What a great speech. Are you here to ask me to divorce Walter?¡± Ashely was honest and nodded. ¡°Yes. As long as you agree to divorce, I¡¯ll ask Walter to be generous about the divorce settlement.¡± I smiled and nodded. My phone was connected the whole time. I said to the person on the other line, ¡°Mr. Hinton, do you agree with her proposal?¡± Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Despicable Frightened, Ashley red at me and scowled in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯re on the phone with Walter?¡± I met her gaze and nodded innocently. ¡°Yes. I identally dialed his cell when you came.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Her angry pale face pleased me. The call was still connected. Walter had been silent. After a long time, he said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m hanging up if that¡¯s all.¡± Obviously, he had taken this incident as a farce. Seeing that I hung up, Ashley red at me furiously. ¡°You¡¯re so despicable.¡± Despicable? I smiled. ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t understand the meaning of despicable. You¡¯re in my house. You were asking me to leave my husband like you were entitled. How could you call me despicable?¡± ¡°Tabatha, Walter loves me.¡± Ashley was royally pissed off and used all her strength to convince me that Walter loved her. I nodded, having no intention of retorting her. I pointed at the door and dropped my fake smile before saying curtly, ¡°The door is this way. Bye.¡± Ashley was reluctant to give up. She scowled, ¡°Don¡¯t be so arrogant. You wouldn¡¯t have the chance to marry Walter if I wasn¡¯t married at that time. Walter would never love a stone-hearted monster like you¡­¡± I didn¡¯t n to throw her out but she annoyed me with her babbling. I got up and pushed her out. After closing the door, I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache creeping in. My marriage with Walter was getting more and more meaningless. I wasn¡¯t sleepy at all as I slept too much during the day. This was how an irregr sleeper was made. Walter came home at 1 a.m. I was surprised when I heard the sound of his car¡¯s engine outside. I gave Ashley a hard time earlier that day. Knowing her vindictive nature, I didn¡¯t think she would let Walter ¡°Why are you still up?¡± Walter asked while changing out his shoes in the foyer and hanging up his coat. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. I scrolled through my tablet and said aloofly, ¡°I slept too much during the day.¡± The couch sank as Walter sat down next to me. He nced at my tablet and frowned. ¡°Do you want to renovate the house?¡± His hot breath tickled my ear. I put down the tablet and looked at him. ¡°Can I?¡± Walter nodded expressionlessly, ¡°It¡¯s your house too. You can make the call.¡± He nced at his watch and got up. ¡°It¡¯ste. Let¡¯s get to bed.¡± Watching his tall figure, I had trouble seeing through his mind. He bought this house and decorated it while dating Ashley. The proof of their love was all over the house. Why would he agree to renovate the house so easily? I didn¡¯t care about it because, in the two years I lived here, I didn¡¯t find any problems. But Ashley¡¯s words disgusted me. I came up with the idea on a whim. Walter wasn¡¯t in bed when I came inside. There was the sound of running water in the bathroom. He was taking a shower. I made the bed,y down, and started watching short videos. Soon, Walter exited the bathroom with only a towel on his waist. He was always fit. His firm chest and dark skin gave him a sense of wildness and power. I couldn¡¯t help but turn my attention from the videos to the sexy man in front of me. Walter noticed my gaze and nced at me. He walked over and threw a towel at me before saying coldly, ¡°Dry my hair.¡± I was confused. At that moment, I was at a loss as we never talked unless it was necessary in these two years. Drying each other¡¯s hair was too intimate. Walter had sat on the bed. I hesitated before getting up and kneeling beside him to dry his hair. Although his short hair was thick, it didn¡¯t take long to dry thempletely. I put down the towel and was ready to lie back down. Yet, Walter pulled me in his arms smoothly. I looked up at him dazedly and stuttered, ¡°Walter¡­¡± Different from my panicked reaction, Walter was acting so normal, as if this was the most natural thing in the world. After two years of marriage, we had formed an understanding. Knowing what Walter was doing, I followed his lead as usual. But everything stopped when his hand slid down and touched my belly. I looked up at him when I noticed he was acting weird. ¡°What¡­what¡¯s wrong?¡± Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Tabatha¡¯s Past Walter said nothing and just caressed the hideous scar casually with his callused fingers. After a while, he looked up at me, his gaze cold. ¡°I don¡¯t recall you ever telling me about your past.¡± I pursed my lips and averted my gaze before saying aloofly, ¡°It¡¯s in the past. There¡¯s nothing to talk about.¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Walter squinted and redrew his hand, returning to the elegant and untouchable man. He got up and put on his bathrobe, looking down at me with a distant look. ¡°Get some rest.¡± I paused, then realized that he was upset and was going to sleep in the study. ¡°OK.¡± I never had the urge to get to the bottom of his decisions. It was fine as long as we were both OK with it. When Walter was leaving, I lifted the nket over me and was ready to sleep. But he suddenly looked back and called my name lowly, ¡°Tabatha.¡± ¡°What?¡± I looked at him and waited for him to finish his thought. ¡°Ashley is special. Be nice to her.¡± His words were brief, yet they were filled with love. I froze under the cover and my heart stopped for a second. Was he warning me not to anger Ashley again? I suppressed the displeasure and said, ¡°Fine.¡± After the bedroom door shut, Iy alone in the big room, staring at the dark ceiling idly. I had barely done any harm to Ashley, yet Walter was so protective of her. Whatever. Sleeping was more important. On the weekend. I was working overtime in the office when I got a call from my family. The anxious tone on the phone made me drop everything and hurry to the hospital. Rudolf Conner, my dad, was lying in the room. His face was pale and he looked much older than I remembered. Ashley was eagerly attending to him. Rudolf¡¯s face fell when he saw me. He scowled, ¡°How dare you show your face here?¡± I nced at Ashley, who was standing behind Rudolf, then turned to Eileen Mitchell, my mom. Ashley was snickering while Eileen was anxious. I didn¡¯t know what was going on and directly said to Rudolf, ¡°Dad, what did I do wrong?¡± Rudolf threw the fruit basket at me furiously and red at me. ¡°You mean you don¡¯t know? How would I have such a shameless daughter?¡± ¡°You can scold her, but you can¡¯t throw the basket at her. What if she gets hurt?¡± Eileen stood in front of me. I pulled Eileen to the side. Used to Rudolf¡¯s rage, I merely stared at him aloofly. ¡°I really don¡¯t know. Enlighten me, Mr. Conner. Tell me why I¡¯m a shameless woman.¡± Rudolf¡¯s chest rose and fell rapidly, possibly because of my distant attitude. ¡°Did you call the police to frame Ashley and Walter?¡± That was it? I chuckled and looked at Rudolf. ¡°Mr. Conner, find a better reason next time you want to scold me. This one is too stupid.¡± I continued saying after ncing at him. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving since you¡¯re fine. Enjoy your father-daughter time.¡± I walked out of the ward without waiting for his angry reply. Eileen hurried after me and said worriedly, ¡°He didn¡¯t mean it. He just didn¡¯t want the public to know about anything bad about our family. The Hinton family found out about Ashley and Walter and called, saying that we all had a reputation to uphold and it was best we solved the problem in private. It¡¯s embarrassing that they were arrested.¡± I arched a brow. ¡°What does it have anything to do with me? Is it because I called the police?¡± Eileen said in defeat, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. But you should know how much your dad loves his reputation. He¡¯s mad because of that. He scolded Ashley. Learn a thing or two from Ashley. She¡¯s good at being a sweet daughter and how to make your dad happy.¡± ¡°He has Ashley if he wants a sweet girl. I¡¯m busy. Bye.¡± I walked down the hallway. Eileen stopped me and sighed, ¡°What¡¯s your hurry? Don¡¯t you want to know why your dad is in the hospital? He¡¯s your dad.¡± I was so angry that I forgot it. Looking at Eileen, I asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s in the final stages of liver cancer. The doctor just found out.¡± Eileen started crying. I froze in shock. ¡°What¡­ That¡¯s too sudden¡­¡± Eileen sobbed, ¡°He works hard day and night for the Conner Group. And he drinks and smokes heavily regardless of his health. The doctor said that he only had three months left, which was a suspended death sentence. Tabatha, apologize to him for what happened. Once he gets over it, you can spend time with him. It has been years. You two¡­¡± ¡°Mom, I did nothing wrong then.¡± I got up and felt upset, despite trying to control my emotions. Knowing that Eileen was going to repeat the talk she gave me over and over again, I entered the elevator and closed the door without waiting for her. When I reached the lobby, I took a deep breath to get a hold of myself. ¡°Tabatha, you¡¯re such a heartless monster.¡± The snide remark was from Ashley. She had followed me out. I wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk to her and started walking outside. Ashley raised her voice. ¡°You eloped when you were 18 and were sold to the border, so you had to be a prostitute to survive. Tabatha, I bet Walter didn¡¯t know about your past, right?¡± Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Chapter 5 We Are Married I stopped, breathing hard. My fingertips went deep into my palm, and the pain made my scalp tingle. Ashley walked up to me, looked at me mockingly with folded hands, and continued, ¡°For so many years, Dad couldn¡¯t ept you because of your filthy past. If Walter knew what happened to you five years ago, would he still let you stay at the Hinton¡¯s ce?¡± Would he? I didn¡¯t know. After a long time, I collected myself and calmed down. I looked at her coldly and said, ¡°Ashley, if I don¡¯t do something to you now, I will be very unhappy.¡± She paused, stared at me warily, and said, ¡°What ¡­ do you want?¡± I smiled, and then my face turned cold. I went to theboratory window and picked up a measuring cup that a man had just put down. Without waiting for Ashley to react, I poured the pale yellow liquid from the measuring cup over her. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was enough to disgust her. Ashley screamed, being caught off guard. The liquid was all over her face. When she realized what the yellowish liquid was, she stopped acting arrogant in front of me and ran straight to the bathroom, retching. I felt better watching her leave. I put the measuring cup in the man¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Sorry. You might have to hold it in again.¡± The man had yet to react. He gawked at the empty measuring cup, muttering, ¡°My piss¡­¡± I felt good finally. I took a deep breath and was about to leave. Yet the second I turned around, I saw a man standing at the lobby door. He wore an expensive bespoke suit and polished ck shoes, and his face was aloof and cold. Though he was standing far away, I couldn¡¯t help but think of the word ¡°dignified¡±. When did he get here? Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. I wanted to pretend that I didn¡¯t see him, but that wouldn¡¯t work, as he was alreadying towards me. He stood in front of me, looking at me from amanding position, without moving at all. I was a bit flustered because of his stare. ¡°If you feel bad for her, feel free to do the same to me.¡± He seemed to chuckle. He picked up my sleeve, looked at my hand, and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you disgusted?¡± I looked at my fair hand, and then raised my head and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t touch it.¡± Walter frowned, and there was clear disgust on his handsome face. ¡°Go wash your hands!¡± I didn¡¯t bother to respond to him. I grabbed a tissue at the information desk, wiped my hands, looked at him, and said, ¡°Ashley is in the bathroom. She¡¯s probably retching now. I have something to do, so I¡¯m leaving.¡± Yet before I could take a few steps, someone pulled me. Seeing that he didn¡¯t want me to leave, I frowned and turned irritated gradually. ¡°Mr. Hinton, if you want to make things right for her, hurry up. I¡¯m busy.¡± He frowned slightly, and there was faint helplessness within his handsome brows. ¡°Your father is in hospital, and we should go visit him.¡± I froze for a moment. So, he was nning on visiting Rudolf together with me? We were outside the ward. I knew that Rudolf and I would quarrel, so I asked Walter to get inside without me. I came back and sat outside the ward in a daze, and Eileen saw me. Eileen sat next to me. ¡°Tabatha, your father doesn¡¯t have much time left. Stop being sulky, OK?¡± I felt a little sad. I lowered my head and pursed my lips, remaining silent. Noticing my silence, Eileen sighed, ¡°All these years, though it seems that he has been mad at you, he¡¯s really mad at himself for failing to protect you. You¡¯re the apple of his eyes, and he raised you since you were a little girl. He dotes on you so much. Back then, after all the pain you suffered, the police sent you back, and when he saw you so skinny and bruised, he cried like a kid outside the ward, though he was such a tough man.¡± I bowed my head and picked at my nails, feeling bitter. I said nothing. Eileen took a deep breath. ¡°Tabatha, your father has been hard on you all these years, because he was afraid that the same thing would happen to you again. He worked so hard to grow the Conner Group, because he figured that when one day he and I were gone, you ¡­ and Ashley could still live off the wealth that he had umted at the Conner Group for the rest of your lives. Stop being mad at him, OK?¡± She held my hand, her eyes filled with helplessness and pleading. Looking at her, I was silent for a moment, and then I said, ¡°Mom, would you believe me if I said it wasn¡¯t my willfulness that caused what happened?¡± She nodded and smiled softly, ¡°You are my daughter, so of course, I believe anything you say. But it¡¯s over. We all have to move on. Stop dwelling on the past anymore, OK?¡± I pressed my lips, knowing that even if I told her, it would still be the same. No one would believe me. Forget it. Looking at Eileen, I said, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t stay angry with him anymore.¡± Life passed away quickly. For the rest of Rudolf¡¯s life, I would do what a daughter should do. Hearing this, she smiled and said with relief, ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯m d.¡± The door opened, and Walter came out. He was a cold man, and when he saw Eileen and I sitting together smiling, he paused and then stood beside us, aloof. Seeing that, Eileen let go of me and smiled, ¡°Alright then. I will take care of Rudolf, and you can go ahead to do your business. I¡¯ll call you if there is anything.¡± I got up, said bye to Eileen, and left with Walter. I didn¡¯t see Ashley till I went out of the hospital, and I figured that she had already been back because of the urine. I didn¡¯t know Walter wasing to the hospital today, but came to think of it, the Hinton family¡¯s upbringing was excellent. It was not surprising to learn that he would be at the hospital when he knew that Rudolf was sick. ¡°Thanks foring to see my dad,¡± I stopped, looked back at him, and thanked him very formally. He looked at me with no emotion in his dark eyes. He looked at me calmly for a moment and then said in a cold voice, ¡°Tabatha, we are married.¡± Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Chapter 6 We Have No Proof After saying that, he got in the car and drove off. It took me a few seconds to realize that he was angry. I did nothing but thank him. What did that have to do with whether we were married or not? I didn¡¯t bother to dwell too much on it. Instead, I went back to the office and continued working overtime. Now that my father was ill, I supposed that things would begin to pile up at the Conner Group, and I would soon be busy. I reached the Conner Group¡¯s office. No sooner had I reached the door than I heard giggling from inside. As I opened the door, Rachel Martin, who was sitting on the couch holding a tablet and watching idol TV series, looked up at me. At the sight of me, she put down the tablet and pushed the lunch box on the coffee table to me. ¡°Where have you been? Didn¡¯t we say I¡¯d bring you lunch today? The food is cold.¡± I sat down next to her, opened the lunch box, and said as I ate, ¡°My dad is hospitalized. I went to the Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. hospital.¡± She frowned. ¡°Rudolf is hospitalized? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Advanced liver cancer.¡± I opened my mouth and found it difficult to swallow the food. ¡°Advanced liver cancer? How so?¡± Rachel paused and looked at me. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Afraid that she might say something sappy, I beat her to it. I said, ¡°People die every day. You and I will die someday, too. It is only a matter of time.¡± She clicked her tongue, moved her butt, got closer to me, and said, ¡°Stop it. I¡¯m not going tofort you. I¡¯m just saying that at this point, you should get along well with Rudolf and stop quarreling about what happened back then.¡± I pressed my lips and lost my appetite. I put down the fork, leaned back on the couch, and stared at the ceiling. ¡°Does it really not matter what the truth is?¡± She sighed, ¡°If only we could find the man who took you away that year so that he could tell the police that you and he did not elope, but he picked you up at the station in the name of Ashley and lured you to the border. Yet now he is nowhere to be found, and we¡¯ve got no proof at all. What can we do?¡± We had no proof. Five years ago, I was eighteen, and I graduated from high school. Because I yearned for South Afeoria, I applied for Deston City University, where Ashley was studying as a postgraduate, with full expectations. On my enrollment day, Rudolf was busy with work, and Eileen was also busy, as she had to attend to a sick elder in the family, so they asked Ashley, who was in Deston City, to pick me up at the station. Yet instead of Ashley, a swarthy man came to pick me up. He said that he was sent there by Ashley and asked me to go with him. Of course, I wouldn¡¯t go with him. Yet Ashley called me, saying that she was tied up at school and could not leave. She told me to follow him and that he¡¯d take care of me. That day, the man imed that he wanted to familiarize me with Deston City, so he took me around Deston City for a long time, and we ate a lot of tasty food. I figured that he was Ashley¡¯s friend, so I let my guard down. When he asked me to go with him to the hotel to get something, I went with him without thinking, not noticing the remoteness of the hotel at all. It was exactly because I took the initiative to walk into the hotel. When something happened to me ¡°Tabatha, you really don¡¯t remember what happened to you in the hotel?¡± Rachel interrupted my thoughts and looked at me. ¡°Back then, when your parents and I found and went to the hotel, the owner said that you had been lying in the room with that man for several days. And when you left, you were even carried by that man. The owner said you were so easy at such a young age¡­¡± There was no surveince or recordings of what had happened, and everything was confirmed by other people¡¯s words. I pressed my lips, finding it hard to defend myself. I looked at her and said, ¡°I was unconscious after we entered the hotel.¡± She sighed helplessly, ¡°The police have been looking over and over and still can¡¯t find any proof backing up your story. They can¡¯t prove that it¡¯s Ashley and that man who deliberately lurked you. There¡¯s no call history on her phone, and you lost your phone. The point is that the guy ran off, and there¡¯s no evidence that Ashley crossed paths with him before. More importantly, what was her motive?¡± What was her motive? I shook my head. ¡°That¡¯s what I am confused about, too. We have been sisters for 18 years. I didn¡¯t get it. Why would she do that?¡± ¡°Maybe ¡­ the Conner Group?¡± Rachel looked at me. She said seriously, ¡°Your parents have only two daughters, you and Ashley, and a business as big as the Conner Group will certainly be yours in the future. In fact, I always think that your parents are closer to you. When you guys are together, Ashley is always like an outsider. Perhaps she wants to get rid of you so that when your parents die, the Could that be the reason? I pursed my lips, pondered for a moment, and said, ¡°If she is that ambitious, why has she been out of the office for so many years?¡± Rachel shrugged. ¡°Beats me.¡± Since I couldn¡¯t figure it out, I stopped pondering. I looked at her and said, ¡°Thank you for lunch.¡± She tutted and frowned. ¡°You are asking me to leave so soon? I barely got here. You¡¯re the most realistic person I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± I smiled, ¡°What else do you want to talk about?¡± She blinked and sat next to me. ¡°Tabatha, I¡¯ve never asked you this. In the six months after you were taken to the border, was it true that you were forced into the red-light district as Ashley said?¡± Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Walter Asks Someone to Find Out Looking at her, who looked so hesitant, I calmly said, ¡°You mean that I was forced to be a street girl?¡± She nodded a little tentatively. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to poke your sore spot. I just want to know why you never talk about those six months after you came back?¡± I pressed my lips. Whenever that part of my past emerged in my mind, it always chilled me. Looking at Rachel, I said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I have work to do.¡± Seeing that I was not about to tell her, she pouted and muttered, ¡°You are driving me away again. I am so bored at home, or I wouldn¡¯t have bothered to bring you food at all.¡± Though saying so, with a serious face, she pointed to the remaining food in the lunch box and said, ¡°Eat up, or I won¡¯t cook for you again.¡± I smiled, nodded, and ate up. It was the evening. After having dinner with Rachel, I went back to Water Vi, and it was dark. There were no lights in the hall, and I thought Walter wasn¡¯t back. I was already used to it. I was about to go to the study to read so that I could get sleepy. When I came outside the study, I saw the half-open door, and I stopped in my tracks, wondering. Was Walter back? ¡°Mr. Hinton, about what happened five years ago, this is all the information I got. It seems that Mrs. Hinton¡­¡± It was Roy Austen, Walter¡¯s assistant. They were talking about business in the study? I was never in the habit of eavesdropping, so I was about to walk away. Then I heard Roy¡¯s voice. He continued, ¡°Her past isn¡¯t something to be proud of. If Mrs. Hinton knew¡­¡± I frowned, knowing that Roy was talking about me. And he said something about five years ago. Did Walter ask someone to find out about what happened five years ago? I stopped and gasped. So, Walter heard everything Ashley had said in the hospital today? ¡°Mr. Hinton, if you want a divorce, feel free to do so,¡± I said while opening the door and looking at them who looked surprised to see me. ¡°Mrs. Hinton¡­¡± Roy said, stunned. Walter, on the contrary, seemed absurdly calm. When I came in, he just looked up and nced at Roy, and then he said calmly, ¡°You may go to rest.¡± Roy looked at me, hesitated for a few seconds, and then respectfully left. Walter and I were alone in the study, and the atmosphere was eerily quiet. He held the files in his hand for a long time. Then he looked at me, his face calm. I couldn¡¯t tell any emotions at all. A momentter, he asked, ¡°The scar was from five years ago?¡± I was stunned because of his strange focus. I nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± He got up, looked at me, and changed the subject pretty quickly. ¡°Apologize to Ashley tomorrow.¡± Apologize? It only took me a few seconds to react. Today in the hospital, he saw what I did to Ashley, but he wasn¡¯t furious at all. On the contrary, he apanied me to visit Rudolf. I thought he had changed somehow, yet I was wrong. He was holding it back and getting even with me now. Maybe he asked Roy to go back five years to prove Ashley wasn¡¯t lying. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. He was way taller than me. Looking at him in front of me, I sneered, looked straight into his eyes, and said, ¡°Apologize? In what capacity are you demanding me, Mr. Hinton? Are you asking me to do this as my husband? Or Ashley¡¯s lover?¡± With that, I picked up the files he had put on the desk and scanned them roughly. It was no different from everything Ashley had used me of at the hospital. I couldn¡¯t help but sneer and toss the files into the trash can. Then I looked at Walter and asked, ¡°Mr. Hinton, is this all you¡¯ve got?¡± ¡°Tabatha!¡± Walter suppressed his anger and narrowed his ck eyes slightly. ¡°You are arrogant, brutal, and unreasonable. Who the fuck gives you the right to behave like this?¡± Hearing him swearing, I knew that he was indeed furious. I sneered, looked at him, and said, ¡°I have so many ws. To stop the loss in time, Mr. Hinton, you might as well draw up the divorce papers as soon as possible so that we can sign them and say bye. It will make both of us feel better.¡± With that, I turned to go back to my room. Yet before I took a few steps, he grabbed my wrist. I was caught off guard and pulled into his arms. He sped the back of my head, forced me to look him in the eye, and said in an angry and restrained voice, ¡°Tabatha, you want to divorce so much?¡± I sneered, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who wants a divorce? What is it? Are you ming me for staying out of your way?¡± Perhaps because of anger, he narrowed his ck eyes and said gloomily, ¡°You can talk. You need to be taught a lesson.¡± Then he locked me in his arms and kissed me fiercely. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Mr. Hinton Has a Car ident I was stunned for a few seconds and only came back to my senses after sensing the pain in the corner of my mouth which came from his biting. I tried to push him away, but the difference in strength between men and women was obvious, and my strength was no match for his at all. ¡°Aren¡¯t you disgusted, Walter?¡± My voice was hoarse as I struggled. It seemed that my words worked. He stopped, his thin lips slightly swollen and sexy. He looked at me and said nothing. I looked at him, took a breath, and said, ¡°Is that what you do to Ashley when you are with her? You force her whenever you can¡¯t win her over an argument?¡± ¡°Disgusted?¡± He looked at me, his face utterly gloomy. Regardless of my difort, he lifted my coat corners, stroked my abdomen, rubbed the ferocious scar on my belly with his rough fingers, looked at me mockingly, and sneered, ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s quite disgusting.¡± I was frozen in situ as if struck by lightning. Instantly, the pain from my heart was killing me and suffocating me. Someone had the ability to crush others with a single sentence. He knew my exact sore spot, so he always seeded. I used to be so disgusted with this terrible scar on my belly. It was a constant reminder of how stupid I was at 18. I tried to grin, but I couldn¡¯t. Looking at the cold man in front of me, I opened my mouth but found myself unable to say anything. I didn¡¯t even have the strength to look at him or listen to his sneering. I pushed him away. Seeing that I was leaving, he tried to reach out and pull me, but I dodged aside. Perhaps it was my illusion. I felt that he was panicking a bit. He said, ¡°I¡­¡± I didn¡¯t hear the rest, as I had already fled from the study. I was in the bedroom. Lying in bed, I was a little in a daze, feeling weak all over. How did I spend those six months at the border? Life there was filled with killing, squalor, and mayhem¡­ Some of the past was destructive enough just by recalling it. I got up, went to the bathroom, turned on the shower, and let the cold water wash over my numb body, Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. regaining my sanity and rity little by little. The night was filled with endless nightmares. The next day, I was awakened by the bell ringing downstairs. After a terrible night, I had a great headache. I staggered and opened the door only to see a very anxious man outside. It was Roy. He was hasty, and there was blood on several spots on his shirt. I frowned. ¡°What happened?¡± Maybe he was so worried that his voice was shaking. ¡°Mr. Hinton had a car ident and is now in the hospital. Come with me, Mrs. Hinton.¡± Then without waiting for me to speak, he pulled me out of the yard and into the car. Seeing him start the car in a hurry, I couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°What exactly happened?¡± How did Walter get in a car ident? He drove the car while looking at the road. Then he said, ¡°In the morning, Mr. Hinton apanied Ms. Conner to Sunlight Mountain to make a wish. On their way back, they had a car ident. Mr. Hinton has just been sent to the emergency room.¡± They went to Sunlight Mountain to make a wish? I looked down at the time, and it was 7:00 in the morning. It would take at least an hour to get to Sunlight Mountain from here. In other words, Walter and Ashley headed off when it was still dark. Were they making a wish, or were they on a date? Roy drove fast, and we arrived at the hospital shortly after. I followed him to the door of the emergency room, and there was Ashley squatting in the hallway crying, with some blood on her. I arrived, and in the next second, I saw someone from the Hinton family, too. It was Dale House, the Hinton family¡¯s housekeeper. Seeing Ashley crying out of breath, he hesitated for a moment, looked at me, and said, ¡°Mrs. Hinton, what¡¯s going on? Howe Mr. Hinton was in a car ident?¡± I raised my eyebrows, nced at Ashley, folded my hands, leaned against the wall, and said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re asking the wrong person, Dale.¡± Dale was stunned. He paused and looked at Ashley. Before he could say anything, Ashley beat him to it. She said with sobs, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. Walter is hurt because of me. Walter wouldn¡¯t have been hurt if he hadn¡¯t tried to protect me. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± My eyes hurt when I saw her looking so delicate and pitiful. Hearing her words, Dale nced at me, looking a bit embarrassed. Fortunately, at this time, the door of the emergency room opened, and out came a doctor wearing a white coat. Seeing him, Ashley rushed up, grabbed the doctor, and said, ¡°Doctor, how is he? Is he awake?¡± The doctor nced at her and said, ¡°The patient is awake, but he has a nerve injury in his right leg, and we need to operate on him right away. His family member should sign this.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll sign it right now.¡± Ashley hurriedly took the pen and was about to sign before the doctor finished speaking. The doctor looked at her and asked, ¡°What is your rtionship with the patient?¡± Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Ashley Is Pregnant Ashley was stunned. Then she gawked at the doctor. ¡°I¡­¡± Seeing her in a daze, the doctor frowned. ¡°We are talking about legal responsibility here. Signing is no joke.¡± ¡°Let me. I¡¯m the patient¡¯s wife.¡± I walked over to the doctor, took the pen, and signed. The doctor looked at me and frowned. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re a family member?¡± I put down the pen, nced at Ashley, and said indifferently, ¡°If lovers can be considered as family members, then she is a family, too.¡± With that, I walked over to the side wall and leaned against it. The doctor looked at us with an expression that said, ¡°You guys have a messy rtionship.¡± With her head down and her face flushed, Ashley stood in front of the doctor and said, ¡°Doctor, please. Please save him.¡± The doctor nodded, said no more, and went into the operating room. I stood against the wall for a few minutes, and my legs were sore. So, I looked at Roy and said, ¡°Mr. Austen, I have something to do, so I¡¯m leaving. Call me if anything.¡± Seeing that I was about to leave, Roy was surprised. ¡°Mrs. Hinton¡­ You¡¯re leaving now?¡± I pursed my lips and nodded. Then I looked at Dale, who was standing aside. ¡°Dale, you may go back, too. He won¡¯t die.¡± Then I walked straight out of the hospital. ¡°Tabatha.¡± Ashley caught up to me downstairs in the hospital. She was so obsessed. After a terrible night and a busy morning, I was indeed not in the mood to waste my time on her. I looked back at her and said calmly, ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°When are you going to divorce Walter?¡± She looked at me and cut to the chase. I froze for a second and wanted to grin. I half-squinted at her. ¡°What the fuck does that have anything to do with you?¡± She was calm enough. ¡°As you saw, he was willing to give up his life for me. You don¡¯t love him, and vice versa. Why can¡¯t you just let go so that he and I can be together? You don¡¯t deserve to be with him because of your sordid past. Leave him. Let me stay with him for the rest of our lives.¡± I was beat, so I didn¡¯t want to continue to talk to her. I took a deep breath and said, ¡°If you want me to divorce him, fine. Let hime to me himself.¡± I pinched my brows, feeling tired, and I turned to leave. She said, ¡°I¡¯m pregnant. It¡¯s Walter¡¯s. The baby is two months old right now. It happened the time you went back to the Conner¡¯s ce.¡± I stood in situ clenching my fists, my head buzzing. Ashley was pregnant? It happened two months ago? I remembered. It was my birthday that day. In the evening, Walter and I went back to the Conner¡¯s ce. He was supposed to stay the night with me, but in the middle of the night, he said he had to go. At that time, I thought he was not used to sleeping at the Conner¡¯s ce, so he left. I didn¡¯t realize he was going to have sex with Ashley. I was such a pathetic woman who got cheated on. ¡°Tabatha, you know very well that now that I¡¯m pregnant, no one from the Hinton family will side with you anymore. Carley won¡¯t have bastards as the descendants of the Hinton family. Besides, you are still not pregnant after being married to Walter for two years. You have no reason to continue to be his wife.¡± Her arguments hit the nail on the head indeed. Carley Minnie, Walter¡¯s grandma, wouldn¡¯t tolerate bastards at all, and during those two years, Walter and I had been taking precautions, and we had a tacit agreement not to talk about having kids. At first, I thought Walter didn¡¯t like kids, so he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to have one. Now it seemed that it was my kids that he didn¡¯t want. I raised my hand and pinched between my eyes, regaining my sanity. Looking at her face, which was slightly red due to her excitement, I paused for a moment, smiled, and said, ¡°Ashley, logically speaking, Walter should be the one talking to me about our divorce. Howe it is always you who is so eager to urge me to divorce him?¡± I leaned closer to her, smiled, and said slowly, ¡°Is it true that Walter doesn¡¯t want to divorce me at all? That leaves you with no choice but toe here and push me. It seems that his so-called love for you is nothing.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± She pulled a long face. ¡°Tabatha, stop gloating. He doesn¡¯t ask you for a divorce, because he is well-educated and doesn¡¯t want to hurt you. He wants you to leave the Hinton¡¯s ce with dignity. Be Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. sensible. How long do you think you can stay with him now that I¡¯m pregnant?¡± ¡°Really?¡± I was amused. ¡°You said so yourself that he is well-educated. In other words, he won¡¯t push me if I don¡¯t propose a divorce. As long as we stay married, the baby you¡¯re having will stay a bastard. Ashley, what are you going to tell others with your belly bulging every day? Are you gonna tell them that it¡¯s a bastard due to your affair with Walter? Do you think the Hinton family will force me to divorce him because of a mistress with no title?¡± Seeing her slightly pale face, I chuckled and continued, ¡°Ashley, do you think you are the only woman in the world who can give birth? If the Hinton family wants offspring, they can just talk to me. They will never need a bastard born by a divorced woman with no title.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± She couldn¡¯tplete her sentence at all. She red at me, extremely upset. Seeing her like that, I was in a better mood. I stepped back and turned to leave. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Are You Mad? After I got out of the hospital, I figured that it might not be practical to go back to Water Vi to sleep, so I simply went to thepany. I was nning on working at first. However, after a sleepless night, I couldn¡¯t help but sleep in the office. I slept there for most of the day, and in the evening, Rachel dragged me to go shopping. Rachel was a girl from a bourgeois family. She had been in the city TV station as a reporter. A while ago, she went on a field trip for half a year and harvested good results, so the city TV station gave her half a month to rest. She always came to the Conner Group to look for me and drag me around. ¡°Tabatha, how about we go to a beauty salon after eating and then go to the movies?¡± She was a lively person. She dragged me while chattering about our next activities non-stop. I nodded and had no objections. I had been in such a terrible mood these days, and I figured that taking a walk wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing. Therefore, we went shopping and eating. When Walter called, Rachel and I had just had our tickets checked and were about to enter the theater. Looking at the caller ID, I frowned and answered the phone. I said, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Walter¡¯s voice was cold and deep. He probably heard the noise over here. ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at the cinema watching a movie.¡± I found a quiet ce at the entrance of the cinema. After half a minute of silence, his slightly cold voice came from the other end of the line. He said, ¡°You¡¯re watching a movie?¡± I nodded and then realized he couldn¡¯t see that. I said, ¡°Yes. What¡¯s up, Mr. Hinton?¡± He seemed to be suppressing his emotions. ¡°I¡¯m in the hospital, Tabatha.¡± His words sounded cold. ¡°I know.¡± I signed the informed consent form. He stopped talking. After a long time, he suddenly said, ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± I was stunned and frowned. ¡°Isn¡¯t Ashley with you?¡± He didn¡¯t seem to hear me and said, ¡°If it¡¯s not convenient for you, I¡¯ll ask Dale to be here.¡± I was speechless. Among all the people, he chose Dale. It was no different from telling the Hinton family that I went to see a movie while neglecting him, my paralyzed husband. I took a deep breath and tried to be patient. ¡°What would you like to eat?¡± I wasn¡¯t afraid of the Hinton family. It was just that once they knew about it, so would my parents. I knew Rudolf well. He would probably think that I was acting willful again. ¡°Anything,¡± he said concisely. I hung up the phone and looked at Rachel. She probably had a rough idea, so she curled her lip and said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re being bossed around by a man.¡± I nodded. She sneered, waved her hand at me, indicating for me to leave, and said with a sad face, ¡°Go. I know that even if I can keep you around me, I can¡¯t control your heart. Just let me die alone.¡± She was just a few drops of tears away from bing the movie queen. I smiled, hugged her, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you some other time.¡± After saying goodbye to her, I went out of the cinema. Walter had just had surgery, and I couldn¡¯t think of anything for him to eat except soup. I went back to Water Vi, made some soup, and went straight to the hospital. Walter was in the hospital. In the ward, Walter was lying on the bed, and beside him stood Roy respectfully with papers in his hand. It seemed that they were talking about something rted to thepany. Instead of going in, I leaned against the door and waited for them to finish. It seemed that Walter saw me. He stopped talking and asked Roy to go on with his business. After Roy left, I went in, put the soup next to the bed, nced at the man on the bed who couldn¡¯t C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. move, and said indifferently, ¡°The doctor said you can¡¯t eat anything else. Make do with it.¡± With that, I sat down in a chair beside the bed, resting my chin on my hand, wondering if I should leave now that I had finished delivering him food. Walter nced at the soup and frowned slightly. After a while, he looked at me and said suddenly, ¡°It was a critical situation, and I didn¡¯t have time to think too much.¡± I was confused for a few seconds, and then I realized that he was talking about his ident when trying to protect Ashley. I nodded indifferently. ¡°So?¡± He frowned and stared at me. I didn¡¯t want to discuss with him about his heroic behavior. I looked at him and said, ¡°The soup is getting cold.¡± It seemed that my reaction made him a little unhappy. He looked at me, his eyes darkened. ¡°Tabatha, are you mad?¡± ¡°No,¡± I said. Without waiting for him to answer, I got up and continued, ¡°You have always done things properly, Mr. Hinton. Now that you said that it was an emergency, I¡¯m sure you knew what you were doing. What you and I have is a marriage for the sake of business. I have no right to be angry with any woman you secretly care or admire.¡± ¡°Care or admire?¡± He narrowed his eyes and looked at me, his face even more sullen. ¡°To my surprise, it seems that you know me better than I do.¡± Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Chapter 11 What a Poor Fish I Am I pursed my lips and said nothing. I didn¡¯t have to try to know Walter deliberately. Anyone who wasn¡¯t blind could tell. Walter seemed angry, but he didn¡¯t re up. He took the soup, took a sip, and looked at me. ¡°It¡¯s too light. I don¡¯t want it.¡± I frowned. ¡°The doctor says you can¡¯t eat anything else right now.¡± He raised his eyebrows at me and parted his thin lips. ¡°Not even salt?¡± I stood up, nodded, tried to be patient, and said, ¡°OK. Give me a second.¡± It was already early morning, and the vendors who set up stalls outside the hospital were nowhere to be seen. I looked around the hospital before I found a 24-hour convenience store and bought salt. Worried that he was making things difficult for me, I bought sugar as well. I spent a lot of time with Rachel shopping during the day, and I walked a lot around the hospital. My shoes were hurting me, and my heels bled. By the time I got to the hospital, I was limping. Finally, I went back to the ward. Unfortunately, I saw Ashley. I didn¡¯t know how long she had been there. She was holding a half-peeled apple in her hand, and she looked at Walter affectionately and said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep at home. I feel at ease when Ie to the hospital to stay with you. Walter, don¡¯t be so impulsive next time. I¡¯m not worth the risk.¡± Did they have to be so sappy in the middle of the night? I looked down at the salt and sugar in my hand and wanted tough. What a poor fish I was. The room was silent for a moment. Then Walter opened his mouth, and he sounded tired. He looked at Ashley while saying, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll send Roy to take you home. Get some rest.¡± ¡°No.¡± Ashley looked at him, her beautiful eyes affectionate. ¡°I don¡¯t trust you in the hospital alone. I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep even if I went back, so I might as well stay with you.¡± Walter frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not alone. Go back.¡± ¡°Who is with you? It¡¯ste. Let me stay, OK?¡± Ashley pleaded. It seemed that if Walter continued to say no to her, she would cry. I wanted to leave, yet when I looked inside the ward, I identally met Walter¡¯s cold gaze. Obviously, I, the poor fish, was his so-called reason why he wouldn¡¯t be alone. He was so ridiculous. He asked his beloved to rest while asking me to watch over him all night. Was I a free carer? Upset, I walked into the ward, looked at Ashley, and said, ¡°Then thanks for staying here and taking care of Walter.¡± Ashley froze for a second, probably a little surprised to see me out of the blue. ¡°When did you get here?¡± I smiled and nced at Walter. Then I said, ¡°A while.¡± Probably it was because Walter was here. She looked guilty and looked at me. ¡°Don¡¯t get the wrong idea, Tabatha. I was worried about Walter, so I came to see him. Today¡¯s ident happened because of me. I me myself for it. Don¡¯t me Walter. He did it ¡­ out of good intentions.¡± Seeing her look so pathetic and innocent, I was actually a little disgusted, but I still pulled a fake smile and looked at Walter, who was in the bed. I said to him, ¡°It seems that Ashley cares about you a lot. Let her stay and take good care of you tonight, OK, Mr. Hinton?¡± He frowned and didn¡¯t answer. He said in a deep voice, ¡°What took you so long?¡± At the mention of that, I was furious. He bossed me around to get him salt while he flirted with Ashley. How nice for him. ¡°The air was nice outside, so I stayed a little longer.¡± Ignoring his sullen face, I went straight to his bed C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. and picked up the cold soup. Then I said, ¡°The soup is cold, so I¡¯m afraid that you have to ask Ashley to make you something to eatter.¡± After saying that, I threw the soup into the trash can, wiped my hands with a tissue, looked at Ashley, who was kind of in a daze, and said, ¡°He¡¯s yours now.¡± Then I faked a smile and said to Walter, ¡°Mr. Hinton, take care. I¡¯ll get out of your hair.¡± After saying that, I turned directly out of the ward and gave the salt and sugar I had bought to the nurse on duty. The nurse was here to change Walter¡¯s dressing. She thought it was garbage in the bag, so she looked at me and said, ¡°Is this trash? Why don¡¯t you throw it in the trash?¡± I smiled, turned to look at Walter, who was gloomy in the ward, and then nodded at the nurse. I said meaningfully, ¡°Yes. It¡¯s all trash.¡± Then I left the hospital. *** The next day was Monday. When I was getting ready to go out, I saw the car of the Hinton family outside the vi. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Let¡¯s Talk When I saw Dale standing next to the car with the food container in his hand, I was surprised and then hurried forward. ¡°Dale, why didn¡¯t you ring the bell? It¡¯s cold outside.¡± Dale smiled, handed over the food container to me, and said, ¡°Mrs. Hinton asked someone to make it this morning. She said that you were about to go to the hospital to check on Mr. Hinton today and that you could bring it over together with you. In such a way, you wouldn¡¯t have to make breakfast.¡± I pursed my lips. Carley went through so much trouble to bring Walter breakfast. Obviously, she knew about his heroic acts. She was worried that I would leave him in the hospital without showing any concerns, so she used this as an excuse to urge me to go to the hospital to check on him. I sighed at the efforts she had made. I took the food container, looked at Dale, and said, ¡°Sorry for the trouble.¡± Dale smiled, looked at me, and said, ¡°Mrs. Hinton isn¡¯t feeling good these days, so Ms. Conner, you may have to take care of Mr. Hinton for a while. Mrs. Hinton asked me to tell you that after Mr. Hinton is discharged, you and he can go back to the old ce to spend some time with her.¡± I nodded and smiled, ¡°Sure. We¡¯ll be back as soon as Walter is discharged.¡± Seeing Dale leave, I looked at the food container and sighed silently. Walter was taken care of by Ashley, and there was no use in me being there. Yet now, since Carley had said so, I had no choice but to go. After a moment¡¯s pause, I went to the hospital anyway. I arrived at the hospital. In the ward, Ashley was sitting beside the hospital bed, holding soup in her hand, and whispered softly to Walter, who was leaning on the hospital bed, ¡°Walter, I made it this morning. Give it a go.¡± As she spoke, she was about to feed Walter. Walter tilted his head and looked at her. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry yet.¡± Ashley did not force him. She put the soup aside, and there was nothing but caring on her delicate face. ¡°Does your wound still hurt?¡± He shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯ve been up all night. Go home and rest.¡± She shook her head and looked affectionate. ¡°You are here alone in the hospital. Even if I go back, I won¡¯t be able to sleep. Let me stay here.¡± Seeing too much of certain things made one numb. I was about to lean against the door frame for a moment, wondering if I should get the nurse to bring the food container in. Yet before I reached the door frame, Walter saw me. He sized me up, his eyes cold. ¡°How long are you going to stand there?¡± Seeing that he was looking at me, I straightened up and went straight into the room. I put the container on the cupboard next to me, looked at him, and said, ¡°Sorry, I came at a bad time.¡± With that, I opened the container, took out the nutritious breakfast Carley had someone prepared, pulled a chair, sat down, looked at them, and said, ¡°Carley asked me to bring this. Go on. I won¡¯t affect you.¡± Walter frowned, looked at Ashley, and said, ¡°Go back and get some rest.¡± Ashley looked at him pitifully. ¡°I¡¯m worried about you, Walter.¡± ¡°Go back!¡± Walter was obviously furious and impatient. Ashley was sensible. Though she was very unwilling, she stood up and walked out. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Seeing that she was gone, Walter looked at me and then the container. He said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you open it?¡± I frowned and wanted to ask him to open it himself. After all, his hand wasn¡¯t broken. Yet I swallowed the words. Instead, I opened it for him. When I reached for the spoon, I thought Ashley¡¯s soup was getting in the way, so I threw it in the trash can. He looked at me without saying a word. His handsome face showed no sign of any emotion. I handed him the spoon deadpan. ¡°If you want it, I¡¯ll pick it up.¡± He looked away and coldly snorted, ¡°You make full use of the trash can.¡± I heard the sarcasm. I pressed my lips, sat back in the chair, and said calmly, ¡°Thank you for your praise, Mr. Hinton.¡± He looked at me and did not speak again but ate gracefully. The Hinton family¡¯s servants had always prepared things in ordance with his taste, and therefore he enjoyed the food very much. Perhaps he was in a better mood because of the food. When he finished, he put down the spoon, stared at me, and said, ¡°Tabatha, let¡¯s talk.¡± I collected myself and looked at him. ¡°About?¡± ¡°Me and Ashley,¡± he said calmly and looked calm. He had always maintained that aura that was exclusive to young men from those rich families. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Chapter 13 We Don¡¯t Have Feelings for Each Other? About Walter and Ashley? I frowned. I almost forgot that Ashley was pregnant. Given how much he cared about her, I figured that he was about to talk to me about our divorce. I couldn¡¯t help but sigh deep down. I thought he was gonna wait until he healed, but he was so reluctant to hurt Ashley and so eager to give her a name. After a moment of silence, I nodded and said calmly, ¡°I have no objections regarding our divorce. After all, you and I don¡¯t have feelings for each other. Yet we used to be a legally married couple, and I hope that you can give me some time. You know that my dad is ill. If he knows now about our divorce, it might be too much for him. So, Mr. Hinton, can the divorce be postponed for a few days? Also, the things about our divorce involved two families, and you know better about the consequences than I do.¡± I failed to detect his mood. The only thing I knew was that his face right now was a bit frighteningly C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. cold. Inexplicably, the temperature in the room suddenly dropped several degrees, making me shiver. He pressed his thin lips, and his dark eyes were obscure. After a while, he said in a low, maic voice, ¡°We don¡¯t have feelings for each other?¡± He sneered and looked at me, ¡°Tabatha, should I thank you for your sensibility?¡± I pressed my lips, not understanding why he was angry, and said, ¡°If you are in such a hurry to be with Ashley, I will immediately move out of Water Vi. I won¡¯t stand in your way.¡± ¡°Get out!¡± He suddenly red up, ring at me without blinking, looking like a wild beast. I was startled and in a daze. Hesitant, I stood up, looked at him, and finally said nothing. It seemed that things didn¡¯t go smoothly. After getting out of the hospital, I felt a bit powerless. It seemed that I should find a chance to talk to my parents as soon as possible so that they wouldn¡¯t be shocked by the news. Once our divorce became a fuss, it would embarrass both families. I didn¡¯t go to the hospital for the next few days. For one thing, Rudolf was hospitalized, and there was a lot going on in the Conner Group. Though I wasn¡¯t in charge, I was Rudolf¡¯s daughter after all, so people from thepany always came to me no matter what. Therefore, I was busy. For another, I guessed that Walter probably didn¡¯t want to see me either. After all, Ashley was staying with me, and my appearance in the hospital seemed unnecessary. On the weekend afternoon, after dealing with thepany¡¯s affairs, I prepared to go directly back to Water Vi. After a busy week, I wanted to rest early. To my surprise, I saw Roy outside the vi. Seeing me, Roy looked at me cautiously. ¡°Mrs. Hinton, Mr. Hinton is about to be discharged today. Do you have time?¡± I was stunned for a second and thought back to that day. I promised that I would move out of Water Vi immediately to make room for Walter and Ashley. There had been so many things going on these days, and I was so busy that I totally forgot about it. It only came back to me after I was reminded by Roy. I figured that he was sent by Walter to remind me. Otherwise, if I bumped into him and Ashley when they went back, things would be awkward. Therefore, I looked at Roy and nodded. ¡°I do. Please tell Mr. Hinton that I won¡¯t stand in the way between him and Ashley. I¡¯ve packed up.¡± Roy looked at me, confused. ¡°What?¡± I smiled. I wasn¡¯t in a good mood, so I simply said bye to him without saying much and then went back to the vi. I didn¡¯t have many belongings, most of which were clothes and jewelry. After packing up, I went to Rachel¡¯s apartment with my suitcase. Though I was the daughter of the Conner family, Rudolf and I hadn¡¯t been on good terms since what had happened five years ago, so I didn¡¯t own any property. Of course, I couldn¡¯t go back to the Conner¡¯s ce, or Eileen would definitely ask me what had happened. I could only go to Rachel. Knowing that I was about to get a divorce from Walter, Rachel was shocked, and even her face was a bit twisted. ¡°What did you say? Ashley is pregnant, and Walter wants to divorce you? He even kicks you out? Tabatha, you¡¯re the unluckiest rich girl I¡¯ve ever seen. For real!¡± I was a bit irritated and said, ¡°He didn¡¯t kick me out. I have self-awareness. He doesn¡¯t love me anyway. Now that his beloved is back and pregnant, I should make way for her.¡± Rachel stopped talking and just looked at me. I felt weird under her gaze. I pursed my lips and said, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Someone Picks Me Up Rachel shook her head in disbelief. ¡°Tabatha, I can¡¯t believe you just said that. If it were in the past, let alone Walter, even Ashley would have been screwed by you. Yet instead of getting back at them, you left just like that. And you even said those things. It¡¯s so not like you.¡± I knew what she wanted to express. I hated Ashley, so normally, I wouldn¡¯t have spared her. I sighed and looked at Rachel, feeling upset. I said, ¡°Rachel, I wanted to screw her over as well, but she¡¯s pregnant. It¡¯s Walter¡¯s. So what if I mess with them? It won¡¯t change anything.¡± She looked at me, feeling sorry for me. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Tabatha, you are in love with Walter.¡± I froze for a moment and then subconsciously wanted to refute, ¡°That¡¯s nonsense¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to deny it,¡± she interrupted me. ¡°We¡¯ve been friends for over twenty years now, and I know you better than you do. If you didn¡¯t love him, you wouldn¡¯t have given a damn about whether Ashley is pregnant or not. Given your personality, you would have screwed her over a long time ago. You would never put yourself in a situation like this.¡± I choked on her words, failing to retort her at all. I ¡­ couldn¡¯t tell whether I had fallen for Walter. The night arrived. Rachel had staggering wealth, and she booked a room at Wondend Karaoke Bar after paying 148 dors. She knew the bar owner and called several cute guys into the box to let me pick. I was shocked. Seeing how astonished I was, she put her arm around my shoulders and said, ¡°Well? Am I a good friend or what? They are the best here, and they can be so sweet. Take your pick, and let¡¯s have fun.¡± I looked at her and couldn¡¯t help but remind her, ¡°Did you forget you¡¯re a journalist?¡± She raised her eyebrows. ¡°No. Journalism is my profession. What¡¯s that got to do with me having fun? Besides, tonight is all about you. What is it? You like them all? You want to have them all?¡± I was stunned. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡­¡± ¡°Fine. You can have them all.¡± She looked at the cute guys in front of the big screen and said to them, without giving me a chance to speak, ¡°All of you, stay. Make Ms. Conner happy tonight. We¡¯ve got money.¡± In such a way, I was surrounded by them. They either toasted, sang, yed games, or chatted with me. The music was loud in the box, and all I could hear was the voice of someone urging me to drink. Soon, I felt dizzy after having a couple of drinks. One was easily confused by alcohol, and Rachel was kicking up a fuss next to me. Somehow, I clinked my ss with Rachel and said to her, ¡°Nothing in life is valuable but freedom. Love is bullshit.¡± Seeing that I was drunk, Rachel looked at me and said, ¡°Yeah? Walter isn¡¯t the only cute guy in the world, right? Look at you, Tabatha. Youe from a rich family, and you are so pretty. Finding a man is a piece of cake for you. Who the heck is Walter? He¡¯s just a yboy. He isn¡¯t worthy of you at all. Listen to me and forget about him. There are billions of men out there waiting for us!¡± I nodded and said loudly, ¡°You¡¯re right! Walter is a womanizer! I won¡¯t fall for him at all! The man I want is a tough, unique¡­¡± Suddenly, there was a loud noise, and the door of the box was pushed open. It was so loud that all of us instinctively looked towards the door. Walter¡¯s face was obscure under the flickering lights. I was stunned for a second, thinking that I had a little too much to drink. Why else would I be hallucinating? I looked back at Rachel. ¡°Darling, I think I¡¯ve had too much to drink. I saw Walter¡¯s poker face. It was so scary.¡± Rachel looked at me with a stiff face. She reached out and took the microphone out of my hand. ¡°I saw him, too,¡± she said. Then she took a few steps back and said, ¡°Tabatha, I¡¯m going to the bathroom. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. You¡­ I pray for you.¡± I frowned as she walked towards the back door of the box. Then I turned to look at Walter standing in the doorway with a sullen face and couldn¡¯t help but pat my face a few times. Whether I was drunk or not, I didn¡¯t really want to see him right now. I said to him, ¡°Stop standing there and blocking the way. Don¡¯t stop me from having fun. I want to drink more.¡± Then I shook my head, tried to get rid of my hallucination, picked up the ss, grabbed one of the cute guys beside me, and was about to continue to drink. Yet before I held up the ss, it was snatched away. Then my world turned upside down. Someone picked me up, and my stomach was pressed against someone¡¯s shoulder. I wanted to puke. And I did. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Chapter 15 They¡¯re at the Top of the Mountain ¡°Tabatha!¡± Walter, who was under me, roared, and then I was tossed on the ground by him. I was sober a little after I puked. I looked up at the man in front of me who was covered in my vomit and figured that if it were legal to eat people, he would have eaten me alive by now. I got a bit scared when looking at him, and therefore I yed weak and said, ¡°Stop ring at me like that. I¡¯m scared.¡± He seemed so angry that he actuallyughed. He lifted me up and snorted, ¡°You know that you should be scared?¡± As I was about to say something, he took off his coat and threw it neatly into the trash can. Then he bent down, picked me up, and strode out of the KTV. He threw me in the car, and I didn¡¯t dare say anything. I was still in a hangover, and though I was conscious, I was weak all over. If I did get into an argument with him, I might piss him off, and he¡¯d just throw me in a ditch somewhere. So, I might as well keep my mouth shut. I was in the car for a while. After a long time, he still didn¡¯t get in. Seeing that, I wanted to get off, but the door was locked, and I couldn¡¯t. Helpless, I could only lean against the seat to make myself feel better. After a long while, there was a banging from the door. I was startled and opened my eyes only to see that Walter was getting in the car with apletely different outfit. So, he went to change? How dainty. I didn¡¯t bother to say anything and closed my eyes. Without saying anything, he started the car. I had my eyes closed, and after he drove for a while, I noticed something wrong. River City was big, but whether he was going to take me to the hotel or back to Water Vi, we should have been there already. Yet there was no sign of the car stopping at all. I couldn¡¯t help but open one eye and look out of the car. It was dark outside, without the lights of the city, only the shadows of trees shining in the moonlight. Mountain road! Thinking of these two words, I opened my eyes wide and turned to the man next to me, saying with astonishment, ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± He held on to the steering wheel, his handsome profile cold in the darkness. Hearing my voice, he didn¡¯t look at me. Instead, he said in a low, calm voice, ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but swallow, a little scared. It was the middle of the night. What if he was taking me to the mountains, because he was so angry with me that he was going to kill me and dump my body in the wilderness? I took a deep breath and looked at him. ¡°Walter, I want to go home. I¡¯m telling you. If anything happens to me, my parents will go after you. If I die, my parents will never agree to you and Ashley being together.¡± He slowed the car and looked at me. ¡°Tabatha, stop being stupid.¡± I pressed my lips and was about to speak when he had already stopped the car. I looked outside the car. There was no road ahead, and we were already at the top of the hill. I had no idea why he brought me here. I opened the door and got out of the car. By this time, the alcohol had worn off, and I had the strength to walk. He was faster than me and got out of the car before I did. When I got out of the car, he wrapped his arms around my waist, half-hugged me, and carried me to the top of the mountain. I wanted to push him away. It was quite windy here, and I had a headache. I could no longer suppress my emotions, and I raised my voice and said, ¡°Walter, what did you bring me here for? I already agreed to divorce you. Isn¡¯t that enough? Are you going to kill me and dump my body in the wilderness?¡± He sneered and exerted more force on his hands. He said in a cold, deep, and stern voice, ¡°Since you¡¯re still jibber jabbering, I guess you¡¯re still drunk. Keep blowing the wind.¡± I was pulled directly to the spot where the wind was the strongest, and I was numb because of the cold wind. The alcohol wore off, and I was sober. It was so cold that I crouched on the ground and hugged myself. I was upset and muttered, ¡°Walter, you didn¡¯t just bring me here for a breeze, did you?¡± He had better things to do, and I wasn¡¯t that stupid. I didn¡¯t really think he had brought me here to kill me and dump my body in the wilderness. I didn¡¯t hear his voice. Instead, I felt that my shoulders sank. Then I was wrapped in something, making me warm. I tilted my head and saw that he had thrown his coat over me. Walter was such a man. He had no feelings for me at all, but he could do all the things that showed his Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. concerns about me so naturally. In such a way, though I hated him so much, I could never speak harshly to him. ¡°Why did you move out of Water Vi?¡± I heard his deep voice above me. My legs were numb because of the crouching, so I moved over. ¡°I have to sooner orter. Are you healed?¡± As I asked him, I looked up at him, waiting for him to answer. He looked down at me, reached out, and pulled me to my feet. His voice was low and deep. ¡°I¡¯ll survive.¡± After that, he slightly narrowed his dark eyes and said, ¡°What do you mean sooner orter?¡± Hearing that, I was a bit frustrated. I frowned. ¡°Water Vi belongs to you. Now that we¡¯re getting a divorce, why should I stay in your ce? Isn¡¯t it only a matter of time before I move out?¡± He stared at me, and his mandible quivered slightly due to his force. He seemed angry, and his voice was therefore heavy. He said, ¡°Divorce! Divorce again! Tabatha, you want to divorce me so bad?¡± Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Chapter 16 He¡¯s Crazy Walter was mad, and I felt no better than him. Right now, I wanted to vent all the grievances I had held in my heart for a long time. I looked at him with red eyes. ¡°Walter, don¡¯t you know why I want a divorce? Ashley¡¯s pregnant. What do you want me to do? Do you want me to keep ying dumb and ying along with you? Or do you want me to wait for you to kick me out and bring shame on the Conner family?¡± I roared at him, and the pain in my heart was killing me. I had fallen for him. I had fallen for him during those two years, and only I knew how hard and painful it was to try to get away from him. He was stunned for a second and frowned. ¡°Ashley is pregnant?¡± There was a surprise in his eyes, and he did note back to his senses for a long time. He didn¡¯t know? Yet I was only dumbfounded for a few seconds. Ashley would tell him sooner orter, and I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. I didn¡¯t want to pry into his mood and turned to leave. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Yet he grabbed my wrist. ¡°You want to divorce, because Ashley is pregnant?¡± I frowned, looked back, and tried to shake his hand. ¡°Isn¡¯t that enough for me to divorce you?¡± I asked. ¡°No!¡± He pulled me into his arms and stared at me, his voice low and restrained. ¡°If it is because of this, then hear me clearly, Tabatha. I will not agree to divorce you. I¡¯ll deal with her and give you a reasonable exnation.¡± ¡°How?¡± I looked at him sarcastically. ¡°You want her to hit you? Or do you want to form a family together with her and live with her and the baby?¡± He frowned. ¡°Can we talk nicely or what, Tabatha?¡± I pushed him away. Now that he didn¡¯t deny that the baby wasn¡¯t his, we didn¡¯t have to continue. I took a deep breath and looked at him, saying firmly, ¡°I will divorce you, Walter. I am a neat freak, and I can¡¯t stand stains. If Ashley wants you that badly, I won¡¯t. I give you my blessings, and I hope everything goes smoothly till the day she gives birth.¡± ¡°Tabatha!¡± he squeezed my hand and said sternly and coldly. ¡°Have I been too indulgent thesest two years?¡± He pinched my wrist, putting me in pain, and I couldn¡¯t breathe. I couldn¡¯t help sneering when I met his cold eyes, ¡°Indulgent? Mr. Hinton, you can talk. You and I are just a nominal couple. Don¡¯t think of you as my husband, just because we¡¯ve slept a few times. How ridiculous!¡± His face grew more and more sullen under the moonlight. I knew he was holding back his anger, but so what? I didn¡¯t care. I shook off his hand and just wanted to go down the hill. Yet I overestimated an irritated man, and I failed to foresee how crazy and irrational he would be. The nights in the mountains were cold utterly and scary at the same time. I couldn¡¯t describe Walter¡¯s madness that night, and the greater feeling for me was desperation. Things didn¡¯t work out, so he actually used a weapon that belonged exclusively to men to punish me. I never knew him to be like this. The next day arrived. When I woke up, it was early the next morning. There were clothes on me, and I was covered in a bespoke ck suit that Walter worest night. I looked around and found myself in a stone-walled cave, with a faint fire burning in front of me. My position was sheltered from the wind, and coupled with the fire, I felt warm. There was no sign of Walter. I got up and went out of the cave, and saw that the sunrise on the other side of the mountain had passed over countless mountain mists and slowly emerged with golden light, faintly staining half of the sky. It was too beautiful to be true. Walter was sitting on the rock at the top of the hill. Between his chiseled index finger and middle finger was a cigarette butt that sparkled. He didn¡¯t smoke. Instead, he just let the butt burn and left a pile of ash. Perhaps sensing my gaze, he looked back at me. His handsome, dignified face was as obscure as ever, and he raised his hand, patted the spot next to him, and said, ¡°Sorry.¡± Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Mrs. Hinton Wants to See You I stood still and looked at Walter in silence. At this point, I had no idea what he was thinking. At first, I thought that since he had risked his life for Ashley, he must have loved her so much, and he would definitely agree to divorce me and give Ashley a home. However, his aberrationst night left me at a loss. Seeing me standing still, he raised his eyebrows. ¡°Today¡¯s sunrise is nice. Let¡¯s enjoy it before we head back.¡± Obviously, it was a notification instead of a question. I took a silent look at the sun that had passed over the mountains. The bright morning light spread over me and kept me warm. I didn¡¯t know how long he was going to enjoy it, so I stood situ indifferently. Seeing that I did not move, he got up and walked towards me. Then he got in the car without ncing at me. We didn¡¯t have much things to say. He drove the car in the direction of the city. All the way, neither of us said anything, and all we could hear was the sound of the wind outside the car brushing the trees. Seeing him drive the car in the direction of Water Vi, I frowned. ¡°Pull over and let me down. I¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s too early to go to work. Go back and sleep for a while longer,¡± he said in a calm, maic voice. ¡°No need. I¡¯ll rest at Rachel¡¯s ce.¡± I didn¡¯t know what his n was. No matter how he wanted to deal with Ashley, I had no intention of going back to Water Vi at all. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. As we spoke, he had already parked outside the vi. Roy had a suitcase in his hand, which seemed familiar. Before I could ask, he looked at Walter and said, ¡°Mr. Hinton, Mrs. Hinton¡¯s things have been taken back.¡± Walter nodded and looked at him. ¡°Put them inside.¡± Roy nodded and carried the suitcase inside the vi. I frowned and looked at Walter with great dissatisfaction. ¡°You took my stuff back without my permission. This is how you handle it?¡± He looked at me, saying in a low and calm voice, ¡°You want Grandma to step in?¡± I choked on his words. Indeed, if Carley knew that I had moved out, the fact that Ashley was pregnant and I wanted a divorce would be exposed soon, and not long after, the Conner family would all know. I took a breath, gave in, said no more, and went into the vi. We were both in the vi. He didn¡¯t seem to be in a hurry to go to work. Instead, he was sitting in the living room with a cup of coffee. When I saw that he wasn¡¯t going to leave, I went up to him and said, ¡°Walter, I don¡¯t want to put myself in a bad rtionship. I don¡¯t care what you think. I insist on divorcing you. I hope that for the sake of our two years together, you will respect my choice.¡± He put down the cup and looked at me without blinking. Then he said in a tone that was the earnest than ever, ¡°I won¡¯t divorce you, and you don¡¯t need to suffer any grievance. Tabatha, in our marriage, you get to be the same person as before. You will always be the granddaughter-inw of the Hinton family, and you will always be my wife. You can continue to be arrogant and be yourself, no matter who you are facing.¡± Then he paused and continued, ¡°About Ashley¡¯s pregnancy, I will make things right.¡± I had no idea what he meant by this, but the firmness of his gaze made me believe him for a moment. I had not slept well the night before, and perhaps my mind was confused, so I could not find a response to his words. I went back to the room in silence, wanting to go to sleep. I didn¡¯t wake up till dusk. When I went downstairs, I saw Roy. I frowned. Was he waiting for me? Seeing me, Roy said, ¡°Mrs. Hinton, you¡¯re awake.¡± I looked at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He hesitated for a moment, and then he looked outside and said, ¡°Those from the old home have sent Dale over to pick you up.¡± ¡°The old home?¡± After a few seconds of confusion, I looked out and saw that Dale¡¯s car was parked outside indeed. Dale seemed to have been waiting a while. Roy nodded without saying anything anymore. I didn¡¯t know what they wanted, yet I didn¡¯t ask more. I said, ¡°Where¡¯s Walter?¡± ¡°Mr. Hinton has gone out on business,¡± Roy answered and then paused. Then he added, ¡°He asked me to stay here. You can tell me if you need anything.¡± I nodded, found a coat, and left. Dale was waiting outside. When he saw me out, he greeted me with his usual smile. After a brief chat, he motioned for me to get into the car. I asked him why I was wanted at the old home, yet he just smiled, ¡°Mrs. Hinton wanted to see you. I don¡¯t know the details.¡± I nodded and got into the car. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Carley Pushes for a Divorce I went back to the Hinton¡¯s old home. Carley and Kane Hinton, Walter¡¯s grandpa, went into business about fifty years ago, thriving the Hinton family ever since, so it was kind of prestigious now. Kane died of illness a few years ago, and Carley was now the only elderly in the Hinton family, and the rest rtively elder people were Walter¡¯s several uncles and aunts, and his uncles were supposed to run the Hinton Group. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Yet after Kane passed away, Carley nominated Walter to take over. I heard that Walter¡¯s father died a few years earlier due to a certain reason. Perhaps the Hinton family was so sad that hardly anyone talked about him. I wasn¡¯t gossipy, so I didn¡¯t pry. The Hinton¡¯s old home was in the suburbs. When the national economy rose back then, Kane bought a lot ofnd and hills. Later, he had someone to build several houses, designed with mountains, water, and gardens. Carley had lived here after Kane died, along with Walter¡¯s uncles and aunts. I followed Dale into the old house and came to Carley¡¯s residence after walking through a courtyard and ake. Carley was listening to a y in a pavilion in the courtyard with some of Walter¡¯s aunts and some younger generation of the Hinton family. The Hinton family had a lot of rules. Since Carley didn¡¯t speak, I wouldn¡¯t open my mouth. I stood quietly and watched the y with her. The melodies and rhythms of the y were lively and light, and Carley smiled and hummed along. After the y was over, Carley looked at me with her usual kind, gentle appearance. ¡°You¡¯re here, Tabatha. Have a seat.¡± After saying that, she looked around at the younger generation sitting around and said, ¡°Alright then. You have sat with me for so long, and I believe that you¡¯re all tired. Go back to rest.¡± Hearing that, the others left. Only me and Carley were left in the pavilion. She looked at me, held the bracelet in her hand, and fell silent for a while. Then she said, ¡°I received something today, Tabatha. Would you like to take a look?¡± Ever since I had walked in here, I had a feeling that something was wrong. I didn¡¯t know what was going on, but I still nodded and smiled, ¡°Grandma, what is it?¡± She looked outside, and Dale came in and ced a kraft paper bag in front of me. Carley looked at me and said, ¡°Open it.¡± After a few seconds of hesitation, I opened the bag and saw some photos and documents inside. Just one nce, and I froze. It was about the thing that happened five years ago¡­ Noticing my reaction, Carley said, ¡°Are these things true, Tabatha?¡± She asked calmly, but the atmosphere had be subdued somehow. ¡°When you were 18, you eloped with someone, were sold to the border, and became a street girl,¡± before I could speak, Carley said. ¡°Do you know what it means to the Hinton family that our granddaughter-inw has a history like this, Tabatha?¡± Of course, I did. Family shame ought not to be spread out, and Carley valued the Hinton family¡¯s reputation the most. The reasons why I got to marry Walter were my family background and, most of all, more than twenty years of my unstained life. If Carley knew what happened five years ago, she wouldn¡¯t have approved of me marrying Walter at all. After all, all elders wanted their descendants to marry someone with a clean background. She took a deep breath, looked up at me, and continued, ¡°Tabatha, after you married into the Hinton family, we have never treated you unfairly. For two years, I have been wanting to have great- grandchildren, but I have never pressured you. Yet till today, you¡¯re still not pregnant, and now this? You shouldn¡¯t deceive me like this!¡± She was almost gritting her teeth while saying thest several sentences. Carley fought her way through life, never being inferior to men both in business and in life. How could a woman so proud be willing to be deceived? I stood in front of her, knowing that whatever I said about what happened back then, it would all be quibble, as I had no proof. I paused and then said, ¡°Grandma, I had no choice but to hide what happened when I married Walter. Please don¡¯t take it out on the Conner Group and my parents. I¡¯ll do whatever you want.¡± She looked at me, stroked the bracelet in her hand, and was silent for a moment. Then she said, ¡°I may let it pass, but it is part of your history, right? Although the granddaughter-inw of the Hinton family does not have to be outstanding, she must have an unstained history. So, you know what to do, right?¡± I pressed my lips, looked at her, and nodded. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll divorce Walter and make everything right.¡± She shook her head slightly and said in a deep voice, ¡°Your divorce from Walter is inevitable, but there is one more thing you need to do.¡± Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Tabatha Is Pregnant? I looked up at Carley, wondering what she wanted me to do. She got up with the help of Dale, looked at the fish in theke, and then said, ¡°Dale will take you to the hospital tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°The hospital? What for?¡± I didn¡¯t understand. I asked and looked at her, puzzled. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. She looked calm andposed. She said softly, ¡°You¡¯ll know when you get there. Alright then. You¡¯ve been standing for so long, and I believe that you¡¯re tired now. Go back and get some rest.¡± Carley asked Dale to walk me out of the house. When I left, I saw Walter¡¯s car parked outside. He just got out of the car, and he was heading to the passenger side to open the door for the person in the car. It was Ashley. At the sight of her, I stopped. Why did Walter bring her here? Because of her pregnancy? Walter and Ashley were about to enter, and of course, they saw me. Walter frowned slightly and then strode toward me, standing in front of me while asking, ¡°Why are you here?¡± I looked away from Ashley and looked at him mockingly. ¡°I¡¯m the granddaughter-inw of the Hinton family. Can¡¯t I be here?¡± Recognizing the displeasure in my tone, Walter frowned slightly, and his voice was low and reserved as he said, ¡°Grandma asked me to bring her here.¡± I said nothing. I just looked at Ashley, who was with a smug face. The way she looked at me right now wasn¡¯t reserved at all. Instead, her eyes were filled with provocation and arrogance. It seemed that she was the granddaughter-inw of the Hinton family. ¡°Let¡¯s get inside before Grandma waits too long, Walter.¡± Before today, she put on an act and distanced herself from Walter while I was around. Yet now, she directly leaned closer to Walter and reminded him affectionately. Walter ignored her and looked at me. He said, ¡°Wait for me at Water Vi.¡± I did not say anything. I nced at them neither coldly nor warmly and then left calmly. Dale was driving while I looked out the window in a daze. Dale looked at me and hesitated to speak several times. I looked back and said, ¡°Dale, what¡¯s on your mind? Just tell me.¡± Being exposed, Dale smiled awkwardly. Then he turned serious and said, ¡°Mrs. Hinton, I heard that Ms. Conner is pregnant with Mr. Hinton¡¯s baby, which is probably the reason why Ms. Conner is wanted at the old home. You¡­¡± Looking at his worried appearance, I said, ¡°I know. Dale, thank you for telling me this.¡± He nodded and sighed, ¡°Your sister is not easy to deal with. You¡¯d better be wary of her.¡± I wasn¡¯t stupid. Dale wouldn¡¯t bring this up for no reason. I knew that Ashley had something to do with the exposure of what had happened five years ago. Ashley figured that after Carley knew about it, I would no longer have a ce in the Hinton family. What was more, Ashley was pregnant. As long as I was out of the picture, of course, she got to be with Walter. Walter asked me to wait for him at Water Vi, yet he was nowhere to be seen. He didn¡¯te back or reach out the entire night. I didn¡¯t call to ask him. Instead, I simply sat by the bed all night. The ending had been set, so why should I bother struggling? I might as well just ept it. The next day arrived. Dale came early and took me to the hospital for a check-up, as Carley had ordered. In the hospital, I was taken into the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department by a middle-aged woman, and then I had an ultrasound and my blood drawn. She also asked me something about my period. I was confused after getting out of the check-up room. Carley already asked me to divorce Walter. Why would she have Dale bring me in for a check-up like this? Half an hourter, the middle-aged female doctor came over with several reports and looked at Dale. ¡°The report results came out.¡± Dale took the papers and nodded at her, and she left. I looked at Dale, puzzled. ¡°Dale, these tests¡­¡± He didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he looked at me and said, ¡°We need to go see Mrs. Hinton now.¡± Now that he wouldn¡¯t talk to me, of course, I wouldn¡¯t know more. I could only follow him downstairs in confusion. In the hospital lobby, I saw Walter and Ashleying in. I almost wanted to exim how small the world was for enemies. Howe I bumped into them everywhere? Walter was obviously surprised to see me and Dale. Yet his surprise onlysted for a few seconds. Then he came forward and looked at me. ¡°You¡¯re sick?¡± When he asked this, he looked at Dale, obviously knowing that I didn¡¯t want to talk to him. Dale hesitated for a moment, then looked at Ashley, who followed Walter. He paused and said to Walter, ¡°I apany Mrs. Hinton here for a checkup.¡± With that, he handed the reports to Walter. Walter took the papers, nced at me, and then looked down at the papers. After a while, he suddenly looked surprised, so I couldn¡¯t help looking at the papers as well. Before I saw the results clearly, Walter looked at me, his eyes obscure. ¡°Since when did you know?¡± I was confused, not knowing what the results were. After hesitating for a few seconds, I took the results from his hand and looked at them. When I saw the words on the B-ultrasound list, my brain buzzed, and I froze. It said, ¡°Intrauterine early pregnancy for more than eight weeks.¡± Early pregnancy? Eight weeks? I was pregnant? For more than two months? Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Will You Do This? Maybe Walter and I were reacting a little too strangely, Ashley looked over as well. Seeing the words on the paper, she was obviously panicking and frightened. She lost it and suddenly screamed, ¡°Pregnant? How can you be pregnant?¡± ¡°Ms. Conner, watch your words,¡± Dale frowned and said, interrupting her. Realizing that her reaction was a bit too much, Ashley collected herself and forced a smile, saying to Walter, ¡°Tabatha is pregnant. That¡¯s¡­ great.¡± She wanted to express how happy she was, but it was against her will, so the smile on her face became twisted and very fierce. Walter didn¡¯t respond. He looked at me and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to see Grandma.¡± Then he asked Dale to stay with Ashley for her check-up and pulled me out of the hospital. ¡°Walter!¡± As we walked out of the hospital building, Ashley¡¯s voice was heard behind us. Only Walter didn¡¯t seem to hear anything and pulled me into the car. On the way to the old house, Walter said nothing, and I was still in shock at the results. How could I be two months pregnant? I couldn¡¯t believe it. I got pregnant so close to Ashley¡¯s pregnancy. We went to the pavilion in the old house. Carley looked at Walter calmly and said, ¡°OK. I see. I want to talk to Tabatha alone Go and visit your uncles.¡± Walter hesitated for a moment, then looked at me, nodded to Carley, and left. Carley and I were alone in the pavilion. She looked at me calmly with the B-ultrasound sheet in her hand and said, as kindly as ever, ¡°Are you surprised by the sudden appearance of the baby?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not pregnant.¡± I didn¡¯t answer her question. Instead, I said firmly. I knew my body better than anyone. I had been wandering in the car, and when I saw Carley¡¯s calm look and recalled what she had asked me to do yesterday, I realized everything. I was not pregnant. There was no way I could get pregnant. Carley looked at me, fiddling with the bracelet, raised her wrinkled eyebrows slightly, and smiled, ¡°You are not pregnant? Then what¡¯s with the results?¡± Looking at her, I pursed my lips and said, ¡°Grandma, you should know better than I do. Isn¡¯t that why you asked Dale to take me for a check- up?¡± She suddenly grinned and said, ¡°Are you saying that I sent someone toe up with a fake test report to prove that you are pregnant? You and Walter are getting a divorce, and I¡¯m not confused. Doing this will do me no good.¡± After saying that, she cast a handful of bait into the pond next to the pavilion. In a sh, all the goldfish in the pool came around for food. I nodded and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. For you, it¡¯s not something good. However, you have to do this, because Ashley is pregnant. She is a divorced woman, so there¡¯s no way you¡¯ll allow her to be a part of the Ilinton family. Yet she¡¯s pregnant with Walter¡¯s baby, so you need the baby to be the offspring of the Ilinton family fair and square. In such a case, I be the only candidate.¡± ||| < 121 She sat back down in the chair, looked at me with her cloudy but still shrewd eyes, and saidnguidly, ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°You asked Dale to take me to the hospital for a check-up and let the doctor get me a pregnancy report, because you want others to know that I am pregnant, though that¡¯s not the truth. After Ashley gives Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. birth, you will find a way to tell her that her baby is dead or has an ident. Then you¡¯lle up with something to make it look like the baby is mine. In such a way, the baby gets to be the offspring of the Hinton. family fair and square. As for me, I¡¯ve done my part by then, and then I can leave the Hinton family and no longer be the granddaughter-inw of the Hinton family.¡± After hearing my words, Carley pped, looked at me, and said, ¡°Tabatha, you¡¯re indeed smart. What a pity. You would have been the perfect granddaughter-inw of the Hinton family if only you had a clean history.¡± I pursed my lips and said nothing. After a pause, she asked, ¡°So, will you do this for the Hinton family?¡± Though it was a question, the answer was pretty clear. I didn¡¯t have a choice. After all, I lied to the Hinton family first. If I said no, the Conner Group would be in a bad ce. I nodded and looked at her. ¡°OK. Yet I can¡¯t guarantee that Walter won¡¯t find out. After all, Ashley is just over two months pregnant, and she is not due for another eight months. Pregnancy is aplicated process, and Walter is not a fool. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll sense something.¡± A lie was a lie after all. Carley nodded and smiled, ¡°Rx. Ashley is as smart as you. If she is determined to cling to Walter, he is mostly unlikely to find out. After all, he only has limited energy. Besides, I¡¯ve got other ns.¡± By the time Walter got back, Carley and I were almost done talking. Carley said that she was tired and wanted to rest, and she asked me and Walter to eat before going back. Walter agreed. Watching Carley leave, I sat in the pavilion, lost in thought. Walter stood next to me, looking again at the sheet results. After a moment, he said in a deep voice, ¡°What did Grandma say to you?¡± Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Ashley Moves Into the Old House I didn¡¯t look at Walter. I just said indifferently, ¡°Does that matter? She has been wanting for greatgrandchildren for years, and now she¡¯s got two all of a sudden. What can she say?¡± Then I tilted my head and looked at him. I sneered, ¡°And you, have you decided what to do with your two soon-to- be-born babies?¡± He frowned slightly and looked at me without blinking. ¡°What do you want me to do with them?¡± I sneered again, got up, straightened the wrinkles in my dress, and said, ¡°What do I want? Of course, I want you to have Ashley¡¯s baby gone. I want you to be the father of my baby only. Mr. Hinton, can you do that?¡± ¡°You wicked bitch, Tabatha!¡± Of course, it was Ashley instead of Walter that said so. Dale apanied Ashley through the tests and then brought her back to the old house to brief Carley on the baby. Hearing my conversation with Walter, Ashley was so furious that she bared her teeth and was about to hit me. Yet Walter pulled her and frowned, saying to her, ¡°Be careful. You¡¯re pregnant.¡± Hearing his concerned words, Ashley calmed down. She said to him. with tears in her eyes, ¡°Walter, you won¡¯t want me to get rid of the baby, will you?¡± There was a trace of helplessness on Walter¡¯s face, which was rare. When he looked at her, even his gaze turned soft. He said, ¡°Grandma has decided to let you move here in the future to get ready to give O DO ||| 1214 birth. Why would I want to hurt the baby?¡± Hearing his words, Ashley looked a lot better. She looked at me and said to him, ¡°What about her? Is she moving here as well?¡± Walter pressed his lips, looked at me, and said calmly, ¡°It won¡¯t be appropriate for both of you to live here.¡± Ashley looked even morecent. She looked at me defiantly, and what she said was so hypocritical. She said, ¡°I¡¯m not the great- granddaughter-inw of the Hinton family after all. Will it be improper if I move in just like that? Besides, Tabatha is the great-granddaughter- inw of the Hinton family. She¡­¡± ¡°Grandma has already had everything arranged.¡± Walter said. He pulled her and continued, ¡°Come with me to talk to Grandma about the baby.¡± Then they went to Carley¡¯s room. From beginning to end, I was calmly watching the whole process, silent and indifferent. Dale looked at me. He probably felt a bit sorry for me, so he walked to me and said, ¡°Mrs. Hinton arranged it this way, because she wanted to take better care of the descendants of the Hinton family. Don¡¯t take it personally.¡± Shall I not take it personally? I couldn¡¯t, unless I was indeed heartless. I was married to Walter for two years. If Ashley hadn¡¯te back suddenly, I¡¯d have thought once that Walter would at least have had feelings for me. He remembered my favorite snacks and asionally would bring them home for me. When I had a high fever, he would stay with me all night long. Every trace that once existed showed that he had feelings for me. Yet certain people and certain things ought not to dwell on. Someone in this world would give you anything and would do anything for you, 74280x < All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. but he just didn¡¯t love you. He was nice to you, simply because you were his wife. If it were another woman, he would have treated her the same way. It was never about love. It was simply about duty. Forget it. Nothing could be forced. Now was the peak of autumn, and the scenery in the old house was naturally very beautiful. Carley asked us to stay here for lunch, so I couldn¡¯t leave. I enjoyed the trees in the sideyard alone. The sideyard was where Walter and I stayed for the holidays. It was a separate, two-story house, which was regrly cleaned. Walter and I rarely stayed here, but it was always clean, bright, and I used to like to wander the yard alone when I came back for the holidays. Sometimes I would watch the fish in the pool, and sometimes. I would take a nap on the swing in the yard. The tiredness brought by work could always be swept away a lot thanks to such a pleasant environment. When I was picking up the leaves scattered on the ground in the yard, I saw a group of people carrying a lot of things into the side yard, and I couldn¡¯t help walking over. Odin House saw me and was a little stunned. He said to me, ¡°Mrs. Hinton.¡± I looked at him and nodded. Then I nced at the things these people had brought in, which were all luggage and daily necessities. I couldn¡¯t help but look at Odin and say, ¡°This is?¡± Odin was Dale¡¯s nephew, and he had been working for the Hinton family for many years already. He handled many of the chores of the family. Hearing my words, he paused and said, ¡°These are Ms. Conner¡¯s stuff. Mrs. Hinton wants her to live at the yard over here, as it¡¯s quieter here, and it¡¯s better for her to give birth to the baby.¡± I pursed my lips. I should have figured it out already. Now that Carley 62-80% 12 14 ) < had asked Ashley to live at the old house, of course, she would want. Ashley to live at the side yard. Where else could it be? Noticing my silence, Odin was a bit hesitant. ¡°Mrs. Hinton¡­¡± ¡°Go ahead. Do as you¡¯re ordered,¡± I said. I had wanted to pick up some more leaves, but I was no longer in the mood. I went to the swing and sat down for a nap. Odin looked at me with some sympathy in his eyes and then had Ashley¡¯s luggage carried into the house. I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night, and the autumn sun was extra warm. I leaned on the swing for a while and felt drowsy shortly after. I was still sleepy when I heard the noise in the house. Yet the noise was so loud, so I got up and went inside. I saw that Odin was standing in the hall, looking a bit sullen.¡± With her head in the air, Ashley yelled at him, ¡°You¡¯re bullying me, right? Mrs. Hinton wants me to live here. Howe you arranged for me to live in the cramped second bedroom? Why can¡¯t I have the master bedroom?¡± ||| 12 14 M) Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Chapter 22 He Protects Her Odin frowned and said, ¡°Ms. Conner, the rooms in this house are all of the same size. The room you want to stay in belongs to Mrs. Hinton. All her stuff is in there. Aren¡¯t you making things difficult for us?¡± Ashley snorted, ¡°You are taking her side, aren¡¯t you? I insist on taking that room. If you don¡¯t agree, I¡¯ll go to Mrs. Hinton, and you may talk to her then.¡± Then she was about to leave. Seeing that, Odin was at a loss and subconsciously stopped her. Ashley was even morecent and said, ¡°What is it? Have you changed your mind?¡± Odin couldn¡¯t make a decision, and he didn¡¯t want to offend her either, so he was in a dilemma. I leaned against the wooden door with my arms around my chest and said indifferently, ¡°She may have C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. the room.¡± Hearing my voice, they both looked back. Odin was secretly relieved to see me. Ashley was all cocky. Since Walter wasn¡¯t here, she didn¡¯t bother to pretend. She said, ¡°I¡¯m determined to live here, Tabatha. So what if you¡¯re pregnant? Mrs. Hinton is disgusted by your nasty past and doesn¡¯t want you to live here, or you¡¯ll defile the ce.¡± She was good at poking my sore spot, yet I was already numb after being hurt so many times. I said, expressionless and indifferent, ¡°If you like it here, you may have it. Yet in outsiders¡¯ eyes, I am the granddaughter-inw of the Hinton family. And you? You¡¯re nothing 0 con 12 15 but an anonymous baby factory kept by the Hinton family. No one will ever know about you.¡± I leaned toward her, smiled, and said slowly, ¡°You will never get a title.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Ashley was short-tempered. She couldn¡¯t find any words to talk back, which irritated her so much that she stomped her foot and widened her eyes angrily. She looked more and more like a clown. Perhaps she was pissed off so much. She caught me off guard and suddenly pushed me, saying gloomily, ¡°Tabatha, drop dead!¡± Outside the house were the steps. It wasn¡¯t exactly high, but falling down still hurt more or less. Fortunately, I subconsciously grabbed the door frame and steadied myself. For a moment, I was frightened, and my suppressed anger was aroused by her. I narrowed my eyes. Before she could react, I grabbed her and pushed her to the edge of the steps. ¡°Don¡¯t push too far, Ashley!¡± I said angrily. She was wearing a pair of 7 cm high heels. She knew that if I pushed her, even if she didn¡¯t miscarry, her precious baby would be hurt. She was so scared that her face turned pale, yet she still said harsh words, ¡°Tabatha, I dare you to hurt me!¡± I sneered and pushed her hard. She screamed with fear, but her eyes were still full of defiance. Seeing her like that, I found it strange. Since when did she be so bold? The next thing I knew, I was pulled apart. I almost fell to the ground ||| 12 151 because of the person¡¯s great force. Fortunately, Odin, who had been by my side, grabbed me in time. ¡°Are you OK, Mrs. Hinton?¡± Odin held me and asked. I stood still, shook my head slightly, and looked back at Walter, who was holding Ashley in his arms. He protected her while looking at me with a livid face. It seemed that he was a little angry. He rarely got angry, so I was surprised by the look on his face. I was stunned for a second. Before I could say anything, Ashley in his arms said, ¡°Walter, you see how much Tabatha hates me? She nearly pushed me down! I¡¯m pregnant! I¡¯m sure she knows how serious the consequences will be if I fall.¡± I frowned and watched her acting calmly. Walter looked at me and frowned. It seemed that he was trying to control himself. Then he said in a deep voice, ¡°If you get angry again,e at me.¡± He said those words without many emotions, yet I still felt a sharp pain. in my heart. He¡¯d rather get hurt than let the woman he loved get hurt. I couldn¡¯t help chuckling and said, ¡°Come at you? Mr. Hinton, are you serious?¡± Walter pursed his lips and said coldly and sternly, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Fine!¡± I sneered. Then I turned straight into the hall, found a fruit knife in the kitchen, walked quickly back into the yard and, almost without thinking, stabbed Walter in the chest. ¡°Mrs. Hinton!¡± ¡°No!¡± Someone eximed, while Walter never moved. He stood calm and indifferent, letting me stab him. Yet he didn¡¯t get hurt, as Ashley stood in front of him. Ashley used her body to protect Walter, and I stabbed her in the shoulder. With her screams, the yard was in chaos. Everything happened so quickly. Odin hurried to find a doctor, while Walter strode toward the bedroom with the injured Ashley in his arms. Before he left, he looked at me, his eyes as dark and cold as an abyss. I failed to tell his emotions. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Ashley Takes a Bullet for Walter I stood in situ, watching Walter hurriedly carry Ashley into the bedroom, and then I looked down at the bloody fruit knife in my hand. A moment earlier, I indeed had the urge to stab Walter in the heart, and he didn¡¯t duck at all. If Ashley hadn¡¯t stood in front of him, the knife would have stuck in his heart by now. I failed to control myself and got impulsive. There was a family doctor living at the Hinton¡¯s old house, and Odin soon took him here. After leading the family doctor into the bedroom, Odin looked at me, wanting to say something but didn¡¯t. I knew what he had in mind, yet I didn¡¯t expose him. I just said, ¡°She will live.¡± I admitted that I was impulsive, but I wasn¡¯t trying to kill Walter, so of course, I wouldn¡¯t use all my strength. At most, she would bruise and bleed a little. Sure enough, after a short while, the doctor came out and said that Ashley was fine. As long as she kept her wound from the water and frequently changed the dressing, her wound would recover in a few days. The doctor paused and then continued, ¡°However, her wound happens to cover the previous one, so the scar might be much more scary in the future. It won¡¯t be easy to get rid of it.¡± Odin nodded and then sent the doctor off. I was about to leave, yet I stayed after hearing the doctor¡¯s words. Ashley had a shoulder injury in the past? $.000 Curious, I headed for the bedroom. Before I went inside, I heard a low sob. ¡°Walter, will I never be able to get that scar off my shoulder?¡± Walterforted her patiently, ¡°I promise that I¡¯ll find a way to get that scar removed. Don¡¯t worry. Just focus on getting better. Everything will be fine.¡± Probably because Walter was too gentle, Ashley stopped crying, looked at him with a smile, and said, ¡°Walter, you know what? I¡¯m not afraid of having scars on my body at all. As long as you don¡¯t hate this scar, I¡¯d rather have it on me for the rest of my life. I would say so five years ago, and now, I will still say the same thing.¡± Then she paused and continued, saying all kinds of hypocritical words, ¡°Walter, don¡¯t me Tabatha. The reason why she was so upset and attacked us was because she was so furious that she couldn¡¯t think straight. Now that I¡¯m pregnant, and you¡¯ve brought me to live here, of course, she is frustrated. After all, she is your wife. I¡¯m actually relieved that she has vented her anger. I just hope she won¡¯t make things hard for you again because of me.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but sneer. Ashley should have be an actress. I wasn¡¯t interested in seeing how intimate they were, so I turned around and left the yard. Then I bumped into Odin, who had juste back. Seeing that I was about to leave, he called out to me. I looked at him, puzzled. ¡°Yes?¡± He hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Mrs. Hinton wants to see you.¡± I figured that Carley knew what had happened over here. I nodded, thanked Odin, and was about to leave. Suddenly, I thought about the words Ashley said to Walter. She said, ¡°I would say so five years ago, and now, I will still say the same thing.¡± 12 15 ) I couldn¡¯t help but look at Odin. Then I said, ¡°Odin, how long have you been working for the Hinton family?¡± Probably caught off guard, Odin was stunned for a second. Then he said, ¡°Years, I guess. I¡¯ve been following Dale to work for the Hinton family since I could remember. Why?¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. I smiled, ¡°Nothing. It just suddenly urs to me. Since you¡¯ve been working for them for so long, I¡¯m sure you have heard that Walter and Ashley got together five years ago, right?¡± Odin nodded. ¡°Mr. Hinton used to be with Ms. Conner, but then she somehow got married. It has been years. Everyone had almost forgotten about it until she came back out of the blue. Don¡¯t think too much about it, Mrs. Hinton. Everyone in the Hinton family only recognizes you as Mr. Hinton¡¯s wife.¡± I smiled to express my gratitude. Then I asked, ¡°Do you know how Walter and Ashley met? Did they go through something?¡± I looked at Odin, not sure if he would know something between the two back then. Odin thought for a while and then said, ¡°I don¡¯t know much about it, actually, except that Dale brought it up once before. He said that Ms. Conner had taken a bullet for Mr. Hinton.¡± Then he frowned. ¡°Maybe you can go ask Dale, Mrs. Hinton. I¡¯ve never seen Mr. Hinton much before, so I don¡¯t know many of the details.¡± Ashley took a bullet for Walter? I frowned. Suddenly, I remembered what had happened before and couldn¡¯t help looking at Odin. ¡°Did Ashley get shot at the border?¡± I asked. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Chapter 24 How Do You Know? Odin was a bit confused. He looked at me and said, ¡°Mrs. Hinton¡­¡± ¡°Yes, she did,¡± Dale said. He had juste over from Carley¡¯s yard. He looked at me and said, ¡°Mrs. Hinton wants to see you.¡± I was stunned for a moment. Then I nodded at him, let Odin go do his business, and followed him toward Carley¡¯s yard. Following Dale, I had some doubts in my mind, and could not help but say, ¡°Dale, can I ask you some questions?¡± Dale nodded. ¡°You may ask me whatever you want.¡± I paused and said, ¡°Did Ashley and Walter meet each other at the border?¡± Dale nodded and turned back to me. He said, ¡°Yes. Back then, Mr. Hinton had an ident and was seriously injured at the border, and he identally met Ms. Conner. She risked her life to bring him back from the border, where she received a gunshot wound. Luckily, it was not fatal. Mrs. Hinton would have wanted Mr. Hinton to marry Ms. Conner if Ms. Conner hadn¡¯t suddenly married someone.¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. I pursed my lips, took a deep breath, and asked, ¡°So, Grandma agreed to help the Conner Group and let Walter marry me two years ago so as to repay Ashley?¡± Dale pondered for a moment and then said, ¡°Partly, but not entirely. After all, it¡¯s an alliance by marriage, and it¡¯s good for the Hinton Group. Mrs. Hinton will notpromise the Ilinton Group¡¯s interests just to repay her.¡± 12 15 That made sense. I fell silent. No wonder Walter cared about Ashley so much back then. She had been hurt for him more than once. If I were a man, I would be moved to tears. Rtionships formed in the midst of danger and hardship were unique, and so were Walter¡¯s feelings for Ashley. I wanted tough, but I couldn¡¯t. I could only pull my dry lips bitterly and asked Dale, ¡°Was Ashley there with Walter to heal his eye?¡± He nodded. ¡°Yes. Back then, after Ms. Conner and Mr. Hinton returned, she has been staying with him for his treatment. Mr. Hinton¡¯s eye injury was very severe at the time, and he was not very emotionally stable during the treatment. It was Ms. Conner that apanied him all the way through.¡± He sighed heavily and said to me, ¡°Ms. Conner and Mr. Hinton have gone through a lot. Now things havee to this, Mrs. Hinton¡¯s hands are tied. I hope you won¡¯t me her for being too harsh on you.¡± What could I say? If I were to choose between my grandson¡¯s beloved who had saved his life and the woman who married over because of a marriage alliance and was with nasty history, I would choose the same as Carley. It had been hard for her, too. I looked at Dale and smiled, ¡°Dale, I¡¯m not ming Grandma. I understand her arrangements.¡± Dale smiled and sighed slightly. We were in Carley¡¯s yard, so he let me go in by myself. I nodded and thanked him. Before I could take a few steps, he suddenly stopped me, saying, ¡°Mrs. Hinton.¡± 0 12 15 ) I turned back. ¡°What is it, Dale?¡± He looked at me in confusion and said, ¡°How did you know Mr. Hinton had an eye injury back then?¡± I was stunned for a second, unable toe up with an answer. Luckily, I reacted shortly after and said, ¡°I heard it from Ashley.¡± What Ashley liked to emphasize most was Walter¡¯s feelings for her. Pinning this on her shouldn¡¯t arouse suspicions. Hearing my answer, Dale nodded. Then he frowned. ¡°Back then, Mrs. Hinton specifically instructed us to keep it a secret¡­¡± I didn¡¯t listen to the rest of his words. I just stepped into Carley¡¯s yard. In the courtyard, Carley was sleeping in a rocking chair by the window. When I walked in, she didn¡¯t respond. Her eyes remained closed. About half an hourter, my calves turned a little numb because of the long time standing, and she slowly opened and looked at me. Her eyes were calm as she said, ¡°You are here.¡± I nodded, still standing quietly. She looked at me. Instead of beating around the bushes, she cut to the chase and said, ¡°Tabatha, I don¡¯t like Ashley. She is scheming and isn¡¯t a nice woman. Yet that doesn¡¯t mean you can do things to her as you please, just because you¡¯re the granddaughter-inw of the Hinton family. Understand?¡± Obviously, she was reminding me not to make things difficult for Ashley. I nodded and opened my mouth, saying, ¡°What happened today is my fault. It won¡¯t happen again.¡± She nodded. ¡°You¡¯re young, and it¡¯s understandable that you may hold ¡± 17 a grudge. Yet you¡¯ve got to understand that Walter doesn¡¯t love you. What are your purposes for staying here? You and I are partners now, and I hope that after a year, our harmonious cooperation can sessfullye to an end. Ashley¡¯s baby belongs to the Hinton family. You must get your hands off it.¡± She stared at me while saying word by word at the end of her speech. She was warning me. O Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Why Aren¡¯t You Determined When Stabbing Me? I stood quietly next to Carley, listening to her warning in silence. Seeing that, she stopped talking, paused, and then said, ¡°Alright then. It¡¯s been a long morning. Go C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. back and get some rest.¡± I could tell that she was asking me to leave. I was supposed to stay here for lunch, yet Carley was angry and asked Dale to send me off. Before I left, she specifically said to me, ¡°If nothing, you don¡¯t have toe here from now on.¡± Was she worried that I mighte here and hurt Ashley¡¯s baby? I nodded and walked away with Dale expressionlessly. On my way, I bumped into Walter, who followed me here. Seeing that I was about to leave, he frowned and looked at Dale. ¡°What happened?¡± Dale said as respectfully as always, ¡°Mrs. Carley asked me to send Mrs. Tabatha back.¡± Walter was smart, so he probably figured out that Carley was upset and asked Dale to send me away. He pursed his lips and looked at Dale. ¡°Go look after Grandma. I¡¯ll take her home.¡± Dale paused and hesitated. ¡°If you leave, Mr. Hinton, then Ms. Conner¡­¡± ¡°The doctor is with her. Nothing can go wrong,¡± Walter said and pulled me out of the old house. 6006 121 In the car, I watched the scenery sh by out the window in a daze. Then I heard Walter¡¯s deep, restrained voice saying, ¡°If you hate me so much, why weren¡¯t you determined when stabbing me?¡± I knew that he was referring to what had happened in the sideyard. I pursed my lips and saidzily, ¡°I haven¡¯t had enough resttely, and I don¡¯t have enough energy.¡± I heard his chuckle, and my hand was held by his thick broad hand. I frowned, subconsciously wanting to pull my hand away. Yet he grabbed me even tighter, and I couldn¡¯t pull it away anyway. I simply gave up. Seeing that, he held the steering wheel with one hand and me with the other, and we were silent all the way. He didn¡¯t drive back to Water Vi. Instead, he stopped in front of a restaurant. I frowned, and before I opened my mouth, he had already parked the car, looked at me, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Knowing that he wanted to talk to me about something, I followed him into the restaurant. We found a quieter. After sitting down, he asked the waiter to serve the food and then looked down at the files on his phone. I frowned. He brought me here just to eat with me? After a long while, he was probably done with thepany affairs, and it just so happened that the food was served. He put down his phone, looked at me, and said, ¡°Give it a go. The food here tastes good.¡± He was concise. I pressed my lips, not knowing what he wanted to do, so I simply 24.50% lowered my head to eat. The food did taste good, but I had no appetite I put down the fork after a few bites, looked at him, and said, ¡°If nothing else, I¡¯m leaving. Mr. Hinton He frowned when he saw that I didn¡¯t eat much. ¡°You¡¯ve hurt her, and you¡¯ve vented your anger. Tabatha, you¡¯re pregnant with my baby Don¡¯t punish yourself by hurting your body. Eat up While finishing speaking, he nced at the food on the table. obviously asking me to continue eating. Yet I had no appetite indeed. Looking at him, I said. ¡°The one pregnant with your baby is Ashley Mr. Hinton, if you are that eager to be a father, Ashley needs your care more than I do.¡± He was so pissed off that he actuallyughed. His eyes were deep ¡°Aren¡¯t you pregnant with my baby?¡± Regarding this topic, I pursed my lips and failed to retort him for the time being. I stopped talking and eating and simply chose to sit still. If we were to waste time, and he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to leave, I might as well sit here to kill time After the long confrontation, he was a bit helpless. ¡°I had no idea that Grandma would interfere. If you¡¯re still mad, you can stab me again, but don¡¯t take your body out just to get back at me, OK?¡± Looking at his handsome, dignified face, I really wanted to tell him that I was not pregnant and that he didn¡¯t have to pretend to be such a good husband when with me. Yet in the end, I didn¡¯t tell him. I gave in and then said, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll eat.¡± I forced myself to eat a few more bites. When I was indeed full, I looked up at him and said, ¡°I can¡¯t eat anymore. I¡¯ll throw up if I do.¡± Seeing that I wasn¡¯t lying, he picked up the fork and ate the rest. Carley had survived the famine, so she never allowed any of the Hinton family¡¯s offspring to waste food. Even though the Hinton family was a prestigious family now, they still cherished every grain. The Hinton family¡¯s upbringing was perfect, and of course, Walter was well-bred. He was outstanding, and he wouldn¡¯t make ordinary people jealous. What was more, he always did things properly and valued kinship and responsibilities. After two years with someone like that, there was no reason I didn¡¯t fall for him. Not to mention that five years ago¡­ Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Can You Stay? Seeing that Walter almost finished eating, I said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to spend too much time on me. For now, I will not ask you for a divorce, and I will do my best to take care of¡­ my baby. As for Grandma, now that she doesn¡¯t want me to show up at the old house, unless Ashleyes after me, I¡¯m not gonna mess with her. I won¡¯t do anything to her at least until she delivers the baby.¡± Walter put down the fork and looked at me calmly without much. emotion. It seemed that he listened and noticed my words. He nodded lukewarmly and said nothing. After the meal, he sent me back to Water Vi. I was supposed to go to the office, but I didn¡¯t sleepst night. I figured that even if I went to the office, I wouldn¡¯t be able to focus or work at all. So, I nned on taking a nice shower and going to sleep. When I came out of the bathroom, I saw Walter, who was supposed to leave. He was in the chair, looking at his tablet. It seemed that he was dealing with thepany¡¯s affairs. I couldn¡¯t help frowning. His work was so busy. Shouldn¡¯t he be headed to thepany now? He probably heard me, so he looked up at me. Our eyes met. Although I was wearing pajamas, I still felt a bit ufortable. I tiled my face, lowered my head, and wiped my hair. Shortly after, the towel in my hand was grabbed away. In the next second, he pinned me down to the chair, stood next to me, and wiped my hair skillfully. I tried to dodge, but he held me down. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± I just couldn¡¯t face his intimacy. 0.00% ||| I stood up to get away from him, ignored his astonishment, and said calmly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to the Hinton Group today?¡± He pursed his lips, looked at me, and said in a deep voice, ¡°You don¡¯t want to see me?¡± I said truthfully, ¡°No. If possible, I would like you toe to Water Vi as few times as possible. Ashley needs you more than I do.¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. He was expressionless when he was looking at me. After a long time, he said, ¡°You¡¯re so generous.¡± He was obviously being sarcastic. I was so beat that I didn¡¯t want to argue with him. I went to get myself a hair dryer to blow my hair, and it seemed that Roy called him. It should be something about work. He picked up the phone and walked out of the bedroom in a hurry. After he left, everything went quiet. I blow-dried my hair and went to bed early. In the middle of the night, I was woken by the thunder. The autumn rain in River City came suddenly, and with the sound of thunder, it became more and more chilling. I forgot to close the window before going to bed, and the cold wind blew into the bedroom, which made me shiver. I got out of bed and closed the window, and as I was about to lie down, the bedroom door opened, giving me a shock. I would have screamed if I hadn¡¯t seen that it was Walter. ¡°What is it?¡± When he saw me standing barefoot by the bed and looking at him in surprise, he approached me. I shook my head andy back in bed. I was gonna ask him why he was still here instead of taking care of Ashley at the old house, but on second thought, I didn¡¯t. 0 He changed into his pajamas andy down on my side with his long. arm around my waist. At some point, his big palm covered my belly. I sensed that something was wrong, frowned, and tried to move his hand. away. He grabbed my hand and said, ¡°Is it a boy or a girl? What do you think?¡± Was it a boy or a girl? I couldn¡¯t answer the question. I said, ¡°We¡¯ll find out.¡± The answer could only be revealed after Ashley gave birth. He nodded and didn¡¯t move his hand away. I had a feeling that he was somehow looking forward to my baby and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°You like kids?¡± He looked at me with a gentleness that did not match his own. ¡°This is our first kid.¡± Somehow, my heart throbbed. Those feelings I had been trying so hard to suppress suddenly surged out uncontrobly. In the next second, however, the phone on the nightstand vibrated. It was Walter¡¯s phone. He picked it up. Someone on the other end of the line said something, and he responded gently. Then he was about to get out of bed. Of course, it was Ashley. Seeing him getting out of bed, for some reason, I suddenly grabbed him He paused and looked back. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Can you stay?¡± I admitted that I was gambling by asking him to stay. 44.07% He looked at me and smiled. It seemed that he was in a good mood. ¡°OK.¡± I was stunned by his decisiveness and failed to react at once. Seeing me in a daze, he pulled the covers over me, picked up the phone, and was about to send a message. Yet before the message was sent out, suddenly, the thunder outside the window began one after another, and in an instant, the rain began to pour down. In the next second, Walter¡¯s phone rang. I subconsciously looked over. Not surprisingly, it was Ashley. ||| Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Chapter 27 I¡¯m Sick Walter clutched the phone and looked at me. He didn¡¯t pick it up, and I didn¡¯t know what he was thinking. Yet it seemed that Ashley was determined. She called non-stop. Walter¡¯s phone kept ringing. In the end, he gave up. He picked it up, and she said something. He got out of bed and went to the cloakroom. When he came out, he was no longer in his pajamas. I I watched him leave in silence, and the expectation in my heart turned. to ashes. I was full of bitterness and self-mockery. Walter didn¡¯t seem to remember until he reached the bedroom door that I was his wife. He stopped, looked back at me, and said, ¡°Ashley is afraid of thunder. I¡¯m sorry. I need to go over there. Go to bed early.¡± I didn¡¯t answer him. To be more precise, He left in too much of a hurry to listen to my response. The thunder outside grew louder and louder. I pulled the quilt tight, and the huge sounds reverberated in the empty bedroom for a long time. Ashley was afraid of thunder. He remembered it so well. As Ashley was afraid of thunder, he didn¡¯t want to leave her alone to face her fears. Who wasn¡¯t afraid of thunder anyway? Ever since I came back from the border five years ago, I hadn¡¯t dared close my eyes on every COUL ||| 1215 thunderstorm night. Once I closed my eyes, all I could see was a tangle of severed hands and feet and mountains of bodies in the water prison. How could Walter not understand? Oh, wait. He did not understand at all, and that made sense. He didn¡¯t see. He didn¡¯t see those mutted limbs or those mangled bodies. I was the only one who witnessed those scenes. The rain outside the window became more and more fierce, and I didn¡¯t think I would be able to sleep tonight, as the cruel memories and the bitter reality were killing me. I reopened the closed window and stood on the balcony as the cold wind and rain tore me apart. Only if I suffered physically could I ease my mental pain. It was the only way I hade up with to ease the pain from my past. I knew that I was sick, and I was far gone. By the time the bedroom door was pushed open, I was frozen stiff. Hearing the sound, I looked back. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. It was Walter. He came back. His expression changed at once when he saw me standing at the window, bearing the storm. He strode toward me, his handsome face sullen and fierce. He dragged me back from the balcony frantically, almost roaring, ¡°Tabatha, are you crazy?¡± I looked at him. My face was frozen, and I couldn¡¯t make an expression. I wanted to smile at him, but I couldn¡¯t, so I asked him hoarsely, ¡°Why are you back?¡± His eyes were scarlet, and he dragged me rudely into the bathroom. He did not answer me, but directly turned on the shower without any tenderness so that the water was all over me. Seeing that he reached out to undress me, I avoided him, my voice cracking as I said, ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± 24.99% He was probably furious. He red at me gloomily and sneered, ¡°Which part of your body I haven¡¯t seen? Stop pretending.¡± Feeling the warm water, I was less cold. I looked up at him and said, ¡°Can you get out? I want to take a bath.¡± He looked at me with his deep, cold eyes, almost swallowing me up. I could tell that he was pretty mad about my earlier self-abuse. Fortunately, he was well-bred, and even if he was so pissed off that the veins on his forehead were budging, he wouldn¡¯t hit women. He nced at me coldly before walking out. After the bath, I finally regained my normal body temperature. When I came out of the bathroom, I saw someone else in the bedroom. It was the Hinton family¡¯s family doctor. Seeing me, Walter ordered, ¡°Lie on the bed.¡± I opened my mouth, wanting to say something, but his face was so sullen that I shut up sensibly. After I got into bed, the doctor gave me a full body examination. There was nothing serious. The doctor said that everything would be fine as long as I had some soup to warm up and paid attention to keeping warm on usual days. Then he left. After the doctor left, it was already early morning. I drifted off to sleep. Walter seemed to give me something to drink while I was asleep, but I was so sleepy that I didn¡¯t even open my eyes. The next day, when I woke up, Walter was still asleep. He was very good-looking, and when he was asleep, he was very pleasant to look at, and he wasn¡¯t solemn or cold at all. I couldn¡¯t help but look at him a few more times. While I was in a daze, the phone on the nightstand rang. It was Walter¡¯s phone again. Hearing 12.15 the ringtone, he frowned and said in a hoarse voice with his eyes closed, ¡°You pick it up.¡± I was stunned and failed to react. After a few seconds, I realized that he was asking me to pick it up. I looked at the phone screen and saw that it was Ashley. I couldn¡¯t help but raise my eyebrows and look at Walter, who still had his eyes closed. ¡°It¡¯s Ashley.¡± ¡°OK. Pick it up,¡± he said in a deep, restrained voice. He didn¡¯t have any extra reaction. I hesitated for a moment and pressed the button to answer. Ashley, on the other end of the line, said tenderly, ¡°Walter, where are you? I have been waiting for you in the old house all night. My stomach hurts.¡± Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Shameless Listening to Ashley¡¯s voiceing from the other end of the line, I had no idea what to say to her, so I simply said straightforwardly, ¡°The doctors and the Hinton family are all there in the old house. Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll live.¡± Hearing my voice, Ashley paused. Then her tenderness was all gone and reced by anger. She roared, ¡°Tabatha, who says you get to grab Walter¡¯s phone? Where is Walter?¡± I was almost deafened by her roar. I moved the phone away from my ear, nced at Walter, who still had his eyes closed, narrowed my eyes, and said to the phone, ¡°Walter? He worked so hard just now that he broke a sweat. He¡¯s in the shower right now. Why don¡¯t you call backter?¡± ¡°You shameless bitch, Tabatha!¡± Ashley probably didn¡¯t sleepst night at all. She failed to control All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. herself and roared. I was d that I foresaw her anger and moved the phone away. After she finished roaring, I sneered, ¡°I¡¯m shameless? Ashley, Walter and I are legally married. Howe married couples having sex in the morning is called shameless? Compared to the incest between you and Walter, who is your brother-in- Before she could continue to shout, I hung up the phone. Then I looked at Walter, who had already opened his eyes and was staring at me. A bit frightened because of his gaze, I said, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to upset her, but she messed with me first. You heard her. She called me shameless.¡± ¡°I worked so hard?¡± he suddenly said, missing the point. He looked at 000 0 12.15 r me with a half-smile. ¡°Tabatha, shall I make that true?¡± I was speechless. Someone was shameless indeed. I had thought that Ashley would stop making trouble after moving into the Hinton¡¯s old house, but I underestimated her determination to marry Walter. I was in a meeting at the Conner Group when I got a call from Eileen. Eileen¡¯s broken voice sounded so anxious. I put down my phone and went straight to the hospital. I arrived at the hospital. Eileen stood guard outside the emergency room, her eyes swollen from crying. When she saw me, she started to burst into tears again. I found some tissues from the bag and wiped her tears. Looking at her, I asked, ¡°Mom, what happened? Howe he was suddenly sent to the emergency room?¡± She frowned and looked at me. ¡°Tabatha, tell me. What¡¯s going on between you and Walter? What is the Hinton family going to do?¡± I failed to react. I looked at her and said, ¡°Mom, what do you mean?¡± She looked at me in distress. ¡°Tabatha, I know everything. What happened five years ago has happened, and there¡¯s nothing you can do to change that. I know you¡¯re worried about me and your dad, which is why you¡¯ve kept everything from us. Ashley was here earlier, and she told your dad and me everything. Tabatha, I just want to know what you¡¯re going to do next.¡± Ashley was here earlier? ||| I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what Ashley had told them. After a pause, I said, ¡°Mom, Carley did know about what happened five years ago. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll deal with it.¡± ¡°How?¡± Eileen was anxious. ¡°She values the Hinton family¡¯s reputation the most. Now that she knows, she will surely force you and Walter to divorce.¡± Iforted her, smiling, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. They won¡¯t force me to divorce, because I¡¯m pregnant. You can rest assured.¡± ¡°You¡¯re pregnant?¡± Eileen was surprised. She wiped the tears from her face and said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us you were pregnant? When did this happen? How long have you been pregnant? Do you feel any difort? What do you want to eat?¡± Parents cared about their kids the most. Hearing her string of questions, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. I said, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t get so excited. I¡¯m only two months pregnant. I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± After saying that, I looked at the tightly closed operating room door and said to her, ¡°Is he ¡­ Dad in the emergency room, because the Hinton family knows what happened to me five years ago?¡± Eileen nodded and grabbed me, saying, ¡°Yes. As soon as Ashley told him, he vomited blood due to great mood swings. He was so worried about you. Both he and I know that the Hinton family treasures their reputation. He used almost all his connections to keep it from them, and now that they know the truth somehow, they will most likely make things difficult for you. That¡¯s why he got so worried and was sent to the emergency room.¡± I looked at the door of the emergency room and said nothing. Seeing me like that, Eileen sighed, ¡°Tabatha, listen to me. He¡¯s your dad, not some stranger. He¡¯s been strict with you all these years for ||| 12167 your own good. Don¡¯t me him. He¡¯s more afraid of anything happening to you than anyone else, and that¡¯s why he always has high expectations for you and demands you to do everything perfectly. In such a way, you won¡¯t make any mistakes.¡± I looked back and nodded slightly. Then I looked at her and said, ¡°Mom, did Ashley tell you anything else?¡± Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Rudolf Wants to Be Discharged Eileen shook her head and was a bit nervous. ¡°Is there anything else she should tell us?¡± I smiled andforted her, ¡°No. I was just asking.¡± I figured that Ashley was pushed to the corner, and that was why she got so impatient and tried to use my parents to force me. The door of the emergency room was opened, and the doctor came out, asking for family members. Eileen hurried forward, and I followed her. The doctor looked at us and said, ¡°The patient is stable for now, but his condition has deteriorated seriously, so his life can be in danger at any time. Spend time with him as long as you can.¡± Eileen turned pale and nodded, her voice choking. She said, ¡°Doctor, he¡¯s always in pain in the middle of the night. Is there any way to make him feel better?¡± The doctor shook his head. ¡°The patient¡¯s body organs have been gradually depleted. All we can do now is give him more time with you. Don¡¯t irritate him again, or¡­ His silence suggested it all. Eileen pressed her lips and silently shed tears. I was at a loss for a moment and muttered, ¡°When did he get so sick?¡± Eileen looked at me and sobbed, saying, ¡°He knew something was wrong with him a year ago, but you knew how stubborn he was. No matter how I persuaded him, he just wouldn¡¯te to the hospital for a LD0% check-up. We wouldn¡¯t have known he was sick if he hadn¡¯t fainted at homest time. During this time in the hospital, he woke up every day in pain, but he never let me tell you anything. Tabatha, don¡¯t be mad at him anymore. Let¡¯s just apany him so that he can spend the rest of his days without regrets, OK?¡± I pursed my lips, and my heart was in pain. Looking at the sad Eileen, I nodded. In the ward, Rudolf didn¡¯t wake up till a long time had passed. He was much more emaciated than the Seeing that he was awake, Eileen hurriedly talked to him at once. It was mostly caring words, asking him to take care of his body. He looked at me standing beside the bed. He looked older and weaker than he had been thest time. Back then, he was still cold and stern.. ¡°Come here,¡± he said to me. Then he looked at Eileen. ¡°Go out. I want to talk to Tabatha alone.¡± Eileen was afraid that he and I would quarrel as before, so she looked at me worriedly. Rudolf frowned and said in a deeper voice, ¡°Get out!¡± His cold voice made Eileen tremble in fear. She did not dare to stay here any longer and had to leave the ward in silence. It was just me and Rudolf in the ward. I looked at him, sat down, and said, ¡°You should be nicer to Mom.¡± Over the years, he had always been the king who bossed Eileen around, and she had never said no. He snorted coldly, looked at me, and said, ¡°It¡¯s not for you to lecture me.¡± I pressed my lips and took a deep breath. Thinking that he didn¡¯t have ||| 12 16 many days left, I decided not to argue with him. I said, ¡°Tell me now. What do you want to say to me by Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. asking me to stay?¡± He was a bit tired, probably because he had said a few sentences already. He took a deep breath and looked at me. ¡°What is Mrs. Hinton going to do with what happened five years ago?¡± I said truthfully, ¡°She wants me to divorce Walter, but not now. It¡¯ll be in a year. Besides, she won¡¯t make things difficult for either the Conner Group or you.¡± He frowned. ¡°A year? Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m pregnant,¡± fiddling with the phone in my hand, I said. He was stunned for a second, apparently surprised. After a pause, he asked incredulously, ¡°You¡¯re pregnant?¡± I nodded and looked calm. ¡°Yes.¡± He waspletely silent. The ward fell quiet for a while, and then he suddenly said, ¡°Come and pick me up tomorrow.¡± ¡°Pick you up?¡± I frowned. Then I rejected directly, ¡°You¡¯re in no condition to be discharged.¡± He didn¡¯t seem to care about my reaction. He said, ¡°I know my condition better than anyone. You just have to pick me up. Also, inform the executives and shareholders of the Conner Group toe to the ¡°Everything is fine at the Conner Group. You should focus on getting better.¡± I said while looking at him. Given his current status, anything might happen to him once he was discharged. He looked at me. Probably it was because of the disease, anyway, there was helplessness instead of coldness and disdain in his eyes. ¡°Tabatha, < 1216 if I don¡¯t go to the office, I¡¯ll never get to be there again. Listen to me. Let me go there so that I can arrange everything. The Conner Group is my life¡¯s work, and I want to get everything in order, so I can leave with peace of mind.¡± Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Chapter 30 I Kill Someone When Rudolf said this, he was calm and somehow helpless, like a dying old man¡¯s exhortation to future generations. Somehow, I felt bitter. I had been quarreling with him for so many years, and now when I recalled, those days when I looked up and called him Dad with joy had passed a long time ago. I looked at him and didn¡¯t object to him anymore. I nodded and said, ¡°OK.¡± Both Rudolf and I were used to years of confrontation, and now that we suddenly talked with each other so peacefully, it made the atmosphere eerily awkward. I took a deep breath and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of your discharge. I¡¯m going to check on Mom.¡± Then I was about to leave. He said suddenly, his voice cracking, ¡°Take good care of her after I¡¯m gone. I have made ns for the Conner Group¡¯s future development. If everything goes smoothly, and you get to keep thepany stable for another ten years, the money you get will be enough for you and your mom to live for the rest of your lives. Now that the Hinton family won¡¯t make things difficult for the Conner Group anymore, after divorcing Walter, find someone you love and share a good life with him. Don¡¯t be stubborn and impulsive like you used to be. Tabatha, you¡¯ve grown up. You have to learn to protect yourself. Don¡¯t make the same mistake you made five years ago. I can¡¯t go cross the mountains to find you again. I am too old to protect you.¡± I stood in situ, my body shaking uncontrobly, tears flowing down my cheeks. He was, after all, my dearest one. No matter how much we fought and hated each other, things between us would work out 0.00% ||| 1216 < eventually. I knew that he doted on me and loved me. Over the years, even though he never listened to me exin what had happened five years ago, and even though I would be scolded and punished by him if I made a slight mistake, once I was really in trouble, he would still protect me as he did when I was a child. I knew. I always knew. I wiped my tears away, took a deep breath, looked back at him, and said, ¡°I know, Dad.¡± I had never called him Dad during all these years of meaningless fighting. His expression on his aged face froze, and then he looked at me with a relieved smile, nodded at me, and said, ¡°Go. Tell your mom toe in and talk with me.¡± I looked at him. There were so many things I wanted to say to him, and all of a sudden, I couldn¡¯t utter a word. I nodded. ¡°OK.¡± Perhaps it was because of the sudden relief. Anyway, my desire to find out what had happened back then grew stronger. One way or another, I had to get to the bottom of what had happened. I wanted Rudolf to know that his daughter had never failed him or his upbringing. I wasn¡¯t capricious or shameless. I would clear my name! Eileen was waiting outside the door. Seeing me out, she looked worried and said, ¡°You did not quarrel with him, did you? Did he scold you? Don¡¯t get angry with him. That¡¯s how he is¡­¡± That was who Eileen was. She was always worried that Rudolf and I would be enemies, so she alwaysforted me. Looking at her worried appearance, I smiled helplessly and said, ¡°Mom, we did not quarrel. Why don¡¯t you go inside and talk to him? He¡¯s probably hungry. I¡¯ll get him some food downstairs. You haven¡¯t eaten either, have you?¡± ||| 12:16 Hearing that I offered to get Rudolf something to eat, Eileen was stunned for a moment. Then she smiled and nodded slightly, ¡°OK. We¡¯ll wait for you.¡± I nodded and walked out of the hospital. Who didn¡¯t want their family to be happy and harmonious? When I got to the parking lot, I saw a strange woman walking around my car. I looked at her from a distance for a while. As I hesitated to call the police, the woman looked back and saw me. ¡°Ms. Conner, you¡¯re here.¡± When the woman saw me, she trotted towards me. Looking at her, I could not help but frown. ¡°You are?¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. I didn¡¯t know her. She looked at me with something dark and powerless in her eyes. Instead of introducing herself to me, she said, ¡°You have a dead body in your trunk.¡± I broke out in a cold sweat at her words, but after a moment, I calmed down. I frowned and said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, sometimes you may be held responsible for talking nonsense.¡± She shook her head, her face livid. She said solemnly, ¡°I¡¯m not talking nonsense. There¡¯s a dead man¡¯s body in your trunk, which was ced in there five days ago. He was stabbed a dozen times in the back. He bled and suffocated to death.¡± Feeling numb, I looked at my car subconsciously, trying to remember where it had been, where it had been parked, and when the trunk had been opened five days ago. Shortly after, I denied her words. I said, ¡°My car was sitting in the garage at home five days ago. It never left the house that day.¡± ||| She was very calm. ¡°Your name is Tabatha Conner. You are the daughter of Rudolf Conner from the Conner Group. Right?¡± I nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± She continued, ¡°Then everything matches. Your family has a royal blue Mercedes at home that has always been parked under the Conner Group¡¯s building and used asionally by thepany¡¯s higher-ups, right?¡± I pursed my lips, nodded, and said the same word again, ¡°Yes.¡± ||| Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Chapter 31 I Killed Someone She looked at me and continued, ¡°That car was driven away by the Conner Group¡¯s CFO Ryan yton five days ago and hasn¡¯t been sent back so far, has it?¡± I didn¡¯t know so much about the itinerary of a car. I gasped slightly, ¡°How did you know there was a body in the trunk of that car?¡± The sun shone, but her look was cold and oppressive, which made me feel cold unconsciously. After a long time, she leisurely said, ¡°I killed someone.¡± I was almost scared back, but I had seen more amazing things than this. I calmed down. I looked at her and said, ¡°Did you kill someone? The body was hidden in the trunk of the Conner Group¡¯s public car?¡± She nodded and probably saw someone passing by. Frowning, she said, ¡°That car is now parked in Downers Valley. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can go and see it with me. I had a headache and frowned. ¡°Why did youe to me?¡± Normal people would turn themselves in to the police, or pack up their things and run away, but she came to me. She looked at me with zed eyes. ¡°I wasn¡¯ting to you. I came to see your father. I¡¯ve been here a few times. He¡¯s been in treatment all the time, and most of the time he¡¯s not awake, so I came to see you.¡± ¡°See my father?¡± She nodded. ¡°You probably think I killed someone and should turn ? myself in or run away, but I don¡¯t want to do this yet. I haven¡¯t finished my work yet. I know I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m sure I¡¯m going to die. Before I Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. 6.D0% ||| 12 16 die, I want people to know why I killed someone. At least, let me die innocently.¡± Looking at her slightly pale face, I gasped and said, ¡°The police will clear your name.¡± ¡°No!¡± She suddenly raised her voice and looked at me with scarlet eyes. ¡°Even if the police know, they will not tell the public, but you can. You are the sessor of the Conner Group. You can.¡± After talking to her so much, I still don¡¯t know why she came to me. I knew in my heart that if I kept talking along her train of thought, I would only be a vent for her emotions. After a moment of silence, I looked at her and said, ¡°Who did you kill?¡± ¡°Ryan,¡± She looked at me, and stressed, ¡°The Conner Group¡¯s CFO Ryan yton.¡± My brain was in a mess, and for a moment I was full of doubts, hesitating to find a way to call the police. She didn¡¯t seem to be lying. She looked at me, staring at me motionless and said, ¡°Ms. Conner, can you find a ce to sit with me?¡± I wanted to refuse, but this matter involved the Conner Group, and the CFO was killed. No matter what the reason, the discussion wast enough to make Song fall into a big storm. Now that my father is still in the hospital, Song has a lot of things to say. If something happens, Song will lose a lot of money. Probably considering my concerns, she looked at me and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not a crazy killer. I just want to talk to you. I want you to hear my story, okay?¡± After a moment of hesitation, I nodded to see what she wanted to say 20791 to me. ¡°There¡¯s a coffee shop opposite the mall. Let¡¯s go there and have a talk?¡± She nodded and agreed. I chose the coffee shop in the shopping mall. On the one hand, there were many people and strict security in the shopping mall. On the other hand, there was an army base next to the shopping mall. If she really had any ill intentions about me, I would have a better chance of getting out safely. In the coffee shop, I handed her the menu. She shook her head and- said to the waiter, ¡°Just a ss of boiled water, thank you. Seeing this, I ordered a cup of coffee casually, looked at her, and said, ¡°Are you Ryan¡¯s friend, or¡­¡± She was somewhat attractive. Her eyes were very charming. She might be older than me, and she was very feminine. Middle-aged men would like a woman like her. Such a woman messed with a CFO and even killed him. I could only think that she killed her for love. ¡°Wife!¡± She opened her mouth, looked at me, and said, ¡°I¡¯m his wife, legally.¡± A wife killed her husband? I frowned slightly, looked at her, and said, ¡°Did he do something wrong?¡± She nodded and had a sad look. ¡°He destroyed my family. Over the past ten years, I have worked hard to make money. We have no children. I think we can save more money and live a better life when we are old. A year ago, he said that the Conner Group had invested in a new project with good prospects. Senior employees of thepany could buy shares in the project and be shareholders in the project. He was very optimistic. He asked me to give him all the money I had 19.30% ||| saved over the years. As long as this project is up, we will earn enough pension money.¡± I paused. ¡°Did you give him the money?¡± She looked a little sad. ¡°At first I thought it was too risky and worried. that he would cheat me, so I checked the project privately, but the reputation of this project turned out to be really good, and now it¡¯s up.¡± ¡°Bright Media?¡± I remembered it was invested by the Conner Group a year ago. She nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the project.¡± Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Ashley and Walter Show Up I said, ¡°The Conner Group did invite an investor to this project at that time, but it was an investment the Conner Group¡¯s executives were allowed to buy shares.¡± She smiled bitterly. ¡°Yes, but at that time, I only thought that this project existed and its development was really good. I thought he was telling the truth and gave him all the money we saved at home. 660 thousand dors! He took it all away. I didn¡¯t know until a month ago that he had used it to pay his gambling debt. The money I saved so hard, but he just took it away and wasted it all!¡± After saying that, she already burst into tears, clinging to the ss in her hand, trying to control her mood. I gasped slightly. It was conceivable how difficult it would be for an ordinary family to save 660 thousand dors. She spent almost half her life making it, so no wonder she lost her mind. I tried tofort her, but I didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment. After a few seconds of silence, I said, ¡°So, you killed him?¡± She shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no need to kill him for 660 thousand. dors, because what matters is not that he¡¯s so mean and dirty and swindled my money, but he shouldn¡¯t have betrayed me. I spent ten years with him. He said he wanted to drink, but now he can¡¯t have a baby and he found a young woman to give him a baby. He brought that woman back to my house and slept with her in my bed.¡± As she said that, she couldn¡¯t help herself. She looked at me and said, ¡°You know what? He took that woman to Chesterburg to have fun and gamble, using all my money. I have tried to save money all my life. I 0.00% 111 12 < was so mean to myself, but he took my money and let that bitch. squander it. The bitch even sent a picture of that little bastard home to disgust me. How can I stand it? I can¡¯t stand it.¡± As she spoke, she began to tremble. Her eyes were scarlet and her voice became almost hoarse. She said, ¡°So when he went back home that night, I killed him with my family¡¯s fruit knife and stabbed him. more than a dozen times. There was blood all over the ce. I was not afraid at all. I just felt very happy. He deserved to die. He deserved more than anyone else.¡± Looking at her a little out of control, I could not help but shiver, trying tofort her, but suddenly there were two more people around me, Ashley and Walter. Before I could say something, Ashley said, ¡°Tabatha, is she your friend? What are you talking about? Your friend seems to be very excited.¡± I just listened so attentively that I didn¡¯t notice the situation around me at all. I didn¡¯t know how long these two have been here. Ryan¡¯s wife was stupefied when she saw the two people around her, and then she subconsciously wanted to leave. I took the lead in holding her down and looked at Ashley with a sneer, ¡°Yes, thisdy just told me a story about a husband having an affair and being stabbed a dozen times. By the way, the man who was stabbed, like Mr. Hinton, made. his mistress pregnant. Speaking of this disloyal man, stabbing him at dozen times is not enough. He should be torn to pieces.¡± I said those words especially for Walter. He was tall, with Ashley in his arms. Since I saw him, his face had been gloomy. After listening to my words, he looked sullener and sullener. Ashley was so shocked by my words that she flinched toward Walter¡¯s arms, looked at him with fear, and said softly, ¡°Walter.¡± 37.21% Walter held her in his arms tighter and frowned at me, ¡°Be torn to pieces? Tabatha, do you have the guts to do that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure!¡± I didn¡¯t want to stay with them any longer. I turned to Ryan¡¯s wife and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. The air is not fresh here. Let¡¯s go get some fresh air.¡± Ryan¡¯s wife nodded, but as soon as she got up, she suddenly looked at Walter. She paused and then looked at me and said, ¡°Is he the president of the Hinton Group? Your husband?¡± I nodded. Walter was young and promising, and he often showed up in the media, and the marriage of the Conner family and the Hinton family was known to everyone. Seeing me nodding, she looked at Ashley, who was embraced by Walter, and suddenly said, ¡°Are you C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. pregnant?¡± Ashley seemed to be frightened by her eyes. She leaned closer to Walter and whispered to him, ¡°Walter, this friend of Tabatha is very scary. Let¡¯s go.¡± Walter looked at me all the time, as if he had something to say to me. When he heard Ashley¡¯s words, he said okay, then looked at me and said, ¡°Roy is outside. I¡¯ll let him follow youter¡­¡± ¡°Ah! Knife! She has a knife¡­¡± Ashley suddenly screamed. ||| Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Walter Is Injured Before I realized it, Ryan¡¯s wife somehow got a sharp knife the size of a pen and stabbed Ashley and Walter. Song Ashley was the first to find her action and screamed out. Walter reacted very quickly, and before the knife was stabbed at him, he grasped the hilt. The hilt was C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. not long, and after all, the woman¡¯s strength was limited. Walter pinched the woman¡¯s wrist with another hand. Out of the pain, Ryan¡¯s wife loosened the knife instinctively and was pushed to the ground. When this happened, the coffee shop immediately became a mess, and the security outside quickly came in, directly controlling Ryan¡¯s wife, and then called the police. ¡°Walter, you¡¯re bleeding.¡± Ashley looked at Walter¡¯s hand that was holding the hilt and said with concern. looked at it and found that Walter was really hurt. Although the knife. was small, it was extremely sharp. Just now the situation was urgent. Walter was hurt no matter how quickly he reacted. Luckily, it only hurt his hand. I couldn¡¯t help but just sigh in relief. Ashley, with red eyes, went directly to the captured Ryan¡¯s wife, pped her, and said angrily, ¡°Crazy woman, we have no grudge against you. Why did you want to kill us?¡± Ashley had pped her hard. After that, Ryan¡¯s wife was bleeding from the corners of her mouth. ¡°Bah!¡± Ryan¡¯s wife vomited the blood in her mouth toward Ashley, staring at her and Walter with disdain, and said angrily, ¡°You are BD0% shameless and deserve to die.¡± Ashley was startled by her angry look and approached Walter. Ryan¡¯s wife looked at me and said, ¡°You can really stand it. Those bastards deserved to die a hundred times. If I were you, I¡¯d have to kill them into. pieces to vent my hatred.¡± Knowing she was disgusted by my husband¡¯s behavior, I sighed in relief and didn¡¯t say anything. After a while, the police came and asked about the situation, and then they intended to take Ryan¡¯s wife away. Seeing this, I opened my mouth and stopped the leading policeman and said, ¡°Sir, wait a minute.¡± The policeman was no more than a few years older than me. Although he was stunned by my call, he still looked at me and said, ¡°What else can I do for you?¡± After hesitation, I said, ¡°She killed her husband, and the body should be in the trunk of a blue BMW in Downers Valley. Go now.¡± The policeman was stupefied, and the policeman who followed him was also shocked, ¡°Murder!¡± After all, it was a time of peace, and murder was enough to attract people¡¯s attention. The police had intended to take Ryan¡¯s wife directly back to the police station for trial about her carrying a knife, but after hearing what I said, the policeman took her directly to Downers Valley Because I knew something, the policeman asked me to go with him. As for Walter, he was injured. Ashley was worried about him, and she wanted to take him to the hospital, but he followed us to Downers Valley. 17 734 ||| I had never seen Walter like to join in the fun. I didn¡¯t want to talk to him, but when we were in the car, he suddenly looked at me and said, ¡°How do you know that woman killed her husband?¡± ¡°She said it herself.¡± I opened my mouth, trying not to look at the injury on his hand. I really didn¡¯t want to add trouble to myself. But as if on purpose, he directly opened the palm of his hand and exposed the wound, gory and shocking. He looked at me as if he didn¡¯t care about his injury and continued, ¡°Why did she tell you she killed him?¡± I really didn¡¯t want to see his bloody wound. I looked away and said impatiently, ¡°The man she killed was the Conner Group¡¯s CFO. She probably wanted to talk to someone, so she came to me.¡± The car finally arrived at Downers Valley. The car stopped and I got off. I looked around at the gate of themunity, found a drugstore, and went straight in. By the time I came out, the police had cordoned off the blue BMW Several drops of blood had been stained outside the trunk door, which had dried up. After the criminal police had taken pictures of the ce around, they were ready to open the trunk. I was not interested in the body. I went to Walter, stuffed him with medicine and bandages, and said coldly, ¡°Deal with your wound. It is an eyesore to me.¡± He looked at me and seemed to be smiling. But he didn¡¯t ept it, but looked at me and said, ¡°I can¡¯t handle it with one hand. Why don¡¯t you help me?¡± ¡°Ashley will be more willing to help you,¡± I blurted out without thinking. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Chapter 34 The Body Is Gone ¡°She went back.¡± He opened his mouth and still looked straight at me with his dark eyes. He was much higher, and I needed to raise my head. to talk to him. My cervical vertebra hurt, so I simply did not waste my time talking with him. I rudely opened hydrogen peroxide and took out cotton balls to treat his wound. The wound was really deep and the fresh inside could be seen clearly. I could not help but gasp in my heart. The knife that looked inconspicuous was really sharp. If a man attacked Walter, I was afraid that he would have lost his hand. ¡°Hiss.¡± I don¡¯t know if I was too rude, but he gasped. I paused, looked up at him with a sullen face, and said coldly, ¡°Just bear the pain. I¡¯m not Ashley. I can¡¯t say those soft words to you.¡± He just smiled at me without saying a word. I don¡¯t want to talk to him anymore. I quickly dealt with his wound, cleaned up the mess, and listened to the sound of the police. I couldn¡¯t help but look at it, only to find that in the open trunk, there was a bloody puppy lying there. No All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. one knew how many days it had been put there, and it had rotted a little. The policeman was bewildered after seeing what it was and looked at me with a twisted eyebrow. ¡°Ms. Conner, what¡¯s going on?¡± I was also confused and looked sideways at Ryan¡¯s wife. She looked nkly at the dead dog in the trunk and muttered to herself, ¡°He deserves to die. He deserves to die¡­ §æ§à§Ý§î ||| I couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on. I told several policemen what this woman had just told me in the coffee shop and said helplessly, ¡°I don¡¯t understand. She didn¡¯t seem to be lying at that time, so that¡¯s why I asked you toe and have a look.¡± The policeman checked the situation around and said to the policeman on the side, ¡°Take a statement and find a way to contact the man she said was killed and verify it.¡± Another policeman nodded and then questioned Ryan¡¯s wife. After some questioning by the police, I learned that this woman was named Abagail Mireya, who was already in her forties. If she didn¡¯t tell the policeman how old she was, I would believe she would only be in her thirties. I didn¡¯t expect her to look so young. She told the police about how she killed her husband and hid the body in the car, as she told me in the coffee shop, but when the police asked her where the body was hidden, she kept repeating it in the trunk. Ryan¡¯s body could not be found, and the police could not contact Ryan, so I called the receptionist in the Conner Group and asked the receptionist to go to the Finance Department to find Ryan. But the final result was that Ryan had gone to Springbury on business five days ago and hadn¡¯te back yet. I asked for his contact number from the receptionist, but Ryan¡¯s phone couldn¡¯t get through. We didn¡¯t find the body, nor could we get in touch with the so-called. dead. The police could not confirm what happened. Abagail kept murmuring, ¡°I killed him, more than ten times. He left a lot of blood. The house is full of blood. I am so happy. I finally killed him.¡± view of her mental condition, the police went to Abagail¡¯s house. There was indeed a pool of blood in the living room. At first, the ||| 12171 police thought it was human blood, but after the test, it was found that it was the dead dog¡¯s blood, and there was no human blood. Because Ryan could not be reached, the police could not confirm the situation for the time being, so they stayed at Abagail¡¯s house to look for the body and interrogate her. This was a bit strange. I was not in a hurry to go, but Walter¡¯s phone kept ringing. I knew that it must be from Ashley. I looked at Walter and couldn¡¯t help but sneer, ¡°Mr. Hinton, you¡¯re quite busy.¡± Instead of looking at his phone, he looked at me and said, ¡°When are you going to leave?¡± I frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not going to leave. I¡¯m curious about what¡¯s going on. I want to know whether Ryan is dead or alive. Anyway, it concerns the Conner Group.¡± He frowned, hung up the iing call on the phone screen, looked at me, and said, ¡°Whether Ryan is dead or alive, the Conner Group will make headlines tomorrow.¡± He opened his mouth and saw the two young men standing outside Abagail¡¯s house from the corner of his eyes. Looking at the two men with cameras in their hands, I was stunned for a moment and looked up at him. ¡°Did you call the reporters?¡± Walter raised his eyebrows and said with disdain, ¡°I¡¯m not so idle. I guess they happened to be passing by Tabatha, if you don¡¯t go now, it¡¯s not just the Conner Group that will appear in River City headlines tomorrow. I¡¯m afraid the Hinton Group will do too.¡± Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Do You Hate Me? My heart jumped. This incident was just that the Conner Group¡¯s CFO was killed, but if the reporter photographed me and Walter, it would not have been a simple murder, but a conspiracy of the Conner Group and the Hinton Group. After all,izens¡¯ imaginations were wild. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. The death of a CFO along with the presence of heirs from two bigpanies was gimmickier than a simple murder. Thinking of this, I tried to avoid the reporters and leave with Walter. But before I took a step, a male voice was heard outside the door, ¡°What¡¯s going on? What are you doing in my house? What¡¯s going on?¡± With the man¡¯s voice, a middle-aged man squeezed in through the door, carrying a briefcase in his hand. It was Ryan. knew him. He was the Conner Group¡¯s CFO. When the police saw Ryaning in, they came forward to inquire. It was not long before they found out the whole story. It turned out to be Abagail¡¯s nonsense. Ryan looked at Abagail and raised his voice. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Abagail, you don¡¯t want to live with me, do you? You even said you killed me. How dare you do that? You even brought the police over.¡± When Abagail saw Ryan, her eyes zed over, but she didn¡¯t panic. She said, ¡°Are you back? Have you eaten anything? Are you hungry?¡± 000 < I was totally shocked by Abagail¡¯s reaction. She had just said she killed him with scarlet eyes, but now it seemed that she cared about Ryan so much. I was confused. And so were the policemen. Ryan red at Abagail and greeted several policemen, saying that there was nothing wrong with him and letting everyone leave. Seeing this, several policemen were not very happy, and their work had been in vain for such a long time. But fortunately, it was just a false rm and they didn¡¯t care about it. They just told Abagail not to report the false case next time. Then they mentioned that Abagail hurt Walter in the coffee shop. Ryan was a little grumpy when he heard that Abagail hurt someone. When he saw me and Walter, he froze, and then hurriedly opened his mouth and apologized to us. Walter did not intend to investigate the matter, so he let the police go under the pretext of dealing with it privately. After the police left, Ryan looked at me and said, ¡°Ms. Conner, I¡¯m really sorry to get you involved. Thank you for bringing my wife back.¡± I shook my head slightly and couldn¡¯t help looking at Abagail. She didn¡¯t say anything to me. I thought, ¡°Why did shee to me to say those things? Is there really something wrong with her mind?¡± But since it was a false rm, I naturally didn¡¯t ask a lot of questions. I just looked at Ryan and said, ¡°You¡¯re wee. But since you¡¯re all right, you¡¯d better take your wife to the psychiatric department for a good check-up to avoid any problems in the future.¡± Ryan hurriedly said yes. 24715 ||| 12 1 Then, Walter and I intended to leave. Just as we came to the door, Abagail suddenly said, ¡°The Conner Group is going to have an ident¡­¡± ¡°Shut up. Stop talking nonsense.¡± Ryan reprimanded, and his voice was already a little grumpy. When he saw me looking back, he hurriedly said, ¡°She¡¯s talking nonsense. Ms. Conner, please don¡¯t mind her. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± I nodded and couldn¡¯t help looking at Abagail before I left. She still seemed to be in a state of trance. After a long day, it was already getting dark. In the car, seeing that I remained silent, Walter looked sideways at me, his voice low and introverted, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± I shook my head, looked sideways at him, and saw that the gauze on his hand was stained with blood. I realized that he was hurt. I took back my mind and said, ¡°Stop the car by the side of the road, and I¡¯ll drive.¡± He raised his eyebrows and said lightly, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll be home soon.¡± Seeing this, I pursed my lips. ¡°You have to go to the hospital to have a look. It will be troublesome if the wound is infected.¡± He looked sideways at me and smiled, ¡°Do you care about me?¡± I had something on my mind. I didn¡¯t want to waste my time with him. ¡°I just don¡¯t want grandmother to find trouble with me. After all, you have to go back to the old house to apany Ashley. She won¡¯t miss it.¡± Walter frowned, ¡°Who told you that I would go back to the old house soon?¡± didn¡¯t think much about it. I just followed his words and said, ¡°Ashley can¡¯t do without you. Can you rest assured that a pregnant woman is waiting for you in the middle of the night?¡± The car was suddenly somehow quiet and the air became cold. Aware of his mood, I was stupefied for a moment and felt that I hadn¡¯t said anything wrong. How could he be unhappy? It was terribly quiet all the way, and we returned to Water Vi. Ast soon as I got off, Walter suddenly grabbed me and said, ¡°Tabatha, let¡¯s talk.¡± He then dragged me directly into the vi. He let me sit down on the sofa in the hall and poured me a cup of tea. I was a little confused when he behaved so formally, saying, ¡°You¡­ What do you want to talk about?¡± Walter sat across from me and didn¡¯t rush to open his mouth. Instead, he took off his ck coat and put it aside before he looked at me and said, ¡°Tabatha, do you hate me?¡± Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Proper Arrangements I was stupefied for a moment, a little confused, ¡°Why should I hate you?¡± His face darkened a little, his elbow on his leg, approached me in an aggressive posture, and he narrowed his dark eyes slightly. ¡°Ashley is pregnant. Don¡¯t you hate me?¡± I frowned and felt that he was a little weird. I felt a little uneasy, but I said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s not hate. We got married, and it was just a deal. Although we lived for two years and got used to each other, we didn¡¯t love each other. So, there¡¯s no hate. But there are grievances. Walter, you could have told me what happened between you in advance. If I had known about your rtionship, I would have made ns earlier, and I wouldn¡¯t havee to a dilemma today.¡± ¡°Make ns earlier?¡± Walter hooked his lips and his eyebrows were a little cold. ¡°What¡¯s the n? Divorce me? Or will you look for someone else earlier?¡± ¡°Walter!¡± I was a little angry and frowned at him, feeling that he had gone too far. ¡°Who are you to mock me? Am I not good enough? As your wife, you didn¡¯te home at night for Ashley. You let her get pregnant and let her bully me again and again. What did I do? She lives in the old house aboveboard. Did I say no? What else do you want me to do? You can tell me! There is no need to y dumb riddles with me here!¡± I wanted to quarrel with him hysterically, but I knew it was useless, so I suppressed my discontent and ignored everything around me as if I were an idiot. But why did Walter still have to torment me?¡± ||| 12 Walter did not rush to respond to me but looked at me silently. His eyes were deep and introverted. I couldn¡¯t see any emotion. It seemed that what I just said was nonsense. After a few minutes, he said, ¡°You¡¯re a qualified daughter-inw of the Hinton family. But, Tabatha, you¡¯re my wife.¡± I sneered, ¡°So?¡± Walter suddenly reached out and grabbed my face, hoarse and flirting, ¡°You can do whatever you want. You can make a scene, cry, and let me stay.¡± Frowning, I was dumbfounded. I couldn¡¯t help but look at Walter and say, ¡°Are you losing your mind?¡± What did he mean by making a scene, crying, and letting him stay? Instead of answering me, he loosened me, sat up straight, and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about Ashley. When she gives birth to a baby, I will make proper arrangements for her future. Tabatha, all you have to do is trust me unconditionally, okay?¡± I pursed my lips. I did not understand him. Proper arrangements? How proper? What were the arrangements? How could he arrange for a woman who gave birth to a descendant of the Hinton family? He could keep her outside. Haha. He thought I was really magnanimous. Did he really think that I could turn a blind eye to let him keep a mistress? All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Suppressing my anger, I gasped and tried to calm myself down. ¡°It¡¯s your business how you will arrange it. There¡¯s no need to talk to me about it.¡± All I had to do was wait eight months. When Ashley gave birth, I would be able to leave. I didn¡¯t care how he wanted to arrange it. ||| O r Then I got up to go upstairs, he blocked me first, frowning slightly and helplessly, ¡°Tabatha, didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± I didn¡¯t want to talk to him and say, ¡°Listen, I¡¯ll trust you. You can do whatever you want, so can you let me go back and have a rest?¡± was just ignoring everything for eight months! I could endure it! He sighed, probably knowing that I didn¡¯t want to listen to him go on when he saw my reaction. He paused slightly and said, ¡°Be careful about the Conner Group¡¯s CFO.¡± Ryan? I was dumbfounded. Then I nodded and went back to my room. What happened today always made me a little uneasy, but I couldn¡¯t figure out what was wrong for a while. I came out of the hospital to make food for my mother and father, but I did not expect to meet Abagail and only came home till now. I called. my mother and exined the situation. She smiled at the other end of the phone and said that she guessed that I had been dyed. She told me not to worry about them, saying that I needed to have a good rest and that I could pick up my father from the hospital tomorrow. After washing up, Iy in bed in a daze when my cell phone rang suddenly, which startled me. I pulled back my thoughts and saw that the caller ID was Ashley. I subconsciously frowned. Why did she call me? After a moment of hesitation, I got through and said coldly, ¡°Come on, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Ashley paused and said warily, ¡°Who are you with?¡± ||| Knowing that she wanted to know if Walter was next to me, I sneered and said, ¡°Who else can I be with at this time? My husband, of course? Ashley, you are calling now. You don¡¯t want to hear how hard- working Walter is in bed right now, do you? t want to hear how hard-working Walter is in bed right now, do you? Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Chapter 37 A Lie Is Always a Lie ¡°Tabatha, you¡¯re a whore!¡± Ashley snapped over the phone. I could hear her gritting her teeth in anger. I was happy that Ashley was angry. I chuckled and said, ¡°You¡¯re only worse than I. You¡¯ve moved into the Hinton¡¯s house and don¡¯t mind. being a mistress at all. How could you call me a whore? Cut the crap and just tell me what you want?¡± I said, not wanting to waste my time. Ashley probably knew that Walter wasn¡¯t with me, so she snorted and. stopped hiding her intention. ¡°Tabatha, I¡¯m offering you a chance because we¡¯re family. If you get an abortion and leave the Hinton. family, we¡¯ll still be family.¡± That was rich. I couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Family? Ashley, is that a joke? It was five years ago. You think that I don¡¯t know anything about it. Are you sure that you did a pretty good job and no one would find it out?¡± Ashley seemed cocky and snapped, ¡°Find it out? Tabatha, what makes you think you can do that? No one believes what you¡¯ve said. Give it up. I¡¯m calling to offer a chance. Like I said, we¡¯re still family. If you continue to stay with Walter, don¡¯t me me for being a cruel sister.¡± Iughed and said, ¡°Thank you for the offer, but I don¡¯t need it. Let me make it clear to you. The Hinton All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. family is not what they appear to be. Carley let you move in, so you think they will treat you well once you have a kid? Dream on. Mind you, Carley has been concerned about what happened five years ago, let alone a divorcee like you.¡± ¡°Divorcee?¡± Ashley said the word almost through gritted teeth. * ¡°Tabatha, if I hadn¡¯t married someone else, you wouldn¡¯t have been able to marry into the Hinton family. I was supposed to marry Walter. 121 You took him from me. It¡¯s been two years. You should give him back to me.¡± I found her usation amusing. I said with a chuckle, ¡°Give him back to you? Do you really think you can hide what happened back then? Are you sure that no one knows where you got that gunshot wound? And you think you can make Walter listen to you forever with that wound, right?¡± ¡°You¡­ What do you mean?¡± Ashley sounded scared, without a hint of confidence in her voice. When I noticed that difference, I became more certain about my guess. I answered with a sneer, ¡°You were surprised that you were found and taken to the hospital so quickly, weren¡¯t you? And you wondered why the whole Hinton family cared about you so much, right? I bet you still don¡¯t know why Walter fell in love with you.¡± ¡°Tabatha, what are you talking about? What are you trying to say?¡± Ashley screamed. It looked like Ashley panicked. I smiled and said patiently, ¡°I just want you to know that you can¡¯t fool them forever. A lie is always a lie.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Ashley yelled over the phone. She was hysterical now. ¡°Tabatha, don¡¯t try to scare me with that trick.¡± Iughed. ¡°Why are you so nervous if you think it¡¯s a trick? Walter couldn¡¯t see anything back then, but he used his head. Do you think he would ignore it if he found a bunch of ws?¡± With that, I hung up. I felt ill at ease. I had thought that Ashley and Walter were together because they loved each other. But I couldn¡¯t help connecting the dots. after seeing Ashley¡¯s gunshot wound and hearing Dale¡¯s words at the Hinton¡¯s house that day. 43 75% ||| r When I fell off that cliff, I thought I was going to die. I didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with Walter, so even after I went back to River City, I didn¡¯t think about the days back at the border. And those memories made me emotional and paranoid. Later, I just buried them in my heart. I had thought that Walter felt the same way and let it go until Dale told me that Walter and Ashley were together only after they came back from the border. I knew Walter well enough to know that he wouldn¡¯t move on so fast after what we had been through. So I believed Ashley took advantage of the situation. Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Chapter 38 The Dying Wish I wasn¡¯t sure about my guess, and I wouldn¡¯t jump to conclusions. But even if I was right about how Ashley had approached Walter, I couldn¡¯t change anything. They were together, and I could tell Walter loved her. It didn¡¯t matter how Ashley had got him to love her five years ago. I couldn¡¯t deny the truth that we were in love. Even I forced myself to forget what had happened five years ago. How could I expect Walter to remember any of it? *** The next morning, my phone kept ringing. I was awakened by it. Drowsy, I answered the call. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Tabatha,e to the Hinton¡¯s house now!¡± Carley said sharply. It sounded like a cold order. When I recognized the voice, I waspletely awake. She hung up on me before I could say anything. What happened? I stared nkly at the phone for a while. Then I tried to get out of bed, nning to go there after washing up. Before I got out of bed, my phone rang again. It was Rachel. I answered it and heard her saying anxiously, ¡°Tabatha, where are you? Are you alright?¡± I got more confused and asked over the phone, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡± < Rachel paused to think and then answered, ¡°Looks like you don¡¯t know yet. Read today¡¯s newspaper. Someone told the media about what happened five years ago. And it¡¯s now one of the trending topics. The news is all over the ce online. I just learned about it from the editor of our newspaper, and he called to ask if it was true.¡± I frowned and checked the news on my phone. As Rachel said, the story was public. And with those spections online, my reputation was ruined. ¡°A bunch of trolls. They judge you without knowing the truth,¡± Rachel said angrily. I read thements below. Some said that I eloped and I didn¡¯t have self-respect, so I deserved it; others said I was the victim, and I almost lost my life, so people online should feel pity for me instead of ming 1. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Anyway, the opinions were mixed. With my lipspressed, I flipped through thements. Then I said over the phone, ¡°Ignore them. Let them talk. We can¡¯t stop them. anyway. Just go back to work. I have to go.¡± Rachel was still worried about me. Soon, Eileen¡¯s call wasing in, so I hung up on Rachel. I answered Eileen¡¯s call and I heard some noise over the phone. Then her choking and anxious voice came, ¡°Tabatha,e to the hospital now. Your dad¡­ He¡¯s dying.¡± My mind went nk, and my body went limp. I hung up immediately and rushed to the hospital. I waited outside the emergency room. Ashley and Walter were there. When I saw them, I started to wonder 26.17% when they hade. I walked up to Eileen and asked, ¡°Mom, how is dad?¡± Eileen held my hand tightly, and tears welled up in her eyes. She sobbed, ¡°He was fine when I went out this morning. But when I came back, I saw him vomit a lot of blood. I don¡¯t know what happened.¡± Tears flowed down Eileen¡¯s cheeks. Several hourster, the door of the emergency room opened, and a female doctor came out. She looked at us and asked, ¡°Who is Tabatha? The patient¡¯s daughter. Come with me.¡± Confused, Eileen looked at me and then at the doctor. ¡°Doctor, how is my husband? Is he all right?¡± The doctor said with a sigh, ¡°The patient got too emotional, and his liver is ruptured. There is hemorrhaging. We¡¯ve done everything we could.¡± The news made Eileen stagger a few steps backward. She slumped down into the seat, her face pale. She had lost hope. I caught Eileen by her arms. I wanted to say somethingforting, but I couldn¡¯t. The doctor was probably used to such a reaction. She sighed and said, ¡°The patient asked to see Tabatha for thest time. Come with me.¡± Then the doctor looked at us. After telling Eileen that I would soon be back, I looked at the doctor and took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m Tabatha.¡± The doctor nodded and took me into the emergency room. ||| Inside the emergency room. The skinny Rudolf was lying on the operating table. There were so many tubes on his body. The several doctors, who had been rescuing him, stood aside silently. They looked helpless. The doctor let me stand by the table and said, ¡°Mr. Conner, your daughter came.¡± Rudolf opened his eyes with some difficulty and looked at me. I walked up and bent over. ¡°Dad!¡± I sobbed, tears streaming down my face. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Sorry for Your Loss Seeing me crying, Rudolf managed a smile and said in a husky voice, ¡°Girl, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m going to die anyway. I¡¯ll be free. I just didn¡¯t see iting so soon. I thought I could set you up for the future, but I can¡¯t.¡± I bit my lip, and my body was trembling with grief. I was too sad to speak. I just held his hand tightly, trying to keep him this way. ¡°Dad, please don¡¯t leave me. I have so many things to tell you. Five years ago, I didn¡¯t defy you nor did I¡­¡± Rudolf looked at me gently and smiled, ¡°My silly girl. It¡¯s the past. These years, I¡¯ve been very strict with you. I¡¯m sorry. Look, the Conner Group is yours now. There will be huge chaos right after I die. But I have got you a new CEO, and Eileen will tell you everything. You need to take care of her. Think twice before you do anything, alright?¡± I nodded, fighting back my emotions. Looking at Rudolf, I answered, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take good care of her. I promise.¡± Rudolf nodded and said with a sigh, ¡°I can¡¯t see your babye into this world. Tabatha, if Walter is not the one for you, you just move on. Now that he¡¯s made his choice, you¡¯re free to make your own, but you will have to face everything alone. I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t be there for you anymore.¡± ¡°Dad¡­¡± I sobbed, and I fell apart. Rudolf¡¯s breathing was getting weaker, and suddenly the venttor began to beep. The doctor pulled me away, trying to save him again. Rudolf was tough and asked to see Eileen with his breath. I stumbled out of the emergency room to call her, but by the time we came to him, 0.00% 12 he was dead. ¡°Rudolf!¡± Eileen shouted at the top of her lungs. I froze there and let tears blur my vision. All I could hear was Eileen¡¯s cry. The doctors seemed to be used to death and grieved families. Someone gave me a tissue and said, ¡°Sorry for your loss. Go back and prepare his funeral, so he can rest in peace.¡± I nodded numbly and watched as the instruments and tubes were removed from his body one by one. Then they put clothes on Rudolf and wheeled him out of the emergency room. Eileen stumbled behind the body. I wanted to follow, but my feet were like lead. I couldn¡¯t move one bit. I felt a hand holding mine. It was Walter¡¯s hand. He pulled me out of the emergency room and took me to the morgue. Eileen was bending over Rudolf¡¯s body, still crying. She was trying to bring him back to life with her cry. Next to her was Ashley on her knees. Ashley was crying too. Grief left me unable to think and act for a long time. I came to my senses until the undertaker came to me. They told me that they were going to move Rudolf¡¯s body to the funeral home. I nodded silently. Rudolf¡¯s sudden death left me clueless about what to do. People just couldn¡¯t prepare for everything in their lives. The moment Rudolf¡¯s body reached the funeral home, something went wrong in the Conner Group. Rudolf¡¯s phone rang. It was Cory Henson, Rudolf¡¯s secretary. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. I answered the call. Cory said anxiously, ¡°Mr. Conner, something is 34.46% < 1. There is a serious financial problem with Bright Media. The major shareholders of its investors are in ourpany. They¡¯re pushing for an exnation.¡± Holding his phone, I said in a husky voice, ¡°Cory, it¡¯s me. My dad¡­ He¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°Gone?¡± Cory took a minute to get it. Then he said in a shaky voice, ¡°Tabatha, you mean Mr. Conner is dead?¡± ¡°Yes, the undertaker just moved his body to the funeral home,¡± I said with a sob. There was a moment of silence. Cory let out a heavy sigh and said, ¡°Tabatha, sorry for your loss. But we are desperate to appease those shareholders. Things will get much worse, if they can¡¯t get an answer. Without your dad, the Conner Group can¡¯t withstand a blow like this. Understand?¡± I got it and took a deep breath. ¡°Yes, Cory. You stall them, and I¡¯ll be there in a minute.¡± After hanging up, I took another deep breath. Looking at Eileen sitting- in a daze on the ground, I felt worse. We needed more time to ept Rudolf¡¯s death. I walked up to her, crouched down, and took her hand. ¡°Mom, something¡¯s up in thepany. I¡¯m taking you home. When I¡¯m done in thepany, we¡¯ll see him at the funeral home, OK?¡± Eileen looked ahead nkly for a few seconds. Suddenly, she heard me and then asked in her hoarse voice, ¡°What happened?¡± I said honestly, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll go to thepany after I take you home.¡± Eileen nodded and held my hand. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just go to thepany. I ||| 1217) can go home myself.¡± I was worried about her and wanted to say no. But she pushed me and said, ¡°Go. That¡¯s the priority. I¡¯m fine.¡± Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Chapter 40 What Do You Speak to My Father? I stood up after hesitating for a moment and said nothing. Although my mother looked delicate, no one could change her mind if she had made a decision. As soon as I walked out of the hospital, I found that it was increasingly cold in River City. The sun rode high in the sky, but I couldn¡¯t help feeling chilly. I got in the car and started it. Just then, a feeling of uneasiness came over me. I hesitated for a moment before following my instinct and getting out of the car. I was worried about my mother. She must have been very sad about my father¡¯s death. I¡¯d better not leave her alone. then went back to the hospital. As my mother was no longer in her chair, I asked a few people about her, and learned that she had gone to the ward where my father had been. Had she gone to pack up his belongings? Just as I reached the ward, I heard my mother¡¯s cold voice from inside. She asked, ¡°Ashley, what did you say to your father?¡± Ashley replied innocently, ¡°Mom, what do you mean by that? I don¡¯t understand.¡± My mother held back her anger and asked in a deep voice, ¡°Stop acting up! Rudolf was fine when I left in the morning. You must have said something to irritate him, or he would not have spat out the blood. The doctor said that he needed to stay calm. Why did you make him angry on purpose?¡± Ashley sounded a little aggrieved. She said, ¡°Mom, you got me wrong. ||| We did not intend to annoy him. Walter told him I was pregnant and wanted a divorce from Tabatha. We just wished that he could agree with that¡­¡± There was a crisp p, and then my mother¡¯s growl. She shouted, ¡°You bitch! You are shameless!¡± I stood outside the ward, lost in thought at their exchange. Had Walter said those words to my father? Why? My father was ill. How could Walter goad him like this? My mother got engulfed in hysterics in the ward and started to beat and scold Ashley. I found it unbelievable. How could Walter say those words to my father? I regained my senses at the sound of a sharp cry. It was Ashley being pushed to the ground by my mother and screaming with her hands over her belly. I was shocked for a moment before I looked into the ward. The blood. on the inside of Ashley¡¯s leg came into view. Instantly, I realized that something bad had happened and shouted in my mind, ¡°Her baby!¡± Before I could rush in, a man ran past me. It was Walter. He ran to Ashley and was about to help her stand up. As soon as Ashley saw him, she burst into tears and caught him by the corner of his coat. She said All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. with her face racked with pain, ¡°Walter, help me! My baby¡­¡± Walter¡¯s face turned sullen as he noticed the blood on the inside of her 31 41%. ||| 121 leg. In an instant, he picked her up horizontally and shouted out of the ward, ¡°Doctor!¡± When he ran past me, his gazended on me. I stared at him and wanted to say something. However, he directly left with Ashley in his arms. I stood in ce watching his anxious back and couldn¡¯t help feeling upset. My mother came trembling up to me. She asked with a pale face, ¡°Tabatha, is she bleeding?¡± I looked away from Walter¡¯s back and tried hard to maintain calm. I shook my head at my mother. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She will be fine.¡± My mother lowered her head and said with a sob, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I failed. to control myself. Tabatha, they killed your father. How could they goad him like this? He was fine when I left in the morning. He asked me to bring him a cup of milk, as he had not drunk it for a long time. He was so d to be out of the hospital, and kept asking me when you woulde and get him. I shouldn¡¯t have left him for a second. I hate them! I really hope that your father can stay with us for a longer time!¡± She almost trembled all over as she said. I put out my hand to steady her. Her words lingered in my mind. How could Ashley and Walter be so cruel? My mother was soft-hearted. Even though she hated Ashley, she didn¡¯t mean to hurt Ashley and asked me to ask about Ashley¡¯s condition. Outside of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department. Walter sat in a chair in the corridor with a gloomy face. I went to him and then looked up at the light at the entrance to the emergency room. < I felt mixed. Walter, who had been looking down, seemed to feel someoneing, and looked up. He paused for a while after seeing me and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I looked at him and didn¡¯t reply to him. After a while, I asked, ¡°Walter, what did you and Ashley speak to my father in his ward this morning?¡± < Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Chapter 41 What¡¯s the Use of Apologies? I didn¡¯t want to hear Ashley¡¯s side of the story, I wanted to hear it directly from Walter. He looked at me, his handsome brows furrowed, ¡°What do you want to ask?¡± Looking at him, I felt a lump in my throat, took a slight breath and asked, ¡°Was it you who told my dad that Ashley is carrying your child? Are you guys nning to get married?¡± His brows furrowed slightly, his fair hands intertwined, his voice somewhat heavy, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t anticipate this oue.¡± A sinking feeling hit me, the suppressed emotions surged up. Looking at him, I said word by word, ¡°So, you admit it was you guys who upset my dad into the emergency room, right?¡± He looked at me, his gaze filled with regret and helplessness. ¡°Thwack!¡± This was probably the first time I had hit him since I knew him. I couldn¡¯t control the anger in my heart, ring at him with bloodshot eyes, my voice hoarse with rage. ¡°Why? Why did you do this? If you¡¯re not satisfied with me, you could have hit me! Why did you provoke a sick person? Walter, do you N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. know? The doctor said he only had three months to live, just three months, and you all cruelly deprived him of that. Did his existence bother you?¡± The man in front of me remained silent. He didn¡¯t argue back, didn¡¯t fight back, he just let me question him. In response to my questioning, he simply said in a deep voice, ¡°Sorry!¡± Sorry? 0 50% O I suddenlyughed, feeling incredibly bored for a moment. I staggered back a few steps, suppressing all my emotions. What was the point of such violent outbursts? My father was already gone. Even if I killed him, my father couldn¡¯te back. Thinking of this, I didn¡¯t say another word and turned to leave. ¡°Where are you going?¡± His voice came from behind as he grabbed her wrist. I shook off his hand, looking up at the red light shining above the emergency room door, I couldn¡¯t help but sneer, ¡°Walter, trampling on others¡¯ sincerity and trust, you are even more despicable than Ashley.¡± Yes, killing them would have been useless, and would have only brought me trouble. But I wouldn¡¯t let my father¡¯s death go unresolved like this. After leaving the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Iforted my mother and took her back to the Conner family. When I arrived at the Conner Group, Cory was pacing anxiously outside the conference room. Seeing me, he let out a slight sigh of relief and asked anxiously, ¡°Have you arranged everything with your dad?¡± I nodded, several investors from Walling Street of Loredge had arrived in the conference room. There was no time to grieve over my father¡¯s matter, I asked Cory to briefly tell me about Bright Media. He sighed, ¡°The Bright Media project was initially acquired by the chairman who wanted to change his line of business. At the beginning, this project was quite considerable, almost monopolizing more than half of the River City market in the past two years. However, due to the rise of video and digital media recently, this project has started to 25.71% decline. Last year, due to financial issues, a Series B financing was carried out, allowing Loredge¡¯s investment bank to buy into Bright Media.¡± I nodded, opening my mouth to say, ¡°The shareholders of the investment bank have alle over, has there been a problem?¡± He hesitated a bit, looking at me as if he didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment. Seeing him like this, I said, ¡°Cory, just say it. My dad is no longer here. I¡¯ve never taken over this project before and I don¡¯t understand the situation. If I go in there without knowing anything, I¡¯m afraid it will only make things worse.¡± He nodded and began to speak, ¡°Bright Media had made a project n during the B round of financing. The n promised that thepany would achieve a turnover of 100 million within a year after financing. Two yearster, Bright Media went public in Loredge, bing the fastest domestic Listening to him finish saying all this, my jaw almost dropped to the floor. I looked at him with furrowed brows and asked, ¡°Were these promises on the proposal made by my father?¡± He hummed in agreement, sighing, ¡°It wasn¡¯t a verbal promise, but at contract signed in ck and white. Thepany valued this project highly at the time, and the Conner Group was indeed in urgent need of funds, so they had someone draw up this proposal, with the aim of attracting investors.¡± Of course, I knew that in the marketce, using high returns and promising prospects to attract investors was something that mostpanies would do. Taking a breath, I continued to ask Cory, ¡°What would be the 55 20% ||| consequences if it¡¯s notpleted?¡± Cory hesitated slightly and said, ¡°If we can¡¯tplete ording to the n, then we¡¯ll implement the betting agreement, transferring ten percent of the shares of Bright Media and the Conner Group to several investors. These shareholders will have absolute say and decision- making power over the Conner Group and Bright Media. Of course, the position of the chairman will be revoked, and the top management will be arranged by these shareholders.¡± I was a bit stunned, incredulously looking at him and asking, ¡°How much is the investment? Why would there be such an absurd agreement?¡± ¡°Thirty million dors,¡± Cory began, helplessly. ¡°At that time, the chairman thought that as long as he could raise the funds, he could keep the Conner Group going, so he had no choice but to agree to this, agreement.¡± Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Striving for a Month¡¯s Time I held my forehead, feeling a bit of a headache. I wanted to ask about the current operation of Bright Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Media, but a secretary rushed out of the meeting room, saying, ¡°Cory, you need to go in quickly, it¡¯s bing a mess in there.¡± Upon hearing, Cory and I didn¡¯t have time to say much, we entered the conference room. In the conference room, there were five people seated. In the middle of the room sat a rather thin, elderly white man, presumably the Loredge investor Jack that Cory had mentioned. Beside him sat a middle-aged woman, Sofia, the domestic CEO of the investmentpany. Among the others, two were from my father, he was the person with the most shares. Seeing Cory and me enter, a few people looked over at me. Upon seeing me, Sofia slightly furrowed her brows and directly asked, ¡°Are you Rudolf¡¯s little daughter, Tabatha?¡± I nodded, looked around at the few people, and said to Jack and Benjamin, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, something happened to my father, so I had toe to today¡¯s meeting alone.¡± Benjamin nodded slightly and said calmly, ¡°Tabatha, we just heard about your father¡¯s situation. Birth, aging, sickness, and death are inevitable. We are deeply saddened. We shouldn¡¯t have asked you to so we had to call you in to give us an exnation.¡± I nodded, opening my mouth to say, ¡°I can understand, Benjamin, I don¡¯t know much about Bright Media. What exactly happened? What rmed all of you?¡± Hearing me speak, a few people exchanged nces. Sofia pushed a document in front of me, her tone somewhat harsh, ¡°Youngdy, something happened in your family. We shouldn¡¯t be troubling you, but what your father did before he died was really too much. You should see for yourself.¡±. picked up the documents with some confusion and started reading. They were financial statements from Bright Media and a series of documents signed for the financing that year. After roughly going through it, my heart skipped a beat, and I couldn¡¯t help but break out in a cold sweat. Putting down the documents, I looked at the few people and said, ¡°Elders, I absolutely believe that my father would not do such a thing. When he invited you to invest in Bright Media years ago, it was because he truly believed that Bright Media could bring benefits to both you and him.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Sofia sneered, ¡°Save your words, what we need now is an exnation. Why is it that the 30 million US dors we invested a few months ago, now there¡¯s only 800 thousand dors left in the the profits of such apany are actually negative. Ms. Conner, your father treating us investors like fools?¡± I hadn¡¯t expected this situation either. Jack, who had been silent all along, finally spoke. He looked at me and said, ¡°Ms. Conner, we don¡¯t intend to make things difficult for you. Now that your father hast passed away, we have no way to verify anything. So, we just had a discussion among ourselves. Since we can¡¯t trace where that money > went, we decided to implement the gambling agreement we signed initially to minimize the loss of our investors as much as possible. I 27 76% have already arranged for senior management to enter the Conner Group to n for the future of the Conner Group in a more scientific and effective way. Of course, your father¡¯s shares will be diluted by us investors ording to the agreement, and the remaining shares will still be managed by you. You can stay in the Conner Group and continue to be an employee, but you will no longer have decision- making and management rights in the Conner Group.¡± My mind buzzed for a moment, and I immediately understood his words. Without decision-making and management rights, it meant that the future of the Conner Group was entirely up to them. Once the Conner Group could no longer operate, they would pass it on with the least loss. This also meant that the Conner Group was about to go bankrupt and cease to exist. Thinking of my father¡¯s words before his death, I quickly stopped Jack, who was about to sign the appointment contract, and said, ¡°Wait a minute, I will bear the loss of Bright Media. As for the funds in the ount that have gone missing, I will find them and give you all an exnation.¡± Several people looked at me, their brows slightly furrowed. Benjamin paused for a moment, his tone heavy with seriousness, ¡°Tabatha, it¡¯s good that you think this way, but this is not just talk. That¡¯s thirty million dors, not just thirty million. We are all aware of the current financial and operational status of the Conner Group. Moreover, considering the rumors about you in the news media, I¡¯m not trying to kick you when you¡¯re down, just analyzing rationally. Even if we give you the opportunity to investigate, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to be the chairman of the Conner Group like your father. After all, sometimes, the image of a corporate manager has more influence than his ability.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not discuss the position of Chairman of the Conner Group for now, Benjamin. What we are discussing now is about the whereabouts of the thirty million dors in the Bright Media ount. I hope you 61.71% ¡± can give me a chance to investigate this. I don¡¯t believe my father would do such a thing, and I also believe that I can give you a satisfactory exnation.¡± 97.15% Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Chapter 43 He Stepped in to Help Me I knew it was just words, they would definitely ignore me. I paused and then said, ¡°One month, give me C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. one month. If I still can¡¯t figure out where the money went in this month, I voluntarily give up all the shares of the Conner Group under my name, as well as those of my father and my mother. I can sign a contract for these promises. If I can¡¯t find out the truth after a month, you can execute it immediately.¡± Hearing my words, several people exchanged nces, and for a moment, no one spoke. After a while, Benjamin looked at me and said, ¡°Tabatha, listen to my advice. Once you give up this share, your situation will be difficult in the future. We can be considered friends with your father, and we won¡¯t make things difficult for you at this time. Let¡¯s put an end to the matter of Bright Media. We will initiate a betting agreement and at the same time retain your one-vote decision- making power. How about it?¡± ¡°If you add another ten percent of the Hinton Group¡¯s shares, would you all agree to give my wife a month¡¯s time?¡± The conference room door was pushed open, and Walter, dressed in ck, walked in. The sudden sound startled several shareholders. Then Jack stood up, walked towards Walter, and extended his hand for a handshake, saying subtly, ¡°Mr. Hinton, nice to meet you.¡± Walter shook hands with him, then spoke, ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, could you please consider what I just said?¡± Everyone was stunned. Ten percent of the shares in the Hinton Group, that was no small amount. Jack, who seldom spoke, opened his mouth and said, ¡°Mr. Hinton, are you joking with us?¡± Walter looked up, his words clear, ¡°I can make a written agreement 111 matter in a month, then you can find me ording to the agreement. With the agreement, if I renege, you can sue me, can¡¯t you?¡± After a moment of silence, Jack spoke, ¡°Mr. Hinton has said his piece. If we still refuse to cooperate, it would seem weck tact. Fine, with Mr. Hinton here, it¡¯s just a matter of a month. Ms. Conner, we hope you won¡¯t disappoint us. Seeing Jack speak like this, the other shareholders also chimed in for a moment. Having seen off all the shareholders, only Walter and I were left in the conference room. I didn¡¯t speak, just gathered all the materials, ready to leave. Walter¡¯s tall figure blocked my way out. I looked up at him, sneering, ¡°Something you need, Mr. Hinton?¡± Looking at me, he furrowed his brows slightly, somewhat helpless, ¡°Tabatha, aren¡¯t you going to say something to me?¡± Looking at him coldly, I couldn¡¯t help but sneer, ¡°What did you say? Did I ask for your help? Mr. Hinton, don¡¯t tell me you think your actions just now were cool?¡± I moved closer to him, lowering my voice to a mocking whisper, ¡°Do you really think you yed the hero and saved the damsel in distress?¡± He furrowed his brows, a hint of anger in his voice, ¡°Tabatha!¡± ¡°Mr. Hinton, there¡¯s no need to raise your voice, I can hear you just fine.¡± Leaning against the conference table, I looked up at him, my voice cold. ¡°Even if Mr. Hinton hadn¡¯t shown up today, I would have found a way to convince the shareholders to give me a month¡¯s time. So, Walter, I won¡¯t be feeling any gratitude for your intervention.¡± He pursed his lips, didn¡¯t argue with me, just looked at me and said, ¡°Grandma wants you to go to the old house.¡± 36.39% ||| and I actually forgot about this. Carley had called in the morning, and because of my father¡¯s situation, I just put it out of my mind. Hearing him speak, I took a breath and nodded, ¡°I understand.¡± The incident from five years ago, needless to say, was probably blown out of proportion. Carley asked me to go to the old house, presumably she had a new n in mind. After some thought, I was mentally prepared. Carley asking me to go to the old house was nothing more than a prelude to my divorce with Walter. It was inevitable, and it was fine. If Carley didn¡¯t n to let me stay in the Hinton family any longer, leaving now would be the best choice. Thinking of this, I felt an indescribable sense of relief. But what was I to do with this non-existent child in my belly? Seeing Walter still by my side, with no intention of leaving, I frowned at him, ¡°Is there anything else, Mr. Hinton?¡± He lowered his gaze, ¡°I¡¯ll apany you to the old house.¡± ¡°No need!¡± I spoke up, and walked straight out of the meeting room, ¡°If Mr. Hinton has extra time, he might as well spend it with Ashley. She probably needs you right now.¡± Walter, being the domineering person he always was, looked straight at me and said, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you downstairs.¡± Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Chapter 44 I Owed Her My Life After that, no matter what I said, he just took a long stride and left the conference room. I had a lot on my te, so I didn¡¯t bother him with these things. After giving Cory some instructions, I finally packed up and prepared to go to the old house. Outside thepany, Walter was indeed waiting downstairs, standing by his McLaren car that matched his all-ck attire. He looked so handsome and distinguished that it was almost unreal, truly eye- catching. Passersby couldn¡¯t help but cast their nces at him. Everyone has a love for beauty, and it¡¯s inevitable to take a few more nces at attractive people, regardless of gender. I didn¡¯t want to be gawked at, so I gave him a sidelong nce and walked towards my car. ¡°Beep beep¡­¡± Walter honked the horn, quite conspicuous, then he said, ¡°Tabatha, I¡¯m here to pick you up.¡± His voice wasn¡¯t loud, but the employees of the Conner Grouping in and out, as well as the passersby, could hear him. After all, he had honked the horn in advance, making it hard for people not to notice. I pursed my lips, looking at him. How had I not noticed before, that this man¡¯s skin was so thick? If I had just walked away with a straight face, within no more than two hours, it would probably have been widely known within the Conner Group that the youngdy of the Conner family and the young master of the Hinton family had had a quarrel. O It wasn¡¯t a big deal, but who would want their own affairs to beughed at by outsiders? Even I wouldn¡¯t Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. want that. Despite a hundred reasons not to let Walter drive me, I still got in his car. The McLaren, worth tens of millions, started up with an extraordinary vigor and naturally attracted a lot of attention. On the way, it received many envious nces. I wasn¡¯t used to it, so I rolled up the car window. Walter beside me nced at me, his handsome eyebrows raised, ¡°I thought you would like it?¡± I pursed my lips, not really wanting to engage with him, ¡°Ashley would.¡± He frowned, slightly annoyed. While waiting for the traffic light, his knuckle-prominent fingers tapped on the steering wheel intermittently, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your father¡¯s matter. If you hold a grudge and want to vent, I¡¯m always at your disposal.¡± ¡°Huh!¡± I sneered, ¡°Mr. Hinton, you sure have a way with words, don¡¯t you? Afraid I¡¯ll take out my resentment on Ashley and hurt your precious darling?¡± He furrowed his brows, his voice low and restrained, ¡°Tabatha, she¡¯s just a pregnant woman. If you hurt her, grandma will be upset. Besides, you¡¯re carrying my child. I hope you take good care of yourself.¡± I scoffed, my heart already numb, and said indifferently, ¡°Walter, where does your confidencee from, thinking that I would still bear a child for you?¡± The car abruptly braked. He turned to me, a rare panic in his eyes, ¡°What do you want to do?¡± 26.84% ||| Looking at his expression, I was taken aback. I hadn¡¯t expected his reaction to be so strong. I couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°What do you think I would do? After all, Mr. Hinton, you probably don¡¯tck children. Besides, if this child in my belly were really born, he would have to share paternal love with others. It¡¯s better not to let him suffer in this world.¡± ¡°You dare!¡± Walter suddenly gripped my wrist, his dark eyes staring intently at me, he said word by word, ¡°Tabatha, if you want to vent, you can aim at me, the child is innocent.¡± I sneered, ¡°Innocent? Who isn¡¯t innocent? Was my father not innocent? Was I not innocent? Walter, if you had been honest with me from the start about having someone else in your heart, why would we have ended up here? You wanted to enjoy the blessings of having a harem, but did you ever consider my feelings? It¡¯s one thing for you to hurt me, but in the end, you even harmed my father. Walter, do you really think I¡¯m a piece of wood, devoid of emotions and incapable of feeling pain?¡± He gripped my hand tightly, not uttering a word for a long while. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally let go of me, his voice low as he said, ¡°I owe her my life.¡± After speaking, he restarted the car. I paused for a moment, was the ¡®she¡¯ he referred to, Ashley? The car slowly drove towards the Hinton family¡¯s old house, his voice was somewhat faint, ¡°Five years ago, I went to the border, something happened there, I went blind. Later, she desperately brought me back to River City. I had already asked my grandmother, I would marry her, let her livefortably in the Hinton family for a lifetime, but then she suddenly married someone else. I thought she had found her own happiness, so I never mentioned this again after marrying you.¡± 54 161 r 87 71% It was five years ago again I had a bit of a headache, couldn¡¯t help but pinch my brow, ¡°So, now that she¡¯s back unhappily, you n to make her happy?¡± He furrowed his brows, looking at me sideways with a hint of helplessness in his voice, ¡°Tabatha, we¡¯ve been husband and wife for two years, is this how you see me? I will take good care of her for the rest of her life, but it will only be limited to care. Grandma will let her spend the rest of her life peacefully in the old house. You are my wife, always will be. The child in your belly is mine, no one can take away even a bit of his father¡¯s love. We are husband and wife, always will be.¡± Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Cunning and Calcting If it had been in the past, I would probably have been moved if he had said these things to me. But hearing them now, I felt particrly numb. Looking at him, Iughed, not wanting to speak anymore. The old mansion of the Hinton family. The autumn sun seemed quite appealing. Carley was basking in the sun in the rocking chair in the yard, feeling quite content. When Walter and I arrived, she was still feigning sleep with her eyes closed. Dale had someone move two chairs for us, poured two cups of green tea, and then stood next to Carley, whispering, ¡°Carley, the guests have arrived.¡± Upon hearing the sound, Carley slowly opened her eyes and looked at us. She first exchanged a few subtle words with Walter, then spoke to me, asking about trivial matters. After a while, she finally found an excuse to let Walter leave. She then looked at me and said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about your father¡¯s situation, child. It may seem inappropriate for me as an elder to discuss other matters with you at this time, but after all, I am Walter¡¯s grandmother. I have to consider many things for the Hinton family. You must have seen the news headlines. Have you thought about how to handle it?¡± I pursed my lips, paused for a moment and said, ¡°About the headline, I¡¯ve already arranged for the Conner Group¡¯s PR to handle it. The matter should be quickly suppressed 11 10 All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Next, I didn¡¯t rush to speak, instead, I looked at her. She nodded slightly, ¡°Yes, such matters are not suitable for fermentation. The only real solution is to suppress them. But child, this is after all a fact that is now known to everyone. I¡¯m afraid the reputation of the Hinton family is now being widely discussed.¡± Some things, once there was a hint of rumor, were easily subject to spection and exaggeration. Now that it has blown up, it was naturally inevitable to be talked about. I pursed my lips, calmed my demeanor, and looked at Carley, saying, ¡°Grandma, I didn¡¯t anticipate this either, I¡¯m very sorry for the loss this has caused the Hinton family. If you¡¯re upset about this, please don¡¯t make things difficult for the Conner Group. I¡¯m willing to take all the me.¡± She looked at me, seemingly not too angry, her lips slightly pursed as she said, ¡°What¡¯s done is done, you¡¯re a victim too, I don¡¯t me you.¡± She paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°But after all, it has happened, you¡¯ll have to step down from your position as the granddaughter-inw of the Hinton family, Tabatha.¡± I understood her words, nodded, and said, ¡°Alright, I will divorce Walter as soon as possible.¡± I hesitated for a moment before adding, ¡°The child in my stomach¡­¡± After all, the child had already informed Walter. If he was suddenly told at this moment that it was a scam arranged by Carley, he might have developed a grudge. What I thought of, Carley also thought of. She looked at me, scheming, ¡°This could be an opportunity. I see that Walter has some feelings for you. If you ask for a divorce without any reason, he won¡¯t agree. Tabatha, you¡¯re a smart kid. This non-existent baby is just something you can use to make Walter give up on you. Then your divorce will 20.40% ||| r 1110 naturally follow.¡± So, Carley was trying to use this non-existent child in my belly to force Walter and me to divorce? Ha, she really is a veteran who has fought in the business world for many years, even thinking about my way out for me. She understood Walter, knew that he valued rtionships and responsibilities, and also knew that it was impossible for us as a couple to have no feelings for two years. Therefore, if I suddenly proposed a divorce, Walter would have concerns and responsibilities, and would not agree to the divorce. But if I had used the child topletely break Walter¡¯s heart, making him give up this responsibility, the divorce would have naturally followed. Carley¡¯s scam was well thought out, offensive and defensive. Regardless of the situation, it was all to her advantage and did her no harm. Seeing that I didn¡¯t respond, she slightly squinted her eyes and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there anything else you don¡¯t understand?¡± I shook my head, paused for a moment, and looked at her, ¡°Grandma, this arrangement is excellent, I¡¯m just curious, how do you n to settle the child in Ashley¡¯s belly?¡± Seeing me bring up this matter, her face darkened slightly, and she said indifferently, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about this. After your divorce from Walter, the affairs of the Hinton family are none of your business.¡± That was indeed the case. I didn¡¯t press further, instead I said, ¡°Grandma, my divorce with Walter involves a non-existent child. I can¡¯t handle everything perfectly for the time being, I need some time.¡± 11 19 She nodded, not making things difficult for me, just asking, ¡°How long do you need?¡± ¡°At least two months.¡± After a moment of silence, she nodded slightly, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s just as well. Now that your father has passed away and the Conner Group is on the brink of copse, if Walter were to divorce you at this time, outsiders might say that the Hinton family is kicking you while you¡¯re down. I¡¯ll give you two months to sort this out. I hope that your divorce from Walter will not bring any unnecessary trouble to the Hinton family.¡± 89.79% 11.19 M) Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Just a Counterfeit After All The epitome of refined selfishness, that probably describes a person like Carley. She had calcted everything just right, not allowing herself to be at a disadvantage in any situation. Who knows, would she have had a breakdown if she knew that Walter used ten percent of the Hinton Group¡¯s shares as coteral for me? After talking with Carley, I left the main house. I never liked staying in this old mansion, even more so now. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t being back to this yard in the future. I still have some things in the room in the side yard. It was also taken away incidentally today. In the side courtyard living room, the family doctor was listening to Ashley¡¯s fetal heartbeat. Probably hearing footsteps, Ashley, stroking her belly, turned around with a smile on her face and said, ¡°Walter, you¡¯re here¡­¡± The moment she saw it was me, her face suddenly fell, her eyes wide open in anger, ¡°Why is it you? Didn¡¯t Carley forbid you froming to the old house? How dare youe in shamelessly?¡± I had be numb to her harsh words, having heard them too often. The family doctor was tactful enough to leave after giving Ashley a few instructions. In the hall, only Ashley and I were left. She looked at me, caressing her slightly protruding belly, and sneered, ¡°Tabatha, what¡¯s the point of 0.00% ||| you being pregnant with me? Walter has no interest in you. In the past, you had the Conner Group to rely on, which allowed you to stay by his side with dignity. Now, your reputation is ruined, and the Conner Group you relied on is also on the verge of copse. I¡¯m curious, what face do you have left to stay by Walter¡¯s side?¡± I didn¡¯te here to argue with her, I ignored her and went straight upstairs to pack up my things to take away. Ashley was the type to take advantage and still y innocent. Seeing that I remained silent, she became more enthusiastic. She followed me upstairs, continuing to chatter away behind me. Ignoring her, I packed up my things and was ready to leave. She stood in the bedroom doorway, looking at me provocatively and said, ¡°Tabatha, weren¡¯t you quite N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. talkative? Why are you silent now? Huh? Where did your arrogant and domineering attitude go?¡± The more she spoke, the more excited she became. Looking at me wildly, he said, ¡°True, your father is dead, the Conner Group is nothing but an empty shell now, the Hinton family doesn¡¯t want you either. You are no different from a homeless dog now. I warned you, but you didn¡¯t appreciate it and chose your own path to destruction.¡± I furrowed my brows and pursed my lips, looking at her. In a suppressed voice, I asked, ¡°How do you know about the Conner Group?¡± It was obvious what the oue would be with the Hinton family forcing me and Walter, but I had just found out about the Conner Group myself. She had never been to thepany, so how did she know? When I questioned her, she was taken aback for a moment, then snorted coldly, ¡°Tabatha, don¡¯t forget, you¡¯re not the only daughter in the Conner family.¡± ||| 11 191 It was better when she didn¡¯t speak. As soon as she did, my face fell, and I red at her angrily, ¡°The daughter of the Conner family? You think you¡¯re worthy? Ashley, Dad didn¡¯t have a daughter who would infuriate him to death like you!¡± Her face faltered for a moment, but just a momentter, she was ring at me fiercely, saying, ¡°So what? Tabatha, what can you do to me?¡± Indeed, I couldn¡¯t do anything to her, after all, my father¡¯s death was inevitable. Catching sight of the man near the bedroom, I squinted involuntarily, cing a hand on Ashley¡¯s shoulder, my fingertips pressing on her gunshot wound. I said, ¡°Indeed, I can¡¯t do anything to you, but Ashley, you¡¯re impersonating someone else as Walter¡¯s so-called lifesaver. Aren¡¯t you afraid that one day, when he finds out the truth, he will kick you out?¡± Once this matter was brought up, Ashley¡¯s emotions were almost uncontroble. She violently knocked my hand away, pushed me back, and said with a guarded expression, ¡°Tabatha, what exactly are you trying to say?¡± I smiled faintly, looking at the man standing outside the door, and said to Ashley, ¡°What I want to say, you should know very well. I am aware of your capabilities. Given your conscience, it¡¯s impossible for you to risk your life to save a stranger, let alone go through all the trouble to bring him back to the border. My father once said, you only spent half a month at the border five years ago. ¡°Tabatha, if you dare to spout nonsense again, I¡¯ll tear your mouth apart,¡± Ashley, somewhat losing her temper, charged at me, ready to tear into me. I stepped back a few paces, not overly panicked. The man standing 60 83% ||| outside the door quickly pulled away the frenzied Ashley. Seeing Walter suddenly appear, Ashley¡¯s face turned pale, stuttering, ¡°Walter, how did you¡­¡± Walter ignored her, steadying her before turning his dark eyes towards me, his voice low and restrained, ¡°What did you mean by what you said just now?¡± 93 84% Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Chapter 47 How Did You Know About What Happened Back Then? I smiled faintly, not intending to say much more. ¡°Take it at face value,¡± I said, ¡°If Mr. Hinton is curious, he might as well look into the whereabouts of my dear sister during the time you were in trouble. See if she really had the ability to go to the border to save you and bring you back.¡± After saying that, I was ready to pull away. But my wrist was grabbed by Walter, he looked at me with furrowed brows, ¡°Tabatha, how did you know about what happened back then?¡± Looking at his puzzled expression, I really wanted to tell him about the past, but considering his temperament, if he knew about it, it would be even harder for him to divorce. With this in mind, I said, ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just understand what kind of person my sister is, so I wanted to remind you, if you want to repay a favor, don¡¯t repay the wrong one, or else you¡¯ll be a I pulled my hand from his grip, picked up my packed belongings, and left the yard. Behind me, Walter seemed relentless, as if he wanted to chase after me and continue asking questions. However, Ashley held him back. Clutching her stomach, Ashley cried out to Walter with a grimace of pain, her voice hoarse and desperate, ¡°Walter, my stomach hurts so much, so much, don¡¯t leave¡­¡± Looking at this scene, I just nced back and couldn¡¯t help but want to apud Ashley. Her acting skills were so good, it was truly a pity she wasn¡¯t an actress. Having left the Hinton family, it had already grown dark. 0.00% ||| Cory called me, saying that he had prepared all the financial information for the Conner Group and asked if he should deliver it to the Conner family for me to review. I should have investigated Bright Media¡¯s finances. I only had one month. Now, Walter and I are She can¡¯t hold on either. It¡¯s just as well that I¡¯m going back to be with her now, and to find out where that thirty million went. Back to the Conner family, the huge vi was pitch ck, I just went in and thought my mother hadn¡¯t When I turned on the light, I saw my mother sitting alone on the sofa, hugging her knees, her face covered in tears, looking tired and worn. The sudden brightness of the light startled her, and she squinted at me, struggling to adjust to the light. Seeing her like this, a pang of pain hit my heart. I walked over to her, my voice hoarse as I asked, ¡°Mom, why didn¡¯t you turn on the light? Have you had dinner?¡± She shook her head slightly, looking at me and said, ¡°Tabatha, do you think your father would be cold alone in the funeral home? Would he be scared? I¡¯ve kept the lights on, hoping he coulde back to see me, but there¡¯s been no sign of him for a long time. He was a stubborn, heartless man. Even when he was leaving, he didn¡¯t say goodbye to me properly.¡± The pain in my heart made it hard for me to breathe. I took a deep breath and said, ¡°Mom, Dad was most worried about you before he left. He always reminded me to take good care of you. He was very reluctant to leave you, he just didn¡¯t have time to say goodbye to you properly.¡± My mother held me, tears starting to fall again, ¡°Tabatha, what did 29.47 ||| your father say to you before he left? Tell mom.¡± I knew she was thinking about her father, that¡¯s why she was like this. I repeated to her the words my father had said to me before he left. She hugged me, nodded slightly, and pursed her lips, saying, ¡°He, he¡¯s just a tough talker with a soft heart. Even at this point, he still can¡¯t let go of us, mother and daughter. This old man, so stubborn!¡± The sound of the doorbell echoed from outside the yard, reminding me that I had asked Cory toe over with the financial documents. I got up to greet him and invited Cory into the hall. Cory carried in a box of documents and ced it on the coffee table. He looked at me and said, ¡°Ms. Conner, I¡¯ve brought over some of the financial reports from the past year for the Conner Group and Bright Media. There¡¯s still a portion left. The finance department said it was too rushed and they couldn¡¯t get it organized in time. They¡¯ll deliver it once it¡¯s ready tomorrow.¡± I nodded, looking at Cory and said, ¡°Thank you for your trouble, Cory.¡± Cory nodded. His mother wiped away the tear stains on her face and poured Cory a cup of tea, asking him to sit down and talk. Cory took the tea, thanked her with a smile, and seeing her red eyes, he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°About the chairman¡¯s matter, I hope you can restrain your grief and not be too sad.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Mother forced a smile and said no more. The materials were delivered, and Cory didn¡¯t say much else before he left. He just told me before he left that I could reach out to him if I needed anything. I agreed with a smile. 62.69% 11 10 Looking at the box of documents in front of me, I couldn¡¯t help but pinch the bridge of my nose. I wasn¡¯t sure if I had the ability to handle this issue with the Conner Group this time. Mother didn¡¯t know what had happened. After seeing Cory leave, she looked at me and asked, ¡°Tabatha, what happened? Why do you need the financial information of the Conner Group?¡± 92.92% O Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Are You Worthy? I recounted to my mother what happened at the Conner Group today. She furrowed her brows fiercely and said, ¡°Impossible, your father could never do such a thing, using a mediapany tounder money. What benefit would he gain from doing this? Besides, our family hasn¡¯t had anyrge sums of moneying in this past year. Moreover, your father is fullymitted to running the Conner Group well. How could he possibly make such a mistake and put the Conner Group in such a predicament?¡± I understood my mother¡¯s emotions andforted her, saying, ¡°Mom, I also believe in Dad. That¡¯s why I made a promise to the shareholders. I will find out where the money went within a month and clear Dad¡¯s name.¡± She nodded, her gaze firm, ¡°Yes, we must find out, we absolutely must.¡± I would naturally investigate my father¡¯s affairs, but the most important thing right now was to handle my father¡¯s funeral. The next day, my mother and I went to the funeral home, as it¡¯s not good to leave a body unattended for too long. In the funeral home, my father¡¯s body had already been ced in a paper coffin, covered with many yellow and white chrysanthemums. His face was very calm, as if he was sleeping. Perhaps this is what each of us looks like after death, peaceful and serene. ¡°Family members, please mourn respectfully and wait in the rest room next door.¡± ?? ||| 11 19 After taking onest look at our father, the staff ushered us into the next room to wait, preparing to push him into the cremation furnace. The moment we saw our father being pushed in, our mother couldn¡¯t control her emotions any longer. She started shaking uncontrobly, clutching me tightly and pleading, ¡°Tabatha, can we not cremate your father, please? He couldn¡¯t bear the pain when he was alive, how could he bear it now if we burn him?¡± My heart felt as if it was tightly gripped by arge hand, causing so much pain that I could hardly breathe. Yet, I was fully aware that my mother had already broken down emotionally. If I didn¡¯t stay clear- headed, there would be no one to handle my father¡¯s affairs. I held my mother, patting her shoulder to soothe her, ¡°Mom, it won¡¯t hurt. I asked just now, they said it won¡¯t hurt. Dad will only be in there for a little while and then he¡¯lle out, it won¡¯t hurt.¡± Mother choked up, her voice fragile, ¡°Did it really not hurt? Such a high temperature, he¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t finish her sentence. I took a deep breath, soothing her, ¡°It really doesn¡¯t hurt, it¡¯s just because of the high temperature, so daddy can¡¯t feel the pain, it will be fine in a moment.¡± My mother felt sorry for my father, and so did I. I dared not think about whether he was afraid of pain. Some things, once thought about, would bring a surge of emotions, and I would break down just like my Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. mother. Forty minutester, my father¡¯s ashes came out. When I was very young, I always thought that the ashes people talked about were literally a pile of ash. It was only when I saw my father¡¯s ashes being brought out that I realized that cremation does not turn a person¡¯s bones into ashes. My father¡¯s skull and limbs were still clearly present, and even the other 24.69% parts of his body were not ashes, but fragments of bone. A long-term illness had turned my father¡¯s bones a dark, yellowish hue, unlike others whose bones were white. In the funeral parlor, my mother and I carefully ced my father¡¯s bones into the urn, piece by piece. Holding my father¡¯s skull, my mother stared at the darkened lines, her hands trembling uncontrobly. Choking back tears, she said, ¡°Tabatha, can you imagine how much pain he must have been in?¡± couldn¡¯t answer, I fell silent. When Ashley arrived, my mother and I had already prepared to take my father to the cemetery. She was dressed in ck, her face made up, her red lips so sharp they hurt the eyes. Seeing here, the mother looked at her coldly, without uttering a word. I held my father¡¯s urn, casting an indifferent nce at Walter who was standing not far behind her. He walked towards us, his tall and slender figure standing in front of me, reaching out to take my father¡¯s urn. I dodged, bypassed him and got directly into the car. Cory was the one driving. Seeing the two The cemetery was filled with many people, most of whom were friends and rtives my father knew when he was alive. They were here to see my father off on his final journey. The deceased was buried, with numerous customs to follow. My mother and I knelt in front of the grave, burning paper money, unsure if my father could receive it. When Walter squatted beside me, I was taken aback for a moment, O 11 19 then coldly snatched the paper money he was preparing to burn, and said indifferently, ¡°You¡¯re not qualified to burn this for my dad.¡± He pursed his lips, his brows furrowed, but just a momentter, he got up and walked over to help Cory erect the tombstone. I didn¡¯t want him to touch anything rted to my father. I stood up, trying to make him leave, but as soon as I got up, I felt dizzy and almost fell down. He was the first to steady me, his voice low and gentle, ¡°Are you okay?¡± pushed him away, suppressing my anger, and said, ¡°Mr. Hinton, I would appreciate it if you could take Ashley and leave.¡± He looked at me, his dark eyes brooding and suppressed, ¡°Tabatha, I am your husband.¡± ¡°Husband?¡± I sneered, pointing at Ashley who was hypocritically kneeling in front of my father¡¯s grave, ¡°A person who led my own sister to anger my father to death, are you worthy?¡± Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Chapter 49 He was seriously injured in an attempt to save Ashley. My voice wasn¡¯t loud, but the cemetery was only so big. The memorial was supposed to be quiet, and almost everyone around heard it. For a moment, all eyes turned to Ashley and Walter, whispering among themselves. Walter¡¯s face was gloomy, he looked at me with a furrowed brow, momentarily speechless. ¡°Tabatha, what nonsense are you spouting?¡± Ashley choked out at me, her eyes full of tears. ¡°Dad just died, why are you starting to nder us? Haven¡¯t you upset father enough over the years? The doctor said father was perfectly fine, it was your past shameful deeds that were exposed, making it known to the world, that caused father to be rushed into the emergency room.¡± She said this very loudly, her eyes red from crying, looking pitiful and full of sorrow. The incident from five years ago, even though I had a PR quickly handle it, was ultimately pushed onto the public tform. These people who usually had a good rtionship with my father, it was impossible for them not to have noticed. It was fine when it wasn¡¯t mentioned, but once it was brought up, everyone basically assumed that I was just like what was said online ¨C willful, arrogant, shameless, and eloped with someone. I couldn¡¯t bear the critical gazes of the crowd piercing me like ice daggers. For a moment, it felt as if I had been thrown into a frying pan, being tormented. I wanted to speak up and defend myself, but I was shaking so much that I couldn¡¯t utter a word. Seeing me treated like this, my mother, in a fit of madness, picked up the burning paper money and threw it at Ashley, shouting at her. ¡°You 0.00% 111 11.19 wretch, I didn¡¯t raise you for over twenty years just for you to bully my daughter. You ungrateful wretch, you killed my husband, and now you¡¯re bullying my daughter. I¡¯ll fight you to the end.¡± Saying this, the mother picked up a stone brick from the ground and hurled it at Ashley, acting as if she had gone mad,pletely out of control. I didn¡¯t react at all. By the time I did, all I heard was a scream. What I saw next was a hole in Walter¡¯s head, blood was pouring out. Ashley was holding Walter¡¯s bleeding head, crying her heart out. It wasn¡¯t Ashley who got hurt, it was Walter. He really knew how to y the hero and save the damsel in distress. Mother was so frightened that she froze on the spot, the turner in her hand also dropped to the ground. ¡°Get him to the hospital quickly.¡± Someone in the crowd shouted, and then Walter was helped away by a few people. Ashley also left. I watched the receding figure, somewhat dazed, walked to my mother¡¯s side, supported her, and called out hoarsely, ¡°Mom!¡± My mother turned to look at me, her eyes bloodshot, her voice trembling, ¡°Tabatha, he¡¯s not going to die, is he?¡± I shook my head, gently holding her and said, ¡°No, don¡¯t worry, he won¡¯t die.¡± Even if he did die, I would give my life for my mother¡¯s. Upon hearing my words, my mother burst into tears. Seeing the situation, Cory stood by, not knowing what to say. After a long while, he finally said helplessly, ¡°Such a day, and it¡¯s still turned out like this, sigh.¡± ||| My father had beenid to rest, and the mourners, after a farce, had all left. The surroundings were terrifyingly quiet. Yes, such days, still ended up like this, letting my father witness all of this happening before his eyes, my heart ached terribly. had promised him that I would take good care of our mother. After handling my father¡¯s funeral and letting Cory take my mother back to the Conner family, I went straight to the hospital. Hospital. Outside the operating room, Ashley was squatting by the door, her hands covered in blood, crying so hard that her voice was hitching. Dale had also arrived, but not knowing what had happened, he could only pace back and forth anxiously. Upon seeing me, he hurriedly approached and asked, ¡°Madam, what on earth happened? How did Mr. Hinton get such a serious injury?¡± ¡°It was her, she¡¯s the murderer, Dale, it¡¯s Tabatha, she wanted to kill Walter.¡± Before I could even speak, Ashley, who was squatting on the ground, sprang up, pointing at me with a face full of resentment and usation. Seeing this, Dale looked at me with a puzzled expression. I knew, he came here, just to understand the situation, and report back to Carley. After a moment¡¯s pause, he spoke, ¡°I was the one who hurt Walter.¡± Dale was somewhat bewildered, furrowing his brows and asking, ¡°What¡­what¡¯s going on? How did this happen all of a sudden¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, the door to the operating room < All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. 89.59% was pushed open. The doctor looked at us and said, ¡°The patient is fine, he¡¯s already awake, and the wound has been stitched up. Just make sure it doesn¡¯t get wet. The family needs to handle the hospitalization procedures. We¡¯ll observe for a couple of days, and if there are no issues, he can be discharged.¡± ¡°No need.¡± A deep voice came from the operating room, it was Walter. The blood on his head had been dealt with, bandaged. As he left the operating room, he looked at the doctor and said, ¡°I don¡¯t need to be hospitalized.¡± Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Always Bringing Up Old Favors to Make a Point He then looked at Dale and said, ¡°You go back and tell Grandma that I¡¯m fine, just got a little scratched up. I¡¯ll be fine in a couple of days, it¡¯s no big deal.¡± Seeing him like this, Dale hesitated for a moment, but still nodded under Walter¡¯s deep and dominant gaze, and left. ¡°Walter, you¡¯ve lost so much blood, how can you be okay? I¡¯ll go handle the hospital admission procedures, you stay in the hospital for a couple of days, it will put my mind at ease, okay?¡± Ashley held his arm, her face filled with unmistakable worry. Walter gently pulled away from her grasp, saying lightly, ¡°No need.¡± Then he turned his gaze towards me, took two steps closer and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine.¡± I looked up at him, a bandage wrapped around his forehead due to a wound. Even so, it did not diminish his noble demeanor in the slightest. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re okay.¡± I spoke, not wanting to say more, ready to leave. But his hand gripped her wrist, his deep voice echoed in her ear, ¡°I¡¯m injured after all, won¡¯t you help me back?¡± I pursed my lips, wanting to say that Ashley was still here, but upon careful thought, no matter what, I was still his wife. Why should I disgust myself by pushing him to Ashley? 0.00% It would have been better to just disgust Ashley and vent the anger in my heart. With that thought, I didn¡¯t say much more, supporting him as I said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go then.¡± ¡°Walter¡­¡± Ashley¡¯s face was twisted in anger as she called out softly from behind. But Walter seemed not to hear, allowing me to help him out of the hospital. In the car, I drove out of the hospital, nced at Ashley in the rearview mirror, who was standing at the hospital entrance with a resentful look on her face, and felt much more at ease. On the way, originally, Walter and I had nothing to talk about, so I didn¡¯t say anything and kept quiet. Surprisingly, he suddenly spoke up, ¡°I owe her my life.¡± These words were spoken very lightly, as if stating a fact. I was stunned for a moment, it took me a while to realize, was he exining to me about his heroic act of saving the damsel in distress at the cemetery? I pursed my lips, my gaze fixed on the road ahead, and said, ¡°So, you n to repay her kindness for saving you with your entire life?¡± There was a moment of silence in the car, and after a long while, he finally said, ¡°I will protect her for the rest of her life.¡± I nodded, wanting tough a bit, but couldn¡¯t. It fell silent. . I didn¡¯t know whether to praise this man for his admirable quality of gratitude and reciprocation, or to despise him for rashly identifying his 23.59% r 11 20 life-saver without rifying the facts. Seeing my silence, he sighed slightly and continued, ¡°That day at the hospital, I didn¡¯t expect Ashley to be there too. She told your father about her pregnancy and knelt down begging for his approval. By the time I wanted to stop it, your father¡¯s emotions were already out of control.¡± Was this the exnation given for my father¡¯s death? I pursed my lips, holding the steering wheel, and said, ¡°Hmm!¡± Just a single hum, nothing more. Seeing that I only responded with an indifferent ¡°hmm¡±, he pursed his lips and said, ¡°If you¡¯re still not satisfied, I don¡¯t mind if you stab me a few more times.¡± ¡°What is this nonsense?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but mock, ¡°Mr. Hinton, you better not speak such criminal words. You may be willing to go through hell and high water for Ashley, but I¡¯m not willing to bear the me for intentional harm.¡± He nced at me sideways, his dark eyes so deep they were frightening. I thought I had said something wrong again to upset him, but upon careful thought, I hadn¡¯t said anything. I was increasingly puzzled as to why he was looking at me with such a stifled expression. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that¡­¡± The words that followed were left unsaid. He spoke coldly, ¡°Tabatha, your head is indeed full of shit.¡± I¡­ Did they really curse like this? 49.27% ||| 11:20 ¡°Zi!¡± I stomped on the brakes, took a breath, nced at him, and said word by word, ¡°Get out of the car.¡± He lowered his gaze, his face looking very bad, ¡°Tabatha, the car is mine!¡± Ha! I simplyughed, is having a car really that impressive? I pulled up the handbrake, opened the door, and got out of the car all in one go, without even looking back at him. He didn¡¯t get out, but I did. In this vast River City, finding another car wouldn¡¯t be difficult. ¡°Tabatha,e back to me,¡± a furious voice of a man echoed from behind. I turned a deaf ear and, in order to get rid of him, I went straight into the alley by the roadside. The alleys of River City were incredibly winding andplex. After walking a distance, I figured Walter couldn¡¯t possibly have followed me, so I started looking around for an exit to hail a taxi back. ¡°Owen, I beg you, can you give me a little, just a little is enough, I¡¯ll do whatever you want, please¡­¡± The pleading voice of a woman came from the alleyway nearby. I was taken aback, and couldn¡¯t help but turn to look. I saw a gaunt woman half-kneeling in front of a man who was shining shoes, her face full of pain as she pleaded with him. The man wore a sun hat, obscuring his face. All that could be seen was him lifting the woman¡¯s chin, N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. uttering a sound of disgust, ¡°You¡¯re absolutely revolting, get out of my sight, don¡¯t interfere with my business.¡± Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Chapter 51 The Man from Five Years Ago Appeared After speaking, he directly kicked the woman in the chest. The woman, who was already thin, was kicked and fell backwards,nding in a very embarrassing manner. She was hit, but the woman showed no reaction. Instead, she got up and pleaded with the man, ¡°Owen, I beg you, I haven¡¯t had a hit for several days. Please have mercy on me, give me a hit. If you give me one, I promise I¡¯ll leave immediately and won¡¯t bother you.¡± Saying this, she crawled towards the man again. Seeing her like this, the man disgustingly pulled out a knife from his bosom, pointing at her ominously, ¡°Not nning on leaving, are you?¡± Seeing this, the woman was so frightened that she dared not approach. She got up and staggered away. Judging by the situation, I had no intention of staying longer and was preparing to find the exit to leave. However, just as I was about to avert my gaze, I inadvertently caught sight of the snake pattern on the knife in the man¡¯s hand. My brain buzzed, and some familiar memories suddenly surged in my mind. I recognized that knife. Five years ago, in a hotel in Deston City, that man had held this very knife against my throat, threatening me that if I dared to scream, he would slit my vein and let me bleed to death. The snake pattern on that knife handle was etched deeply into my mind, I would never forget it even in death. Suppressing the surging emotions in my heart, I watched as the man who was polishing shoes put away his knife. After looking around, he ||| < 11:20 + picked up his shoe-polishing tools and got up, heading towards the alley on his right. That face, I saw it clearly, that dark face with indistinct contours, it was him! Owen. I will never forget in my lifetime, it was this man who pushed me into hell, almost killed me at the border, and made it impossible for me to return forever. I had been searching for him for five years, a full five years, dreaming of finding him. I wanted him to exin everything that had happened that year, word by word, to everyone, to rify what exactly had happened. I wanted him to tell my father personally that I had never been willful. Five years had passed, and to my surprise, God allowed me to see him here. This time, I wouldn¡¯t let him escape, even if it killed me. Thinking of this, I lifted my leg and followed. However, I had only taken a few steps when I was suddenly pulled into an alleyway. I thought I was being watched, almost screamed in fright, only to realize upon looking up that it was Walter. Seeing it was him, I didn¡¯t bother to say much, I pushed him aside and continued to chase after. He held me, his voice low, ¡°Tabatha, are you trying to get yourself killed, chasing after a fugitive?¡± I paused for a moment, looking at him and asked, ¡°How did you know he was a fugitive?¡± He nced in the direction where the man had disappeared before releasing me, and said, ¡°He had a knife on him, and that shoebox was 29.64% ||| 11 20 full of opium. Why would you follow someone like that?¡± I hadn¡¯t paid attention to what was in that shoe box, but when Walter reminded me, I did recall. Owen had been engaging in illegal activities ind all along, abducting young girls, smuggling and trafficking. He was involved in all these things. So, the woman who was just begging him on her knees, was a drug addict. No wonder he was skin and bones. But even so, what of it? I had been searching for him for five years, and now that I¡¯ve finally found him, to let him just walk away like this, I can¡¯t ept it. Thinking of this, I pushed Walter away, coldly saying, ¡°My business, doesn¡¯t need your concern.¡± After saying that, I continued to follow in the direction Owen had left. Walter grabbed me, his handsome brows slightly furrowed, ¡°He must frequent this ce. If you follow him now, you¡¯ll only alert him.¡± I pursed my lips, ncing at him sideways. He, however, calmly said, ¡°I¡¯ll apany you to the police station to file a report. The police will send someone to check the ce. It¡¯s safer than you following him.¡± Indeed, upon hearing this, I didn¡¯t pursue any further. Lao Shi and I went to the police station. I told the police about what happened five years ago, and also mentioned that Owen was suspected of smuggling. The people at the police station were highly sensitive, they understood what was going on as soon as they heard it. They immediately brought in Captain Lucas, who was in charge of my case five years ago. Seeing 57.25% All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. 11 20 = me, Captain Lucas was somewhat surprised, ¡°Ms. Conner, you are¡­¡± I exined the situation to him, and he furrowed his brows and nodded, saying, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll have someone keep an eye on this. However, this involves the drug enforcement team. I think they might be nning to use this Owen as bait to catch the big fish behind him. Don¡¯t act rashly and alert the enemy. Of course, I understood what Captain Lucas meant. They needed to trace the source of the drugs, and that meant starting with smugglers like Owen. Otherwise, even if Owen was arrested, there would still be thousands and thousands more like him. Therefore, they had to use Owen to take down the entire operation behind him. Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Ashley Was Not the Biological Child of the Conner Family After saying goodbye to Captain Lucas, I left the police station. Walter kept looking at me, without saying a word. I originally thought he would ask something, but unexpectedly, he remained silent. It was I who couldn¡¯t help but look at him and say, ¡°Thank you for today.¡± If it weren¡¯t for his reminder to call the police, given my hatred for Owen, I would have definitely rushed up. With my limited abilities, the likely oue would have been a repeat of what happened five years ago. And I, I probably wouldn¡¯t have had the same luck as five years ago to return to my country. He ignored me, just looking at me and saying, ¡°Tabatha, how did you escape five years ago?¡± I was taken aback for a moment, meeting his inquisitive gaze. For a moment, I almost blurted it out, but thankfully, Carley¡¯s words reminded me. I steadied my emotions and said, ¡°It was the police who saved me. You heard what Captain Lucas said earlier, they went through a lot of hardships to find me.¡± He pursed his lips, his dark eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at me and said, ¡°Is that so? Then what did those words you spoke with Ashley in the side yard mean?¡± Side courtyard! I remembered, that day when I went to the old house to get something, I seemed to have said that Ashley was a fake. I had resentment in my heart at that time, so I deliberately said these things to provoke Ashley, and also deliberately made Walter suspicious. I pursed my lips, indifferently saying, ¡°What could it possibly mean? It¡¯s nothing more than my nonsense. Besides, if Mr. Hinton has doubts, 0.00% ||| 11 20 why doesn¡¯t he find someone to check how long Ashley actually stayed at the border five years ago?¡± He furrowed his brows, his expression gloomy as he said, ¡°I trust her, there¡¯s no need for these pointless efforts. Since you¡¯re talking nonsense, you better watch your mouth in the future.¡± After speaking, he left directly. Watching his figure receding into the distance, I felt somewhat dazed. Human nature, it¡¯s not something to be casually tested. Walter indeed had feelings for me, but they couldn¡¯tpare to those he had for Ashley. I knew very well that if I ever had a conflict with Ashley, he would choose Ashley without hesitation. This kind of emotion, perhaps even if one day he knew, the person who had suffered with him in the Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. water dungeon five years ago, and who had fled with him all the way, was me, he would not easily let go of Ashley. After all, they had truly loved each other once. Swallowing the bitterness in my heart, I took a deep breath and made a silent decision to expedite the divorce. the Conner family. When I came back, my mother was sitting in the hall, lost in thought. After my father left, she had been like this. Hearing the noise, she looked over at me. His gaze was somewhat awkward as he asked, ¡°Tabatha, is Walter alright?¡± I shook my head, soothingly saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s just a little skin wound, it¡¯s not a big deal. I¡¯ve already been discharged from the hospital, so don¡¯t worry.¡± 11 20 After hearing these words, she finally nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at her, I hesitated for a few seconds, but couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Mom, why did you scold my sister like that in the cemetery?¡± The situation was too chaotic at the time, I didn¡¯t ask my mother what those words meant. Now that it¡¯s just the two of us, I finally asked. She paused for a moment, her gaze flickering as she looked at me, as if she didn¡¯t know how to speak to me for a moment. This question, I originally just asked casually, but her reaction made me increasingly puzzled. I opened my mouth and said, ¡°Mom, are you hiding something from me?¡± Mother pursed her lips, bowing her head in silence for a good while. before she pulled me to sit on the sofa, took a slight breath and said, ¡°Tabatha, she is not your sister.¡± I was stunned for a moment, unable to grasp my mother¡¯s meaning for a while, ¡°Mom, what do you mean she¡¯s not my sister?¡± My mother patted my hand and sighed, ¡°Ashley is not your father¡¯s and my biological child. Twenty-five years ago, your father and I were on a business trip when we saw Ashley lying on the side of the road. That year, there was heavy snow in the south, and she was half-buried in the snow. If I hadn¡¯t spotted her, she might have frozen to death. Seeing a four or five-year-old child lying in the snow like that was just too pitiful, so we took her to the hospital.¡± At this point, my mother changed her tone and said, ¡°It was onlyter that we found out she had smallpox and had been abandoned by her parents on the side of the road to fend for herself. In those days, life was cheap, especially for girls, who were not favored. When her parents heard that it would cost money to treat her, they just threw her out. Seeing her so pitiful, I begged your father to pay for her treatment. 1120 The original n was to let her find her parents, but after some inquiries, we found out that her father had been arrested for some crime and her mother had run away with her brother. No one knew where they had gone. She was a poor little girl, and your father suggested sending her to an orphanage. But by then, she understood a bit about what was going on and clung to my hand, refusing to let go. I couldn¡¯t help but soften and brought her home.¡± Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Chapter 53 The Man Who Suddenly Appeared A hint of regret appeared on mother¡¯s face, ¡°Had I known she would ruin our home like this, I should not have been so soft-hearted to adopt her. Tabatha, it¡¯s mom¡¯s fault, mom was foolish.¡± I pursed my lips, a certain indescribable feeling stirring within me. After a moment of silence, I looked at my mother and said, ¡°You and dad never told me about this before.¡± She gave a helpless smile and said, ¡°Not long after I adopted her, you were born. After your birth, she was very sensible and took good care of you. Your father and I saw this and gradually began to treat her like our own daughter. Over the years, she has been very obedient and sensible towards your father. Your father and I also had our own selfish thoughts, thinking that when we are no longer around, she could help and support you a bit, which would give us peace of mind. But we never expected that things would turn out like this today.¡± Listening to my mother¡¯s words, I suddenly understood why Ashley had framed me five years ago. If she wasn¡¯t the daughter of the Conner family, everything would make sense. With this thought, I couldn¡¯t help but take a slight gasp, looking at my mother and saying, ¡°Mom, if she¡¯s not your biological child, why wouldn¡¯t you and dad believe what I said about the incident five years ago?¡± She furrowed her brows, somewhat helpless, ¡°It¡¯s not that your father and I don¡¯t believe you, it¡¯s just that we have no evidence. Moreover, after you got into trouble, she even went to the border to look for you, more anxious than your father and I. She was seriously injured when she came back and almost died. People¡¯s hearts are made of flesh, how 11.20 could we doubt her when she treats you like this? Your father did investigate, but found nothing. So we can¡¯t just take your word for it. Besides, you were only eighteen at that time, young and naive, there are always times when you don¡¯t understand things!¡± I understood my parents¡¯ concerns and didn¡¯t say anything more. That night, I spent the entire night with my mother at the Conner family¡¯s ce. She only managed to fall into a light sleep in the early morning. I didn¡¯t feel sleepy at all, as my father had just been buried. The mess of the Conner Group was still waiting for me to deal with. The next morning, I went to the Conner Group early. Cory brought all the financial statements of the Conner Group for the year to my office. There was too much information, and I estimated that it would take several days to look at them one by one. So I directly asked Cory, ¡°Cory, were all these data prepared and sent over by the finance department?¡± Cory nodded, ¡°Yeah, Ryan found out that you wanted to see the financial statements, so he prepared them in advance.¡± I pursed my lips, fell silent for a moment, and said, ¡°No need to look at the documents anymore, have someone send them back to the finance department.¡± Cory paused, not catching on, and asked in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I nced at the mountainous pile of documents and calmly said, ¡°Thepany¡¯s top management must have known about the shareholders.ing to thepany. Since they knew, these things they sent must be what they wanted me to see. Even if I read every single word, I wouldn¡¯t be able to find any problems, so there¡¯s no need to read them.¡± Cory looked at me, hesitated for a moment, and said, ¡°You mean¡­ the ||| matter of the thirty million dors is rted to thepany¡¯s top management?¡± I pursed my lips slightly and said, ¡°My father wouldn¡¯t have any intention of touching those thirty million Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. dors, and outsiders have even less chance of touching that money. Only people within thepany could. Such arge sum of money couldn¡¯t possibly disappear from thepany¡¯s ount for no reason. Find a way to get me the financial statements of Bright Media for this year.¡± He paused for a moment, his brows furrowed, appearing somewhat troubled. Upon seeing this, I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What happened?¡± He opened his mouth, and after a long pause, he finally said, ¡°Although Bright Media is under the Conner Group, many things are different from the Conner Group. There, you need to go through the process to get the financial statements.¡± ¡°Procedure?¡± I was a bit confused, ¡°What procedure?¡± He thought for a moment and said, ¡°Bright Media is apany acquired by the Conner Group. The senior management and staff are all from before, including the CEO who hasn¡¯t been reced. If I were to ask for the financial statements, I don¡¯t think they would easily give them to me.¡± I pursed my lips, not expecting this matter to be so difficult. After a moment of silence, I asked, ¡°The Conner Group doesn¡¯t have Bright Media¡¯s financial report?¡± He nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± As he spoke, he retrieved the financial report of Bright Media and handed it to me. I roughly flipped through it, pursed my lips and asked, ¡°Who is in charge of this ount?¡± 55.11% 11 20 ¡°Ryan,¡± Cory began, ¡°When I went to get these documents, Ryan specifically said that there was no problem with Bright Media¡¯s ounts, because he was always in charge, so there could be no problems. A lot of the funds were spent on acquiring some small mediapanies and disy screens, as well as onpany promotion. Every penny spent is recorded there.¡± ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s all recorded there,¡± a strange male voice suddenly rang out. Cory and I instinctively looked towards the office door that had been pushed open, seeing a man with gold-rimmed sses walk in. He was dressed in a blue suit, which entuated his tall and straight figure, broad shoulders and narrow waist. The man entered the office, his dark eyes swept over me, then he took the ount book from my hands, casually tossed it aside, and said, ¡°Stop looking, the best way to understand the market is to go to the market yourself.¡± Looking at the man who suddenly appeared in front of me, I was a bit stunned, and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Who are you?¡± The man¡¯s dark eyes scanned me, his handsome eyebrows raised as he extended his hand towards me, ¡°Alexander Borseth, the soon-to-be CEO of the Conner Group, Ms. Conner, you can call me Mr. Borseth.¡± Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Found Some Clues Alexander, the former CEO of the Conner Group. These pieces of information ran through my mind, and I did recall, my father indeed mentioned before his death that he had arranged for someone to seed as the CEO of the Conner Group. So the person he arranged was this young and good-looking man? I reached out to shake hands with Alexander, but before I could, he pulled back and said, ¡°Alright, now that everyone knows each other, let¡¯s get down to business.¡± I¡­ Pulling back my hand, I asked, ¡°Mr. Borseth, what did you mean by what you just said?¡± He nced at me and said, ¡°Is what I said hard to understand? What others give you is all on paper. If Ms. Conner wants to investigate, she naturally has to go and see for herself how much the so-called acquiredpany has spent, what the market price of a promotional disy screen is, and what Bright Media is currently doing. You need to understand all of these to know how the money is flowing out, don¡¯t you?¡± He said a lot, and indeed, it was true. I nodded, turning to Cory involuntarily, ¡°Cory, you might have to apany me to the market these two days.¡± Cory nodded,ughing, ¡°What I should have done¡­¡± 0.00% All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. 1120 ¡°What should and shouldn¡¯t be.¡± Alexander began, looking at me with some disdain, ¡°You, the young person to the market, what efficiency can you speak of? By the time the Conner Group goes bankrupt, you probably won¡¯t even have traced where your thirty million dors have gone, right?¡± I was rendered speechless by his scolding, Cory¡¯s face turned red from hisment about being old and frail. Trying to prove he wasn¡¯t old, he said, ¡°Mr. Borseth, I¡¯m just over fifty, not old.¡± Alexander looked at him and said, ¡°ording to the legal retirement age, you don¡¯t have many years left, do you?¡± Cory was momentarily speechless, heavily teased by this young man. Afraid that he might upset Cory, I looked at Alexander and said, ¡°There aren¡¯t many people I trust in the me.¡± Alexander snorted, saying, ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. I¡¯ll go to the market with you, and Cory will stay at thepany to look over these ount books. We¡¯ll im that he¡¯s with you.¡± At first, I didn¡¯t understand, but after a moment, it dawned on me. Cory staying in thepany could at least give the impression to the people inside thepany that I, like Cory, was also pondering over the illusions of these ount books. In this way, my trip to the market wouldn¡¯t attract too much attention, and it was just right to use Cory as a smokescreen. After I realized it, I had no objections to Alexander¡¯s arrangements, but I still looked at him with confusion and said, ¡°Since you came to the Conner Group to be the CEO, isn¡¯t it inappropriate for you to run the 23.97% ||| 11.20 market with me?¡± He casually picked up a ledger and said, ¡°No rush, the trail of this thirty million dors is unclear, Rudolf¡¯s arrangements won¡¯t have any effect in the Conner Group. Even if I became the president of the Conner Group, I would have to leave in a few days.¡± Indeed, the shareholders did not agree with the person my father arranged to be the CEO of the Thus, Cory stayed at thepany, and Alexander and I went to the marketing department of Bright Media. Before leaving, Alexander looked back at Cory and said, ¡°Cory, in the next couple of days, try to find someone to keep an eye on Ryan, the CFO of the Conner Group. If he has any unusual contacts or meets any strange people, notify us immediately.¡± Cory nodded, agreeing. After leaving the Conner Group, I looked at him quizzically in the car and asked, ¡°Is there a problem with Ryan?¡± Alexander nced at me and said, ¡°He is the person who can directly ess these thirty million dors. The fact that such arge sum of money has a problem, and he can¡¯t find out what the problem is, is the biggest problem itself.¡± 7 I didn¡¯t quite understand, but there was indeed nothing wrong with what he said. So, I didn¡¯t ask any further. It did remind me of what had happened at Ryan¡¯s house before, and those words of Abagail¡¯s, perhaps they weren¡¯t nonsense after all. Perhaps I needed to talk to Abagail again. Alexander and I spent a week wandering around the market of Bright 58 63% O 11 201 Media, and we basically figured out most of the situation. In the cafe under the Conner Group building. Alexander flipped through the documents in his hand and said, ¡°From what we can see now, it can be basically confirmed that this sum of money wasundered by Thomas, the CEO of Bright Media, through methods such as acquiring smallpanies, expanding the market, and purchasingpany equipment.¡± I pursed my lips, suppressing the anger in my heart, and said, ¡°This man is really despicable. My dad trusted him so much, gave him full authority to handle everything, and yet he turned out to be so ruthless.¡± Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Was He Your Man? Listening to myints, Alexander didn¡¯t respond. He nced at me and said, ¡°Based on all the information we currently have, we can call the police now. We just don¡¯t know how much of the money that Thomas took can be recovered.¡± I didn¡¯t think much at the moment, I directly dialed the police, reporting Thomas for the illegal misappropriation of public funds. After receiving the call, the police station immediately set off. Meanwhile, Alexander and I also left the coffee shop, preparing to go to Bright Media to check the situation. But as soon as I left the coffee shop, I ran into Waltering out of the Conner Group building. Seeing him, I was somewhat surprised. After leaving the hospital that day, I hadn¡¯t seen him again. Firstly, I was busy investigating Bright Media, genuinely busy. Secondly, I had been thinking about how to discuss our divorce, and had been intentionally avoiding him. He was preupied with Ashley, just as Carley had said, he didn¡¯t have much time to pay attention to me. Somewhat unexpectedly, I didn¡¯t think I would run into him here. Seeing me suddenly freeze, Alexander, who was standing by my side, naturally noticed Walter as well. He raised an eyebrow, a smirk ying on his handsome lips as he asked, ¡°Is this your man?¡± Alexander¡¯s style was blunt and rough, I had gotten used to it. She pursed her lips, ignored him, and said, ¡°The police should be at Bright Media by now, let¡¯s go.¡± 0.00% ||| 11 20 After speaking, I headed straight for the parking lot. But before I had taken a few steps, Walter was already blocking my path. His dark eyes swept over Alexander, his expression unreadable. He directly grabbed my wrist and said, ¡°Come with me.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, without waiting for my response, he directly grabbed me and started walking towards his car. I didn¡¯t know what he was up to, but I was indeed busy at the moment. I quickly stopped in my tracks, trying to pry his hand off, frowning and saying, ¡°Mr. Hinton, we can talk another day if there¡¯s something. I¡¯m busy now, let go of me.¡± The man was strong, almost effortlessly half-lifting me into his arms, disregarding whatever I said, and headed towards the side of the car. I got anxious and turned to Alexander, who was standing by with his arms folded, shouting, ¡°Alexander, stop gawking and help!¡± Seeing me speak, Alexander quickly stepped in front of Walter. The two men were of simr height. Alexander looked at Walter and said, ¡°Mr. Hinton, Ms. Conner is not very willing to go with you. You are forcing her against her will.¡± Walter¡¯s dark eyes swept over him, his voice low as he said, ¡°Move aside.¡± Upon seeing this, Alexander looked at me, a helpless expression on his face. ¡°Ms. Conner,¡± he said, ¡°he seems a bit fierce. Why don¡¯t you just go with him, and I¡¯ll handle the Bright Media situation?¡± Damn! This man had grown so tall for nothing. I gave him a disdainful look, annoyed, ¡°Listen to yourself, is that even 29.65% §Ô human to say? If he was a human trafficker, would you just stand by and do nothing?¡± He, however, casually crossed his arms and said, ¡°He¡¯s handsome, so the chances of him being a human trafficker are slim. Besides, I just asked you, he¡¯s your man. I¡¯ve never experienced this kind of situation where two men fight over one woman, so I¡¯m not very good at it.¡± The day had gone to the dogs, and for a moment, I was rendered speechless. ¡°Had enough of chatting?¡± Walter began, casting a gloomy nce at Alexander, and said with a frown, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the investment genius of Walling Street to condescend to the Conner Group. It¡¯s quite surprising.¡± Alexander¡¯s eyes lit up as he said, ¡°Am I already so famous? Mr. Hinton actually knows me, that¡¯s great.¡± After speaking, he looked at me, took a step to the side, and said, ¡°You take her away, I won¡¯t stop you.¡± Me?? Did people nowadays really have no bottom line? I was led to the car by Walter, no longer resisting, and suppressing my anger, I asked, ¡°What does Mr. Hinton want with me?¡± He didn¡¯t answer me, but directly started the car. The inside of the car was very quiet all the way. It wasn¡¯t until the car stopped outside Downers Valley that I asked, puzzled, ¡°Why have you brought me here?¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Walter got out of the car, didn¡¯t directly answer my question, but instead said, ¡°If we get there fast enough, we might be able to find Abagail.¡± 60 18% 11 201 I hadn¡¯t even understood what he was saying before he was pulling me towards Abagail¡¯s house. I had been to Ryan¡¯s house once before, so I knew the apartment building where Abagail lived. As I followed him waiting for the elevator, I almost came to my senses, She looked at him and asked, ¡°Did you find something on Ryan?¡± He nced at me and said, ¡°Whatever you can find in the market, Thomas has already thought of it. By the time you get the evidence, he probably won¡¯t be in the country anymore.¡± I paused, surprised, ¡°Are you saying Thomas escaped earlier?¡± Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Was it too hasty to look for the next home now? The elevator doors opened, he walked in, didn¡¯t answer my question, but the meaning was clear, Thomas had indeed escaped. I pursed my lips, my mind quickly catching up, and looked at him, ¡°So, Ryan was also involved in Thomas¡¯s moneyundering? And he also escaped?¡± He had juste out of the Conner Group, he must have gone to the Conner Group to look for Ryan, but didn¡¯t find him, so he thought of bringing me to find Abagail, trying to get something out of Abagail. He looked at me, his handsome eyebrows slightly raised, his voice deep as he said, ¡°Not too stupid, after all.¡± I¡­ Was this apliment? Why did it sound a bit awkward to me? Ignoring him, the elevator doors opened and I was the first to step out, heading towards Abagail¡¯s house. However, as soon as I exited the elevator, I noticed that the door to Abagail¡¯s house was slightly ajar. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Seeing this situation, Walter and I exchanged a nce, both tacitly thinking that something might have happened to Abagail. I hurriedly pushed open the door and entered Abagail¡¯s house, searched all around, but found no one. Seeing this situation, I couldn¡¯t help but look at Walter and said, ¡°She and Ryan have gone abroad.¡± Walter¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, and after a moment, he shook his head slightly, saying, ¡°Impossible.¡± 000 11 21 ¡°Why couldn¡¯t it be possible? She was Ryan¡¯s wife, there¡¯s no way Ryan would go abroad without her¡­¡± I didn¡¯t continue speaking. After all, a couple is like birds of the same forest, when disaster strikes, they each fly their separate ways. Moreover, Abagail had previously, in her delirium, confessed to killing Ryan, stabbing him over a dozen times. A man who subconsciously wanted to kill his own wife, even if he loved her deeply, might hesitate to take her with him when disaster struck. Seeing Walter silent, I looked at him and said, ¡°If Ryan isn¡¯t taking her, then where would she go? Besides, judging from the situation in this room, it¡¯s clear that Abagail might have left in a hurry.¡± Walter roughly scanned the house, pursing his lips, ¡°She must have been taken away by someone Ryan sent. It seems she indeed knows something about Ryan, otherwise, Ryan wouldn¡¯t have thought of her at this time.¡± I pursed my lips, ¡°Where would Ryan have taken Abagail if he didn¡¯t take her abroad?¡± Walter didn¡¯t say a word, pursing his thin lips as he left Abagail¡¯s house. I intended to call the police, but Walter stopped me. He finally spoke, ¡°The police don¡¯t know the truth. Even if we call them, they won¡¯t be able to do much for a while.¡± ¡°What should we do then?¡± I felt a bit of a headache, ¡°What if Ryan had malicious intentions and wanted to silence someone by killing them? Wouldn¡¯t Abagail be in danger then?¡± Let¡¯s not talk about getting any information from Abagail for now. After all, Abagail is a life. If we don¡¯t involve the police, I¡¯m afraid it might end up costing a life. Walter shook his head, his handsome brows smoothing slightly as he 25 195 looked at me and said, ¡°He knows better than anyone the difference in severity between murder and embezzlement. So, he wouldn¡¯t be so foolish. He must have hidden Abagail somewhere.¡± After his reminder, I did realize that indeed, if one killed a person, it would be a capital crime. Even if he had the money to flee abroad, he would probably never be able to return to his home country in his lifetime. Otherwise, what awaited him would be a lifetime of imprisonment. With that thought, I also calmed down and followed Walter out of themunity. Standing by the car, seeing that I wasn¡¯t preparing to get in, he furrowed his brows slightly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± When I came, I was forcibly brought here by him. Now that the matter is settled, I naturally wouldn¡¯t n to continue with him. I pursed my lips and said. ¡°I¡¯ll take a taxiter, you go ahead!¡± He furrowed his brows, a chill emanating from his handsome face as he bluntly said, ¡°Tabatha, are you deliberately distancing yourself from me?¡± I remained silent. Carley had only given me two months. I really had no idea how to use this non- existent child in my belly to make him divorce. The best solution at the moment was to keep my distance from him, which also gave me enough time to think. Seeing that I didn¡¯t speak, he walked up to me, pulled me directly into the car with a gloomy and domineering expression, ¡°The matter of the Conner Group, it¡¯s not only that useless Alexander who can help you.¡± Listening to his inexplicable words, I couldn¡¯t help but frown, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say he was a genius?¡± It hasn¡¯t been long, and now you¡¯re calling him useless. 56.12% He fastened his seatbelt, gave me a cold nce, and said, ¡°What? Have you taken a fancy to him?¡± I originally wanted to argue, but after careful thought, I went along with his words, ¡°Can¡¯t I? You and Ashley are bound to be together sooner orter, and I should also consider my own future. Besides, after spending these few days with Mr. Borseth, he¡¯s not a bad person, he¡¯s someone worth relying on.¡± ¡°Tabatha!¡± The three words were squeezed out one by one from the man¡¯s mouth. His car, which had already started, suddenly hit the brakes. He looked at me with a gloomy face, his dark eyes filled with a warm anger, ¡°You¡¯re still carrying my child in your belly, and you¡¯re already looking for a new partner. Isn¡¯t that too hasty?¡± Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Chapter 57 I Never Thought of Having This Child Iughed, avoiding his gaze, and casually said, ¡°I¡¯m not exactly in a hurry. Compared to you, I¡¯m not nearly as brazen. Besides, I¡¯m not the only one carrying your child. Moreover, I never intended to have this child in the first ce.¡± The temperature in the car suddenly dropped sharply, causing me to shiver involuntarily. I met Walter¡¯s gloomy gaze and it took me a moment to realize how excessive my previous statement had been, causing my heart to skip a beat. He looked at me, his dark eyes filled with uncontroble gloom and anger. But he was well-mannered, even if he was angry, he would noty a hand on me, let alone hurt me. After a long silence, he finally spoke, ¡°You never intended to have this child from the beginning?¡± Looking into his eyes, my heart suddenly skipped a beat. Meeting his gaze, I saw disappointment and an unclear gloom. For a moment, I even saw the pain in his eyes. Pain? For the child in my belly? Or¡­ A sudden, uncontroble pang of pain shot through my heart. I knew that if I denied it, he would surely take me out for a good meal with a steady mood, even apany me to check whether this non- existent child was healthy, and even look forward to the arrival of this child with me. But I also knew that once it happened, the prospect of divorce between him and me would be indefinitely postponed. He would not give up his feelings for Ashley, nor would he abandon his responsibilities towards me and this child. The entanglement of the three of us would continue like a curse, indefinitely. I didn¡¯t allow it, and Carley wouldn¡¯t either. Looking at him, I took a deep breath and said, ¡°Well, I never wanted to have this child for you, Walter. I told you, you could only choose one between me and Ashley¡¯s child. Once the matter with the Conner Group is over, I will make an appointment at the hospital to have an abortion. You don¡¯t need to worry about grandma. If you still cherish the two years we spent as husband and wife, then respect my choice. I know you have the ability to interfere in any of my affairs, but when ites to terminating a pregnancy, I have a million ways, and you should know that better than I do.¡± He probably didn¡¯t expect me to speak so harshly, so he just stared at me, motionless, his eyes filled with a gloomy darkness. After a long while, he finally spoke, ¡°Just because of one Ashley?¡± I pursed my lips, my gaze somewhat cold, ¡°Isn¡¯t one Ashley enough? Walter, do you think I should be magnanimous enough to amodate your lover and child, watching you three live happily? You¡¯re overestimating me.¡± He fell silent, his thick brows revealing a cold and heavy demeanor, ¡°My rtionship with her is merely one of gratitude. If you are bothered by Ashley¡¯s presence, I can send her away.¡± I originally thought that, given his feelings for Ashley, he would definitely get angry and kick me out of the car. Between me and Ashley, he would never make a choice, after all, Ashley was thepulsory question. But his words left me momentarily speechless. 25.92% Sent Ashley away? Though surprised, it was only for a moment. I quickly calmed down and said indifferently, ¡°Whether you send her away or not, it¡¯s your business, it has nothing to do with me.¡± He nced at me sideways, his dark eyes deep and seemingly helpless yet angry. After a long while, All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. he started the car and said, ¡°Tabatha, if you dare to hurt our child, I will make you wish you were dead. I mean what I say.¡± I pursed my lips and remained silent, unable to describe the feeling in my heart. This child was nothing but a figment of imagination, so what was there to be hurt about? Besides, Carley only gave me two months. Whether he truly cared about this child, or it was just an overflow of so-called paternal love, to me, it was all just a fleeting moment in the end. All the way, we were silent, the car stopped under the Conner Group building. Alexander was waiting downstairs. Seeing me get out of the car, he came up to greet me, his brows furrowed, ¡°The person has escaped, the police came up empty-handed. I just got the news that Thomas also borrowed fifty million from the bank under the pretext of expanding new business with Bright Media. This money, he also took away.¡± On the way to find Abagail with Walter, I had already guessed that Thomas had run away. I wasn¡¯t surprised about it, but I couldn¡¯t help but frown at the thought of the fifty million he had taken. Thomas was really greedy, wasn¡¯t he afraid of being choked to death by so much money? Looking at Alexander, I nodded slightly, took a breath and said, ¡°I guessed it, what happened to the finance department of the Conner 59.18% ww Group?¡± He pursed his lips, his brows still furrowed, ¡°I just thought of Ryan¡¯s issue too. Aftering back from Bright Media, I went to the finance department. Ryan took away all the funds he could. The situation in the Conner Group¡¯s ount is not optimistic.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but pinch the bridge of my nose due to the headache. The original thirty million dors was already difficult enough, but now with the money these two greedy individuals took away, I¡¯m afraid the Conner Group¡¯s funds might run out. Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Chapter 58 He Feared I Would Miss You The massive Conner Group, once its funding was cut off, faced the risk of having to halt all operations. The Conner Group waspletely put in a passive position. Thinking of this, I looked at Alexander and said, ¡°The Conner Group now, might be beyond redemption, you¡­¡± ¡°When will my appointment be announced?¡± Alexander spoke, his dark eyes coldly looking at me. He was handsome, and whenever he looked at others, he always gave off a sense of disdain. Upon hearing his words, I was taken aback for a moment, subconsciously asking, ¡°You¡¯ve decided to stay?¡± He frowned, a look of displeasure on his face, ¡°What? After dragging me around the market to help you, you¡¯re ready to discard me? Tabatha, you¡¯re treating me like a rag, aren¡¯t you?¡± I quickly shook my head, ¡°Of course not, alright, I will immediately have your uncle announce your appointment as the CEO of the Conner Group.¡± Before, I didn¡¯t understand Alexander¡¯s situation. I thought that without rifying the whereabouts of those thirty million dors, those shareholders would disagree with him serving as the president. But upon hearing Walter¡¯s evaluation of him, I deliberately looked up Alexander¡¯s information and found out that he was indeed a genius, and he was recognized as an investment genius among the geniuses on Walling Street, which is full of geniuses. Such a talent joining the Conner Group was something the old shareholders could only dream of, so naturally, they wouldn¡¯t say much. 0.00% 1121 Hearing my words, Alexander finally seemed satisfied. He nced past me towards Walter, who was following me out of the car, and frowned, ¡°Your man is indeed quite handsome, I quite like him.¡± I¡­ I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes, unconsciously looking down at him. My lips twitched as I said, ¡°What a pity, such a handsome young man.¡± Seeing my gaze wander where it shouldn¡¯t, he clicked his tongue, subconsciously shielding his lower body. He raised his hand and harshly knocked on my forehead, saying, ¡°Get rid of all that nonsense in your head, I like women, I¡¯m straight.¡± I was hit by him so hard that it hurt. I couldn¡¯t help but cover my forehead, looking at him and saying, ¡°And you just keep on praising another man for being handsome?¡± He looked at me with a face full of disdain, speechless, ¡°You, Miss Conner, who has received higher education, are you brainwashed? You allow women to appreciate beautiful women, but not men to appreciate men? What¡¯s wrong withplimenting something pleasing¡± to the eye?¡± This statement did make sense for a moment. I was speechless and couldn¡¯t refute. Seeing Walter had alreadye to our side, I couldn¡¯t help but look at Alexander and said, ¡°What¡¯s so good to look at? If you like to look at beautiful things, you can just look in the mirror when you go home every day. That¡¯s enough to feast your eyes.¡± He snorted, his face full of arrogance, ¡°No need for your reminder, I know I¡¯m very handsome.¡± I feigned a smile and said, ¡°Yeah, you are indeed very handsome.¡± 29281 ||| a Hearing something off in these words, Alexander was about to say something more, but then he saw Walter already standing behind me. He turned to Walter and said, ¡°Mr. Hinton, we meet again.¡± Walter looked at him, his thin lips slightly pursed, and responded with a lukewarm ¡°Hmm¡±. He then nced at me and said, ¡°In mythology, the narcissistic god Narcissus ended up dying by the water and turning into a daffodil. Your father didn¡¯t let him into the Conner Group just to let you waste time nurturing a daffodil.¡± For a moment, I didn¡¯t react. It was Alexander who looked displeased and said, ¡°Mr. Hinton, do I have a grudge against you? Isn¡¯t it inappropriate to speak ill of me like this?¡± Walter nced at him and said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve joined the Conner Group, do what you¡¯re supposed to do.¡± After speaking, he looked at me again and said, ¡°I¡¯lle to pick you upter, don¡¯t work too hard. Too much stress is not good for you or the baby.¡± Me?? Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Watching Walter leave, I was utterly balled. Alexander clicked his tongue, not too pleased, and said, ¡°Did my good looks bother him? He even used the narcissist from mythology to belittle me, is it so great to be well-read?¡± I withdrew my gaze, nced up at Alexander, didn¡¯t say much. Walter, as always, insulted people without using any swear words. There were other matters to attend to, so Alexander and I entered the Conner Group, preparing to carefully discuss the matter of Thomas and Ryan. These two had taken arge amount of assets from the Conner 58 90% 1 Group. If the follow-up was not handled well, the Conner Group would be finished. By then, it wouldn¡¯t just be a matter of thirty million dors. Thinking about these things, I couldn¡¯t help but get a headache again. In the elevator, Alexander tilted his head and looked at me, ¡°Are you pregnant?¡± I paused for a moment, recalling what Walter had just said, pursed my lips, neither denying nor nodding in agreement. Upon seeing this, Alexanderughed and said, ¡°It seems your man cares about you quite a bit. He¡¯s afraid I might have designs on you, so he deliberately told me about your pregnancy.¡± Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Searching for Clues The elevator door opened, I gave him a nk look, speechlessly said, ¡°You¡¯re overthinking, he¡¯s afraid I¡¯m thinking about you.¡± A pregnant married woman, any man who wants to approach has to weigh it up, Walter¡¯s this kind of thinking, really¡­ childish. In the office, Alexander¡¯s appointment documents had already been implemented. There were no issues from the shareholders, and everyone within thepany had been notified. ¡°I checked all the customs, but I couldn¡¯t find Thomas and Ryan. Logically, they shouldn¡¯t have had time to leave the country yet. The police are also looking for them,¡± Cory finished, looking at me, ¡°There¡¯s also another matter, it¡¯s about Ryan.¡± I looked at my uncle and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Cory handed me a few photos, saying, ¡°A while ago, someone in thepany saw Ryan having coffee with a woman at the cafe downstairs. They were quite intimate, she seemed to be his mistress.¡± I looked at the photo, and couldn¡¯t help but recall what Abagail had told me before. Ryan had kept a woman outside and even had a child. It seemed that Abagail¡¯s words were not nonsense. That day at Abagail¡¯s house, when Walter and I were about to leave, Abagail mentioned that the Conner Group was going to be in trouble. Did this also imply that Abagail had known something all along? Maybe she wasn¡¯t just talking nonsense at the time, but trying to warn me? Pinching my brow, I turned to Cory and said, ¡°Ryan should be with this woman now, they have a child. Cory, have someone keep an eye 0.00% r 1121 on the customs, pay attention to any information about a family of three, and also Ryan¡¯s wife, Abagail. She¡¯s probably still in the country, and most likely still in River City. Have someone look for her and see what they can find. Also, find out about this woman who¡¯s close to Ryan, where she lives, have someone watch for a few days, we might be able to find Ryan.¡± ¡°Good!¡± Cory nodded, spoke about thepany¡¯s situation for a while, and then left. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Alexander had been going through thepany¡¯s documents. After Cory left, he looked at me with a furrowed brow and said, ¡°You should know the situation of the Conner Group better than I do. I don¡¯t know if I can help you turn things around, but I can only tell you that I will try my best.¡± Of course, I knew what the Conner Group was like now, beset with troubles both internally and externally. That Alexander could stay, he had already gone above and beyond. I nodded, looking at him and said, ¡°I would be very grateful if you could stay.¡± He raised an eyebrow, his attractive eyes looking at me as he said, ¡°But don¡¯t be so pessimistic. If the Conner Group really can¡¯t make it, don¡¯t you still have the Hinton family? If it reallyes to that, I can reluctantly go back to Walling Street and continue to make money to support you.¡± Me?? How did this conversation be more and more ambiguous? I had only known him for less than ten days. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± Iughed, ¡°If the Conner Group really came to that point, I could support myself by washing dishes. But it¡¯s you 32 43% ||| 1121 who would be wasting your great future for nothing.¡± He snorted, cing the materials on the table and began, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s cut the crap and discuss what we should do next.¡± I nodded, probably due to the numerous events in the past few days, I felt somewhat groggy. I pinched the bridge of my nose and looked at him, asking, ¡°Do you have any ns?¡± He nodded, ¡°The most critical issue for the Conner Group at the moment is the loss of funds. The normal operation of thepany has been severely affected. Let¡¯s divide the work. I will help you stabilize the internal operation of thepany, and you try to recover the lost funds. The amount of money that Thomas and Ryan took away is not small. They can¡¯t drain the money in a year and a half, so the most critical thing now is to find these two people and get the money out their mouths. You are familiar with River City, so it¡¯s easier for you to find people than me.¡± of I naturally had no objections to his arrangement, nodding and saying, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave thepany in your hands then.¡± He raised an eyebrow, tilted his body, and leaned on the genuine leather sofa in the office. He casually said, ¡°If you really want to repay me, invite me to dinner. I haven¡¯t had a proper meal for several days. This lifestyle is almost wearing me out.¡± Seeing him exaggerate so much, I couldn¡¯t help butugh and said, ¡°Alright, what do you want to eat? I¡¯m treating tonight.¡± He turned his head to look at me,ughing, ¡°You do?¡± Uh. I paused for a moment, then said, ¡°I¡¯m not a good cook, I doubt it would suit your taste.¡± After all these years, I rarely cooked, my culinary skills were really nothing to brag about. Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Why Didn¡¯t You Wait for Me? Hearing my words, he let out a sigh of disappointment and said, ¡°I¡¯m tired of eating out. I just wanted to have some home-cooked meals. If you can¡¯t cook, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just grab something to eat and head back to the hotel to rest early.¡± He hadn¡¯t been back in the country for long and many things were still unsettled. He had been busy these past few days. Hearing him say this, I couldn¡¯t help but feel terrible about myself. After all, he had helped me when I was in dire need, yet I hadn¡¯t properly taken care of his life. Looking at him, I hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°How abouting to my house for dinner tonight? My mom is a good cook. Whatever you want to eat, I can tell her to prepare some. It would be nice to have you over and liven things up a bit.¡± Upon hearing this, his eyes lit up, and he looked at me, asking, ¡°Really?¡± I nodded,ughing, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t mind.¡± Seeing this, he was in a good mood and stood up, saying, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go with you after work.¡± After speaking, he left my office in a hurry. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Seeing him like this, I was a bit stunned. Has this kid been eating poorly recently? Why so excited? In the evening, after finishing hispany affairs, Alexander had alreadye to wait for me in my office early. After spending a few days together, I initially thought he would be a difficult and cold-faced CEO. But now it seems, he is a slightly sarcastic and stubborn person, 0.00% 11 21 m yet very warm-hearted. All in all, he was not a bad person. Closing the file, he and I went to the parked car lot together and drove straight back to the Conner family. Because he had informed his mother in advance, when he arrived at the Conner family¡¯s ce, his mother came out to greet him. After smiling and greeting Alexander, she led him into the hall. He didn¡¯t know what delicious food she had made, but as soon as he entered, he smelled the aroma. Alexander, on the other hand, was not at all reserved. He started chatting with his mother after just a few words. After washing her hands, the mother beckoned him to sit down and then enthusiastically served him food,ughing, ¡°Alexander, eat more, you look thinner.¡± How long has it been since west met, and you¡¯re already calling him Alexander? I sat aside, realizing that I couldn¡¯t get a word in edgewise between the two of them. Just then, my phone rang, so I simply got up to answer it. Seeing the iing call disy as Walter on my phone, I frowned subconsciously. What was he calling me for? I picked up the phone and habitually began, ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± A deep male voice came from the other end, sounding a bit off. I didn¡¯t think much and answered truthfully, ¡°At home, having dinner with my mom, what¡¯s up?¡± 29.17% ||| After a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, it seemed that the temper was under control, and the voice asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wait for me toe pick you up?¡± I was taken aback, then btedly remembered that Walter had mentioned picking me up from work. I thought he was just saying it to appease Alexander, so I didn¡¯t take it seriously at all. After hesitating for a moment, I carefully asked into the phone, ¡°Where¡­ where are you now?¡± The man¡¯s voice on the other end of the phone was deep and cold, chillingly uttering a few words, ¡°Under the Conner Group building.¡± Huh! This mess was indeed my fault. I hesitated for a moment, then said into the phone, ¡°I¡¯m home now, sorry, I thought you were just saying it casually.¡± ¡°Beep beep¡­¡± The sound of the phone hanging up came from the other end. One could imagine that Walter¡¯s mood at that moment was certainly not beautiful. I hung up the phone and couldn¡¯t help but take a deep breath. Ashley must have been bothering him every day recently. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to find time to pick me up amidst his busy schedule. It seemed that it wasn¡¯t entirely a good thing for this man to be responsible. Returning to the dining table, my mother and Alexander were having a lively conversation. It was rare to see my mother so happy, which in turn lifted my spirits a bit. Since my father left, she had been spending her days in silence and solitude, often lost in her own thoughts. At times, I was genuinely concerned about her mental state. 1 54.97% ||| 11 21 Seeing her in a good mood today, I couldn¡¯t help but have a great appetite. They were chatting, and I couldn¡¯t get a word in, so I simply buried my head and enjoyed the food. When I got up to get more food, my mother finally looked at me and said, ¡°Tabatha, you¡¯ve been eating a lot more since you got pregnant, but your belly isn¡¯t that big yet. You need to rest well and not overwork yourself.¡± I nodded, knowing that my mother was worried about me, and said, ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± After responding, I got up to get more rice. After just a few bites of rice, I realized what my mother meant. Only I knew that I wasn¡¯t pregnant, but my recent appetite had indeed been a bitrge. Could it be because I¡¯ve been so tiredtely, so I¡¯m eating more? Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Chapter 61 It¡¯s Not That I Can¡¯t Be a Son-inw! ¡°Tabatha, I just heard from Alexander that he has recently returned from abroad and has been staying in a hotel all this time. I thought about it and decided to invite him to stay at our ce. It would be convenient, I could cook for you both regrly. Plus, with your pregnancy, it would be good to have an adult male around to help out. What do you think?¡± My mother interrupted my thoughts, beginning to speak. I paused, involuntarily looking at Alexander, somewhat puzzled. What had he discussed with my mother that would lead her to make such a suggestion? Alexander didn¡¯t even look at me. I felt helpless and said to my mother, ¡°Mom, maybe Mr. Borseth is used to living alone. He might not befortable living in our house.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you used to it?¡± Mother began, continuing, ¡°Alexander, this child, was raised by your father and me. When he was in school, I wanted him to live with us, but unfortunately, he was doing well and went abroad, so we didn¡¯t have that chance. Now he¡¯s back, we¡¯re family, it¡¯s good to live together, isn¡¯t it, Alexander?¡± Alexander nodded, smiling, ¡°Hmm, Auntie Eileen is right. I¡¯ve always wanted to eat your cooking every day. I used to think about it, and now that I¡¯m back, I¡¯ve finally realized it.¡± What? How did we end up bing a family just by chatting? What was the situation before? 0 am ||| 11 21 I was a bit confused, looking at my mother, I asked, ¡°Mom, did you know Mr. Borseth before?¡± Mother nodded, serving Alexander some food, ¡°Alexander is the child. your father and I have been sponsoring for over twenty years. We never mentioned this to you, so it¡¯s normal that you didn¡¯t know.¡± So that¡¯s what happened! No wonder my father had problems, the Conner Group was so difficult. Even a genius investor like him chose to stay, this exins a lot of things. Seeing the situation, I didn¡¯t say much more. I looked at my mother and said, ¡°Mom, you should mainly consider Mr. Borseth¡¯s opinion, I¡¯m fine with anything.¡± Upon hearing this, Mother immediately said, ¡°Alright, then it¡¯s settled.¡± After she finished speaking, she looked at Alexander and said, ¡°Alexander, you pack up. I¡¯ll have Cory arrange for someone to help you move your things over. Your room has already been prepared.¡± Alexander nodded in agreement with a smile. After dinner, the backyard. I leaned against the railing of the pavilion, looking at Alexander, and asked, ¡°So, you gave up a promising future to join the Conner Group, was it to repay a favor?¡± He raised an eyebrow, but didn¡¯t deny my words. He said, ¡°Yes and no. If it wasn¡¯t for Rudolf back then, I might not even have had the chance to go to school, let alone go abroad. So, if he needs help, I naturally won¡¯t stand by and do nothing. However, I also want to make a name 77305 1121 for myself in my home country. If I can revive the half-dead Conner Group, that would also be an achievement.¡± I nodded, not saying anything more. Regarding Alexander, what I knew most about were his achievements in business. As for his personal life, including his upbringing, I had never delved into. However, these were his private matters, and it would be somewhat impolite to pry too much, so I didn¡¯t continue to ask anything. Taking a breath, I still looked at him and said, ¡°Thank you anyway.¡± He clicked his tongue, probably annoyed by my nagging, and changed the subject, ¡°From what I heard from Auntie Eileen earlier, it seems. like you¡¯re going to stay with the Conner family indefinitely?¡± My mother¡¯s name was Eileen, so he called her Auntie Eileen. I nodded, feeling a bit heavy-hearted, knowing that it was the matter between Ashley and Walter that had angered my father. Although my mother hadn¡¯t discussed my marriage with Walter in detail with me, she seemed to have already epted the inevitable fact that Walter and- I would eventually divorce. Although we tacitly stopped mentioning these things, we both knew in our hearts that there was no longer any possibility between Walter and 1. Thinking about all these, I felt somewhat suffocated in my heart. Even though I was prepared, after all, I had feelings for this person. To part in such a way, I always felt like I was a joke. Perhaps noticing my bad mood, Alexander didn¡¯t continue to ask. He said, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not opposed to being a son-inw who lives with his wife¡¯s family.¡± 55 10% ¡°Pfft¡­¡± The juice that my mother had just brought over, I hadn¡¯t even swallowed it, when I sprayed it towards him. He didn¡¯t have time to dodge, and his finely tailored suit was covered in stains. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I really couldn¡¯t help it, I apologize.¡± I put the juice cup aside and hurriedly apologized to him. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. He was all messed up, a look of helplessness on his handsome face. He looked at me and said, ¡°Tabatha, do you really need to overreact like this? Rudolf had contacted me before, and told me that if he left, I should take good care of you. Now that your rtionship with Walter has be like this, if you really break up in the future, if no one else wants you, I will marry you and treat you well.¡± Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Chapter 62 They Came Looking for Trouble I couldn¡¯t help but hold my forehead, pulling him along and saying, ¡°Alright, alright, I know you¡¯re a grateful young man with good character, but let¡¯s not talk about this now. Let¡¯s go back to the room and change your clothes first.¡± Alexander¡¯s thought process had always been so unconventional. During this period of time together, I have indeed experienced it. Seeing his clothes dirtied, my mother scolded me while looking for clean clothes for him to change into. Alexander probably had a slight case of mysophobia. His brows were furrowed tightly. Seeing him like this, I couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a bath? I¡¯ll ask my mother to find you a new set of clothes.¡± He nodded and entered the bathroom. After my father left, there were no men¡¯s clothes left at home. It was gettingte, and I thought about going out to buy some for him, but my mother stopped me. She said it was not safe for me, a pregnant woman, to run around in the middle of the night. She would go to buy them. Before I could speak, the person hurriedly left the house. Seeing this situation, I had no choice but to wait at home. Standing in the bedroom, I ced the bath towel outside the bathroom. Facing the bathroom from which the sound of running water wasing, I said, ¡°Mr. Borseth, I¡¯ve put the bath towel here at the bathroom door. It¡¯s new. There are no new clothes at home. My mom 0.00% N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ||| 1121 has gone out to buy some and will be back soon. Please make do for now.¡± After a response from inside, I turned around and went downstairs. Hearing the sound of an engine in the yard, I was taken aback, thinking that my mother had returned from clothes shopping. Wondering how she could be so fast, I was just about to go out to greet her when I saw Ashley and Walter bothing in. Upon seeing me, Ashley¡¯s face stiffened for a moment, but it was only for an instant. She provocatively hooked her arm through Walter¡¯s, looking at me with a smile, ¡°Tabatha, Walter and I came to see mom, is she doing okay?¡± How long has it been, and only now you thought toe and visit? Hypocrite. Watching the two of them, I pursed my lips, turned around and sat back down on the sofa, saying indifferently, ¡°Pretty good, she would be even better if you didn¡¯t appear in front of her and poke her eyes.¡± 10 Seeing the sharpness in my words, Ashley¡¯s face fell, and she said with a look of grievance, ¡°I know that my affair with Walter has disappointed mom, but what¡¯s done is done. After all, I am her daughter, and with dad gone, I just couldn¡¯t rest easy. I wanted toe back and check on her.¡± Listening to these hypocritical words, I sneered, really not in the mood. to chat with her at all. I simply Seeing the situation, Ashley looked around and didn¡¯t see her mother. She probably thought her mother was resting. She said to Walter, ¡°Walter, mom might be sleeping, I¡¯ll go upstairs to check on her.¡± Walter nodded, a hint of gentleness in his brow as he said, ¡°Yes, go 25.85% ||| 1121 ahead.¡± Seeing her so gentle, Ashley showed a bit of shyness on her face and nodded. Before going upstairs, she didn¡¯t forget to nce at me. Her look seemed to be showing off Walter¡¯s gentleness to me. I yed blind, believing that what the eye doesn¡¯t see, the heart doesn¡¯t grieve over. Bowing my head to scroll through my phone, it was only a few seconds before the light in front of me was blocked. I could clearly feel someone standing in front of me. I frowned, looking up at the tall man in front of me, feeling displeased. I said coldly, ¡°Mr. Hinton, you¡¯re blocking my light.¡± Walter looked at me, his dark eyes restrained, his voice low, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you return to Water Vi?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too spacious over there, I feel lonely living alone,¡± I said, feeling somewhat irritated. His handsome brows furrowed slightly as he said, ¡°Am I not human?¡± I was irritated by his inexplicable questioning. I put down my phone, stood up, and looked at him, saying, ¡°If Mr. Hinton has something to say, he can get straight to the point. There¡¯s no need to chase me to my house in the middle of the night with your lover just to annoy me.¡± He furrowed his brows, his face slightly darkened, ¡°When do you n to return to Water Vi?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t n to go back. My dad was no longer there, and I was worried about leaving my mom alone here. I nned to live here in the future.¡± Divorce was inevitable, why should I go back? He furrowed his brows, fell silent for a moment, then said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll have Roy bring over some change of clothester. We¡¯ll stay here for 64.90% ||| now.¡± Us? I frowned, looking at him, couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you nning to move in?¡± He was expressionless, nodding, ¡°Your belly is almost three months. now, it¡¯s convenient for me to take care of you living here.¡± Hehe. I no longer wanted to waste words with him. The person who told me during the day that he wanted to send Ashley away, appeared at the Conner family¡¯s ce arm in arm with her at night. I didn¡¯t want to believe a single word from this person anymore. I took a deep breath and said, ¡°My mother won¡¯t agree, Walter, I don¡¯t want you to be upset. I hope you feel the same way as I do, and don¡¯t make me upset either. You saw my mother¡¯s reaction on the day of my father¡¯s funeral. I don¡¯t want her emotional instability to cause any excessive actions towards Ashley again. So, could you please take Ashley and leave here as soon as possible, and not let any unpleasant things happen again, okay?¡± Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Mother Asked Us to Divorce If possible, my mom probably wouldn¡¯t want to see these two people in her life again. Hearing me say this, Walter pursed his lips, and began, ¡°On the day of the funeral¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± A scream suddenly came from upstairs. Walter didn¡¯t finish his sentence, he was already sprinting towards the upstairs. I stood still, couldn¡¯t help but give a bitter smile. Walter¡¯s muscr reaction really showed how much he cared about Ashley. Suppressing the bitterness in my heart, I followed them upstairs. In the corridor, Ashley was screaming in Walter¡¯s arms, her voice filled with panic, ¡°Walter, there¡¯s a thief in the house.¡± The thief she referred to, of course, was Alexander, who was wrapped in a bath towel, revealing most of his body. Startled by her exaggerated reaction, Alexander opened his mouth awkwardly, trying to exin. Seeing me catch up, he walked over to me, his face embarrassed, saying, ¡°Sorry, I mainly wanted to ask you, do you have a hairdryer at home? I didn¡¯t expect there to be others at home.¡± I nodded, looked at Ashley¡¯s exaggerated reaction and Walter¡¯s gloomy face, didn¡¯t say much, just said to Alexander, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go find it for you.¡± After speaking, I went into the bedroom and fetched a hairdryer for Alexander. Alexander took the hairdryer, nced at Ashley who was leaning on Walter, then looked at Walter with a dark face, and then looked at me again. The corner of his mouth twitched as he said, ¡°This 0.00% ||| rtionship seems a bitplicated, huh?¡± I gave him a nce and said, ¡°Go blow your hair.¡± He gave an awkwardugh, then headed to another bedroom. After only a few steps, he turned back to look at Walter and said, ¡°Mr. Hinton, would you believe me if I said the reason I¡¯m taking a bath here and dressed like this is because of a minor ident?¡± Walter¡¯s face was stern, his dark eyes fixed on him without a flicker. He didn¡¯t speak, but the murderous intent seeping through his ominous gaze was enough to indicate, he didn¡¯t believe! Judging from the situation, Alexander probably felt that his words were spoken in vain. He shrugged and said, ¡°Forget it, no more exnations. I¡¯m going to blow-dry my hair.¡± After Alexander entered the bedroom, Ashley reluctantly stood up straight from Walter¡¯s arms and looked at me, saying, ¡°Tabatha, how can you casually bring men home? Do you have any shame?¡± Iughed, ¡°You¡¯re already lying in my man¡¯s arms,pared to you, I¡¯m still a bit inferior. Also, Mr. Borseth has a great figure. If you want to look, you can do so openly. There¡¯s no need to hide in your Walter¡¯s arms and sneak peeks. Your pretentious behavior is an eyesore.¡± ¡°Tabatha, you¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± Exposed, Ashley was so anxious that she was almost jumping up. I ignored her and went downstairs. Walter followed behind me, his expression cold. He stopped me after a few steps and asked, ¡°Why did you bring Alexander back to the Conner family?¡± I sneered, ¡°This is my home. Do I need to report to you who I bring back?¡± ¡°Tabatha, have some shame,¡± Ashley said, as if she had caught me by the scruff of my neck. ¡°Bringing a man home for the night without anyone¡¯s knowledge, and you¡¯re even pregnant. How did you be like this, so shameless?¡± ¡°Who could be more shameless than you, Ashley?¡± A voice came from outside the door. It was her mother, carrying a cardboard box, entering the hall. She red at Ashley, suppressing her anger, ¡°Who let you in? Get out, don¡¯t dirty this ce.¡± Seeing her mother return, a softness crossed Ashley¡¯s face. She looked at her mother and said, ¡°Mom, where have you been? Tabatha brought a man home, why didn¡¯t you stop her? She¡¯s really thoughtless.¡± Mother cast a cold nce at her, angrily saying, ¡°It¡¯s not your ce to meddle in what she does. Seducing your own brother-inw, don¡¯t you realize how dirty you are? You have the nerve to criticize others, why don¡¯t you take a good look at your own character?¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± Ashley was reduced to tears by her mother¡¯s harsh words, her eyes welling up as she looked N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. at her mother, ¡°Mom, how could you say such things about me, I am your daughter!¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t been my daughter for a long time, get out, you¡¯re not wee here¡­¡± As she said this, the mother looked at Walter, her face stern, ¡°Mr. Hinton, take your people and leave. From now on, the Conner family has nothing to do with Ashley, and nothing to do with you. As for your marriage to Tabatha, please go back and tell Carley. We are all respectable families. Let¡¯s find a time to get the divorce certificate, so we can part on good terms.¡± Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Days of Bits and Pieces Walter frowned, but his words were exceptionally firm, ¡°Mother, Tabatha and I will not divorce.¡± Seeing him like this now, his mother became even more angry at his inappropriate words. Her breathing became more rapid as she said, ¡°What do you want to do if you don¡¯t divorce? Are you trying to kill my daughter? Tabatha is a child that Rudolf and I have cherished and raised. We have taught her about manners, integrity, and shame since she was young. She is not like those who seduce married men, and she would never share a husband with someone else. Walter, you must divorce, whether you want to or not.¡± The mother¡¯s attitude was exceptionally firm, even her words exuded determination. Walter¡¯s handsome brows furrowed slightly, but only for a moment, then he spoke calmly, ¡°No matter, we¡¯ll take it slow.¡± His mother was so angered by his words that she almost threw the object in her hand at him. I held onto my mother, already knowing Walter¡¯s temperament. I said to her, ¡°Mom, Mr. Borseth is in the second bedroom upstairs. You take the clothes to him, I¡¯ll handle things here.¡± Mother was worried, looking at me she said, ¡°Tabatha, they¡­¡± I smiled gently, soothing her, ¡°Mom, go ahead.¡± Seeing me like this, my mother had no choice but to go upstairs. Watching my mother leave, I turned to Ashley and Walter and said, 0.00% 11 22 < ¡°You both heard what my mother just said, please move elsewhere.¡± ¡°Tabatha, this is also my home!¡± Ashley was choked with anger by her mother¡¯s words. Now that her mother was not around, she roared with rage, wishing she could vent it all on me. I pursed my lips into a faint smile, looking at her and said, ¡°Home? Ashley, do you really think this ce bes your home just because you¡¯ve lived here for over twenty years?¡± Upon hearing this, Ashley¡¯s face instantly stiffened, and for a moment, she was at a loss for words, ¡°Tabatha, what do you mean?¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to say in front of Walter that she was adopted by our parents,¡± I said, looking at Ashley. ¡°Out of respect for our sisterhood, I don¡¯t want to embarrass you. Mother has told me everything, and naturally, I understand why you treated me that way five years ago. If you still appreciate the kindness of my parents raising you for these twenty years, don¡¯t step into the Conner family¡¯s house again to upset my mother. Stay away from us and live the life you want. The Conner family has nothing to do with you anymore.¡± Ashley¡¯s face turned pale, her eyes fixed on me, filled with resentment and unwillingness, as well as some otherplex emotions that I couldn¡¯t decipher. Walter didn¡¯t know the reason behind it, he thought I had pushed Ashley out of the Conner family. He frowned at me and said, ¡°Tabatha, she is your sister after all, don¡¯t you think this is cruel?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± I had little patience, looking at him, ¡°Walter, this is the Conner family¡¯s business. If you care about her, good, take her to the Hinton family. No one will stop you.¡± ¡°Tabatha!¡± I didn¡¯t know which sentence of mine had angered him, but he was now calling me by my full name. 29.81% O r I pursed my lips, looking at him, ¡°Does Mr. Hinton have anything else?¡± He probably lost his temper because of me, and left directly with Ashley. ¡°He¡¯s leaving just like that?¡± Alexander changed into the clothes and went downstairs. The outfit his mother had chosen for him fit perfectly. It was a light-colored casual suit that made him look handsome and sunny, giving him a more approachable feel than when he wore a suit. I leaned on the sofa, my head aching slightly, and responded absentmindedly, ¡°Hmm!¡± He sat down next to me and began, ¡°Your situation is worse than I thought. Your career is a mess, your marriage is in shambles. It seems that Rudolf¡¯s inability to let go before he died was not without reason.¡± I turned my head and red at him, irritably saying, ¡°Can you stop making sarcastic remarks?¡± He smirked, ¡°Sure, wasn¡¯t I just trying to help you solve the problem?¡± ¡°So what? Have you thought of anything?¡± I didn¡¯t expect him toe up with anything. It would be a good thing if things could just stabilize within the Conner Group now. After hesitating for a moment, he looked at me and said, ¡°You mentioned before, when you met Ryan¡¯s wife, she was mentally unstable and came to you, telling you that she had killed someone?¡± I nodded, ¡°Yeah.¡± He squinted and said, ¡°Have you ever thought about where would be the most reasonable ce for Ryan to put such a person?¡± 67.54%% ||| 11 22 I was taken aback, couldn¡¯t help but sit up straight, and blurted out, ¡°Mental hospital?¡± Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Ashley¡¯s Ex-Husband He nodded. Hearing him say this, I was actually energized. I immediately called Cory, asking him to talk to the police station. Perhaps we could look in the mental hospital in River City.¡± Cory was probably already asleep. Upon hearing my voice, it took him a moment to react, then he nodded repeatedly in response. After hanging up the phone, I turned to Alexander and said, ¡°Thanks.¡± If he hadn¡¯t reminded me, I wouldn¡¯t have thought of this connection. He chuckled, looking at me and said, ¡°No need to thank me, I just felt sorry for you, I couldn¡¯t help it.¡± I¡­ This person really was¡­ loose-lipped. The next day. Since there was no news from Thomas and Ryan, I could only wait in the Conner Group. When Rachel called, I was still daydreaming. I answered the phone in a daze, and she said anxiously from the other end, ¡°Tabatha,e quickly to the Fine Dining on Cloud Road. I¡¯ve seen something incredible, hurry up ande over.¡± I hadn¡¯t been resting well these past few days, the center of my forehead throbbing painfully. Pinching my brow, I said into the phone, ¡°What¡¯s the big deal?¡± 0.00% ¡°Tsk, you¡¯ll know when you get here, hurry up.¡± She urged impatiently. Unable to resist her, I agreed. I got up, grabbed my coat, and prepared to leave. At the office door, I ran into Cory. Seeing that I was about to leave, Cory looked at me and asked, ¡°Where is Ms. Conner going?¡± ¡°Something came up, I had to step out for a bit.¡± He nodded, looking at me and said, ¡°The police checked several mental hospitals overnightst night, but they didn¡¯t find anyone named Abagail. However, they did find out that Ryan seemed to have been to a mental hospital in the south of the city before, but there was no woman named Abagail there, and Ryan had never admitted a woman there.¡± Why did Ryan go to the mental hospital if he didn¡¯t send it in? I responded with a nod, looking at Cory, ¡°Cory, send me the address of the mental hospital in the south of the city.¡± He nodded, and I hurried out the door, not saying anything more. The Fine Dining I had just parked the car when Rachel pulled me into this restaurant. The restaurant was split into two levels, with a beautiful and traditional ambiance. Rachel led me up to the second floor. Seeing her in such a frantic state, I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What on earth is going on?¡± She pulled me aside, whispering, ¡°Guess who I just saw? Ashley and a man.¡± ¡°Man?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but twitch the corner of my mouth, ¡°What 11 man?¡± She nced at the innermost box by the corridor and said, ¡°I just heard the assistant next to that man Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. calling him ¡®Mr. Boone¡¯, do you think it could be¡­¡± ¡°Henry Boone?¡± I paused for a moment, unable to help but blurt out. Rachel nodded, ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty close.¡± Henry was Ashley¡¯s ex-husband, a prominent figure in River City back in the day. At a young age, he became the top authority in River City¡¯s government. However, money and power often act as a death knell for many, and human nature is such that the higher one stands, the greater their ambition, and the more ruthless their actions. During his years in River City, Henry was swarmed by countless women and wealth, but disaster also came hurtling towards him. Three years ago, Ashley married Henry at the height of his fame, and among many women, she became Henry¡¯s legitimate wife. However, it was from that time that Henry fell from grace in less than a year, fleeing abroad with the money he had plundered from the people. Thus, Ashley also followed him abroad. The incident involving Henry in that year shocked the entire country. After all, the greed and ruthiness of a top leader could bring about too much harm. After the investigation waspleted that year, the news media reported that there were dozens of lives on Henry¡¯s hands. As for the women he had slept with, they were countless. Such a person, who did not die under the bullets of the mothend, was truly a regret for the people of River City, Originally, it was thought that he had fled and would not have the courage to return. Unexpectedly, he now has the nerve toe back. 53.32% 11 22 Thinking of this, my first reaction was to call the police, but Rachel stopped me. She pulled me into a private room and whispered. ¡°I noticed earlier that the bodyguards around him all have guns. Let¡¯s observe the situation first. They are so tant, I¡¯m afraid there are more people around. But what I¡¯m more curious about now is, what does he want with Ashley?¡± I pursed my lips, then said, ¡°After all, they were husband and wife, it¡¯s not strange that he¡¯s looking for Ashley.¡± What I was more curious about was, what was Henry doing back in the country? BB DAN Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Whose Child was Ashley¡¯s, After All? A man like him, once caught by the police, would undoubtedly be doomed. His daring return indicates that there must be something here worth risking it all for. ¡°Bang!¡± The sound of ss shattering came from next door. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. After a tacit nce with Rachel, we both pressed our ears against the wall, trying to hear what had happened next door. Themotion was so big, it must have been that the two had a falling out. ¡°Ashley, how dare you!¡± A furious voice of a man came from next door, it should be the voice of Henry. He seemed to be provoked by Ashley, roaring, ¡°If you dare to harm my son, you won¡¯t live to see another day. I¡¯m sparing you because you¡¯re carrying my child, otherwise, do you think you would have a chance to return to your country?¡± When Henry said this, he probably started to take action. Rachel and I clearly heard a ¡°p!¡± sound, obviously, Ashley had been hit. ¡°I understand, I will take good care of the child in my belly, I definitely will,¡± Ashley¡¯s voice came through, probably a bit scared of Henry, so there was a slight tremble in her voice, and a bit hoarse, ¡°But, Carley from the Hinton family said that once the child is born, she will arrange for someone to do a paternity test. I¡¯m worried that if she finds out the child is not Walter¡¯s, she will kick me out of the Hinton family, and then our n can¡¯t continue.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Henry snorted coldly, ¡°Since that Carley is a stumbling block, wouldn¡¯t you think of a way to send her to heaven? You¡¯re already in 1. ||| 1122 T the old house, there are plenty of opportunities, Ashley, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re scared?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°But there were no ifs!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve found out.¡± The voice belonged to Ashley. ¡°Ladies, may I take your order now?¡± The door to the private room was suddenly pushed open, startling both Rachel and me. We quickly sat up straight, nodding at the waiter, and began to order as if nothing had happened. Just the sound from next door, it was already gone. Rachel absentmindedly ordered a few dishes. As she was about to listen again, it seemed like the door of the neighboring private room was pushed open, followed by the sound of footsteps in the corridor. ¡°Gone?¡± Rachel frowned, looking at me as she spoke. I pursed my lips, didn¡¯t speak, but the answer was affirmative. Listening to the footsteps fading away, Rachel and I finally breathed a sigh of relief. She looked at me, and after a moment, said, ¡°Ashley and Henry must be plotting something shady. You need to go tell Walter to be careful of Ashley.¡± I pursed my lips, falling silent. Seeing that I didn¡¯t speak, Rachel became anxious, ¡°You should go now.¡± I sighed, somewhat helplessly telling her, ¡°Words without proof, even if I told Walter, he wouldn¡¯t believe.¡± Walter¡¯s care for Ashley was such that even if I told him these things, he would only think I was 35.07% ||| 11 22 making trouble without reason. ¡°Don¡¯t believe it? Then what?¡± Rachel was somewhat anxious, ¡°If Ashley doesn¡¯t do anything, it¡¯s fine. But what if she really harms Carley? You said it before, Carley let her live in the old house. If she wants to hurt Carley, it¡¯s hard to guard against.¡± At this point, she paused, looking at me and said, ¡°Did Henry just ask Ashley to take good care of his son? So, is the child in Ashley¡¯s belly Henry¡¯s?¡± I pursed my lips, carefully considering the time frame of Ashley¡¯s pregnancy. If the child was Henry¡¯s, did that mean Henry and Ashley had returned to the country together? Then what exactly was going on between Walter and Ashley? Did Ashley deliberately make Walter believe that the child was his? Ashley had often engaged in deceitful practices, but I never thought she would set her sights on Walter. After Rachel saw that I didn¡¯t respond, she began to imagine on her own, ¡°Tabatha, do you think there¡¯s a possibility that after Ashley slept with Henry and then with Walter, she found out she was pregnant and actually didn¡¯t know who the father was, so she told both men that the child was theirs and then made both of them take responsibility?¡± I raised my hand and tapped her forehead, saying, ¡°Do you think Henry is a fool? Doesn¡¯t he know whether the child is his or not?¡± Henry was a man of intelligence and ruthlessness. How could Ashley possibly deceive him? ¡°Why did both Walter and Henry believe that the child in Ashley¡¯s belly was theirs?¡± Rachel asked me, holding her forehead. Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Chapter 67 The Mental Hospital in the South of the City I pursed my lips, thought for a moment, and said, ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s something wrong with the timing of Ashley¡¯s pregnancy.¡± She eximed, ¡°Are you saying that Ashley was already pregnant, but she sought out Walter, secretly had a rtionship with him, and then told Walter she was pregnant?¡± For a moment, I couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on. When Ashley told me she was pregnant, she said she was already two months along. Indeed, there wasn¡¯t much of a noticeable difference between a three- month and a two-month belly. It seemed that I needed to find an opportunity to take a look at Ashley¡¯s stomach, not knowing if I could discern anything. After thinking for a while, I shook my head, looking at Rachel and said, ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure what¡¯s going on right now, but I¡¯m certain that Henry must have something up his sleeve with his return this time. We need to figure out what he¡¯s nning to do by suddenlying back to River City.¡± Rachel sneered, ¡°He must be short of money, that¡¯s why he came back to get more. What else could he be here for? From their conversation earlier, it seems like they¡¯ve set their sights on the Hinton family. It looks like Walter is not only going to be a happy father, but he might also end up being treated like an ATM.¡± After speaking, she snorted and said, ¡°Walter deserved it, ignoring a wife like you and insisting on having an air. It¡¯s karma. And that Carley from the Ilinton family also deserved it. If she takes Ashley back, it won¡¯t be long before she unknowingly causes Ashley¡¯s death.¡± 0001 111 neau, helplessly saying, ¡°My dear journalist, stop brainstorming, you have more important things to do now.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± I pulled her out of the private room, saying as we walked, ¡°We need to inform the police about Henry¡¯s return, regardless of how they handle it, at least let them know about it. But I have other things to do now, so, you¡¯ll have to go to the police station yourself.¡± She asked, puzzled, ¡°Shall we go together? Do you have something to doter?¡± ¡°The matter of the Conner Group,¡± I began, looking at her, ¡°The Conner Group¡¯s funds wereundered, I couldn¡¯t leave, so, you had to go to the police station.¡± She thought for a moment, nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go there in a bit, I happen to be freeter anyway. After watching Rachel leave, I went to the mental hospital in the south of the city, following the address Cory had given me. The location of the hospital was somewhat remote, the main entrance was tightly closed, there were hardly any people around, it looked as if it had already been abandoned. I knocked on the gate a few times, and an elderly man opened it. He looked at me with deeply furrowed brows and asked, ¡°Who are you looking for, youngdy?¡± I nced inside and said to the old man, ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m here to visit a rtive. She was brought in here a few days ago because she was sick, and I wanted toe and see her.¡± The old man clicked his tongue and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I inform you of the specific visiting hours? Come over on the weekends, visits are not 31 26% ||| 112 allowed here during weekdays.¡± I was taken aback, with a look of ignorance, I said, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, I just found out about this. Grandpa, you see I¡¯m here, could you let me in to visit?¡± The old man thought for a moment and said, ¡°I can¡¯t make a decision on this matter, I need to ask the leader. You wait here, I¡¯ll go ask.¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. After speaking, he closed the door again. After waiting outside the door for a few minutes, it opened again. The old man said, ¡°Youngdy, as I told you, it¡¯s not possible. This ce is full of severely ill patients. There aren¡¯t many doctors today. If one of the patients has an episode and hurts you, we can¡¯t be held responsible. Please go home and After speaking, he didn¡¯t even wait for me to respond, he just shut the door directly. I frowned, were they all seriously ill patients? I couldn¡¯t get through the main gate, so naturally, I couldn¡¯t find out anything more. But since I was already here, I didn¡¯t want to go back empty-handed. After some thought, I still took a walk around the hospital. The hospital was surrounded by tall walls, and some areas were even covered with electric fences. It didn¡¯t look like a hospital at all, but more like a detention center. Looking at the situation, I called Cory. After the call was connected, I started to speak, ¡°Cory, what¡¯s the deal with this mental hospital in the south of the city? Why do they only allow rtives to visit on weekends and why have they installed electric fences around the hospital?¡± 61.32% 11 22 After listening, Cory began, ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, Ms. Conner, the hospital mainly admits patients with severe violent tendencies, or those with personality disorders but high IQs and criminal tendencies. Most of the patients there have spent time inbor camps, and were sent to the hospital after their mental issues were discovered. Some are even death row inmates, which is why there are special regtions in ce. It¡¯s mainly for better management.¡± Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Breaking into the Mental Hospital I pursed my lips, would Ryan bring Abagail to this ce? Taking a breath, I said, ¡°Cory, can we contact the police for help to let me in? I¡¯m worried that Ryan has changed Abagail¡¯s identity and sent her in.¡± It¡¯s not that I overthink, but in such a ce, if you send in someone who is even slightly mentally ill, I guess the oue wouldn¡¯t be very good. After all, facing a group of lunatics for a long time, the doctor¡¯s patience has limits, and most likely they would think of ways to make the people inside take more sedatives. Over time, even normal people would start to have problems, let alone those who are not so normal to begin with. On the other end of the phone, Cory hesitated slightly before saying, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible. I¡¯ve asked the police station, they¡¯ve already screened it. Besides, that hospital won¡¯t just admit anyone. Only those who have been confirmed as severe cases will be admitted.¡± It seemed that the police station was a no-go. After hanging up the phone with Cory, I looked at the over two meters high fence, and an idea did ur to me. Climb in, I thought, and so I did. Just as I was about to climb over the wall, my phone rang. It was a call from Alexander. Answering the phone, I was somewhat impatient, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± A call at this time really hindered my performance. 0.00% 11:22 ¡°Where are you?¡± Alexander on the other end of the phone began to speak, his tone sounding somewhat serious. ¡°South City Mental Hospital¡­outside!¡± I blurted out, unable to resist looking up at the two-meter-high wall, wondering how best to climb it. There was a pause on the other end of the phone, then, ¡°Tabatha, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re thinking of climbing over the wall?¡± I paused, puzzled, and asked, ¡°No, how did you know¡­¡± ¡°I was just next to Cory, I heard everything you asked him. I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t be damn impulsive, there are sick people in there, you sneaking in will cause trouble.¡± Alexander¡¯s voice on the other end of the phone was somewhat agitated, making it seem like me entering a mental hospital was akin to I pursed my lips, paused for a moment and said, ¡°I will take care of myself. I just want to go in and see if Abagail is really in there. Besides, this ce is legal. If anything happens and it causes a big Besides, since all the mental patients inside were severe, that meant they were all locked up, so I should be fine going in. After speaking, I didn¡¯t wait for the person on the other end of the phone to continue speaking, and directly hung up the phone. After circling around the hospital, I found the weakest part of the surrounding wall. Fortunately, I had been wearing t shoes for the past couple of days to pretend to be pregnant, which came in handy at this moment. Dodging the electric grid, I climbed up the wall. The other side of the wall was covered with sharp, spiky vegetation. No wonder this ce. looked easier to climb from the outside than other ces. If I were to jump directly from the top of the wall, I would definitely be pierced by 25 12% O 11: these spiky nts, leaving my body covered in wounds. Helplessly, I could only look around from the top of the wall. However, I did see a pile of construction waste under the corner of the wall not far away. Although it was somewhat dirty and messy, at least it wasn¡¯t very dangerous. I did manage to get into the hospital smoothly. The hospital was located in the suburbs, with arge area and several buildings. It was hard to distinguish one from another. I simply sneaked around inside. Strangely, in such arge ce, there was hardly anyone moving around. There were only a few doctors asionally pushing medicine carts into a building. ¡°Dr. Samuel, patient 030 doesn¡¯t seem to be in such a serious. condition. Won¡¯t it be a problem to let her take so many medicines?¡± I almost ran into the doctor who wasing out of a building as I was about to enter. Upon hearing the sound, I quickly hid behind the iron door nearby. The two walked and talked, and a slightly older doctor responded indifferently to the person who asked the question, saying, ¡°No, the people who are sent here are all those who have been abandoned. Even if something happens, no one wille here to cause trouble.¡± ¡°Also was¡­¡± The voices of the two people gradually faded away, I came around from behind the iron gate and walked towards the building. There were too many wards in a building, all of them were closed. There were only numbers and a small window on the doors. Outside the wooden doors, iron doors had been welded on, and both doors. were tightly locked. 57 54% ||| r 11:22 Just as I thought, since they were all seriously mentally ill, it seemed they were all closely monitored. Unable to confirm whether Abagail was inside or not, and not wanting to make too much noise, I simply decided to search room by room through the small window. The patients locked inside were bizarre in a thousand ways; some made strange noises like animals, some talked to themselves incessantly, some stripped naked and struggled in despair, some roared like wild beasts, and some even gnawed on raw meat. After one round, I was terrified and even felt a turmoil in my stomach. After a thorough search, I didn¡¯t see Abagail anywhere, which inevitably led me to wonder if I had made a mistake. ¡°Who are you?¡± A voice suddenly rang out, startling me. Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Was this preparing to give oneself to someone? Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a person locked inside the iron gate. He was leaning on the small window of the door, staring straight at me with his eyes. Looking at the source of the sudden sound, I forced a smile, trying to appear as friendly as possible, and said to him, ¡°I am the doctor here.¡± He furrowed his brows, staring at me as he grunted, ¡°You can¡¯t possibly be a doctor. Doctors don¡¯t smile at me, and you¡¯re not wearing a white coat. Tell me, who are you? Or else, I¡¯ll summon my little white to annihte you.¡± I paused, looking at the person, and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m here to find someone, a friend. I¡¯m not a bad person.¡± ¡°Viin, you are a viin, yes, a viin¡­¡± The person didn¡¯t know what happened, suddenly started banging on the door without any warning, making loud thumping noises, shouting loudly. For a moment, the patients in the other rooms heard themotion and each became agitated, some even started to roar. I was so frightened that I froze on the spot, my brain somewhat sluggish. ¡°Woof woof¡­¡± Suddenly, a big ck dog in the corridor rushed towards me. I broke out in a cold sweat and instinctively started to run, but the big ck dog relentlessly pursued me. It looked like I was about to be knocked down by it. Suddenly, someone shouted, ¡°Run to the stairs!¡± 0.00% ||| 11 22 Perhaps it was human instinct, I ran towards the emergency exit and into the staircase. After going up one floor, I locked the emergency exit door on that floor. The big ck dog was locked in the stairwell, and I finally breathed a sigh of relief. In hindsight, I realized that the person who had just warned me seemed to be a woman, her voice sounding somewhat familiar. Taking a breath, I walked to the staircase at the other end, ready to go downstairs to confirm if the person who reminded me just now was Abagail. Unexpectedly, just as I reached the staircase, I almost bumped into someone. Thinking it was a doctor Not wanting to be held back by the cor, ¡°Tabatha, are you a pig? It¡¯s me.¡± Alexander? Hearing the sound, I was taken aback. Turning around, it was indeed. the handsome and elegant face of Alexander. I breathed a sigh of relief and asked him, ¡°Howe you¡¯re here?¡± He red at me, speechless, ¡°Breaking into a madhouse, Ms. Conner, should I praise you?¡± I pursed my lips, not having the time to engage in such nonsense with him. I looked at him and said, ¡°Alexander, I think I saw Abagail. She¡¯s in the ward downstairs. Let¡¯s go find her.¡± As I said this, I was about to take him to find Abagail, but he lifted me up by the back of my neck, ¡°Tabatha, do you want to be chased by a dog again?¡± 25.00% |||| 11 22 Restrained by him in such a disrespectful manner, I struggled a few times, ring at him and said, ¡°I¡¯m here to find someone. If you, Alexander, won¡¯t help me, could you at least not cause me trouble?¡± He pulled at me, saying directly, ¡°Causing trouble? Tabatha, I came to save you out of goodwill, and you actually think I¡¯m causing you trouble. I¡¯ll tell you, there¡¯s not just one wolf dog in this yard. If you don¡¯t want to die here, follow me.¡± Saying this, without waiting for me to respond, he directly dragged me out of the building and took me to the spot where I had climbed over the wall to get in. The wall was high, without a fulcrum, I couldn¡¯t climb up, I needed his help. Luckily, he was sensible enough to squat down by the wall, looking at me irritably, he said. ¡°Step on my shoulder and go up, hurry up.¡± Seeing this, I reluctantly took onest look at the hospital building. We were about to find the person, and just leaving like this was¡­ frustrating. ¡°Tabatha, what are you dawdling for? Hurry up!¡± Alexander urged, already somewhat impatient. Helplessly, I had no choice but to step on his shoulders, attempting to climb over the wall. ¡°Woof woof¡­¡± A bark sounded once again. I was so scared that my legs gave out, and coincidentally, I ended up on Alexander¡¯s shoulders. He was also frightened and looked back, only to see that the big ck dog had already blocked our way. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. In a moment of panic, I couldn¡¯t muster any strength at all. I could only cling to the wall while sitting on Alexander¡¯s shoulders, anxiously ||| 1122 asking, ¡°What should we do? What should we do?¡± Alexander was also scared out of his wits, sticking to the wall, he said, ¡°I must have been really unlucky in my past hundred lives, Tabatha. If we get out of this, you¡¯ll have topensate me well.¡± The big ck dog was barking at us aggressively. I tried to climb over the wall, but fear had weakened my hands and I couldn¡¯t muster the strength. I had no choice but to respond to Alexander, ¡°Alright, alright, as long as we get out of here safely, I¡¯ll do whatever you ask of me.¡± ¡°Is this the beginning of a physicalmitment?¡± A deep, restrained voice sounded, somewhat familiar. I was taken aback for a moment, turned around and saw clearly the distinguished man in a ck suit standing next to therge ck dog. There were also a few doctors in white coats next to him. At this point, therge ck dog had already calmed down, squatting like a cat, tilting its head and sticking out its tongue, enjoying the sight of us fleeing in disarray. ¡°Walter!¡± Alexander spoke, setting me down from his shoulder, looking at the man dressed in expensive clothes, he frowned, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Abagail Died Walter gave him a cold nce and said indifferently, ¡°If Mr. Borseth can be here, why can¡¯t I?¡± Alexander was mute. The atmosphere was a bit awkward. If I were to climb over the wall again at this moment, there would be no way to justify it. The doctors who were originally standing there did have discernment. Seeing that they all knew each other, they didn¡¯t ask anything and just left. Only a middle-aged doctor was left. Upon understanding, I realized he was the director of this hospital. Hearing that we had climbed over the wall to find someone, he was somewhat amused and frustrated for a moment. Looking at me, he said, ¡°Mrs. Hinton, if you wanted toe here to find someone, you could have just notified me. Climbing over the wall like this, it makes my ce seem like some sort of crime scene.¡± I chuckled, feeling a bit embarrassed. Had I known I could get in through Walter¡¯s connections, I certainly wouldn¡¯t have chosen to climb over the wall and make things hard for myself. It¡¯s hard to say about this matter, I justughed., Walter nced at me, then turned to Dn, the head of the hospital, ¡°Mr. Martinez, could we take a look at all the patients here?¡± Knowing that we were looking for someone, Dn nodded and led us into the mental hospital building. 0001 ||| 11.22 Because of the sound I had unintentionally heard before, I headed straight for that floor after entering the building. I found the ward where I had heard the sound. I looked at Dn and asked, ¡°Mr. Martinez, could you open the ward door, please?¡± Dn looked at me, then at Walter, and said, ¡°Mr. Hinton, Mrs. Hinton, most of the patients in this building suffer from severe mental illnesses. If they have an episode, they could harm others. For your safety, perhaps it would be best to confirm from outside, what do you think?¡± Hearing this, I pursed my lips, fell silent for a moment, nodded, and said no more. I looked through the small window on the door of the ward into the room. Inside the ward, there was only a small bed, along with some simple toiletries and a change of clothes. The person lying there, motionless, dressed, it was unclear whether they were asleep or not. Judging by the situation. I uncertainly called out, ¡°Abagail,¡± into the room. The person inside was covered with a nket, motionless, and their appearance was unclear. I called out several times, but there was still no movement. For a moment, I wasn¡¯t sure if they were asleep or if something had happened. Looking back at Dn, he also paused for a moment, fearing trouble, he ordered someone to open the door. Upon entering, they saw that the person lying on the bed was indeed Abagail after the quilt was removed. Her face was pale and there was a lot of white foam around her mouth. Seeing this situation, the dean was also stunned. He hurried to check on Abagail¡¯s condition. However, as soon as he reached out to feel 24.69% 1122 Abagail¡¯s breath, he frozepletely. Seeing his reaction, my heart couldn¡¯t help but skip a beat. Afterwards, Dn said with a slightly trembling voice, ¡°He¡¯s not breathing!¡± ¡°What?¡± Alexander was somewhat surprised, disbelievingly reaching out to check Abagail¡¯s breath. After not detecting any sign of breathing, he frowned, looking at Dn and said, ¡°Mr. Martinez, what¡¯s going on? A perfectly fine person just disappears, is this some kind of shady business?¡± Dn was also a bit stunned, and hurriedly said, ¡°Everything was fine this morning, I really don¡¯t know what happened!¡± Saying this, he quickly took out his phone to call and contact the doctor and nurse in charge of this floor. Walter had remained silent, his dark eyes studying Abagail for a moment before his brows furrowed slightly. Seeing his reaction, I asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°She must have taken something.¡± Walter spoke. Alexander gave him a nce, ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? He¡¯s been spitting up so much foam, he must have eaten something he shouldn¡¯t have.¡± Walter raised an eyebrow, but didn¡¯t argue with him. A moment. ¡°Mr. Martinez, what¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡± The doctor in charge. of this floor arrived quickly, panting heavily as he asked Dn. From his appearance, it seemed he had run over. 55 10% ||| O r Dn looked at the rushing doctor, pointed at Abagail who had already stopped breathing, and angrily said, ¡°What the hell happened? A perfectly fine person, how could she just stop breathing? You better give me an exnation!¡± The doctor looked at Abagail¡¯s condition, and after confirming Abagail¡¯s death, he turned somewhat pale and looked at Dn, saying, ¡°Mr. Martinez, I didn¡¯t know about this. When I came to check on her two hours ago, she was still fine.¡± ¡°Dr. Samuel!¡± I called out to the doctor, then my gaze shifted to the number on Abagail¡¯s hospital gown ¨C 030. Two hours ago, when I secretly climbed over the wall and came in, I saw him downstairs, and, it seemed, I heard something I shouldn¡¯t have. At that time, this Dr. Samuel and another doctor were talking about 030, and what they were referring to was Abagail! Hearing my voice, the doctor turned to me, opening his mouth with some confusion, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know me!¡± I began, turning to Dn, ¡°Mr. Martinez, a perfectly healthy person just suddenly lost his breath, we should call the police immediately!¡± 70 29% Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Didn¡¯t Escape Dn also realized it. As a doctor, he knew there was no hope when he confirmed Abagail¡¯s death. Naturally, what he did next was to call the police and let them handle it. I had been observing Dr. Samuel¡¯s reactions. When the rm sounded, he seemed to tense up After seeing Dn finish the emergency call, he looked at Dn and said, ¡°Mr. Martinez, Emily was with me on patrol at that time. I¡¯ll go find him, ask him what¡¯s going on, and see if he knows anything.¡± After speaking, he left the hospital room. Seeing him leave, I quickly turned to Alexander beside me, leaning in close to his ear and whispered, ¡°Follow him!¡± Alexander was taken aback for a moment, then he came to his senses and followed Dr. Samuel out of the ward. Watching Alexander follow Dr. Samuel out the door, I couldn¡¯t help but feel the temperature in the room drop a bit. Subconsciously turning back, I was startled by Walter¡¯s gloomy handsome face. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Did this person take the wrong medicine? Why was he looking at met like that? It¡¯s scary. Avoiding his gaze, I turned my attention to Abagail on the bed, who had already stopped breathing. She was dressed in a hospital gown, and even lying down, it was clear that she had lost a lot of weight since thest time I saw her. §£ §Ò§à§Ý ||| One could imagine, she did not have a good time here these past days. Ryan was ruthless, showing no mercy to his spouse of several decades. The evil of human nature is terrifying! Thinking of this, I couldn¡¯t help but recall the time when Abagail sought me out. Perhaps from the very beginning, she didn¡¯t approach me for the so-called murder, but to seek my help. She knew Ryan¡¯s character and also knew that she couldn¡¯t bring herself to act, so that day she came to me in a daze, trying to alert me to the dirty things Ryan had done, but I didn¡¯t realize anything at the time! Looking at her, I felt a pang of guilt. If I had noticed the mistake earlier, perhaps she wouldn¡¯t have¡­ The police arrived shortly, and the coroner took away Abagail¡¯s body. Because it involved a life, the doctor and nurse responsible for Abagail needed to be taken to the police station for questioning. However, it was only when the police asked Dn for the person that he realized that Dr. Samuel, who had left, seemed to have never returned. Seeing this situation, the police immediately sealed off the hospital, ready to start searching for people. But after searching around, only the nurse Emily was found. Seeing so many police officers and Abagail no longer breathing, Emily was trembling with fear. Before the police even started questioning, he hurriedly said, ¡°The medicine was prescribed by Dr. Samuel. I warned him, but he said that everyone here has been abandoned, and even if they die, no one would care. Moreover, since this woman came here, her dosage has been three to four times that of others, and there has never been a problem. I don¡¯t know why she died today¡­¡± 26.72% 1123 < His words made everyone break out in a cold sweat. Not to mention a patient, even a normal person, if they were to consume three to four times the normal dosage of medicine every day, it would definitely lead to trouble! ¡°Absurd, don¡¯t human lives matter to you?¡± I was filled with anger and roared out in the moment. Emily didn¡¯t know what to say anymore. Dn was also scared pale, ring at Emily, ¡°Emily, this is murder!¡± After speaking, Dn was so angry that his whole body was shaking. If it weren¡¯t for the police being there, he probably would have kicked Emily hard to vent his anger. Naturally, he wasn¡¯t angry about Abagail¡¯s death, but because such an incident had urred in the hospital, his position as the dean wasing to an end. His career could be considered as having reached its conclusion. The police couldn¡¯t find Dr. Samuel, so they directly notified the criminal police team to arrest him. After leaving the hospital, I called Alexander. The call was quickly answered, and he jokingly said over the phone, ¡°You¡¯ve only been gone for a short while, and you¡¯re already missing me?¡± Walter beside me, I wasn¡¯t sure if he had heard something, was looking at me with a cold and gloomy gaze. Suppressing the urge to roll my eyes, I ignored his gaze and said into the phone, ¡°Will they die without it? Where¡¯s the person? Have they been caught?¡± ¡°If I couldn¡¯t even catch him, then I would really be a waste.¡± Alexander spoke,ining, ¡°This bastard really has some skills. I 59 53% < thought he nned to hide somewhere after leaving the hospital, but I didn¡¯t expect him to directly find someone to pick him up, preparing to escape from the high seas. Fortunately, I, your young master, am smart and caught him halfway.¡± I paused for a moment, ¡°Arrange for someone to meet him?¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± The voice on the other end said, ¡°Luckily, there was only one person, and I¡¯ve caught him. Youe over here, ask whatever you want to ask quickly, and then hand him over to the police. If we keep him for too long, we¡¯ll be harboring a criminal.¡± 89.06% Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Chapter 72 A Million to Buy Me Off? It wasn¡¯t good to talk too much on the phone, so I asked him to send me the address and then hung up, ready to get in the car and leave. Just as I was about to get in the car, I was pulled down by Walter. I was in a hurry to get things done, and his harassment was really annoying. I frowned in displeasure and red at him, ¡°What are you doing, Walter?¡± He nced down at my leg and said, ¡°You still n on driving like this?¡± Following his gaze, I finally noticed the wound on my leg. I had scraped it in my haste to climb over the wall, and it was bleeding. It looked a bit gruesome, but it wasn¡¯t serious, so I hadn¡¯t paid much attention to it. I pursed my lips, toozy to waste words with him, and said. indifferently, ¡°I won¡¯t die.¡± After speaking, I was about to get back in the car, but he abruptly hoisted me into the passenger seat without a word. After fastening my seatbelt for me, he took the driver¡¯s seat and started the car. I had long gotten used to his antics. Busy with work, I couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste any more time with him. I directly navigated to the address Alexander had sent me, and indifferently said, ¡°Go here!¡± It didn¡¯t take long to arrive. Alexander had brought the person to an abandoned factory. When we arrived, he was sitting on the hood of a discarded truck outside the ||| r factory, waving at us from afar, ¡°Here!¡± He sat cross-legged on the hood of the car, a piece of wild grass he¡¯d somehow acquired hanging from his mouth, looking every bit the street thug. ¡°How about it? Do I look like the boss of the underground?¡± He jumped down from the front of the car, dusted off his clothes, and asked me with a grin. I chuckled insincerely, my smile not reaching my eyes as I said, ¡°You really think highly of yourself, don¡¯t you? Where is everyone?¡± Not hearing what he wanted to hear, he clicked his tongue,zily pointing at the factory building and said, ¡°It¡¯s in there, you guys go in!¡± I had originally thought that Alexander would at most tie people up, but I didn¡¯t expect that when Walter and I went in, we saw Dr. Samuel directly tied up and hanging from the beam. Something was stuffed in Dr. Samuel¡¯s mouth, he was hanging from the ceiling, unable to make a sound, only whimpering. ¡°This person was really ungrateful. I originally wanted to have a good talk with him, but I didn¡¯t expect him to try to bribe me.¡± Alexander followed in, grumbling, ¡°He offered me a million to let him go. Do I look like I¡¯m worth only a million? How infuriating.¡± The corner of my mouth twitched involuntarily, I nced at him sideways and said, ¡°You hung him up for a million?¡± He rolled his eyes, ¡°What else? You underestimate me too much. I hate it the most when people look down on me. You should at least give me more. What can I do with a million?¡± I¡­ Should I be grateful that Dr. Samuel wasn¡¯t a wealthy man? Otherwise, 28 42 ||| < 11 23 I¡¯m afraid I wouldn¡¯t have been able to catch him. Taking a deep breath, I looked at Alexander, ¡°Put the person down!¡± Hanging so high, if you want to ask something, the neck can¡¯t stand it. He nodded, and with a small knife from who knows where, he directly cut the hanging rope. Dr. Samuel fell straight to the ground, his face distorted in pain. I removed the cloth gag from Dr. Samuel¡¯s mouth. Before I could even speak, Dr. Samuel had already started shouting, ¡°This is illegal kidnapping, I¡¯m going to sue you!¡± Looking at him, I pursed my lips, took a few steps back, and said, ¡°Go ahead and tell them. After all, the police may not necessarily believe the words of a murderer. Besides, we caught the criminal, which is a merit in itself. The police probably won¡¯t care about such a small detail.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t kill anyone!¡± Dr. Samuel became frantic, ¡°I never intended to kill her, Mr. yton said, just to drive her insane was enough, I never thought she would die!¡± Mr. yton? I paused slightly, looking at him and said, ¡°Ryan?¡± He nodded, ¡°It was him. He gave me some money and said his wife was mentally ill. He left her with me, asking only that I give her extra medication each day to keep her insane in the hospital.¡± I had actually guessed these, I nodded and asked, ¡°Did you alter Abagail¡¯s information?¡± He nodded, ¡°Yes, the South Ward only admits patients with severe * mental illnesses. Abagail¡¯s condition is merely hypochondria, such patients are not allowed in the South Ward. So, I switched her records 61.01% 111 < with another patient¡¯s to get her in. Ryan gave me two million, asking me to just keep Abagail inside. If Abagail¡¯s condition is not medicated, the director will eventually find out. So, to make her condition worse, I increased her medication after she was admitted. I didn¡¯t intend to kill her, I didn¡¯t expect this Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. oue.¡± 93 10% Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Saying Goodbye to Ashley Looking at the embarrassed appearance of Dr. Samuel, for a few seconds, I wanted to strangle this man. For two million, he could casually ruin a life. Utterly despicable. Suppressing the anger in my chest, I took a slight breath and asked, ¡°Was the person who picked you up before arranged by Ryan?¡± The incident happened suddenly, he probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to find someone to meet him for a while, unless someone had arranged it for him in advance. He nodded, ¡°I called him, and he told me to take the money and run away immediately.¡± ¡°Do you have his contact information?¡± I approached him, seeing a glimmer of hope. If I could find Ryan through Dr. Samuel, it would be somewhat of a gain. ¡°I had dialed his contact number, but it¡¯s already unreachable,¡± Alexander began. ¡°Ryan is quite cautious. He knew to destroy his phone right after the incident.¡± I pursed my lips, feeling a bit upset, and looked at Dr. Samuel, asking, ¡°Where were you thest time you contacted Ryan?¡± Dr. Samuel shook his head, knowing nothing when asked. After all that effort, I surprisingly found no information at all, which was somewhat frustrating for me. 0.00% ||| < 11 23 It seemed like there was nothing more to ask. I turned to Alexander and said, ¡°Let¡¯s hand him over to the police!¡± Alexander nodded, took out his phone to make a call. Walter, who had been silent all along, stared at Dr. Samuel for a while. It was unclear what anomaly he had discovered, as he slightly squinted his dark eyes. He took the small knife from Alexander, walked over to Dr. Samuel, half-squatted in front of him, raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°Do you want to tell me yourself, or should I help you?¡± Saying this, he suddenly shed at the back of Dr. Samuel¡¯s hand with the tip of his knife. Dr. Samuel, in pain, tried to withdraw his hand, but it was stepped on by him. For a moment, Dr. Samuel¡¯s screams, like those of a pig being ughtered, echoed in the empty ce. ¡°You aremitting murder, this is illegal¡­ Ah!¡± Apanied by Dr. Samuel¡¯s pig-ughtering scream, Walter once again plunged the knife deeper. He toyed with the object in his hand, admiring the bright red blood of Dr. Samuel, his expression indifferent as he casually said, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to talk. I can still exin to the police after crippling one of your hands.¡± With that, he prepared to exert more force. Seeing hime again, Dr. Samuel screamed in fright, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, I¡¯ll tell you, I know where Ryan is. He¡¯s at the Chesterburg casino. He mentioned it when he called me before, seemed like he was having fun there.¡± After saying this, he was in so much pain that he begged, ¡°I¡¯ve told you everything I know, please let me go!¡± Seeing that he had said all that needed to be said, Walter pulled out a small knife and threw it to Alexander, ncing at me and saying, ¡°Did you hear that?¡± I nodded, of course I heard it, I¡¯m not deaf. ||| < He raised an eyebrow, didn¡¯t say much, nced at Alexander and said, ¡°Hand the person over to the police, we have things to do, we¡¯re leaving first.¡± Before Alexander could speak, Walter had already pulled me out of the factory. I struggled a bit, but there was a limit to the strength difference between men and women, and I couldn¡¯t resist him. I was still pulled into the car by him. This person never asked for others¡¯ opinions when doing things. Sitting in the car, I felt displeased and simply kept silent all the way. Once we entered the city, I noticed that his car was not heading towards the Conner family¡¯s ce. I furrowed my brows and said, ¡°Please pull over to the side of the road.¡± The personpletely ignored me, didn¡¯t even nce at me. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Instead of continuing, he parked the car directly in front of the hospital. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit puzzled, frowning and asking, ¡°Why are we at the hospital?¡± He didn¡¯t respond to me, pulled me out of the car, and took me to the surgical department. When I arrived at the doctor¡¯s office, I realized that he had brought me here to treat the wound on my leg. It wasn¡¯t serious. After the doctor cleaned the blood, he looked at the scar that had already started to scab over, a bit speechless. However, he still bandaged me up with good manners, and also reminded me not to get it wet and to eat less spicy food. After leaving the hospital, it was already dark. I was preparing to take a taxi back to the Conner family, but I was stopped by Walter. Knowing that I couldn¡¯t outstubborn him, I didn¡¯t put up much of a futile fight. After all, it was a free ride, and it would be a waste not to 52.84% > take it. Once I got in the car, I started thinking about Ryan. Dr. Samuel said that he had gone to the Chesterburg casino, whichplicated matters. After all, it was an administrative special zone, and it wasn¡¯t easy for the police to go there and arrest people. Perhaps it was due to the extreme stress these past few days, I fell asleep not long after getting into Walter¡¯s car. When I woke up in a daze, I was already in the bedroom of Water Vi. There was no one in the room. I hadn¡¯t eaten anything all day, and I was starving. Got up and went downstairs to find something to eat. When leaving the bedroom, heard a sound I paused for a moment, instinctively moving closer to see, it was Walter on the phone. He was probably dealing with someone on the other end of the phone. With one hand in his pocket, he spoke in a serious tone, ¡°Once everything is arranged in Aeledge, send the person over. I will talk to grandma about it.¡± Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Chapter 74 The Child Was Not Mine I stood at the door, frowning involuntarily. Sending someone out? Who? Come to think of it, he had said before that he wanted to send Ashley away. Was he really going to send Ashley away? When I was lost in thought, Walter had already noticed me standing by the door. Seeing me, he hung up the phone, walked towards me, and asked: ¡°Awake?¡± I nodded, looking at him and asked, ¡°Who are you sending to Aeledge?¡± ¡°Ashley.¡± He responded to me, then led me downstairs and had me sit at the dining table. He then brought up a few hot dishes. Seeing this, I was somewhat surprised. How did he know I was hungry? Of course, I wouldn¡¯t ask such a question. As long as there¡¯s food, just eat quietly. ¡°Tabatha,¡± he suddenly spoke. I looked up at him, my mouth busy, eating and asking at the same time, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He looked at me, his gaze seemingly serious, ¡°Ashley¡¯s child, it¡¯s not mine.¡± ¡°Cough¡­¡± The words were so sudden that I choked. 0.00% N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ||| O r 11 23 After a severe bout of coughing, he handed me some warm water. After a while, when I gradually recovered, I looked at him and asked, ¡°Why are you so sure the child isn¡¯t yours?¡± Henry was so sure that day that the child was his, which made me a bit curious. How could they be so certain about who the child¡¯s father was? Upon hearing this, a slight frown creased Walter¡¯s brow, but he still spoke up. ¡°I never touched her!¡± For a few seconds, I was stunned, truly and utterly stunned. Seeing that I didn¡¯t speak, he continued, ¡°She wasn¡¯t doing well by Henry¡¯s side, so when she found out she was pregnant, she secretly returned to the country to find me. I owe her my life, there¡¯s no reason for me not to take care of her and her child. I originally nned to send them to a safe ce, but I didn¡¯t expect that both you and grandma would know about this and misunderstand.¡± When he spoke, he liked to stare straight at people. I felt a bit ufortable under his gaze, so I reached out, took a cup, and took a sip of water. I didn¡¯t respond to him, as I really didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment. After a long while, I finally asked, ¡°So, what do you n to do next?¡± After a slight furrow of his brow, he looked at me and said, ¡°After the start of winter, I had already arranged for someone to take her to Aeledge. I will exin everything to my grandmother, and I will also go and rify things with your mother.¡± I nodded, and for a moment, I found myself without a n. Carley, in order to legitimize the child in Ashley¡¯s womb, deliberately fabricated a non-existent child for me. Wouldn¡¯t she be furious if she knew that the child in Ashley¡¯s womb was not Walter¡¯s? 21.05% Somehow, the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat indescribable. I had originally thought that there was already something going on between him and Ashley. Now that he has said these things to me, I feel a mix of emotions all at once. Taking a slight breath, I looked at him and asked, ¡°So, just how old is the child in Ashley¡¯s belly?¡± He served me some food and began to speak, ¡°It¡¯s already been four months now.¡± Four months ago? When I found out Ashley was pregnant, the baby in her belly wasn¡¯t two months, but three months? No wonder she had been wearing loose clothes all the time after she returned to her country. It was April now, her belly must have been quite big already, hadn¡¯t Carley noticed anything wrong? In thought, I noticed Walter looking at my stomach. Subconsciously, I pulled my clothes over it and pursed my lips, asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He looked at me, his lips slightly pursed, and said, ¡°Our child is almost three months old now, you¡¯re too thin, you should eat more.¡± I was stunned for a moment, and mumbled a confused ¡°uh-huh¡±. I wasn¡¯t even pregnant, of course I looked thin. This whole thing made it seem like Ashley¡¯s child wasn¡¯t Walter¡¯s. There wasn¡¯t a single child in my belly. If Walter found out, that all of this was a lie, then¡­ Looking at Walter, I hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Walter, do you 57.30% < 11233 really like children?¡± He rarely showed a gentle expression, but he looked at me and smiled. saying. ¡°I don¡¯t like children, but ours is different. After knowing you were pregnant, it was strange, I felt that there was one more concern in this world, one more life that needed my protection.¡± I felt somewhat guilty and for a moment, I didn¡¯t know what to say. Seeing my silence, Walter thought I was still upset about Ashley. He looked at me and said, ¡°Ashley¡¯s matter will be handled soon. We are husband and wife, and now we have a child. We are a family now, You are looking forward to our child just like me, aren¡¯t you?¡± 86 42% Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Rachel¡¯s Discovery I had never seen such an expectant look in his eyes. For a moment, there were indeed some words that I just couldn¡¯t utter. I wanted to tell him that I wasn¡¯t pregnant, and I also wanted to tell him that we were destined to part ways. But when I saw his expectant gaze, I inexplicably found myself nodding Seeing me nod, he gave a rare smile and said, ¡°I¡¯ve arranged for someone to go to Chesterburg for the Conner Group. They will find the person as soon as possible. I can¡¯t currently utilize all of the Hinton family¡¯s assets, but I can use all of my personal assets to help the Conner Group through this difficult time. Don¡¯t worry too much, just focus on taking care of yourself in the future.¡± I had never seen him like this before. He used to be gentle and polite, but not as delicate and meticulous as he was at that moment, even showing an indescribable thoughtfulness. This version of him left me somewhat dazed. Somehow, I suddenly wanted to ask him, was he concerned about the child in my belly, or me? But when the words reached my lips, I changed my tune, saying, ¡°Walter, if one day, both Ashley and I N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. did something unforgivable to you, would you choose to believe me, or Ashley?¡± He furrowed his handsome brows, the crease between them deepening, ¡°Why would you suddenly ask such a question?¡± I paused for a moment, shook my head slightly, and forced a smile, saying, ¡°No, I just really wanted to ask you.¡± 0.00% 111 < 11 23 He pursed his lips, not speaking anymore. Ashley was special to him, that much was clear to me these days, even if my eyes were not blind. Even if their rtionship was not what I thought it was, the more it was like this, the more it proved that Ashley was different to him. Most women wouldn¡¯t mind if their husband had slept with a woman of ill repute, but they would care a lot if he couldn¡¯t let go of his unattainable love. The person you can¡¯t obtain and can¡¯t let go of, is the most lethal one! Ashley was Walter¡¯s moonlight! After eating, I always felt that I seemed to be a bit gluttonous and sleepy recently. I just finished eating and I was sleepy again. Fortunately, there was nothing wrong, so I indulged myself a lot. The next day. I was sleeping deeply when Rachel¡¯s call came in, and I responded to the phone in a somewhat dazed manner. Rachel¡¯s voice came through the phone, ¡°Tabatha, why are you still sleeping? I have something to tell you, are you avable to listen now?¡± I grunted in acknowledgement. There was a moment of hesitation before he said, ¡°I have a significant discovery about Henry, do you want to hear it?¡± Henry? ¨C I paused for a moment, my mind clearing a bit, and said into the phone, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± 29.04% 111 O r 11 23 night. Guess what I saw?¡± I frowned upon hearing this, couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°You went to the casino alone?¡± She hummed in agreement, excitedly saying, ¡°I saw Henry actually¡­''¡± ¡°Rachel!¡± I interrupted her, frowning, ¡°Going to a casino alone, not to mention that Henry ispletely inhumane, but the casino is such a chaotic ce, do you know how dangerous it is? How many lives do you have?¡± After I gave her a piece of my mind, Rachel seemed a bit guilty. She chuckled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry yet, let me finish exining, then you can me me, okay?¡± I took a deep breath, couldn¡¯t help but hold my forehead, her courage was too great, trouble was bound to happen sooner orter. Seeing that I didn¡¯t continue talking about her, she began to speak, ¡°I saw Henry using that stuff in the casino, it seemed like he was addicted. I noticed something was off about him, so I followed him. He was probably having a withdrawal, so he used it right in the bathroom, and the amount was not small, Tabatha, do you think Ashley might also¡­¡± I frowned, recalling Ashley¡¯s condition during this period, and said, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be. She¡¯s pregnant, Henry wouldn¡¯t let someone involved with that kind of thing bear his child.¡± I wouldn¡¯t be surprised by anything out of the ordinary that a person 54 02% 11 23 like Henry would do. I sighed and said into the phone, ¡°I understand, there¡¯s plenty of news in River City. Don¡¯t provoke Henry in the future if it¡¯s not necessary. If you need news material, go to the Conner Group, the Hinton Group, anywhere but dangerous ces like that, understand?¡± On the other end of the phone, Rachel, I didn¡¯t know if she had taken my words to heart. She just hummed in agreement, ¡°I know, don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m a journalist, I know how to protect myself. Besides, I¡¯m getting a bit tired of reporting on yourpany¡¯s affairs, Tabatha. Let me tell you, I suspect that Henry is not only using, but he might also be dealing. Really!¡± 86.71% Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Ashley Begged Me Hearing her words, I became somewhat worried and interrupted her, ¡°Rachel, don¡¯t get involved in Henry¡¯s matter anymore, the police will have their ns.¡± She clicked her tongue and said, ¡°What about Carley from the Hinton family? That day in the small building, Henry had asked Ashley to find a way to deal with Carley. Don¡¯t think she wouldn¡¯t do it!¡± Of course, I knew what kind of person Ashley was. Now that Walter was preparing to send her away, she might not even have the chance to make a move. What I was more worried about now was Rachel. Speaking into the phone, I said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about others, just take care of yourself. Don¡¯t do anything too dangerous, you hear me?¡± ¡°Got it!¡± I responded, probably annoyed by my chatter, she said directly, ¡°I have things to do, let¡¯s talk another day!¡± After speaking, he hung up the phone. The phone was hung up, and I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. I didn¡¯t know if it was because of her profession as a journalist, but I always felt that Rachel was not only curious, but also loved to take risks. This was a good thing, but not necessarily a good thing. After sitting on the bed for a while, I finally got up and went downstairs. I had assumed that Walter would have gone to the office by this time, but unexpectedly, he was still in the vi. When I went downstairs and saw him in the kitchen, I was a bit taken aback. Why wasn¡¯t he at work and what was he doing in the kitchen? When in doubt, he probably heard some noise and turned back to look ||| 11 23 at me, staring at me and said, ¡°Awake?¡± I nodded, walked over to his side, and noticed that he had an apron tied around his waist, seemingly cooking something. I couldn¡¯t help but nce into the kitchen. ¡°Red dates bird¡¯s nest,¡± he began, looking at me, ¡°Roy said his sister- inw used to eat this when she was pregnant. It¡¯s good for both the pregnant woman and the fetus.¡± I was stunned for a moment, feeling an indescribable taste in my heart, very bitter. I didn¡¯t have a child in my belly, what good would it do? From the day I met Walter, I knew he would be a good father and a responsible husband. Regardless of love or not, he was always good to his wife and children. If I could have lived with him, perhaps this life would have been a good choice. Looking at him, I opened my mouth and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Seeing me say thanks, he slightly furrowed his handsome brows, looking at me and said, ¡°We are husband and wife, there¡¯s no need to constantly have ¡®thanks¡¯ on our lips.¡¯ Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. I forced a smile and didn¡¯t say much more. Even if he had exined Ashley¡¯s situation, the fact remained that I didn¡¯t have a child. Carley had only given me two months to divorce him, and one month wast already about to pass. Even if he had the intention, but Carley on the other hand¡­ Something that happened five years ago! Thinking of this, I suddenly remembered Owen, whom I had seen in the alley before. If Owen were to be captured and made to rify the 31.67% ||| 1124 events from five years ago, perhaps Carley could¡­ As for the child¡­ Walter ced the cooked red date bird¡¯s nest in front of me, noticing my somewhat unnatural expression, he said, ¡°This is my first time cooking this, can you see if it¡¯s edible?¡± Where was I in the mood to taste anything at that moment? After taking a perfunctory sip, I looked at him and said, ¡°I have something to tell you, I actually didn¡¯t¡­¡± get pregnant. Before I could finish thest two words, a sound came from outside the door. ¡°Walter, why?¡± Ashley burst in suddenly, so suddenly that both Walter and I were taken aback, turning to look at her. Ashley, wearing a loose coat, rushed in with disheveled hair and a worried look on her face. As soon as she entered, she grabbed Walter¡¯s hand and looked at him tearfully, ¡°Walter, why did you send me to Aeledge? Why? You know very well that he can easily find me abroad. You promised me that you would protect our mother and child.¡± Him? Henry? I slightly furrowed my brows, so, she came because of the matter that Walter wanted to send her away? Seeing her panicked and frightened appearance, a hint of heartache showed on Walter¡¯s handsome face. He helped her sit on the sofa andforted her, ¡°I¡¯ve arranged everything in Aeledge, he doesn¡¯t have the ability.¡± Tears streamed down Ashley¡¯s face as she shook her head recklessly, 61 88% 1124 ¡°No, I won¡¯t go, I won¡¯t go, Walter, please, don¡¯t make me go.¡± As she spoke, she turned her gaze towards me, suddenly dropping to her knees in front of me, clutching my legs tightly, and crying out hoarsely, ¡°Tabatha, it was you who had Walter send me away, wasn¡¯t it? I beg you, sister, don¡¯t send me away. I promise, once the child in my belly is born, I won¡¯t let him take anything from you. My child and I don¡¯t want anything, just let me stay in the country.¡± 90 29% Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Ashley Also Knew How to Ask for Help After speaking, she cried even more pitifully, her voice choked with sobs, ¡°Tabatha, can you please pity me and the child in my belly?¡± I watched her crying as if her heart was breaking, my brow twitching uncontrobly. What was she nning to pull this time? Taking a step back, I looked at her and calmly asked, ¡°Why doesn¡¯t sister want to go abroad?¡± She sobbed, devoid of her usual pretense, looking utterly pitiful. ¡°I¡¯m scared¡­ Henry, he forcibly took me abroad years ago. For the two years I was with him, he tortured me day and night. I barely managed to escape and return home, I don¡¯t want to go back. If he finds me now, not only will I not survive, but the child in my belly won¡¯t either. Tabatha, you¡¯re about to be a mother too, I beg you, don¡¯t make me leave the country, please. I beg you to save us, mother and child.¡± I pursed my lips, looking at her. If it weren¡¯t for the conversation I overheard between her and Henry in the small building that day, I would have truly believed her in this moment. Seeing her tear-streaked face and pitiful appearance, I didn¡¯t rush to speak. Instead, I turned to Walter and asked, ¡°Is there any red date bird¡¯s nest left in the kitchen? Could you serve a portion for my sister?¡± Walter¡¯s handsome brows furrowed, not understanding why I would say such a thing at this time. But seeing me staring straight at him, he still nodded, turned around, and went to the kitchen. Seeing Walter leave, I crouched down, moved closer to Ashley, and yfully toyed with her somewhat messy hair. With a sarcastic smile, I said, ¡°Sister, stop pretending. Walter has already told me everything. If O DO% < 11 24 the child in your belly is Henry¡¯s, how could he bear to hurt you?¡± Ashley¡¯s face stiffened, her eyes widened as she stared at me, a look of disbelief on her face, ¡°What did Walter say to you?¡± I smiled faintly, ¡°He told me that the child in your belly is not his, and he also said that he would live a good life with me, so, you must leave.¡± Her face changed, I had thought she would re at me as before, but unexpectedly, she still looked at me with a face full of pleading, ¡°Tabatha, I know I¡¯ve wronged you. Since Walter has already told you, then there¡¯s no need for you and Walter to send me abroad, right? My existence won¡¯t endanger you at all, please, just let me stay in the old house, wait until the child is safely born, okay? Once I go abroad, neither I nor the child will survive, Tabatha, I know you hate me, but the child is innocent, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Because of Henry?¡± I looked at him as I spoke. She nodded, her face full of fear, ¡°Henry is a devil. If I go abroad and he finds me, he will kill me and this child. He has no humanity at all, he won¡¯t care whether the child in my belly is his or not.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I looked at her, unable to help but admire her superb acting skills in my heart. She still nodded with tears dripping down, afraid that I wouldn¡¯t believe her. She continued, ¡°Tabatha, I know you resent me, resent me for how I treated you back then, resent me for provoking dad. I was wrong, I really was. As long as you let me stay in the country, let me safely give birth to the child in my belly in the old house, I promise I will never interfere with your life with Walter.¡± I pursed my lips, silently watching her performance, pondering in my mind. Why did she change so suddenly? Was it to stay in the Hinton 34.23%. r family¡¯s old house? Or was it to stay by Walter¡¯s side? What was her purpose? Perhaps I had been silent for too long. She looked at me, momentarily unsure of what to do, thinking I had softened. She looked at me and said, ¡°Tabatha, you¡­¡± ¡°What is your purpose?¡± I asked, squinting as I observed every expression of hers. Seeing her, I was taken aback for a moment, a few seconds of panic shed by, then her stunning face was reced with confusion. She looked at me in bewilderment and said, ¡°Tabatha, what purpose? What are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand.¡± Watching her reaction, I had basically confirmed some things. I, as a person, was least skilled at acting and didn¡¯t have much patience. He didn¡¯t n to y riddles with her, and spoke directly, ¡°You don¡¯t want to go abroad because you¡¯re afraid of Henry, that¡¯s correct. But you¡¯re not afraid that he will kill you, but that it will ruin your purpose of returning to the country, right?¡± A trace of coldness shed across her face, but she still looked at me with a bewildered expression, saying, ¡°Tabatha, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying!¡± I smiled faintly, straightened up, and looked down at her, saying, ¡°Ashley, if you like ying dumb, then continue. But I have to remind you, you¡¯d better follow Walter¡¯s arrangements honestly. Otherwise, I don¡¯t mind giving the police a heads up. If the police knew that Henry has returned to the country, it would be a dream for him to leave again in this lifetime, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. 69 48% 112 Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Chapter 78 nned to Go to Chesterburg The pitiful facade on her face was instantly reced with shock, her eyes wide open. She stared at me defensively, her voice cold as she said, ¡°Tabatha, what do you mean?¡± Walter had already brought out the bird¡¯s nest soup. I watched Ashley give a faint smile, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I was just kindly reminding you that if you always walk by the river, your shoes will get wet eventually.¡± ¡°You.¡± She wanted to continue speaking, but upon seeing Waltere out, she stopped. Tears were on her face, still maintaining that pitiful and weak appearance. Walter ced the bird¡¯s nest on the dining table. Seeing that Ashley had stopped talking, he didn¡¯t know what I had said to her. His dark eyes turned to me, his voice low as he asked, ¡°What were you two talking about?¡± I nced at him, gave a slight smile, and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s just some girl talk. I have something to doter, so I¡¯ll leave first.¡± My rtionship with Walter used to be distant and polite. Later, when Ashley came back, I had both resentment and affection for him, so our rtionship was never really harmonious. Now, even though he has opened up and asked me to get along well with him, I somehow feel a bit ufortable. I hurriedly left Water Vi and headed straight for the Conner Group. Since Ryan was in Chesterburg, we had to find a way to bring him back. But this matter was not enough to rely solely on the police.¡± 000 ||| 11. In the office, upon hearing that I was going to Chesterburg to bring Ryan back, Alexander immediately objected, ¡°No, I disagree. What use would it be for a pregnant woman like you to go? Tabatha, aren¡¯t you being too confident in yourself?¡± I had anticipated his reaction, so I calmly said, ¡°Of course it¡¯s useful. The ind police can¡¯t directly arrest Ryan in Chesterburg, but the ind people can bring him back.¡± He furrowed his brows, looking at me and said, ¡°What do you want to do?¡± I shrugged, ¡°Go to Chesterburg, bring someone to tie Ryan back. If I¡¯m not mistaken, Thomas should also be in Chesterburg.¡± His frown deepened, ¡°You went to tie them back? Just you?¡± I shook my head, ¡°Of course it wasn¡¯t me. I brought people to do it, I didn¡¯t have to lift a finger.¡¯ He pursed his lips, still disagreeing, ¡°No, I thought about itst night. I¡¯ll go to Chesterburg and bring the person back. You stay at the Conner Group. It¡¯s safer if I go than if you go.¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. I shook my head, looking at him and said, ¡°I¡¯ve considered this n, but as it stands, the Conner Group is more stable with you at the helm. Moreover, I feel more at ease when you make many of the decisions. If I stay at the Conner Group, I¡¯m afraid there will be problems before you even bring people back.¡± If it weren¡¯t for Alexander propping up the Conner Group, it would have probably been in trouble by now. Once he leaves, chaos is certain. In the business field, I was self-aware. I didn¡¯t have the talent for it, and I was helpless when many problems urred. With Alexander around, I felt more at ease. 29.13% ||| 11: Hearing me say this, he was somewhat embarrassed and said, ¡°You trust me so much, I¡¯m actually quite pleased.¡± Watching his awkward appearance, which was somewhat irritating to the eyes, I averted my gaze and said, ¡®So, it¡¯s settled then. I¡¯ll sort out the affairs of the Conner Group and set off for Chesterburg the day after tomorrow.¡± He clicked his tongue, knowing his opposition was futile. After a moment of thought, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t make such a hasty decision about this. First, tell me how you n to bring the person back. Tabatha, I¡¯m serious. You¡¯re pregnant. Even if I agree to let you do this, you at least have to reassure me.¡± Knowing his concerns, I said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will handle it. You just take care of the Conner Group and wait for my return.¡± He wanted to ask more, but at that moment, Cory walked in and said to me, ¡°Ms. Conner, there¡¯s a situation with Ryan¡¯s mistress.¡± Ryan¡¯s mistress! I was taken aback for a moment, quickly turning to Cory, signaling him to continue speaking. Cory nced at me and Alexander, saying, ¡°The person I had arranged to keep an eye on sent a message, saying that a man has been frequently visiting the woman¡¯s ce these past few days. I originally suspected that the man was arranged by Ryan, thinking they were preparing to flee the country. However, the person watching over there said that the man seems to have an unusual rtionship with Ryan¡¯s mistress, as he has been spending the night there quite often recently.¡± ¡°Stay the night?¡± I was a bit surprised, couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°The woman¡¯s new lover?¡± Cory wasn¡¯t quite sure as he said, ¡°Hard to tell, their rtionship 61.25% ||| 11 doesn¡¯t seem to be a recent one. I had someone watch them for a few days, and it seems like the man is selling drugs, and quite a lot at that.¡± Pink? I paused for a moment, something shed through my mind, and I looked at Cory, ¡°Do you have a photo of that man?¡± Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Inquiring About the Past Events He nodded, pulled out his phone and started searching. He then handed me the phone, looking at the person in the photo, I was surprisingly speechless! Did Owen have an affair with Ryan¡¯s lover? This was indeed a bit unexpectedly absurd. ¡°Did Ms. Conner know this man?¡± Cory asked, seeing me frowning at my phone. I nodded, looking at him and asked, ¡°Cory, have youmunicated this matter with the police?¡± He shook his head, ¡°I haven¡¯t said it yet, I was just about to tell you, and then contact the police.¡± I grunted in acknowledgement, handing the phone back to Cory. ¡°We don¡¯t need to pay too much attention to this side for now, Cory. Find me a few reliable people who are good with their hands,¡± I said. Cory asked, puzzled, ¡°What was Ms. Conner going to do?¡± I smiled faintly, having nothing to hide from him, and said, ¡°Take them to Chesterburg for a kidnapping.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Cory was taken aback, unable to react for a moment. I didn¡¯t say much more, just told him to get ready. When Alexander saw Cory leave, he frowned at me and said, ¡°Is this really your n to go to Chesterburg?¡± 0.001 = ¡°Right!¡± I nodded, ¡°Just Thomas and Ryan, besides, the police in Chesterburg could also use them.¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± Alexander gave me a nce and said speechlessly, ¡°Tabatha, you are really naive. Thomas and Ryan must have at least three to five million dors in their hands now. These two can be considered rich people. Have you ever seen a rich person without a few capable bodyguards around them? You bring a few henchmen over and n to kidnap them back, naive.¡± Reminded by him in this way, I did react. Yes, these two had embezzled arge amount of assets from the Conner Group. With so much money, they must be wishing to protect themselves with a vajra cover at this moment. Imagine, an ordinary person suddenly had a worth of three to five billion, what was their mentality? They were probably thinking about how to enjoy life with this money on one hand, and on the other hand, they were thinking about how to protect themselves and the safety of this money. No one wanted to die before they had the chance to enjoy the good life. Seeing that I seemed to take his words to heart, Alexander said, ¡°Regarding the matter of going to Chesterburg, we need to discuss with the police and n carefully. Don¡¯t act rashly.¡± I nodded, understanding his point. The illegal outflow of domestic funds was something the police would naturally not ignore. If we could unite, it would be much better than me trying to figure things out on my own. In the midst of my thoughts, my phone rang. It was Lucas¡¯s phone number. Seeing this number, I was taken aback for a moment, then quickly answered the call. ¡°Ms. Conner, I¡¯m sorry to bother you,¡± came the voice of Lucas from 22 87% 111 112 < the other end of the phone. I knew when he called, it was most likely about Owen. I quickly said, ¡°Lucas, has there been any progress with Owen?¡± ¡°Um, yes,¡± Lucas began, ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, we have found the big fish behind Owen domestically. The bureau is nning to close the in the next few days. However, I just heard that you guys have discovered new clues, so I wanted to discuss it with you.¡± The Ryan¡¯s lover and Owen? As soon as Lucas spoke, it urred to me. I said into the phone, ¡°Hmm, the Conner Group¡¯s funds have been misappropriated. We are also sending people around to inquire. We had no idea about the rtionship between Ryan¡¯s lover and Owen.¡± ¡°Uh huh!¡± Lucas responded, pausing for a moment before continuing, ¡°This matter has been investigated by the police and it¡¯s quiteplicated. It involves something from five years ago. I have some things I¡¯d like to discuss with you, Ms. Conner. Do you have some time? Can I invite you for a cup of tea?¡± I was somewhat confused as I listened. Owen¡¯s matter was rted to something from five years ago, but could Ryan¡¯s lover also be rted to something from five years ago? Regarding this, I didn¡¯t hesitate much and directly epted it. In the teahouse outside the police station¡¯s main gate. Lucas arrived in a hurry. Seeing that I was already there, he took off his police cap and said apologetically, ¡°There¡¯s a lot going on at the station, I¡¯m sorry to have kept you waiting.¡± I shook my head slightly, going straight to the point, ¡°Lucas, have you found out anything?¡± 56.27% 11 24 He nodded, not bothering to take a sip of tea, and said, ¡°This matter is currently just my personal spection. I invited you here to discuss it, not to confirm anything, so we can just treat it like a casual conversation.¡± I nodded, uttering a sound of agreement. Perhaps it was because he was a police officer, even though he said that, I still couldn¡¯t help but feel as nervous as I did when I was recording with a pen back then. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Seeing that I still looked serious, he smiled and didn¡¯t insist anymore. He went straight to the point and said, ¡°Ms. Conner, could you tell me about what happened at the border back then?¡± Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Ezra I didn¡¯t expect him to ask that, I was momentarily stunned, unconsciously clenching my hands. Seeing my reaction, he poured me a cup of tea and began, ¡°We found you in a mountain viger¡¯s home in Brokeback Mountain years ago. Your mental and physical condition were not very good at that time, so we didn¡¯t record your half-year experience at the border when we took your statement. Now, five years have passed, and your condition has improved a lot. Ms. Conner, can you tell me what you experienced during that half year at the border? How did you manage to escape from those ruthless killers?¡± I gripped my hands tightly, my body shaking uncontrobly. I took a slight breath, forcing myself to calm down. I looked at him and asked, ¡°Lucas, does this have anything to do with the case you¡¯re investigating now?¡± He nodded, looking at me and said, ¡°We followed Owen¡¯s lead and found a person¡­¡± He didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but paused for a while before looking at me and saying, ¡°Someone, you should know.¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. I knew who he was talking about. Uncontroble memories from five years ago began to assault me ¨C bloody, violent, disgusting, terrifying, scene after scene started to overwhelm me! Seeing my uncontroble trembling, he expressed some concern, ¡°Ms. Conner, are you alright?¡± I nodded, forcing myself to calm down. It had been five years, I couldn¡¯t hold on to it for a lifetime. Looking at Lucas, I suppressed my fear and asked, ¡°Was it Ezra?¡± 0001 ||| 11 24 < Lucas nodded, ¡°It¡¯s him, he¡¯s the adopted son of a warlord, in charge of the South Afcoria region. After Owen took you out of the country back then, he should have handed you over to him, right?¡± I nodded, five years had passed, this man, who was like a devil, was so terrifying that just thinking of him would make one¡¯s scalp tingle. Lucas looked at me, paused, and asked, ¡°Have you seen him?¡± I still nodded. At this, Lucas asked excitedly, ¡°If you see him again, would you be able to recognize him?¡± I nodded, looking at him, not understanding what he was trying to say. Seeing me like this, he began, ¡°Ezra is elusive, not many people have seen his face. We only know his name, but not his appearance. If you can recognize him, perhaps, for us, it would be a very important clue.¡± Indeed, many people had never seen Ezra. Those who had, were mostly dead, or had been blinded by him. Walter was one of those who had been blinded by them. Taking a deep breath and suppressing my emotions, I looked at Lucas and said, ¡°I indeed met him, but after experiencing so much that year, I forced myself to forget many things. Besides, it¡¯s been five years, his appearance is very vague in my mind.¡± The experiences from five years ago had once made me copse, so my mental state had been abnormal ever since I returned to my country. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that I was a daughter of the Conner family, and my parents had the money and time to treat me, I might have already be insane by now. Over the years, my experience at the border sometimes seemed crystal clear to me, yet at other times, I felt as if I remembered nothing at all. 32 20% ||| 112 67.96% Ezra¡¯s presence was like a disaster to me, so unless someone mentioned him, I had no desire to recall this person at all. Lucas looked at me and nodded, his gaze gentle as he said, ¡°Ms. Conner, I can understand your fear of your past experiences. Rest assured, we won¡¯t force you to recall anything you don¡¯t want to remember.¡± I looked at him in confusion and asked, ¡°Then why did youe to see me today?¡± He hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°We¡¯ve been tracking Owen for a while, and we got a tip from his lover.¡± At this point, he paused to exin, ¡°That is, the lover of yourpany¡¯s CFO, Ryan. The woman said that Owen mentioned to her that he was nning to take her to Chesterburg in the middle of next month. This is because Ezra is preparing to host a luxurious cruise party in Chesterburg. He is nning to hold arge-scale auction, and of course, there will be gambling and cocaine transactions. He¡¯s making a big deal out of this transaction, so he should show up at the party.¡± I looked at Lucas, basically understanding his intention, ¡°You want me to infiltrate this party?¡± He nodded, ¡°You are the daughter of the Conner family, with a high worth. Attending such a party wouldn¡¯t be out of ce.¡± ¡°What do I need to do?¡± I asked. He put down the teacup in his hand and began to speak, ¡°In the name of an assistant, take me to the party. If you recognize Ezra, you just need to tell me who he is. You don¡¯t have to do anything else.¡± Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Chapter 81 You Don¡¯t Want a Divorce? If it weren¡¯t for the dire circumstances, I wouldn¡¯t have wanted to see that devil-like person again. But I also knew that if he continued to be above thew, countless people in this world would suffer from his persecution. People like Ezra simply didn¡¯t deserve to live. I feared I might hate him more! Looking at Lucas, I nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Seeing my agreement, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, looking at me and saying, ¡°Thank you, Ms. Conner.¡± I shook my head, recalling the matter of Owen, and looked at him, ¡°Lucas, why would Owen¡¯s lover get involved with Ryan?¡± Logically, the woman sought by Owen, a desperate fugitive, and the woman sought by someone like Ryan, could never possibly be the same. Lucas slightly furrowed his brows, falling silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Owen¡¯s lover is not simple. I¡¯ve arranged for someone from the station to keep an eye on her. If anything happens, I¡¯ll notify you.¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. I nodded, the matters of the Conner Group were pressing at the moment. Although I was curious about a woman of the world, there was no need to expend too much energy to understand her. As for Owen¡¯s side, I looked at Lucas and asked, ¡°So, are you guys ready to close in on Owen¡¯s side?¡± Lucas shook his head slightly, ¡°The station ns to close in on Ezra after his party, otherwise it¡¯s easy to alert the enemy Ezra is a cautious 111 man, we can¡¯t make a move on the ind side for now.¡± After hearing his words, I pursed my lips and nodded slightly. It was just a matter of waiting a few more days, I had the time to wait. The truth about what happened that year would eventuallye to light, and Ashley wouldn¡¯t be able to escape the punishment she deserved, not even a bit. ¡°Right!¡± Thinking of Ashley, I looked at Lucas and said, ¡°Lucas, what are your ns regarding Henry¡¯s return to the country?¡± I had asked Rachel tomunicate with the police station about this matter before, they should have known about it. Hearing my question, Lucas looked puzzled for a moment, frowning at me and asked, ¡°Did Henry return to the country?¡± I nodded, seeing his somewhat puzzled reaction, ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± He shook his head, a frown creasing his brow, then asked, ¡°How did you know Henry returned to the country?¡± Hearing him say this, I was somewhat puzzled, but I still told him about meeting Henry in the small building. After listening, he nodded slightly and said, ¡°Henry¡¯s case is not within. my jurisdiction, it needs to be handled by the provincial department. We in our department have no right to intervene.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t understand all this. Hearing him say that, I was slightly taken aback and asked in confusion, ¡°If such a major criminal returns to the country, is the higher authority nning to ignore it?¡± He shook his head slightly, ¡°We can¡¯t ignore it. The higher-ups might be making arrangements. All we need to do is wait for orders.¡± Alright, that¡¯s the situation in the country, I couldn¡¯t say much more. Didn¡¯t ask any more questions. After saying goodbye to Lucas, I didn¡¯t rush back to the Conner Group, but sat in the tea room for a while. I sent a message to Rachel, asking her toe and chat with me. She arrived shortly after, noticing that I had chosen a tea house as our meeting ce. She sat down next to me and asked, ¡°Since when did you start liking tea?¡± I poured her a cup of warm tea and said, ¡°Lucas just asked me toe over.¡± She paused for a moment, asking, ¡°Which Lucas?¡± But in an instant, she remembered, saying, ¡°The Lucas who was in charge of your case back then?¡± I nodded and told her about Owen¡¯s matter. Knowing that Owen appeared again, she happily said, ¡°Great, this bastard is finally going to get his away.¡± I nodded slightly, looking at her and said, ¡°Once Lucas closes the and lets Owen confess everything, the truth about what happened that year will be revealed.¡± She nodded repeatedly, ¡°Exactly, once things are rified, people outside will stop harping on this matter. And as for the Hinton family, they won¡¯t say anything about you anymore.¡± Speaking of the Ilinton family, I felt a bit of a headache. I looked at Rachel and said, ¡°Carley gave me two months to divorce Walter because of this.¡± Now, almost a month has passed. 111 ¡°What?¡± Rachel frowned, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this Carley? The Conner Group is in a tough spot right now, and she¡¯s forcing you to divorce Mr. Hinton. Isn¡¯t this kicking someone when they¡¯re down? How despicable!¡± pursed my lips, no longer speaking, feeling extremely agitated inside. Seeing my troubled expression, Rachel frowned and said, ¡°Tabatha, do you not want to divorce Mr. Hinton?¡± ||| Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Could Find a Way to Have a Child I was taken aback, shaking my head and saying, ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me,¡± she interrupted me, saying, ¡°We¡¯ve been friends for so many years, don¡¯t you think I can¡¯t see what you¡¯re thinking? You like Mr. Hinton, and it¡¯s normal that you don¡¯t want to divorce. However, from a friend¡¯s perspective, I still want to remind you that he still has lingering feelings for Ashley. If you continue to stay by his side, you will still get hurt. Although we¡¯re not sure if the child in Ashley¡¯s belly is his, they did have a past¡­¡± ¡°He never touched Ashley,¡± I began, looking at Rachel, sharing with her all the things Walter had told me. After hearing this, Rachel was somewhat surprised, her eyes widened as she said, ¡°Are you saying, Mr. Hinton never even touched Ashley? And he also knew that the child in Ashley¡¯s belly wasn¡¯t his?¡± I nodded. She revealed a look of sudden realization and said, ¡°No wonder that day in the small building, Henry was so sure that the child in Ashley¡¯s belly was his. So that¡¯s how it was.¡± After speaking, she expressed some confusion, ¡°Then Ashley¡¯s insistence on staying with the Hinton family is even more suspicious. She¡¯s definitely up to no good, taking advantage of Mr. Hinton¡¯s kindness towards her.¡± ¡°Of course I knew that Ashley and Henry were up to no good,¡± I said, looking at Rachel. ¡°Walter has already arranged for someone to send Ashley abroad. As long as Ashley is sent away and not in the old house, whatever they want to do will be useless.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Rachel nodded, her mood significantly improved as she said to me, ¡°That¡¯s great. Once Owen is caught and your situation is rified, it will shut the Hinton family up. You won¡¯t have to divorce Mr. Hinton, and you can live a good life.¡± I pursed my lips, couldn¡¯t help but sigh, still feeling a bit mncholic in my heart. Seeing me sigh, she became impatient, ¡°What kind of reaction is this? Everything is going in a good direction, why are you sighing?¡± I felt helpless, looking at her and saying, ¡°Rachel, did you forget about the imaginary child in my stomach? What should we do?¡± She was startled, and also remembered this matter, looking at me and saying, ¡°That¡¯s right, what about this child? What would happen if Mr. Hinton knew you deceived him?¡± I shook my head, I didn¡¯t know what Walter would do if he found out I had lied to him. But I could imagine, given his current expectations for this child, if he knew I had been deceiving him all along, he might strangle me! Once Carley figured out what happened five years ago, it shouldn¡¯t be hard to handle. The most important thing now is what to do with this non-existent child in my belly. The more I thought about it, the more my head ached. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Got it!¡± Rachel suddenly spoke, looking at me and saying, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just about having a child, Tabatha? You can have one now too. As long as you get pregnant, it doesn¡¯t matter if you give birth earlier or situation to Mr. Hinton. By then, you¡¯ll be carrying his child, and he¡¯ll understand your difficulties and won¡¯t me you too much, right?¡± I was momentarily speechless, not responding to Rachel¡¯s words. Although doing so essentially deceived Walter, after all, we had a child. When the time came to exin, given Walter¡¯s temperament, it might just work! Rachel¡¯s advice wasn¡¯t without merit. After talking with her, I didn¡¯t go to the Conner Group, but instead went to the Hinton Group. had just gotten out of the car outside the Hinton Group, and as soon as I arrived in the lobby, I saw Ashley. She was holding a food box, dressed casually, looking like she was here to deliver food. Although I had been married to Walter for two years, I rarely visited the Hinton Group. After all, my job was not here, and there was no reason for my marital rtionship with Walter to bring me here every day. Ashley seemed to be quite familiar with the receptionist. They chatted about something unknown and Looking at the situation, I hesitated for a moment. I originally came to find Walter, nning to have dinner together outside after he got off work, and then return to Water Vi together in the evening. Because of the child, I indeed had some thoughts, but I am a person who doesn¡¯t really understand how to be romantic. So, all I could think of was having dinner together, and if possible, taking a walk together, and then going home together. As I hesitated, a murky voice came from behind, ¡°Tabatha.¡± I was taken aback for a moment, turning around to see it was Carley, with Dale following her. Seeing her, I quickly spoke up, ¡°Grandma.¡± Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Hesitation and Indecision Looking at me, Carley furrowed her brows slightly and asked, ¡°Did youe here for something?¡± I hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Seeing this, Carley didn¡¯t ask any more questions. Instead, she turned to Ashley and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, apany me to see Walter. This child hasn¡¯t been back to the old house for quite some time. I¡¯m curious to see just how busy his work is.¡± Saying so, he directly got on the elevator. Ashley naturally saw me as well. Her face darkened slightly, but only for a moment, before returning to normal. With a smile on her face, she followed Carley into the elevator. Judging by the looks of it, there was no need for me to go up. I took a slight breath, turned around to leave, only to unexpectedly run into Roy who wasing in. Seeing me, Roy expressed his surprise, ¡°Madam, howe you are here? Are you looking for Mr. Hinton? He just finished a meeting. I can apany you upstairs.¡± I shook my head with a smile, looking at him and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I was just passing by, no need to bother him anymore. You go ahead with your work, I have something else to do so I¡¯ll leave now.¡± After speaking, I took a step and left the Hinton Group. Going to find Walter now would probably seem superfluous, after all, Carley and Ashley were there, and I couldn¡¯t really say anything Besides, Carley hade, Walter would inevitably return to the old house in the evening. Even though I knew about his affair with Ashley, I still felt ufortable. After all, he was still my husband, and it was unsettling for anyone to let him take care of a pregnant woman. ¡°Ding ding¡­¡± The phone in the bag started to vibrate. pulled out my phone, saw it was Walter calling, and couldn¡¯t help but pause for a moment. After hesitating for a few seconds, I answered, habitually saying into the phone, ¡°Hello¡­¡± ¡°Are you here? Why don¡¯t youe up?¡± Walter¡¯s restrained, deep voice came from the other end of the phone. I paused for a moment, subconsciously turned my head and looked up at the Hinton Group building. The dozens of floors high building was all deep blue reflective ss, nothing else could be seen. Drawing back my gaze, I spoke into the phone, ¡°Not going up, are you¡­ing back to Water Vi tonight?¡± ¡°Walter, guess what grandma and I brought for you? Your favorite fried crisps,¡± Ashley¡¯s voice echoed from the other end of the phone. I slightly furrowed my brows, guessing that Carley and Ashley must have already been in Walter¡¯s oflice. ¡°See you tonight.¡± Walter¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone, then he hurriedly added, ¡°I¡¯ll call you back in a bit.¡± After speaking, the phone had already been hung up. Holding the phone, all I heard was the beeping sound of a disconnected call. After a long silence, I hung up the phone and walked somewhat numbly to the car. My head was slightly aching. I sat in the car in a daze for a while before I started the car and drove back to Water Vi. Such a huge vi,pletely empty. Living here alone for a long time, one¡¯s heart would be as empty as this ce. Sitting on the sofa, I slowly came back to my senses, realizing that going to the Hinton Group to find Walter was too impulsive of me. Walter did indeed exin his rtionship with Ashley to me. He never touched her, and the child wasn¡¯t hers, but that didn¡¯t mean he had no feelings for her. He was obsessed with taking responsibility for the non-existent child in my womb, but I overlooked the fact that responsibility and affection are two different things. He exined so much to me, not out of affection, but out of duty and obligation. If it wasn¡¯t for his love for me, his desire to have children with me, but only because of duty and obligation, he wanted to protect me, burying his feelings for Ashley deep in his heart. A man with the moonlight of another woman in his heart, was this the kind of marriage I truly wanted? Humans are indeed greedy. In the past, knowing that he and Ashley were not innocent, I gave up hopelessly. Now that I know they are innocent, I care about the person he loves again. Thought too much, the mind became chaotic. I didn¡¯t know how I fell asleep, but when I woke up, I was already in Walter¡¯s arms. Seeing his magnified handsome face, I was startled. Just as I was about to struggle, he tightened his grip and lowered his voice, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Carrying me into the bedroom, heid me on the bed and said, ¡°The weather is cold, it¡¯s warmer to sleep in the bedroom.¡± I pursed my lips, my sleepiness long gone, and asked him, ¡°When did youe back?¡± ¡°Just got back.¡± He responded to me, taking off his coat and hanging it on the rack. The sky outside had already darkened, suggesting that he must havee here after returning to the old house. He seemed to be in a good mood. After putting away his clothes, he raised an eyebrow at me and asked, ¡°What brought you to the office to find me? Is there something you need?¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. I was stunned for a moment, slightly nodded, and then shook my head vigorously. I had originally nned to have dinner with him, just like Rachel suggested, and then¡­ give it a try, maybe I could get pregnant. After returning, her mind became clear. If she really was pregnant, it would tie him down for life. Seeing me shaking my head and nodding again, he rarely smiled. lightly and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back my words, so I looked at him and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Walter, if Ashley continues to struggle, will you always protect her?¡± Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Ashley wanted to coborate with me? He furrowed his brows slightly, his face bing a bit more serious as he looked at me and asked, ¡°Why do you suddenly ask?¡± Watching his reaction, I couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint why I felt a certain heaviness in my heart, but I still said, ¡°I just wanted to ask, Ashley said Henry wasn¡¯t good to her, I want to know, would you protect her unconditionally for the rest of your life?¡± He pursed his lips, his dark eyes deep and distant. After a long while, he slowly spoke, answering not the question asked, ¡°She is different from others.¡± Different from others. I felt a lump in my throat, unable to decide whether tough or cry at that moment. I was initially very happy that he exined his rtionship with Ashley to me. The atmosphere fell silent for a long time. Walter looked at me, his dark eyes deep and somewhat obscure. After a while, he finally looked at me and asked, ¡°Why are you suddenly asking me these things?¡± I forced a smile, my face somewhat stiff as I said, ¡°Just curious.¡± He looked at me like this, sighing somewhat helplessly, ¡°Tabatha, you are my wife, forever and always.¡± I nodded, opening my mouth tiredly to say, ¡°Go to bed earlier, I¡¯m a bit sleepy.¡± Lying in bed, she turned her back to him, an indescribable feeling in her heart. After a while, heid down beside me, but didn¡¯t start a conversation. That night, they looked at each other in silence. The next day. The temperature in River City had be increasingly cold, the weather was foggy and there was a light rain, which greatly affected my mood. When I woke up, Walter had already left. I went to the Conner Group. As soon as I entered the office, I ran into Alexander. He looked me up and down with his arms crossed, frowning, ¡°Did you hang out with Walterst night?¡± Why did this sentence sound so awkward? I gave him a nk look and said speechlessly, ¡°Speak properly, he is my husband, what do you mean by ¡®messing around¡±?¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± He said irritably, looking at me, ¡°Auntie Eileen nagged me all night yesterday, saying she¡¯s afraid you won¡¯t divorce Walter because of the child. You¡¯re not really thinking that way, are you?¡± Looking at his gossiping face, I really didn¡¯t feel like talking about this with him. I asked, ¡°What did the police station say about Abagail¡¯s case?¡± Speaking of the matter at hand, he became serious and said, ¡°We¡¯ve figured it out, and it¡¯s pretty much as we suspected. Dr. Samuel was too impatient and used too much medication, which led to Abagail¡¯s death. The police have already convicted him in court.¡± I nodded, paused for a moment, and looked at him, asking, ¡°Has someone taken care of Abagail¡¯s airs?¡± < He shook his head, ¡°I didn¡¯t pay attention to this. The person is already dead. After the police station ¡°Could you ask for me when her funeral will be? I¡¯d like to pay my respects,¡± I said, feeling somewhat downcast. In the mental hospital, Abagail had helped me, but I hadn¡¯t been able to save her unscathed. Alexander grunted in acknowledgement, seeing that my mood didn¡¯t seem high, he didn¡¯t continue to tease me. The things that happened these past two days were all very upsetting. At noon, Ashley stormed into my office, her eyes ck and blue, ring at me angrily, ¡°Tabatha, we need to talk.¡± Looking at her, my expression became much calmer, a faint smile ying on my lips, ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± She pulled up a chair and sat down, her dark eyes fixed on me, cutting straight to the chase, ¡°Coboration!¡± I frowned, particrly puzzled, and looked at her, ¡°Cooperate? Cooperate on what?¡± She touched her already swollen belly, looked at me and said, ¡°Let me stay in River City, I will never disturb your life with Walter. I will exin things to Carley about what happened in the past, so you can live without worries in the Hinton family.¡± I furrowed my brows, squinting at her, ¡°The things from that year?¡± She nodded, her face slightly pale, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe that I framed you five years ago, you can hold a press conference. I will go and clear up the nderous words that were put on you back then.¡± I sneered, ¡°You¡¯re going to rify it yourself? Admit that you framed me, aren¡¯t you afraid of going to jail, being imprisoned? Ashley, don¡¯t forget, you were an aplice back then, it was also illegal.¡± She pursed her lips, her face pale, her hand on her stomach, biting her lip hard, ¡°I¡¯m pregnant, the police will be lenient.¡± I did forget about that, it seems like it was. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Seeing her like this, I couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°You¡¯re doing all this just. to stay in River City?¡± She nodded. These words seemed very genuine, but she was too good at pretending, I couldn¡¯t trust her. Taking a deep breath, I said, ¡°Ashley, if my father were alive, and you came to me with these terms, I might have believed you then. But now, I won¡¯t. So, please take a left out the door. No need for goodbyes.¡± She suddenly stood up, her face ashen as she looked at me, her voice suppressed, ¡°Tabatha, do you want to live your life carrying those filthy words from the past?¡± Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Chapter 85 I Loved Him More Than You Could Ever Imagine I shook my head, ¡°Of course not.¡± She asked, puzzled, ¡°Then you¡­¡± I smiled faintly, looking at her puzzled expression, ¡°I will find out about the things that happened in the past, and I will return all the sins you made me suffer, one by one. So, Ashley, there has never been such a word as ¡®cooperation¡¯ between us. Don¡¯te looking for me in the future, I won¡¯t help you, let alone cooperate with you.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± She red at me, no longer hiding the malice on her face, and said, ¡°Fine, if that¡¯s the case, then don¡¯t me me for disregarding our familial ties.¡± Family love? Iughed, mockingly looking at her and said, ¡°Ashley, do we have any kinship between us?¡± Seeing me like this, she let out a coldugh and said to me, ¡°Indeed, there is no blood rtion, but Tabatha, have you forgotten? Even if I¡¯m not the biological daughter of the Conner family, legally, I¡¯m still a daughter of the Conner family. I also have a share in the Conner Group.¡± I furrowed my brows, watching her warily, ¡°What do you want to do?¡± She sneered, ¡°Father left in such a hurry, he probably didn¡¯t have time to make a will. Therefore, I have a share in the Conner Group under his name. Now, what do you think would happen if I stirred up a o bu ||| Conner Group?¡± My heart couldn¡¯t help but skip a beat. Indeed, my father had not left a will. ording to legal procedures, Ashley could inherit one-third of my father¡¯s shares and property. This one-third, even without awsuit, she could inherit naturally. Not to mention if awsuit was involved. The Conner Group had just stabilized. If anotherwsuit were to arise, not to mention other factors, public opinion alone could cause The Conner Group¡¯s stock to plummet. I pursed my lips, suppressing the resentment and anger in my heart, and looked at her, ¡°Ashley, what on earth do you want to do?¡± ¡°You persuaded Walter not to send me to Aeledge,¡± she looked at me and began, ¡°Since you know that Henry has returned to the country, let¡¯s be frank, Henry is nning to take action against the Hinton. Group. He had his eyes on the assets of the Hinton Group years ago, so he is nning to take down Walter this time hees back.¡± Her words didn¡¯t surprise me. I just looked at her with a calm expression, waiting for her to continue. She continued to speak, ¡°Yes, I was ced by Henry at Walter¡¯s side, but I never intended to harm Walter, Tabatha. I love him more than you can imagine, so I would never hurt him. I stayed by his side just to help him. With me around, at least in a crisis, I would know where Henry, this venomous snake, would strike.¡± I pursed my lips, remaining silent. As for Ashley¡¯s words, how much was believable and how much was not, I could no longer distinguish. Looking at her, I said, ¡°You could have sought Walter, instead of me.¡± She shook her head, somewhat despairingly, ¡°Walter is responsible. Even if he doesn¡¯t have feelings for you, because you are his wife, if you care, he will let me go, Tabatha. If you really consider him your < husband, you should let me help him, not turn a blind eye.¡± Iughed, thinking her logic was wed, and said, ¡°Ashley, isn¡¯t your thinking wrong? If you really wanted to help Walter, you should have told him about Henry¡¯s intentions when Henry returned to his country, instead of moving into the Hinton family under the pretext of pregnancy, usurping their ce, and now you¡¯re powerless and trying to morally kidnap me.¡± Perhaps seeing that I was impervious to her words, she became somewhat infuriated, ring at me and saying, ¡°Tabatha, I kindly asked you, but you are so self-righteous. Someone like you is not worthy of being Walter¡¯s wife at all.¡± Having no interest in continuing the conversation with her, I pushed her out of the office. Sitting back in the chair, I couldn¡¯t help but squint slightly. I knew Ashley too well. She considered asking me for help a humiliation, and she wouldn¡¯te to me unless she was absolutely desperate. But why did you repeatedlye to me about leaving River City? So, she came to me because she knew thatining to Walter was utterly useless, hoping that I would give in? Sure, it was more useful for her to go to Carley for help than toe to me. Could it be that Carley knew the child in her belly wasn¡¯t Walter¡¯s? As I was pondering, my phone rang. It was Dale¡¯s phone call. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. I hadn¡¯t heard from Dale in a long time, so I was a bit surprised. After a moment of hesitation, I answered the call. r Dale¡¯s voice came from the other end, ¡°Mrs. Hinton, are you busy right now? Mrs. Carley Hinton asked me to take you to the old house.¡± I paused for a moment, then said into the phone, ¡°I¡¯m not too busy, but Dale, you don¡¯t need to pick me up. I¡¯lle over myself after work.¡± There was a slight pause from Dale on the other end of the phone, then he said, ¡°Carley wants you to